FUNdraising Good Times Nonprofit CEOs – Overcome the Fear of Asking

Fundraising is known for its abundance of disappointments and few successes. Don’t let that get you down. It’s just a fact of life. And you can overcome it. Let’s say you’re a kid and you want a specific gift. What do you do? We recommend talking to those who just might give you a gift. Tell them what you want. Tell them why you want it, and how your life will be so wonderfully different once you have it. We hope you can conjure up the feelings that come with knowing you just might get what you want. Feel the feeling of knowing that people are going to come through for you. You need this feeling when you are fundraising as a nonprofit director or CEO. You must believe that what you are asking for is important. You have to know and understand the mission, goals, values, and fundraising priorities of the organization you represent. You have to feel confident – you are not begging. And you cannot take rejection personally. If you have hesitancy, hire a consultant to coach you through the process of learning how to have a cultivation conversation, and – at the appropriate time – a...