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Ask Julie: How to Ask for a Major Gift Without Damaging Donor Relationships
Description
You value relationships. You genuinely care about your donors.
And then it’s time to ask for $100,000 and suddenly you’re saying:
“Whatever you can give would be great!”
Would it, though?
Your mission requires serious money.
In this episode of the Nonprofit CourageLab podcast, we’re talking about the fear that making a big ask will damage the donor relationship—and what might actually be hiding underneath it.
We’re getting into:
- What your real fear is and it’s likely not talking about money
- The difference between relationship building and people pleasing and how to know which one you’re doing
- Why clear is not the same as coercive
- How to stop budgeting donor’s philanthropy for them
- Why your relationship with “No” matters more than you think
- How to handle when things go sideways
- Why avoiding discomfort is costing you big gifts
Your job is to tell the truth about what your organization needs, make the ask, and let another grown adult decide what they want to do. That’s it.
If you’ve been needing some mindset coaching around major gifts and support to stop backing down at the most important moment - when it’s time to ask - then this episode is for you.
Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.
If you’re an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you’re ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I’ll share details.