Hey Reader,

I've been having amazing conversations with a lot of you through the unlimited email coaching offered in the Ultimate Fundraising Toolkit. It's been so fun to see how you are using the fundraising templates and record-breaking action plan to grow, scale, and sustain your organizations!

Through my email coaching, I've gotten a lot of great questions and I thought...why not turn this into a series!

So today is the first email of a new series I'm calling "How I would: ________" where I walk you through exactly how I, as a professional CFRE fundraiser who has raised $25 million (and counting!) for global and local nonprofits, approach a very tangible issue or question.

Today's topic:

How I Would...Turn a Connection into a Donor

The scenario: You know you need to grow your donor base, so you've spent a ton of time researching networking opportunities, events, or even just prepped yourself so that if you make a potential connection at the grocery store, you're prepared to "pitch" your nonprofit. And then, it happens...you meet someone new, start chatting, they ask about you, and you share about the work you're doing at [Organization]. Their response? "Oh wow that sounds so interesting! That sounds like something I would love to get involved with!"

The problem: At this moment, you find yourself at a crossroads. You’ve worked hard to perfect your nonprofit’s elevator pitch, but now that someone is actually interested, you’re unsure of what to do next.

• Do you ask for a donation right away?
• Do you invite them to an event or give them another way to get involved first?
• What if they were just being polite, and you risk scaring them off?

Here’s What I Would Do: The most important thing at this stage is to capitalize on their enthusiasm while making it easy for them to take a next step.

1. Acknowledge Their Interest & Engage: Instead of jumping straight to a donation request, keep the conversation going! Respond with: "That’s amazing! We’d love to have you involved. What aspect of our work resonates with you the most?"​
   This opens the door to learning more about their interests and motivations.
2. Offer an Immediate, Low-Commitment Action: Instead of assuming they’re ready to give, invite them to something accessible. Something like: "I’d love to send you a quick email with ways to get involved—what’s the best way to reach you?"
3. Follow Up Quickly: If they share their contact info, follow up within 24-48 hours with a personal note thanking them for their interest and a clear next step (e.g., an invitation to a tour, event, or a donor welcome email).
4. Make the First Ask About Engagement, Not Just Money: Some people give financially right away, but others need to feel connected first. Offer ways to engage: Joining a newsletter, attending an event, taking a tour, volunteering, etc.
5. Move Toward a Gift Naturally: Once they’ve engaged, then invite them to support the mission financially. This could be a direct ask at an event, a follow-up email, or a personalized invitation based on what they’ve shown interest in.

Bottom Line: The key is to build a relationship first, rather than rushing into an ask. The more engaged they feel, the more likely they are to become not just a donor—but a committed supporter.

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What do you think? Have you ever turned a casual connection into a donor? What worked for you?

Also, if you have a question you want me to tackle in this series, just reply with "How would I ______?" and I’ll add it to the list! You’ve got this!

Cheers,

Kay

P.S. Interested in getting 30 days of unlimited email coaching along with a full calendar year of fundraising templates through the Ultimate Fundraising Toolkit? Reply to this email and let me know, I'd love to add you to my coaching community!

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