How to Ask for Donations

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By Glyn Sheridan
eHow Contributing Writer

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(7 Ratings)

State your goals clearly to see donations increase.

Whether you are in charge of raising money for a child’s athletic team or your club needs funds to promote a political lobbying effort, asking for donations is an important part of a non-profit organization’s agenda. Use some tried-and-true techniques for getting the funds you need while presenting yourself with class.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Obtain your non-profit status. Many donors want to use the deduction from their charity donation to offset their income tax burden. If you haven’t done so already, speak with an attorney about the process involved in becoming a certified non-profit organization.
Step 2

Create a solid mission statement that allows potential donors to identify with your group. Some organizations are easily recognizable, such as the Boy Scouts, and they need no introduction. Unfortunately, most non-profit organizations are small and specialized. For these groups, it is imperative that goals are clearly established.
Step 3

Send out mailings with information about the proposed use of the funds you are requesting. Donors want details. Instead of stating that the money raised will benefit the nursing home, specify that it will go towards building a coffee shop for the residents where they can spend time with their friends. Be specific.
Step 4

Set aside time for your fund-raising campaign. If you need to raise a large amount of money, determine how much you can reasonably expect to receive each week and determine how many weeks you need to achieve the total.
Step 5

Keep the public informed of your progress as your fund-raising effort gets underway. One of the easiest ways to do this is to contact the local newspaper and submit a weekly recap of the donations received. In addition, make a public sign that shows the status of the money collected and revise it daily or weekly, depending upon the length of your campaign. Often donors will contribute more than once when they can see the ongoing results of your efforts.
Step 6

Send thank you letters to every donor. It costs extra, but they will appreciate the effort and will be more likely to donate the next time you ask for money.
Step 7

Publish the result of the charity donations you received. Most newspapers have a special section with stories of fund-raising campaigns, along with photos of a completed project, financed by donations or a check presented to a charity after the campaign is over.