Before we focused on how to get money out of this donor, or this friend or this person that was on a list someone gave you, we first have to start with you if you're going to be a great fundraiser. It comes from you. It starts with you. For starters, we've got to ask, why do you care about this? What is your personal commitment to this? And have you given money?

It's often very, very difficult to ask people for money if you personally haven't given. Now, if you're a professional fundraiser for a large, large national organization, it's a little bit different. But if you're a volunteer for any local charity, political campaign, any other nonprofit, it's going to be a lot easier for you to ask for money. If you've already given money and you can tell the person Hey, Bill, that's why I decided to write a check to that's because I want to give specific examples of how You gave, it's going to make it so much easier, you're not going to feel like a hypocrite. So ask yourself, what are the very reasons that attracted you to this organization in the first place? Why did you want to donate to this organization in the first place, you're donating your time by trying to raise money.

Presumably you've donated some money. Now, don't feel embarrassed if you haven't donated a million dollars. It's not necessarily about how much you've given. For some people donating $100 is a bigger sacrifice than others donating a million dollars. But if you've given money, don't be afraid to mention that to other prospective donors. Tell them why this organization is so important to you what it's meant to you personally, why you think it's doing such a good job.

And, for example, if you're giving to your university and you're trying to raise money for that, talk about how this university changed Your life. If you're trying to raise money for a medical charity, and you have a close, loved one, who, for example has died of breast cancer, and this really touches you personally talk about that talk about why it's so important if you still have spouses, mothers, grandmothers, children, granddaughters, who may be affected by this. Talk about that, because people do not give money just on the facts, or just about the facts. We could just send emails with data points and bullet points and no one would ever have to ask for money. It's a combination about the substance, the facts, the emotion behind it, the story behind it, and the person asking and of course, your relationship with the person you're asking money from.

So for starters, really write down the top three reasons why you're personally committed to this organization, this channel This campaign, you may be raising money for your own political campaign. You need to have very clear cut reasons as to why you're donating so much of your time and at least some of your money to your own political campaign. So write these reasons down and be ready to tell them. When you do start calling and meeting face to face with donors.