My last article in this series translated Cultivation from the Development Cycle into HOW your donor can best make the gift he wants to make.
This fifth and final article translates Solicitation from the Development Cycle into the last of the four decisions you hope to lead your prospect to – WILL YOU make the gift we have been discussing?
It can be argued that only this is the ask, that all that discussion and exploration that preceded it was discovery, assessment, and cultivation. Remember, this is a look at relationship-building from the other side of the coffee table.
Once your prospect embraces WHY he cares about your nonprofit, once you help her identify for WHAT purpose she would like to make an impactful gift, and once you help them identify HOW the gift can best be made, you can confidently invite the gift decision. In fact, sometimes you won’t even get to ask “WILL YOU?”. They will have figured out they can indeed make the gift and will offer it.
This is true donor-centered fundraising, as you learn to translate the language of the Development Cycle into the four decisions your donor will consider when discussing a major gift plan with you.