The best fundraising calls are 80% listening and 20% talking. If you find the ratio inverted, take action — listening is what will raise you the money you need.
Introduction: Introduce yourself, your organization/race, and any connection points.
Why I'm Doing This: This is your "heart story". Talk about your WHY, your purpose for doing this work.
Viability Now let them know that you're not going to light their money on fire. Tell them why this effort is viable. Usually it's a statistic: "I'm ahead 8% in the polls", "We help 10k kids every year". Occasionally it's social proof, like "Bill Gates is supporting me", or "I'm endorsed by President Biden".
**Ask: "**Would you consider making a personal commitment to give/raise X by Y date?" (If they say no:) "What would you consider?"
<aside> 💡 And when you're done asking this question, STOP TALKING. We tend to fill awkward gaps with the sound of our voice, but by leaving it empty you allow your prospect time to carefully consider your question. Also, note the specific dollar amount and deadline!
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Thank You
Make a connection ("Hi Mary, this is Daniel from ACLU...") This is the time when you connect with the person, and show how you are connected. If it's your best friend, the connection is obvious, but if it's an old sorority sister, a neighbor, or simply a cold call to a potential donor, make sure that your introduction shows your intentionality and care. Remember, you're calling this person for a reason.
Bandwagon ("We'll create change, and here's why...") People want to be part of a team, and they want to be part of the winning team or a team that is doing something meaningful. The bandwagon is your opportunity to brag, and prove to a potential donor that their money will not be wasted. Did you just implement a new program? Win an award at your nonprofit? Put it in the bandwagon.
Ghost Story. ("If we don't raise this money...") At the end of the day, people need to be motivated by fear or anger. This is where the ghost story comes in. What happens if they don't contribute?(?!?!) This can be relatively low-key "We need to raise $30,000 by the end of the quarter to meet our goals and if we don't get their we might have to cut a program" or high-urgency "the President is threatening to end DACA and we need to be ready to support our community where the government won't."
Hard Ask. ("Can I count on you to give $XXX by YYY date?") The Obama 2008 team did extensive research on how to craft an ask. We have been conditioned to make soft asks (do you thinking you could maybe help me out?) but it is imperative that you always make hard asks. The first aspect of a hard ask is that it includes strong language (no "could you maybes") and hard a specific amount and date. "Can I count on you to give X by Y?" Always ask for a specific dollar amount and a deadline. By asking for a specific dollar amount, we are 37% more likely to get a higher dollar amount. That means 37% less calltime for you, just by implementing that one simple tool.
<aside> 💡 And when you're done asking this question, STOP TALKING. We tend to fill awkward gaps with the sound of our voice, but by leaving it empty you allow your prospect time to carefully consider your question. Also, note the specific dollar amount and deadline!
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<aside> 💡 It is best practice to limit each call to having one distinct ask. Usually, this ask will take one of two forms - 'ask to give' or 'ask to raise'.
Remember, anyone - not just max contributors - can be a raiser!
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The second aspect of a hard ask is the second ask. If someone says they cannot give what you asked for, follow up immediately by asking for half. People want to say yes, and this give them the opportunity to do so.
Accountability. ("Great! I'll shoot you a link to donate via email")
For more detail on what do to after your initial accountability step, see Pledge Chasing