How to ask for donations: Tips from real nonprofits

Nonprofit organizations send an average of two donation appeals per month. For new fundraisers, asking for donations may bring up feelings of uncertainty and anxiety: How do you cut through the noise when so many groups are seeking support? Am I being too pushy? 

The pressure of asking for money can feel overwhelming, especially when you care about your cause but don’t want to sound desperate. To stand out, your message needs to be clear and authentic. 

In this blog, you’ll learn how to ask for contributions, craft an engaging script, and build a strategy that resonates.

Key takeaways

• Clarity counts: A specific, authentic ask is far more effective than a vague one.
• Storytelling wins: Keep your messages short, compelling, and impact-driven.
• Meet donors where they are: Use email, social, text, and in-person asks strategically.
• Remove friction: Offering multiple payment options makes giving simple.
• Personal touch matters: Tailor appeals and reference past support.
• Better tools, better asks: Givebutter combines forms, CRM, and outreach in one place for seamless appeals and follow-ups.

How to ask for donations in 6 steps

Whether you’re raising funds for an initiative, requesting items for a fundraising auction, or securing a major gift, how you ask is often more important than what you’re asking for. Getting a “yes” starts with the right approach—and, ideally, a fundraising strategy in place.

Here’s how to make those donation asks in an organized, strategic, and effective way.

1. Create your fundraising account 🤗

Having a secure place to collect and manage charitable donations is essential for building trust and keeping your donation process professional. A fundraising account allows you to manage contributions, track progress, and engage with donors more effectively.

When you compare fundraising platforms, Givebutter stands out by offering:

• Hundreds of free fundraising features, so you can launch a campaign without stretching your budget‍
• A donor management CRM to help you cultivate lasting relationships with supporters 
• A wide range of payment options, ensuring you never lose a donor simply because their preferred payment method isn't supported

2. Set up your first campaign 🎯

Raising money with Givebutter begins by choosing from a variety of campaign types to match your needs. Options include:

• Online donation forms that make it fast and easy for supporters to give
• Fundraising pages to rally your community around a clear goal 
• Fundraising events for engaging in-person, virtual, or hybrid experiences with ticketing options built in

Dive deeper

Learn how to create a winning donation page →

3. Craft a short yet compelling message ✏️

People naturally skim through posts, emails, fundraising letters, and videos—even if they’re interested. To make your message land, keep it brief and focused on the request. Add strong visuals and a compelling call to action to maximize response. For example:

• Launching a shoe drive? Share it via email and social media. Include an image of shoes and put the drop-off address in bold. 
• Need funds fast? Use direct language like, “Can you help us reach our $10K goal by Friday?”

⚡ Pro tip: Check out our fundraising ideas hub for inspiration. The most successful campaigns feature a compelling story, photos, and videos that emphasize urgency and impact. 

Dive deeper

Get the complete guide to nonprofit email marketing →

4. Offer multiple payment options to collect donations 💳

Today, 63% of donors prefer to give online with a credit or debit card. Other popular methods include direct mail, PayPal, wire transfer, cash, digital wallets, and text-to-donate. Your chosen fundraising platform should make donating in any of these ways quick, easy, and seamless. 

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Fortunately, Givebutter supports a wide range of modern, convenient options for nonprofit payment processing, including Venmo, Cash App, ACH, and even donor-advised funds (DAF). 

When Sarah Marie Thomas, Director of Membership and On-Air Fundraising at WVIA Public Media, was asked why her organization chose Givebutter, she explained:

The main reason we chose Givebutter was to accept more payment options without having to set up individual accounts for each, and that has been incredibly effective for our donors and easy for our finance team!

Sarah’s experience underscores the value of simplicity: fewer steps, more donations.

5. Promote your campaign 📣

Now it’s time to raise awareness about your fundraising effort. While social media can be very effective for online fundraising, a multi-channel approach is the key to success. 

With Givebutter, you have numerous ways to share your campaign right at your fingertips: 

• Spread the word with one-click social sharing 
• Add your campaign to your website using embeddable donate buttons and widgets
• Offer mobile-friendly options like scan-to-donate and text-to-donate
• Share your story through free email marketing 
• Create a personalized direct mail campaign
• Reach your donors via SMS, available with Givebutter Plus 

While you may not use every tool for every campaign, you can breathe easy knowing they’re all available in a single dashboard whenever you need them.

6. Say thank you and engage donors 💛

Donors who feel appreciated are far more likely to give again. Make the most of your donor management system by expressing gratitude and connecting with supporters at key moments.

Beyond automated donation receipts, Givebutter makes it easy to engage donors with personalized donor acknowledgment messages and ongoing communications.

With Givebutter’s nonprofit CRM, all recent transactions, including online donations, ticket sales, and offline contributions, are displayed in one dashboard. You can quickly filter, sort, and analyze transactions to gain valuable donor insights. 

Tips on how to get donations (from real fundraisers) 

Successful fundraising isn’t just about having the right tools and processes in place. Your results will also depend on timing, clarity, and how donors can actually give. Here’s how to increase the effectiveness of your donation asks.

Make your ask clear 🧊

Before reaching out, get specific about what you’re requesting. For example, you might be looking for supporters to:

• Contribute to an annual campaign
• Commit to recurring donations
• Become a corporate sponsor
• Join a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign
• Make in-kind donations to a silent auction
• Provide a matching gift

It’s easy to dismiss a vague request like, “We’re accepting donations for our soccer team.” But a detailed, transparent ask like, “We need $500 by August 31 to buy new jerseys for 17 players on our soccer team!” clearly explains the need, making a more compelling ask.

⚡ Pro tip: On a platform like Givebutter, you can set a flexible goal with a fundraising thermometer to build momentum and celebrate progress with your donors. 

Personalize for your audience 👥

Who are you hoping will donate to your campaign? The answer shouldn’t be “everyone.” Narrow your focus so your requests make a bigger impact.

In a perfect world, every individual, company, and organization would support your cause. But in reality, your campaign should center on a core group of current and potential supporters, such as friends and family, local business owners, church members, or alumni.

If you try to appeal to everyone, you risk sending generic messages that don’t connect. Instead, use your donor management software to identify your target audience early, then do some research to answer questions like:

• Do they prefer email over phone calls?
• Which social media platforms do they use most?
• What kind of language do they use when sharing posts or campaigns?

These answers will help you tailor the right words, channels, and tone to resonate with your audience. A personalized approach allows you to connect on a deeper level, so supporters feel truly inspired to give—rather than just responding to a generic fundraiser.

More to explore

Learn how to write a donation request letter →

Create urgency (without being pushy) ⏰

Urgency drives action. Encourage donors to act quickly by setting a deadline for each campaign and explaining in detail why funds are needed now. 

A firm deadline or time-specific event can rally your donors to give sooner rather than later. The key is to balance a sense of urgency with the right tone, so your supporters feel called to give—not pressured.

Try wording like: 

• Only five hours left until Giving Tuesday ends, and we’re so close to our $25K goal. Can we make it happen together?
• Our community has been impacted by unexpected flooding. Can you spare a few dollars today to help us reach those most in need?

These messages emphasize time sensitivity without being pushy or intrusive. They simply let supporters know that there’s an important need or goal and invite them to be part of meeting it.

🤩 See it in action: During the devastating fires around Los Angeles, Authors4LA rallied support for the Red Cross with a livestream telethon on their fundraising event page. They paired it with a silent auction to bring in even more funds.

Freebie alert!

Download free and customizable text message templates →

Examples of how to ask for donations

Let’s put some of the tactics and expert tips above into practice. Here are some tried-and-true approaches to ask for donations in a way that fits your goals, audience, and values:

Be direct with individual donors 💛 

On a phone call with a major donor, recommend a specific amount and connect it directly to impact:

Samantha, I know how much you care about homelessness in Essex County. A $5K gift will help house 10 families for the next year. Can you commit today?

Reference past giving and success stories 🌲 

Remind donors of their previous impact in your direct mail campaign:

Last year, you helped people like Isabelle feed her family of four when she lost her job. This year, you can provide more meals to your neighbors in need. For every $10 donation, Greentown Pantry distributes 10 meals. Let’s feed 10,000 people together by raising $10K.

Use social proof 🤳

Showcase your momentum with social media posts: 

In the last two months, our community has given $12K—just watch as our progress bar grows! Will you help us reach the next target?

Incentivize further giving 🤩

Share updates about your matching gift program on your campaign page:

B Corp has agreed to match all donations up to $40K! By giving now, your tax-deductible contribution goes even further.

Create a donation challenge ⏳

Schedule an exciting text message blast:‍

Can you get 5 friends to donate in 5 hours? Join our challenge now!

Ask for participation 🤝

Invite your community to join in your upcoming event via email:‍

Take part in our annual walkathon to raise critical funds for cancer research. All ages welcome!

Freebie alert!

Download your free donor phone call script templates →

Make every ask count with Givebutter

Asking for donations doesn’t have to feel awkward or overwhelming. With the right approach, you can develop a strategy to ask for donations effectively.

Givebutter helps you bring everything together—craft compelling messages, create engaging calls to action, and run successful campaigns. Whether launching a fundraising page, hosting an online auction, or emailing supporters about your latest campaign, you can manage it all from one easy-to-use platform.

Sign up for your free Givebutter account today and make your next ask your best one yet.

FAQs about how to request donations 

What’s the best way to ask someone for a donation online?

With so many demands for attention online, make your ask swift and direct. Keep the message concise, show the human impact of giving, and close with gratitude. Then make donating easy—whether that’s through a link, QR code, or donate button. 

How to ask for monetary donations in person?

Start with a friendly greeting, briefly explain your cause, and invite them to contribute in a way that fits the situation—such as using Tap to Pay on your mobile device or filling out a pledge form.

Keep it conversational, and don’t forget to pause so they have time to respond.

How to ask for donations for a fundraiser?

Tie your ask to the event’s energy. Highlight what makes the fundraiser special, set a clear goal, and invite donors to be part of the moment. For example, “Help us reach $10K before the gala ends tonight!”

How do you ask for donations without being pushy?

Lead with impact, not obligation. Show how a gift makes a difference (e.g., “$25 feeds a family for a week”), then invite support. Respectful wording and gratitude keep the focus on choice, not pressure.