Strategies for Asking for More

14 Sep Strategies for Asking for More

15 September 2026

By David Allen, Development for Conservation

Ask for MORE this week.

Conversations about how much to ask for always interest me.

I’ve been raising money for most of 40 years, and in nearly every other sense, the fiscal fences have moved. $10,000 cars are now $35,000, and many people are driving vehicles they agreed to pay more than $50,000 for. The median American household income has increased from $60,000 to more than $85,000 in the past ten years. Rent has skyrocketed. Groceries have steadily increased. Phones are more expensive and cable TV has increased from $23 to $130.

But we still think of $100 as a small fortune.

It’s not.

Here’s my 2026 thinking. I’ll offer it for context only. You are welcome to argue the specifics, but understanding the balance of this post is dependent on the context.

• I would ask anyone to give $100. It’s a common ATM withdrawal amount and might be considered “pocket change” as a result.
• I’m comfortable asking most people for $250. $250 is $20/month (plus $10) and is well within reach of just about anyone. That does not imply that everyone will give it. We are still in a world where $250 is not a common gift Still …
• I would ask a lot of people for $1,000. $1,000 is $20/week – again, well within reach of most people. At least in the weekly context, it’s not an unfair ask – equivalent to about 2/3rds of a cable TV bill.
• I like asking for $365. Many donors will be charmed by the obvious association and will jump from $100 to $365 even more readily than to $250.
• I like including a larger outlier in ask strings – like $10,000. Including $10,000 makes someone selecting $365 and even $1,000 more likely.
• You will ALWAYS raise more money when you ask for a specific amount of money. This means that you will raise more when you ask for $100 than when you ask for “support” or “generosity.”
• You will USUALLY raise more money when you ask for more money. There are limits (that might be different in different areas), but you will raise more when you ask for $100 than when you ask for $50. It might be that fewer people respond, but you will raise more.

So – with all that as context, consider asking everyone to give more this year than they did last year. Use your email solicitations, Giving Tuesday plans, Holiday appeals, and more personal visits to ask each donor/member to give more than they did last year.

Here’s your tip sheet.

Raising money is NOT the point. We aren’t asking for more so we can meet a fundraising goal, meet a match, or celebrate an organizational birthday. We are asking for more so that the land trust can be there for the next person wanting to protect their land. So the land trust can pick up the pace of conservation, return compromised land to a higher level of value as habitat, secure accessible outdoor spaces for all of our community members to enjoy, and create outdoor classrooms. We are raising money to support conservation outcomes.

Isolate a certain number of donors to ask in person. Maybe it’s ten donors; maybe 300. But call them and ask to meet in person. You’ve got three and a half months. Get out of your personal space and go meet people. Thank them for their gift last year and remind them how long they’ve been giving. Update them on the conservation progress they have helped make possible. Ask them to increase their giving to help keep up the pace of conservation.

Acknowledge what they gave last year and what they might have given already this year. Thank them for the part they have played in the land trust’s successes.

Pro-Tip: Your increased ask should stay under four times their last gift. $250 to $1,000 is OK. $100 to $1,000 is too great a leap.

Invite donors to briefing events. Resist the temptation to share everything the land trust has done in the past year. Instead, pick a small part of your overall program – land acquisition, stewardship, outreach, community engagement – and present a summation of current progress and challenges. Make the case that increased investments of time and money are making a difference. These events could be in person or over ZOOM. The information should be presented with an underlying message that “this would not be possible without your past support.”

Use stories to illustrate organizational values. Talk more about organizational values than organizational accomplishments. Shared values will help members say YES to increased giving.

Use testimonials to demonstrate Social Proof. Provide first person accounts to illustrate underlying values that readers will share. Also, if you use Donor Circles (such as a $1,000 giving circle), include the names of others in the circle inside the solicitation. If the donors are not circle members, they will feel more comfortable joining when they see names they know and respect are already there. If they are, they will see their own name (and won’t want to see it removed).

Nearly everyone in your database will be asked to give again between now and December 31. Make it count.

Cheers, and have a great week.

-da

PS: Your comments on these posts are welcomed and warmly requested. If you have not posted a comment before, or if you are using a new email address, please know that there may be a delay in seeing your posted comment. That’s my SPAM defense at work. I approve all comments as soon as I am able during the day.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.