By Not Asking Donors to Give, You Short-Change Them

Claire Axelrad writes on Clairification about how the most donor-centric thing you can do is ask people for a philanthropic gift.

Of course, not all the time. And not without being diligent about matching what you ask for to who you ask and what they care about. And not without tempering your “ask” approaches with “gift” approaches; you do have to do a fair amount of wooing. But…

You can’t just be wooing.

There’s an end in sight, right? And it’s not just you who wants to get there. Your donors want to get there too. And they can’t get there without you.

By not asking people to give you’re short-changing them.

This may seem like an odd way to reframe fundraising, but it's an apt one. Because philanthropy truly is a joyful activity. And it's your job to offer this joyful opportunity.

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