Making an Artful Ask

©2015 Artful Asker - Marcy Heim Consulting
Logo cover
Presentation by Marcy Heim, The Artful Asker, www.marcyheim.com, 888-324-0442
Making an
Artful Ask!
The Power of
Mindset!

THE ARTFUL ASKER
Marcy Heim, CFRE, PLCC
Founder & Principal
Marcy Heim, CFRE, PLCC, is an author, international
speaker, fundraising consultant and life coach for
those transforming the world through generosity.
Her direct and entertaining style reflects over twenty
years of in-the-trenches, major gift fundraising and
management success. She and her team raised
millions by creating the very relationships Marcy
teaches in her popular sessions.
She’s an AFP Master Teacher and received both the
CASE Crystal Apple and AFP’s Outstanding Fundraiser
awards. "Empowering Development Ambassadors” is
Marcy’s book on major gift relationship-building and
the role both methods and mindset play in giving
success.

We are about to have an
incredible experience
together!
The Power of Mindset

Session Goals Making an Artful Ask
 Our Mindset
 Why people give/the Words
we use
 The Cycle of Successful
Relationships – overview
 Making an Artful Ask

“What’s
the cause?
Can’t you
just give?
Must there
always be
a cause?”

Universal Vision
“You want to compose a good
world – it is an honorable and
noble profession.” – Maya Angelou
Let your vocabulary reflect your attitude!

85% of your
success is in your head!
So what’s in our head?

The Strangest Secret

“We become what we
think about!”
Earl Nightingale
The Strangest Secret

Examine Your Beliefs
"Our beliefs can move us
forward in life, or they can
hold us back.“
Oprah
“I’ve heard this before”

Declarations about Raising Major Gifts
•My cause is worthy of people’s investment
•We are a sound and accountable organization
•We make a difference and I am proud of what we do
•By giving to my organization, my donors experience the
joy of philanthropy! It feels GREAT!
•I delight in hearing about gifts to other organizations
•I love to give to my organization myself
•People love to give me money!

How do I
Feel
About
Money?
Talking about money

Finish these sentences
• Money is the root of all __________
• Money doesn’t grow on ___________
• Not everyone can be rich, there’s not ______________.
• If I get rich I’ll lose my _________.
• _________ rich
• Be ____________with what you have.
• You must work ______ to earn a ___________.

Why Do People Give?
• Mission
• They are asked
• Stable & ethical
• In honor someone/thing
• Extend their values
• Regard-staff/volunteer
leadership
• Belong -Community

hit up
put the arm on …
The bottom line
loaded
milk
… should give
… ought to give
… owes us
Contacts per month
get into pockets
pick the low hanging fruit
Loosen the purse strings
The Words We Use
Dream
Make a difference
Gift
Consider
Impact/Hope
Meaningful
Exciting/Passion
Enduring
Possibilities
What to you think?

•Prospect
•Suspect
•Follow up
•Strategy
•Move you
•Pitch
•Close
•Qualify
Your language is
your creativity
•Giver
•Prospective Giver
•Stay in touch, keep you informed
•Planned “touches”
•Inspire you
•Explore a partnership
•Invite you to invest
•Shared values and interests

BUT…It’s more than
just the words you
use… you need to
really mean them.
Marcy Heim

People give from the
HEART, not from economics.
When a NEED is
recognized, the heart moves
the hand.

Philanthropy is the Mystical
Mingling of a joyous giver,
an artful asker, and a
grateful recipient.
Douglas M. Lawson (1936)
WRITE THIS DOWN!

The Artful Asker Cycle of
Successful Relationships©
Creating the
Joyful Giver
Engagement
Making the
Artful Ask
NO
yes
acknowledge
Invoking the
Grateful Recipient
Show
Creativity
Consider
Shared
Values &
Interests
Begin the
Conversation
Used with permission from
Don Gray /Douglas Lawson
Additional
Interest
©2014 The Artful Asker, www.MarcyHeim.com
info@marcyheim.com,888-324-0442
A Donor Story

Creating the
Joyful Giver
Engagement
Making the
Artful Ask
NO
yes
acknowledge
Invoking the
Grateful Recipient
Show
Creativity
Consider
Shared
Values &
Interests
Begin the
Conversation
Additional
Interest
They agree on the value of our
organization/mission.
They agree with the vision of our
leadership.
They see that private support is needed for
this project to happen.
We have a relationship built on trust and
have talked through all the concerns they
have about giving methods and the project.
We have talked about different specific
components and giving levels and found a
project that accomplishes their dream.

Major Issues in Asking
• What are the important linkages?
• How much do you ask for?
• Who makes the ask?
• Where is the best location to make an ask?
• What do you send out ahead of the call?
• When is the timing right?
• How do you make an artful ask?
• Common pitfalls in making an ask?
• What do you say when….responding to objections.
• How do you follow up?
• What do you do if the answer is “no”? Or YES!

Review the Cycle to Date
Make it ‘Right”
Motivation and values,
knowledge, decision-maker,
concerns, preferences for
involvement, giving and
stewardship.

©2015 Artful Asker - Marcy Heim Consulting©Artful Asker LLC 2009
Research and Discovery
• When is the timing right?
• What is the right amount?
• Who makes the ask?
• Where is the ask made?
Listen for signals: Listen, Listen, Listen
Ask thoughtful questions
Develop a “touch” for knowing
Remember: this is an art, and a science
Ready…aim…aim…aim…aim

How Much do you Ask For?
• Using your 6-9 meaningful contacts, assess the potential
through your conversations personally and through involving
others in the action plan for the donor. You know the number
when you believe you have found a fit with the giver’s
interest and capacity.
• Talk about dollars to accomplish a certain impact and listen,
listen, listen
• In cultivation, review costs today.
• Ask for somewhat more than the person’s estimated ability.
Most people are flattered.
• Discuss the form of the gift, the payment period and possible
combinations of outright and deferred.

Who makes the ask?• The development
professional generally
“speaks the ask.”
• A high ranking
administrator.
• A volunteer or board
member.
• An “expert” on the
project
Who should be part
of the team to visit
with David about his
gift?

Rehearse/Role-play
• WRITE OUT the ask
• Practice the ask
• Define roles of team
members and role-
play the call
 bestow honor/praise
 special Connection/pride
with organization and to
this ask
 be considerate; ask for
consideration
 state specific amount
 state specific purpose
 Be quiet

• Joe, we know you have a lot of
money. Your career as CEO of the
Jones Company is thanks to some
help you received from one of the
other members of the Board. He’s
giving $50,000 and thinks you
should give too. We need your
money because of increasing
costs and budget cuts. So how
about some help? You get a
whopping tax deduction, and we
can all use that, can’t we?
Is this an Artful Ask?
• bestow honor/praise
• special connection/pride
this ask
• be considerate; ask for
consideration
• state specific amount
• state specific purpose
• Be quiet

Is this an Artful Ask?
• bestow honor/praise
• special connection/pride
this ask
• be considerate; ask for
consideration
• state specific amount
• state specific purpose
• Be quiet
• Joe, you have been instrumental
to our success in creating and
expanding our Garden project.
You understand, in addition to the
beauty, what an important
teaching tool this is for us. Would
you consider a gift of $50,000 to
establish the Joe Smith Garden
Outreach Program endowment?

Who to Ask for Operations/Annual
• 4 GROUPS OF PROSPECTIVE DONORS
1. Current Annual Fund donors who are
passionate about your cause but don’t
have the capacity for a major gift at this
time (or ever) or need more touches for a
major gift.
2. Current Volunteers (same as above)

Who to Ask for Operations/Annual
3. Special situation donors. Those with a
particular extremely good or bad experience.
4. Major Donors. Those who have already
named options. Long time with relationships
as part of leadership group and
know/like/trust leadership.

HOW to Ask for Operations/Annual
• Special Situation Donors
• You have seem the role adequate resources
plays in the life of our library. You understand
that having staff and resources to provide this
important piece is vital to our service. Would
you consider a gift of $1000 to help support
our staff and activities?

Endow An Annual Gift
• For the donor who has been supporting an annual need for a number of
years. Or a major donor that has been making a large annual gift….
• Provide a break-through, a legacy option. Ask individuals to endow their
annual gift.
Example: 5% return. (high for now. But easy to figure.) Take the amount of
the gift, let's say $1,000 a year and multiply it by 20. A $20,000
endowment would yield $1000/year. This is the number you discuss.
"You have been such a very good friend and supporter of our organization.
You understand the importance of X. Would you to consider a gift of
$20,000 so that the gift you have been making each year will be there to
provide support to those we serve for years and years to come?

• Major Donors
• You have been part of our Org family for so
long and know us so well. You understand our
vision and how key having resources to
embrace opportunities is for us. Would you
consider a gift of $1,000,000 to create the Org
Opportunities Endowment?

• Current Annual Fund/Volunteers
• You have helped us do our good work. You
understand that having this piece of
equipment, this staff position, this educational
training, these tools empowers us to do have
this impact (your mission) Would you consider
a gift of $1000 to help do __________?

An Artful Ask – YOUR TURN!
Name __________
You have (compliment, service, giving)
You understand (special connection to this
request)
Would you consider a gift of $_______ for/to
______________________. THEN QUIET

What are the Common Pitfalls in Making the Ask?
• We talk too much
• Ask sounds cold or inconsiderate
• We use words like “should” and “ought”
• We ask apologetically and are embarrassed
• Eye contact breaks down
• The ask is rushed
• We break the silence too soon after ask is made

Respect and Gratitude
• Seldom will you close a
major gift on the asking call
• Plan ahead for following up
• Establish the next step
• Be considerate, thank the
person, be grateful

What Do You Do if the Answer is “YES”?
• Make sure all appropriate people
say “thank you”
• Design a creative plan to continue
saying “thanks”
• Continue visiting the giver and
listening for next opportunity
• Keep working the Cycle!!!!!
• BE GRATEFUL!
Yippee

Creating the
Joyful Giver
Engagement
Making the
Artful Ask
NO
yes
acknowledge
Invoking the
Grateful Recipient
Show
Creativity
Consider
Shared
Values &
Interests
Begin the
Conversation
Additional
Interest

Adages about Asking (all true)
• You almost never get the gift you do not
ask for
• You must earn the right to ask
• You must balance the mindset and
methods
• You must focus on serving your donor
• Nothing is more rewarding than the
results and impact of an “artful ask”

Questions to ask YOU!!
• Why does money come to our operations so easily?
• Why am I so worthy of investments into my own
professional development by myself and others?
• Why is it so easy for me to talk about operations
support with my prospective givers?
• Why is abundance attracted to me and our mission?
• Why do I take just the right steps to match
prospective givers with my mission?

Why do I
have more
than
enough
time,
energy and
money?
Hope - the feeling that what is
wanted can be had or that
events will turn out for the
best. It’s a mindset.

Toll free 888-324-0442 Cell 608-772-6777
marcy@marcyheim.com, www.marcyheim.com
Thank You For
Being Part of this
Honorable and Noble
Profession!
LIKE ME, TWEET ME, GET ME, LINK ME!
Isn’t this crazy?

Making an Artful Ask

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