Why Should People Give You Money?

The chagim are almost upon us and as such we usher in the beginning of the season to fundraise. Synagogues, communal organizations and Federations (among others) all use the Fall to aggressively solicit support from potential donors. But, are we prepared; can we answer the most basic question, why should people give us money?

To answer you need to articulate both your mission and a vision that clearly resonates with donors. You also need to be certain you can answer all of these questions about your organization:

• Why does the organization exist?
• What are the objectives?
• Why should donors respond to you?
• Why should their response be extraordinarily generous?
• How will their support make a difference?
• What will the impacts be?

Sounds obvious – but it is amazing how many professional fundraisers have failed this simple test.