--- title: Are You Afraid to ‘Make the Fundraising Ask’? description: Making a fundraising ask for your nonprofit can be hard, we get it. But it is crucial to your organization's success. Are you afraid of making the ask? image: https://blog.charityhowto.com/hubfs/Chat%20bubble%20and%20question%20mark%20-%20Blog%20Header%20(Hubspot).jpg --- [![CharityHowTo](https://blog.charityhowto.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CharityHowTo_February2020%20Theme/Images/header_logo_new.png?width=240&height=64&name=header_logo_new.png "CharityHowTo")](https://www.charityhowto.com/) - [Blog Home](https://blog.charityhowto.com/) - [Nonprofit Training](https://www.charityhowto.com/nonprofit-webinars) - [Google Ad Grants](https://googlegrants.charityhowto.com/aioggs) - [About Us](https://www.charityhowto.com/about) - [Contact Us](https://www.charityhowto.com/contact) - [Membership](https://membership.charityhowto.com/) No video selected Select a video type in the sidebar. [Home](https://blog.charityhowto.com) Are You Afraid to ‘Make the Fundraising Ask’? # Are You Afraid to ‘Make the Fundraising Ask’? [Margaret Battistelli Gardner](https://blog.charityhowto.com/author/margaret-battistelli-gardner) December 19, 2021 [Fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/fundraising), [best fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/best-fundraising), [psychology of fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/psychology-of-fundraising), [fundraising for nonprofits](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/fundraising-for-nonprofits) Comments [No Comments](https://blog.charityhowto.com/are-you-afraid-to-make-the-ask#comments-listing) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## ![Chat bubble and question mark - Blog Header (Hubspot)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chat%20bubble%20and%20question%20mark%20-%20Blog%20Header%20(Hubspot).jpg?width=460&name=Chat%20bubble%20and%20question%20mark%20-%20Blog%20Header%20(Hubspot).jpg) ## Are You Afraid to ‘Make the Fundraising Ask’? ## Many fundraisers are, but it’s a fear worth overcoming Everyone loves a juicy urban legend, right? Here’s one that, like most, may or may not be true. But it makes its point. It was a fundraising conference in New York. Or was it New Zealand? In the early aughts. Or was it the late ‘90s? Or was it 1987? No matter. Apparently, the session leader asked the participants in his session to make a fundraising ask, to each turn to the person on their left and ask for a gift to their organization. Most of the audience thought it was a joke and opted to examine their shoes and giggle nervously rather than “make the ask.” Of those who did ask, about 30 percent got a positive response. Who was laughing then? Even if that gift was $5… hey, every penny counts. *And those who didn’t ask, naturally, didn’t receive.* It was just a seemingly silly little experiment that may or may not have even happened (but you’re sure to find someone somewhere who will swear they were there when it did — like everyone knows someone once, twice or thrice removed who found a spider in their straw just as they were about to take that first, ill-fated sip). ##### But true or not, it proves a point: If you don’t ask, you don’t get.  And it really is all about the fundraising ask, isn’t it? You’re fundraisers, after all. But many fundraisers aren’t all that keen on, well, fundraising. And if you’re one of them, fundraising professionals, best figure out how to get over it or help your board members or other development officers get over it. Because you (or your board or your major gifts officers, whoever) can primp and prime and grease the wheels all you want, but if no one makes the fundraising ask to raise funds, it’s all in vain.   All the best, - Your friends at CharityHowTo   P.S. Don’t forget to keep learning. Want to find out more about making an in-person ask?[Check this out](https://blog.charityhowto.com/mastering-the-in-person-fundraising-ask). It’s free. Topics: [Fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/fundraising), [best fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/best-fundraising), [psychology of fundraising](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/psychology-of-fundraising), [fundraising for nonprofits](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/fundraising-for-nonprofits) Enter your email address below to begin receiving invitations to our latest FREE, premium, live, and on-demand nonprofit training webinars! ### Recent Posts ### Categories - [Fundraising (79)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/fundraising) - [nonprofit marketing (46)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-marketing) - [Donor Management (35)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/donor-management) - [Nonprofit Tips & Tricks (35)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-tips-tricks) - [Nonprofit Professionals (25)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-professionals) - [nonprofit fundraising (22)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-fundraising) - [Social Media for Nonprofits (21)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/social-media-for-nonprofits) - [grants (20)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/grants) - [Grant Writing Tips (18)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/grant-writing-tips) - [Cultivating donors (17)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/cultivating-donors) - [Donor Relationships and Acquisition for Nonprofits (17)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/donor-relationships-and-acquisition-for-nonprofits) - [best fundraising (17)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/best-fundraising) - [monthly giving (17)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/monthly-giving) - [AI for Nonprofits (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/ai-for-nonprofits) - [Nonprofit Grants (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-grants) - [Nonprofit Organizations (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-organizations) - [Nonprofit Technology (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-technology) - [marketing (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/marketing) - [nonprofit management (16)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/nonprofit-management) - [AI (15)](https://blog.charityhowto.com/tag/ai) ![Get Invited to FREE Nonprofit Trainings!](https://blog.charityhowto.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CharityHowTo_February2020%20Theme/Images/980ccb3d64561539002508-training-icon-01%20(2).png?width=142&height=115&name=980ccb3d64561539002508-training-icon-01%20(2).png "Get Invited to FREE Nonprofit Trainings!") #### Get Invited to FREE Nonprofit Trainings! 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