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What is a High Impact Ask?
What is a High Impact Ask?
High Impact Asks in fundraising are asks that have the potential to make a big impact on achieving your goals, and in the SLA program, that consists of:
Major Gifts
Charitybuzz Experiences
Program Book Ads (see Grand Finale Gala page)
Silent Auction Donations (see Grand Finale Gala page)
Review the information below to learn more about the various high-impact asks, how to successfully do them, and to find all related materials and resources to help you throughout the entire process.
A Corporate Sponsorship is a partnership with a business or company—the company will donate to a nonprofit / to your SLA campaign, and in return, they receive marketing and advertising benefits leading up to, at, and after the Grand Finale Gala on May 18th. Sponsorships are a great way for businesses to show their community that they care about giving back and to grow their client base by tapping into and getting in front of AF's network. They are also 100% tax deductible.
A Major Gift is a $1,000+ donation to your campaign, made by an individual donor or a foundation.
As a reminder, you want to start these conversations as early as possible to increase your odds of getting that "yes"—don't wait to get started, and meet with your Campaign Manager often to research, prepare, and attend these meetings with you! While you are not allowed to have any money come in before the program begins, you can (and should) be having conversations now and secure the support of your high-impact donors by getting a signed commitment form and submitting it to the appropriate portal/submission form (see everything linked below; can also be found in the Google Classroom).
General High Impact Asks Helpful Shortcuts:
Developing Your Elevator Pitch
Whether in fundraising or in being a business leader, it is essential to get the support of your team and community. To be successful, you'll need to have a clear explanation of who you are, what you're doing, and why the other person should care.
An elevator pitch is a brief (30 seconds - 1 minute) way of introducing yourself, your mission statement, purpose & goals, and making a connection with someone.
Your elevator pitch serves as the base for all your outreach, pitches, and communications. While your basic elevator pitch will remain the same across your outreach, you'll add onto it and adjust it depending on the ask you're making.
How to Craft Your Elevator Pitch
1) Introduce Yourself
2) What are you working on?
3) What's your ask?
While your elevator pitch can be used to open the conversation or when you're talking to people in passing, once your foot is in the door, you'll want to have a prepared ask, which requires a bit of a deeper explanation of your purpose and goals.
You'll build on your elevator pitch and personalize each ask based on the person you're speaking to.
Elements of Making an Ask
Introduce Yourself
What is AF?
What is SLA?
Your Mission / “Why” Statement & Fundraising Goal
Make Your Ask (Call to Action)
Benefits for their support & conversation about how it would be mutually beneficial
Key skills of a successful leader in business/high-impact asks:
Key skills of a successful leader in business/high-impact asks:
NEGOTIATION refers to the process of reaching an agreement or compromise between two or more parties with different interests or objectives. Through SLA, you will negotiate with businesses and stakeholders to determine what their support will look like.
EXECUTIVE INFLUENCE refers to the ability to affect or sway the thoughts, opinions and behaviors of others. Influencing others is about building relationships, communicating effectively, and inspiring others to make decisions or take action to achieve shared goals.
PERSUASION refers to the act of convincing others to take a specific action or make a particular decision. It's about tapping into your audience's motivations and providing evidence for why they should support you and your goals.
Steps for Effective Negotiation
1) Prepare Beforehand & Be Ready for Every Outcome
Do your research and prepare thoroughly. Understand the other party's goals and priorities, as well as your own. Know what alternatives to your initial plan are available.
2) Build Rapport
Building rapport is huge for building trust and creating a more collaborative environment for negotiating. Having trust and a positive relationship leading into negotiations will lead to a smoother process and enhanced outcomes.
3) Be Flexible & Open to Exploring Options
Look for creative solutions and explore different options that may benefit both parties. Brainstorm together to find a mutually beneficial outcome.
4) Practice Active Listening
Active listening means you're engaged with what's being said, not just waiting for your turn to speak. Practice listening carefully and responding thoughtfully to ideas, questions, and concerns.
5) Problem Solving
Effective negotiators are skilled at analyzing complex problems, identifying solutions, and developing creative options to address concerns & objections. Be prepared to compromise.
6) Communicate Clearly
Communicate your goals and interests clearly and concisely. Use persuasive language and active listening skills to understand the other party's position and clarify any misunderstandings.
7) Follow-Up
Once negotiation has been reached, follow up with a written agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of the agreement.
Steps for Maintaining Executive Influence
1) Build Relationships
Building strong relationships with others is essential for influencing others. Take the time to get to know the other party and develop a rapport with them.
2) Understand The Other Party's Perspective
To influence others, you need to understand their perspectives and priorities. Put yourself in their shoes and try to see things from their point of view.
3) Communicate Effectively
Communication is key to influencing others. Communicate your ideas clearly and concisely, and tailor your message to the needs and interests of your audience.
4) Use Persuasion Techniques
Use persuasion techniques such as social proof, scarcity, and reciprocity to make your case more compelling. Be authentic and use evidence to support your arguments.
5) Develop Your Credibility
Establishing yourself as an expert and developing credibility through your actions and achievements will help others see you as a trusted and respected source of information.
6) Be Persistent
Influencing others can take time and persistence. Don't give up if you don't get the results you want immediately. Continue to build relationships and meet with stakeholders.
7) Be Open to Feedback
Be open to feedback and willing to listen to others' perspectives. This will help you to improve your approach and make your message more effective.
Steps For Effective Persuasion
1) Know Your Audience
Understanding your audience's needs, concerns, and interests will help you tailor your message and approach to better resonate with them.
2) Use Data & Evidence
Use data and evidence to support your argument. This will help you build credibility and increase the likelihood of your message being accepted.
3) Highlight Benefits
Focus on the benefits of your proposal or idea. Highlight how it will help the business or the individual you are speaking with. People are more likely to be persuaded when they can see the clear benefits.
4) Create a Sense of Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency can be a powerful motivator in persuading others. By highlighting the consequences of inaction, people may be more likely to take action.
5) Use Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool for persuasion. Use stories to illustrate your points, relate to, and create emotional connections with your audience.
6) Be Adaptable
Persuasion and negotiation often require flexibility and adaptability. Be prepared to adjust your approach based on the other party's reactions and feedback.
7) Practice, Practice, Practice!
Like any skill, persuasion and negotiation require practice to develop. Look for opportunities to practice your skills in low-stakes settings while you practice and get better.
Corporate Sponsorships
Corporate Sponsorships
A corporate sponsorship is when a company makes a tax-deductible donation to a nonprofit with the intent of giving back, building goodwill, and expanding its reach in the community to drive brand engagement. Corporate Sponsorships range from $2,500 - $50,000 and come with a wide variety of advertising and experiential marketing benefits for the business at the Grand Finale Gala. Sponsorships are mutually beneficial—not only can they have a dramatic impact on your fundraising, but they can also be hugely enticing to a company as long as you can frame its value and demonstrate Return on Investment (ROI).
You will develop a pitch based on a business's values & goals, present it to company executives, and get experience negotiating & closing a deal.
Helpful Shortcuts:
Sponsorship Levels
Bronze Sponsor $2,500
Silver Sponsor $5,000
Gold Sponsor $15,000
Platinum Sponsor $25,000
Title Sponsor $50,000
A range of benefits included at each level:
Engaging brand experiences (activations) at the Grand Finale Gala on May 18, branded merch, recognition in AF marketing and at gala, branded, audience engagement opportunities, etc.
Advertising Benefits
Experiential Benefits
Steps for Corporate Sponsorship Meetings:
Brainstorm Prospective Ideas
Make Your Outreach—Asking to Set Up a Meeting
Conduct Research & Prepare for the Meeting
Go on the Meeting—Deliver Your Presentation & Pitch
Follow Up & Submit Your Formal Proposal
Donor Stewardship
Step 1 - Brainstorm Prospective Ideas
Research who in your network is a decision maker at a company or has reach and influence with decision makers. Make an extensive list of who you know and who your network knows. Utilize LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media to dive deeper into your network.
Think broadly and strategically! Add people to your list even if you think it's a stretch; every opportunity is worth a shot!
Prioritize and organize your list into groups. Start with your warmest (closest connections and "friendliest" meetings), and work your way up from there.
Step 2 - Make Your Outreach: Asking to Set Up a Meeting
IMPORTANT - YOUR GOAL IS TO GET A MEETING so you can get in front of them, have a conversation, and wow them with your presentation skills & pitch. NEVER JUST ASK FOR A SPONSORSHIP OVER EMAIL WITHOUT TALKING TO THEM FIRST!
Your best approach is to have the contact most closely connected to the person/business reach out first, and then you can follow up.
I.e., If you want to meet with your parent's colleague, your parent should reach out first to ask to make the connection, and then you can follow up to schedule a meeting. Otherwise, you risk your email getting ignored or going to junk.
The key to business & sales is building rapport, and first impressions matter! Use this first outreach as a way to connect with the person on the other end and foster a sense of warmth and engagement.
Guidelines for Asking for a Meeting
Introduce yourself—establish how you are connected to them and share a bit about yourself.
Your opening is your chance to engage your reader and begin establishing a connection & building rapport.
BRIEFLY introduce AF, SLA, and your mission statement.
No more than 2 - 3 sentences. Save the majority of this conversation for when you are in the meeting.
Connect your efforts to the SLA program as to why you are reaching out.
"It is my goal to meet with as many influential business leaders as possible to share about the important work AF is doing for our community and to grow my professional experience."
Make the ask!
"I would love the opportunity to share more about my vision and goals with you! Are you available for a brief call in the next week or two? I usually get out of school around 3pm if you are available in the late afternoon one day this week."
Step 3 - Conduct Research and Prepare for the Meeting
The research you conduct on the company, the person you are meeting with, their values and goals is the primary driver of every pitch you make.
Your goal is to understand their strategic motivations so you can customize the research you share in the meeting and identify common ground to highlight why it would be mutually beneficial for them to support your campaign.
Market Research - Review the company, its leadership, and the person you are meeting with, as well as the company's competitors and landscape.
What synergies or common goals do we share? What research can you add to expand and demonstrate the connectedness of our missions, goals, and values?
Connect the company's values to AF and your efforts
Prepare your presentation materials: Your talking points & PowerPoint
Meet with AF manager to review your pitch and to rehearse
Preparing for the Meeting: Sample Talking Points
Welcoming and building rapport
What is AF? What is SLA?
Why did you choose to get involved? Introduce your mission / “why” statement
What is your team's fundraising goal?
Present your research—Discuss top 2 or 3 shared goals and how they align with your efforts
Make the ask! Present information about how their support would make an impact on the mission, community, and your fundraising.
Focus your questions on learning more about their giving habits and preferences; engage in conversation.
Thank them for their time and discuss the next steps
Step 4 - Go on the Meeting: Deliver Your Presentation and Pitch
Set at least 5 - 10 minutes before your meeting to get settled into your space, organized, and calm. Review your talking points.
Dress business professional (even if on Zoom!)
Keep it conversational and engaging
Make it personal! The key to sales is building a connection early-in the beginning; focus on building rapport.
Be prepared to pivot if they say no in the moment—identify alternatives beforehand to help you adapt to challenges.
Keep it succinct and to the point—the meeting should last between 20 - 30 minutes
It's okay to be nervous, but fake it till you make it! If you mess up, no one will know so you can play it off and just keep going.
Step 5 - Follow Up Email and Submit Your Formal Proposal
After the meeting, you'll send a follow up email that thanks them for their time, reviews the key points covered during the meeting, and proposes a few ideas for how they can get involved and support your efforts.
Utilize the email template provided to help you get started with what to say, making sure to personalize it to build on your connection and continue fostering a positive relationship.
You'll work with your Campaign Manager to write your follow up email and ensure you're proposing the best possible plan.
Make sure to mention that your goal is to meet with as many business leaders as possible to achieve your goals, and you would appreciate it if they could connect you to 2 or 3 people in their network who you could meet with and share your message with.
You'll likely need to follow up a few times after your initial meeting to continue the conversation & secure their support.
Step 6 - Donor Stewardship
After the program ends, you'll meet with the sponsor to thank them for their donation, review the ROI, and discuss any opportunity to establish a legacy gift. AF Staff will attend this meeting with you and help you to prepare what you are going to say.
Major Gifts
Major Gifts
A major gift is a $1,000+ donation to your campaign, made by an individual donor or a foundation.
A major gift follows the same protocol as a corporate sponsorship meeting, where you'll set up a formal conversation or meeting, make a pitch based on the donor's values & interests, and demonstrate the impact of their donation.
The Difference Between a Major Gift and Corporate Sponsorship
A major gift is very similar to a corporate sponsorship—the only difference is that a corporate sponsorship is a donation/partnership coming from a company or a business that has partnership benefits tied to it with the intent of growing brand awareness, while a major gift is just a large donation coming from an individual or a foundation.
The key difference is that in a major gift meeting, you won’t specifically be pitching marketing benefits aimed at growing clientele or brand recognition, but rather you'll focus on the impact that person/foundation’s contribution will have on the mission and community.
Other than that, the process for researching, holding a meeting, and the follow up are pretty much exactly the same.
*Note that if your major gift donor is interested in various benefits, like seats to gala or a program book, etc., they are welcome to have them!
Steps for Major Gift Meetings
Brainstorm prospective ideas
Make your outreach - Asking to set up a meeting
Conduct research & prepare for the meeting
Go on the meeting - deliver your presentation & pitch
Follow up & submit your formal proposal
Donor Stewardship
Step 1 - Brainstorm Prospective Ideas
Consider who in your network has the potential to make a larger contribution to your campaign. Make an extensive list of who you know and who your network knows. Utilize LinkedIn, Facebook & other social media to dive deeper into your network.
Think broadly & strategically! Add people to your list (in your strategic planning workbook) even if you think it's a stretch, every opportunity is worth a shot!
Major gifts can often come from family foundations, so strategize who in your community has a family foundation, or brainstorm community foundations.
Prioritize & organize your list into groups. Start with your warmest (closest connections & "friendliest" meetings), and work your way up from there.
Step 2 - Make Your Outreach: Asking to Set Up a Meeting
IMPORTANT - THE GOAL OF YOUR INITIAL OUTREACH IS TO GET A MEETING.
This email allows you to get your foot in the door first - wait until you can get in front of them, have a conversation, & wow them with your presentation skills & pitch before you ask for a major gift donation.
Your best approach is to have the contact most closely connected to the person / foundation reach out first, and then you can follow up.
Ie: if you want to meet with your uncle's friend, your uncle should reach out first to ask to make the connection, and then you can follow up to schedule a meeting. Otherwise, you risk your email getting ignored or going to junk.
The key to successful relationship building is building rapport, & first impressions matter! Use this first outreach as a way to connect with the person on the other end & foster a sense of warmth & engagement.
Make Your Outreach: Guidelines for Asking for a Meeting
Introduce yourself - establish how you're connected to them & share a bit about yourself.
Your opening is your chance to engage your audience and begin establishing a connection & building rapport.
BRIEFLY introduce AF, SLA, your mission statement.
No more than 2 - 3 sentences. Save the majority of this conversation for when you're in the meeting.
Connect your efforts through your SLA program to why you're reaching out.
"Through this program, I have been challenged to meet with influential community leaders like yourself to practice my leadership skills and share my story with as many people as possible."
Make the ask!
"I would love the opportunity to share more about my vision & goals with you! Are you available for a brief call in the next week or two? I usually get home from school around 3:30pm if you are available in the late afternoon this week, or I have a free period on Wednesday from 12 - 1pm."
Step 3 - Conduct Research and Prepare for the Meeting
The research you conduct on the person you're meeting with, their values and goals is the primary driver of every pitch you make.
Your goal is to understand more about who you're meeting with so that you can identify their strategic motivations, personalize your research & pitch, and identify common ground to highlight why it would be mutually beneficial for them to support your campaign.
Research the person you're meeting with - do a Google & LinkedIn search to learn about their background, any articles written about them, and to see if you can find information about the causes they're tied to or any other useful information.
What synergies or common goals do we share? What research can you add to expand and demonstrate the connectedness of our missions, goals, & values?
Connect their values to AF and your efforts
Prepare your presentation materials: your talking points & Powerpoint
Meet with AF manager to review your pitch & to rehearse
Preparing for the Meeting: Sample Talking Points
Welcome & building rapport, thanking for their time
What is AF?
What is SLA?
Why did you choose to get involved? Introduce your mission / “why” statement
What is your team's fundraising goal?
Present your research - discuss top 2 or 3 shared goals & how they align with your efforts
Make the ask! Present information about how their support would make an impact on the mission, community, and your fundraising.
Focused questions to learn more about their giving habits & preferences; engage in conversation
Thank them for their time & discussion of next steps
Step 4 - Go on the Meeting: Deliver Your Presentation and Pitch
Set at least 5 - 10 minutes before your meeting to get settled into your space, organized, and calm. Review your talking points
Dress business professional (even if on Zoom, and even if it's someone you're close with!)
Keep it conversational & engaging
Make it personal! The key to sales is building a connection early - in the beginning, focus on building rapport
Be prepared to pivot if they say no in the moment - identify alternatives with your Campaign Manager beforehand to help you adapt to challenges
Keep it succinct and to the point - the meeting should last between 20 - 30 min
It's okay to be nervous, but fake it till you make it! If you mess up, no one will know so you can play it off and just keep going
Step 5 - Follow-Up Email and Submit Your Formal Proposal
After the meeting, you'll send a follow up email that thanks them for their time, reviews the key points covered during the meeting, and propose a few ideas for how they can get involved and support your efforts.
Utilize the email template provided to help you get started with what to say, making sure to personalize it to build on your connection and continue fostering a positive relationship
You'll work with your Campaign Manager to write your follow up email and ensure you're proposing the best possible plan.
Make sure to mention that your goal is to meet with as many community & business leaders as possible to achieve your goals, and you would appreciate if they could connect you to 2 or 3 people in their network who you could meet with and share your message
You'll likely need to follow up a few times after your initial meeting to continue the conversation & secure their support
Step 6 - Donor Stewardship
After the program ends, you'll meet with the sponsor to thank them for their donation, review the ROI, and discuss any opportunity to establish a legacy gift
AF Staff will attend this meeting with you and help you to prepare what you're going to say
Charitybuzz
Charitybuzz
Charitybuzz is an online auction platform for unique experiences or once in a lifetime opportunities. You can think about this site as similar to a fancy eBay - the best types of items are things that aren’t necessarily easily accessible to the general public. Things like celebrity experiences, travel experiences or stays at vacation homes, tickets to special events, great seats to a sports event, internships/business consultations/ professional one on ones, or even things like submitting your portfolio for review to film and literary agents. These Charitybuzz experiences are not only great ways for students to develop professional connections, but will also expand your reach for fundraising because Charitybuzz is a global platform working with 5,500+ nonprofits, 250,000 philanthropic users worldwide, and in 47 countries.
Helpful Shortcuts:
Charitybuzz Submission Form - use this link to submit your Charitybuzz donation to AF staff - once submitted, we will work with the Charitybuzz team to post the listing live on their website. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT ALTER OR WRITE THE ITEM DESCRIPTIONS ON YOUR BEHALF - WHAT YOU SUBMIT IS WHAT WILL BE POSTED LIVE ON THE WEBSITE! Please take the time to write a description of the item that is interesting, compelling, and will help the listing sell! Upon submission to the form, we will send an email to you and the donor to approve the listing prior to us being able to post it live on the Charitybuzz website
Steps for Charitybuzz
1) Brainstorm Potential Donor Leads
2) Strategize Ideas for What to Ask for
3) Sending Your Outreach and Making Your Ask
4) Gather Key Information and Submit to AF
5) Donor Stewardship
Step 1 - Brainstorm Prospective Ideas
Research who in your network has connections to unique experiences or influential people. Make an extensive list of who you know and who your network knows. Utilize Linkedin, Facebook & other social media to dive deeper into your network.
Think broadly & strategically! Add people to your list even if you think it's a stretch, every opportunity is worth a shot! DON'T SAY NO FOR OTHERS!
Charitybuzz is as much of a business opportunity for this individual or company as it is for you! CB's qualified user base provides the company or individual exposure to high net-worth individuals. Not to mention, the winning bidder has the potential to convert to a repeat client!
Get creative! People will bid lots on seemingly small things - a follow on Instagram from an important person, a zoom call meet and greet, a consultation meeting - the possibilities are endless!
Step 2 - Strategize Ideas for What to Ask For
Get an idea of what listings are successful on Charitybuzz by browsing their website at Charitybuzz.com. Here is a list of the top listings of 2022 ➡️
Determine what category your contact would fall under (i.e. Celebrity, sports, travel, etc) and compare what current and past listings have been in this category
Brainstorm alternative asks for if your first request is shot down. Start with the most outlandish ask and then have 2-3 backup asks which are increasingly more realistic.
For example; if your family friend manages Ariana Grande, you might first ask for a meet-and-greet with her. If that is shot down, you may ask for a 15 minute Zoom call with her. If that is shot down, you may ask for concert tickets, etc. etc.
Step 3 - Sending Your Outreach and Making the Ask
Two Methods to Ask:
1) In Writing - Via Text or Email
Utilize this method when you're well acquainted with the person/it's a low volume ask.
I.e.: If your aunt is a popular author and you want her to have a Zoom meet and greet, you may feel close enough to ask via email/text.
2) Over the Phone - Brief Call
Utilize this method when you're not well connected to the individual or are making a very important ask.
I.e.: If your dad's friend manages a celebrity; you may want to get them on the phone to explain SLA/brainstorm the listing with them
Making the Ask, Option 1: In Writing
Introduce yourself - establish how you're connected to them & share a bit about yourself.
Your opening is your chance to engage your reader and begin establishing a connection & building rapport.
Introduce AF, SLA, your mission statement.
No more than 3-4 sentences. You want to keep your reader engaged.
Introduce Charitybuzz and tie to SLA.
"Charitybuzz is a global online auction platform utilized by a very qualified audience and I am looking for interesting things to list to benefit my SLA campaign."
Make the ask!
"I know you have a vacation house in Aspen that you list on Airbnb, would you be willing to donate a few nights for me to auction off and help me win/reach my fundraising goals?"
Making the Ask, Option 2: On the Phone
*Note* - This should be very similar to what you would say in an email, you can just make it more personal/conversational and go into more depth as people are less likely to disengage over the phone!
Introduce yourself - establish how you're connected to them & share a bit about yourself.
Your opening is your chance to engage your reader and begin establishing a connection & building rapport.
Introduce AF, SLA, your mission statement.
No more than 3-4 sentences. You want to keep your listener engaged.
Introduce Charitybuzz and tie to SLA.
"Charitybuzz is a global online auction platform utilized by a very qualified audience and I am looking for interesting things to list to benefit my SLA campaign."
Make the ask!
"I know you have a vacation house in Aspen that you list on Airbnb, would you be willing to donate a few nights for me to auction off and help me win/reach my fundraising goals?"
Tips and Tricks
Set at least 5 - 10 minutes before your call to get settled into your space, organized, and calm. Review your talking points
Keep it conversational & engaging
Make it personal! The key to sales is building a connection early - in the beginning, focus on building rapport
Be prepared to pivot if they say no in the moment - identify alternatives beforehand to help you adapt to challenges
Keep it succinct and to the point - the call should last between 5 - 15 min
It's okay to be nervous, but fake it till you make it! If you mess up, no one will know so you can play it off and just keep going
Step 4 - Follow Up Email & Submit Your Formal Proposal
After the phone call/they've emailed back, you'll send a follow up email that thanks them for their time, reviews the key points covered in the call/email, and propose a few ideas for how they can get involved and support your efforts.
Utilize the email template provided to help you get started with what to say, making sure to personalize it to build on your connection and continue fostering a positive relationship
You'll work with your Campaign Manager to write your follow up email and ensure you're proposing the best possible plan.
Make sure to mention that your goal is to meet with as many business leaders as possible to achieve your goals, and you would appreciate if they could connect you to 2 or 3 people in their network who you could meet with and share your message
You'll likely need to follow up a few times after your initial meeting to continue the conversation & secure their support
Step 5 - Donor Stewardship
After the program ends, you'll meet with the donor to thank them for their donation, review the ROI, and discuss any opportunity to establish a reoccurring listing on Charitybuzz
AF Staff will attend this meeting with you and help you to prepare what you're going to say
Don't forget to add this donor to your LinkedIn profile! By maintaining & nurturing these relationships, you can foster a thriving professional network and can revisit down the line for future opportunities
How to Make an Ask & Develop Executive Presence
How to Make an Ask & Develop Executive Presence
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