The dilemma facing many fundraising professionals is the lack of teaching candidates to ask for donations properly, according to Ann Herberger in the Campaign Insider blog for the website Campaigns & Elections.
Herberger specializes in fundraising for the Bush family, specifically former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Candidates come from a wide range of society, and few have the proper skillset to ask for money bluntly during fundraising calls. The answer may be in training.
To educate candidates in the right way to solicit funds, it starts with a simple question — “why are they running?” That becomes the dialogue used with potential donors.
Next, the professional fundraiser works on “the ask,” the specifics of what they want from the donor. Is it a donation, or a bundled amount? Perhaps they want the person to serve as campaign finance chair or provide assistance in choosing a finance committee.
Specificity is the key. The more precise they make the ask, the higher the chances of success. Ambiguity is a fundraising killer.
Lastly, the secret weapon in fundraising is human contact. There is no substitute for one-on-one meetings, either on the phone or on in-person. Many younger candidates may be enamored with the Internet, but an email will never replace the human touch for raising money.
The bottom line in successful fundraising is when a candidate gets to the ask, they should go big, strong and detailed. That is how a candidate will get exactly what they want.
