The 5-Minute Fundraising Ask

Written By Kel Haney

Are you looking for a “new” way to connect with mid-level donors? Is your organization’s community responding less to emails & letter appeals? Are & your team eager to build better relationships, but lacking the time (& resources) to do so?

Let’s talk about The 5-Minute Fundraising Ask

Whether you’re a fundraising team of one or eleven, making outbound phone calls to specific donors will strengthen your organization's relationship to its community, while also surpassing your fundraising goals. (Yes, in 2024 😱!) I train & coach nonprofits how to immediately improve their fundraising cadence through targeted phone conversations.
I’ve personally made over 20,000 5-Minute Fundraising Asks (wild, but true 🦁!) And I’ve helped nonprofits raise over $16 MILLION (primarily in gifts of $2,000 or less) OVER THE PHONE.

5-Minute Phone Calls should be part of your communication strategy ALL YEAR ROUND:


✅Spring Campaigns
✅ Before (& After!) Galas & other Cultivation Events
✅Giving Tuesday/End of Calendar Year Appeals
✅Capital Campaigns

In addition to deepening your org’s relationship with current (& lapsed!) mid-level donors, a 5-Minute phone call can also serve additional purposes:

  • BETA TEST new donor levels (or events) before making the kind of big decisions necessary to print materials/post on your website

  • Gather QUALITATIVE RESEARCH to use for case studies & grant applications

  • Offer a PERSONALIZED THANK-YOU for a recent gift, while also opening the door for the community member to make their next donation

Have YOU made personalized phone calls to donors? If so, what have been some surprising benefits? Or challenges you’ve encountered? I’d love to hear (& bet I can help!).

Kel Haney
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