Rethinking Face-to-Face Donor Solicitation: Face-to-Face Isn’t Always Best

If you’re an experienced fundraiser, you’ve been taught that in-person, face-to-face solicitation is the most effective way to solicit gifts.

But is face-to-face donor solicitation really the best way to fundraise?

Is Face-to-Face Fundraising Flawed?

You know the drill: Want to ask someone for a large gift? Schedule an appointment to meet with the donor so you can ask for the gift face-to-face.

You’ve probably noticed that most people are uncomfortable asking for gifts that way. Executive directors, board members, and even campaign volunteers and staff seldom enjoy the process. They often find one excuse or another to avoid face-to-face, in-person solicitations.

When Face-to-Face Fundraising Goes Awry

Often, even when the solicitor is willing, the process goes awry:

• Sometimes the donor declines the visit, saying that he’ll just send a check.
• Sometimes the “solicitation” luncheon goes from start to finish without ever getting to the solicitation course. (The asker could never muster the courage to ask.)
• Sometimes the best-planned solicitation comes out like this: “Joe, you know I’m here to hit you up for a gift. Just send what you can. Okay?”

Face-to-Face Solicitation: Rethinking a Sacred Cow

Know this! I’m 100% in favor of asking people for gifts in personal and specific ways.

I believe that asking for help — monetary or otherwise — draws us closer. It enables us to acknowledge that we need help and in doing so, it empowers the people you are asking for it.

But I’m no longer convinced that face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball, is always the best way.

I prefer side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, or even email-to-email!

Alternative Styles to In-Person Gift Solicitation

Sitting across from someone creates an immediate, direct and often uncomfortable interaction. By its very nature, it can easily set up a sense of confrontation — asker versus giver. The intensity can be uncomfortable for both parties.

Though some people can create a positive and warm communication while looking at someone head-on, many people — myself included — feel safer and more comfortable when we are side by side.

Side-by-Side Solicitation: Walking and talking

I’m a big fan of walking and talking. Want to ask someone you know about something important? Suggest talking a walk to discuss it. So why not ask for a gift that way too?

Or, if taking a walk doesn’t suit the situation, try using oversized pieces of paper that graphically outline your project and how the donor might help. You and the donor sit side-by-side and look at the big document together. It becomes the focus of the conversation about the project and naturally leads to asking how the donor might help.

With this type of shoulder-to-shoulder approach, you and your donor are partners in the conversation rather than combatants.

Email-to-Email Solicitation: Easy and Immediate

Sometimes you don’t have to meet in person to do a great job of asking for a gift.

Consider, for example, asking someone who has a long history with your organization. They know it well and know you well. While it might be fun to go for a walk or meet in person, you might begin the conversation (and perhaps finish it too) via email. Email is easy and immediate.

When used well, email can feel extremely personal and caring. You can use it to ask for a meeting or ask for the gift. You can follow up easily, as can your donor.

Potential Downsides to Email Solicitation

But there are some downsides to email solicitation, even at its most personal.

Did they open it? Unless the donor responds, you’re never sure that they actually saw your email. So you have to be careful not to assume that no response means no interest and no gift. And you are sometimes in an awkward situation, not knowing whether to ask again.

The key to getting someone to open an email is the subject line. Be careful that the subject lines you use will motivate your donor to open the email. Don’t use “Asking for a gift.” Instead, you might say “I have a personal favor to ask.”

Which of those emails would you open?

Did they actually read it? And remember that people skim rather than read emails — you’ve got to write them accordingly. Long, dense paragraphs don’t work. If your ask requires lots of explanation, then email probably isn’t a good way for you to ask for a gift.

But if you know that your donor is already committed and all that’s left to be done is to ask for the gift, you may be able to do that in a short two-to-three-line email. Then, consider following up with a phone call.

What’s Your Opinion on Face-to-Face Solicitation?

I suspect that I’m opening a big and controversial topic here. And I’m very interested in your thoughts on this subject.

How do you feel about face-to-face solicitation? If you have strong feelings either way, please do share them in the comments below.