08/26/2026
"Please give" is the weakest ask in fundraising. On a recent RelishTHIS episode, Stephen King of GrowthForce – who raised more than 20 million a year for Amnesty International – shares a better one: show the tangible result of the gift.
Give voice to your real program costs so donors can picture the results their support creates ("$125 buys three villagers a day of bowling, a movie, or a trip to the petting zoo").
And a great way to increase donations is to transition one-time donors into monthly contributors. Take their highest gift in the last 3 years, multiply by 1.5, divide by 12, and ask for THAT amount monthly. A $1,000 donor becomes a $125/month sustainer – a higher annual total that feels smaller.