Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers, and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift

Even after more than 25 years in the fundraising business, I still find myself moved to reread Jerry's book Asking now and again. It refreshes and inspires me, raising me up from the mundane of every day life and the challenges of the business. Thank you, Jerry, for this wonderful contribution to the field of fundraising. May it inspire ever more people to find the courage to ask and the grace to give.

Read the book based on a friend's recommendation. It actually took about an hour to read. I have now passed it on to others on my committee raising funds for a church building project. Excellent.

Fundraising is both art and science--and Jerry Panas is a master of both sides of the fundraising equation. This is a fast read with practical ideas that anyone raising charitable funds can use. Asking people for money can be terrifying if you're not (emotionally) prepared. Panas walks you through the process and builds your confidence---and makes plain that the act of asking is in itself the victory, because not asking is the failure. This takes the pressure off, and whether the gift comes from the first ask or the hundred-and-first, you're on your way to fundraising success.

The title made my laugh, and the pages turned pretty quickly inside. Written a bit like a self-help book, Panas' guide contains a series of short, easily digested chapters on the main relational aspects between organizations and donors. Person-to-person skills. Thank you's. The book says a lot in relatively few words.

The book's twenty-five chapters are only about three pages each, and cover topics such as "Great Opportunity Stands in Front of You, In the Form of Objections," "Thanks for Being a Friend," and "You Won't Get Milk From a Cow by Sending a Letter." Some of the advice is a little hokey and artfully cute, but it's all based on solid experience and it will work.The appendices are almost as valuable as the rest of the book. They include sample letters to donors and prospects, how to deal with a prospective donor's objections to making a gift, a side-by-side list of differences between annual giving and major gifts, and rough guidelines for prospecting donors for each type of gift.Objections are the stated reasons why a prospect is hesitant about making a gift. Objections aren't "no"; they are the last hurdles to saying "yes." One technique described in the book is the "feel, felt, found" approach to overcoming objections. Identifying with the prospect's objection ("feel"), placing it in the past tense (felt"), by demonstrating how others were able to overcome that objection ("found") is a powerful way to move the prospect toward making the desired gift.The mix of techniques, hard information, and empowering inspiration makes this book valuable for professional as well as volunteer fund raisers. As I read it, I thought of several friends and colleagues (like you) who would appreciate its lessons, and I'm sure you will, too.