June/July 2006: “The Ask”

Success! With the first month of FLiP behind us, and an increasing base of subscribers, we are pressing ahead into our second “issue."  In this issue we will be exploring the single most important skill that any development professional needs to learn: Making and Responding to “THE ASK."

Because many of us are young and/or new to the sector, this issue of FLiP will address the question, “How does someone new to the sector gain the respect needed to make an ask?” and “How does a new grant maker get the respect needed to judge a proposal?"

For many of us, the prospect of asking an older, experienced philanthropist for money can be intimidating; so can the prospect of critically evaluating a proposal from an established, successful nonprofit leader. Trust us, you are not alone.

As anyone who has been through the process knows, no matter how long a fundraiser has been in the business it is always a nerve-racking experience to ask someone for money. While preparing the June/July issue, the editors of FLiP agreed that for our first educational topic, nothing could be more important to FLiPs than making the ask. Though the application of this topic is clear for fundraisers, we will also feature articles about responding to the ask. With collective experiences on both sides, the editors also seek to make this issue relevant to grant-makers. Afterall, for anyone working in philanthropy it is critical to learn the problems and skills associated with making and responding to the ask in order to be successful.

Very few philanthropy professionals ask a donor for $1 million on their first day, so don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to practice. However, if you can master this talent early in your career, you will quickly separate yourself from your peers. Understanding the ask- in person, through proposals and direct mail- will make you more valuable to your cause than any other single skill you could have. Also, while giving away money may seem like the easy half of the equation, young/new grantmakers quickly learn it is more complicated than it initially appears. In this issue, we provide tips for giving away money effectively and advice on negotiating the challenges of being a young grantmaker.

In addition to the main topic for this month, we are excited to present guest posts from industry leaders and executives. Stay tuned for more details!

Posts this month will include:

• The FLiP guide to “the ask” for grant-makers
• Obstacles to making “the ask” as a fundraiser
• The top 10 tips for making “the ask”
• The top 10 tips for granting funds
• The FLiP guide to approaching a foundation
• And many, many others, including “Meet-A-FLiP” features, and guest posts from industry leaders.

As FLiP gets rolling this summer, please feel free to e-mail me at wschneider@changingourworld.com to suggest, discuss, confer, and so forth. In the meantime, FLiPs, let’s hear your best stories about the ask!