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Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most
IS FUNDRAISING FUN FOR YOU?
Are your board members beating down your door with new donors that are ready to make a gift? If that's not your reality yet, international fundraising trainer Marc A. Pitman's "Ask Without Fear!" is for you!
In this fun, easy-to-read book,
Perfect for nonprofit employees and board members, Ask Without Fear! helps you move your fundraising from a static, one-way, organization-centered monologue to a dynamic, donor-centered, two-way dialogue. This book gives you the tools to raise serious money for your favorite cause!
Are your board members beating down your door with new donors that are ready to make a gift? If that's not your reality yet, international fundraising trainer Marc A. Pitman's "Ask Without Fear!" is for you!
In this fun, easy-to-read book,
Perfect for nonprofit employees and board members, Ask Without Fear! helps you move your fundraising from a static, one-way, organization-centered monologue to a dynamic, donor-centered, two-way dialogue. This book gives you the tools to raise serious money for your favorite cause!
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
95 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Marc A. Pitman
17 books69 followersMarc is the founder of Concord Leadership Group and has served as its CEO for 20 years. Marc is executive director of The Nonprofit Academy, an advisory board member of the innovative fundraising platform Pennybridge in Orebro, Sweden, and a former advisory panel member of the Rogare Think Tank at Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom. He received his BA in history and Biblical studies from Gordon College, and he holds his masters in organizational leadership from Regent University. Marc is a Certified Franklin Covey Coach, a Certified Speaking Professional of the National Speakers Association, and president of the South Carolina chapter of the International Coaching Federation. He has appeared in or been recognized by media outlets and publications including NBC, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Success magazine, Real Simple, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is the author of Ask Without Fear!®, which has been translated into Dutch, Polish, Spanish, and Mandarin. His latest book is The
The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be
. Marc speaks nationally and internationally on leadership, influence, storytelling, and fundraising. He is married to his best friend and is the father of three amazing kids, who, if he’s belting ’80s tunes, will deny they know him.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2008
I really liked it...but I am VERY biased. *grin*
June 6, 2009
Really useful information for nonprofits in a tone of blended professionalism and positive, encouraging conversation. Marc is a great public speaker too--spoke at the Maine Library Association conference in 2008.
January 16, 2021
quick and concise book. Especially for those interested in relations with major individual donors.
March 15, 2022
It was ok. The author is knowledgeable in terms of the Get R.E.A.L. process (Research/Engage/Ask/Love), but his chapter on Tools for Fundraising is pretty basic and maybe even uninformed, especially in terms of his summary of the value of the DISC assessment. He should stick to what he knows and steer away from speaking to what is NOT his specialty.
May 15, 2024
I'm late to the game, but this book is a systematic approach to winning the day when asking for money on behalf of your favorite cause. I love how Marc valued relationships above all, even if they say no or can't give right now. We're in the long game of relationships.
April 24, 2012
A while back I downloaded a copy of Mark Pitman’s “Ask Without Fear” and I recently was able to sit down and give it the focused read it deserved. Pitman introduces his experiences in fundraising and shares the acronym REAL as how to experience success: Research, Engage, Ask, and Love. The work is divided into the various sections of REAL, and he is deliberate in supporting his assertions with personal anecdotes and his own professional experiences.
The first section of REAL, research, begins with an account from Pitman of an “ask” that took place on the anniversary of an accident which rendered the donor a widow. Pitman stresses the importance of understanding the donor, timing the ask, and how research can ease the process of fundraising. From gift tables to tiered goals, Pitman explains that large donation targets require support from large and small gifts. Pitman then works his way through the resources we have for research: university databases, old paper files, and even the ability to outsource prospect research to vendors like Blackbaud. Wherever the research originates, Pitman encourages the reader to be comfortable objectifying information and to remember that research is merely the first step.
The book moves onto the engagement portion, where Pitman discusses the value of relating donor interests to the cause and getting to know the donor beyond their checkbook. When the time comes to engage the prospect, providing them with a unique experience can distinguish your organization and bring them closer to the services the nonprofit provides. In house information, mailings, and close communication keep prospects and donors in-the-know without a high-end pricetag.
Pitman shifts the next section toward the actual ask, and begins immediately at setting up the appointment. I found this section to be the most educational, as Pitman discusses how to make the ask, from props and tools during the conversation to how to get something out of the meeting even if the prospect declines, such as referrals to other prospects. He also spends time discussing how to make the ask tangible in the eyes of the donor, like when Heifer Project tells donors $120 is a pig and $20 is a chicken. Later portions of this section cover rejection, objection, and other hiccups in the ask process.
The final section of the REAL process, love, took me by surprise; I was expecting a chapter on donor stewardship, but instead I got a lesson on how to continue cultivating a relationship even if a prospect declines to support the cause. Pitman stresses the importance of lifelong relationships and how each donor is unique.
Pitman also devotes time to fundraising myths, which range from reliance on spell-check to providing prospects with too many options when deciding their commitment level. He also spends time encouraging fundraisers to put themselves in the donors shoes, in addition to utilizing a special assessment to classify donors better. Pitman includes his resources at the end of the work, providing a wealth of additional information should questions linger after reading.
Overall, I found this to be a great, short read; this is a quick how-to that could be read in an evening, and I think would be very informative to new fundraisers or nonprofit staff who haven’t been on an ask before.
The first section of REAL, research, begins with an account from Pitman of an “ask” that took place on the anniversary of an accident which rendered the donor a widow. Pitman stresses the importance of understanding the donor, timing the ask, and how research can ease the process of fundraising. From gift tables to tiered goals, Pitman explains that large donation targets require support from large and small gifts. Pitman then works his way through the resources we have for research: university databases, old paper files, and even the ability to outsource prospect research to vendors like Blackbaud. Wherever the research originates, Pitman encourages the reader to be comfortable objectifying information and to remember that research is merely the first step.
The book moves onto the engagement portion, where Pitman discusses the value of relating donor interests to the cause and getting to know the donor beyond their checkbook. When the time comes to engage the prospect, providing them with a unique experience can distinguish your organization and bring them closer to the services the nonprofit provides. In house information, mailings, and close communication keep prospects and donors in-the-know without a high-end pricetag.
Pitman shifts the next section toward the actual ask, and begins immediately at setting up the appointment. I found this section to be the most educational, as Pitman discusses how to make the ask, from props and tools during the conversation to how to get something out of the meeting even if the prospect declines, such as referrals to other prospects. He also spends time discussing how to make the ask tangible in the eyes of the donor, like when Heifer Project tells donors $120 is a pig and $20 is a chicken. Later portions of this section cover rejection, objection, and other hiccups in the ask process.
The final section of the REAL process, love, took me by surprise; I was expecting a chapter on donor stewardship, but instead I got a lesson on how to continue cultivating a relationship even if a prospect declines to support the cause. Pitman stresses the importance of lifelong relationships and how each donor is unique.
Pitman also devotes time to fundraising myths, which range from reliance on spell-check to providing prospects with too many options when deciding their commitment level. He also spends time encouraging fundraisers to put themselves in the donors shoes, in addition to utilizing a special assessment to classify donors better. Pitman includes his resources at the end of the work, providing a wealth of additional information should questions linger after reading.
Overall, I found this to be a great, short read; this is a quick how-to that could be read in an evening, and I think would be very informative to new fundraisers or nonprofit staff who haven’t been on an ask before.
December 3, 2013
A book about fundraising. Nothing groundbreaking but a good little read if you're in the industry. The get R.E.A.L. model (research, engage, ask, love) could be a good model for any relationship focused individual including fundraising, volunteer building, as well as building a professional network for yourself.
May 1, 2016
A must read for anyone working in the area of development/fundraising. A short read but a great find!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews