Drawing upon research, data, case studies principles and best practices, Eskin Fundraising Training highlights the following 10 lessons to provide guidance
the donor will reveal how much to ask for, for what purpose and when.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — One of the most frequently raised questions about resource development is the right time to ask the donor for gifts.
Through more than 250 live or learning community gatherings engaging professional and non-profit leaders from organizations of all different sizes, missions and parts of the country, it is clear that there is no one size that fits all answer.
Drawing upon abundance of research, data, case studies principles and best practices, Eskin Fundraising Training highlights the following 10 lessons to provide guidance on what works and what doesn’t work.
1. Start with the donor’s history. Have they given to the non-profit before? How large have gifts been and over how many years? It’s going to take a lot more time and cultivation to ask a donor to make a first-time gift. The larger the amount being the more time will be necessary for cultivation.
2. Money follows time. The more time that the donor prospect devotes to the non-profit and interacting with its leadership is a very encouraging sign of interest and likely commitment. Making site visits to the non-profit, especially seeing the impact of the mission and interaction with beneficiaries is a huge clue on readiness. If the donor prospect hesitates in scheduling meetings and visits that is also another sign, but negative.
3. The alignment of the donor prospect’s interest, values and priorities with the mission of the non-profit also speaks volumes. There must be a genuine connection between how they want to change the world for the better and the work of the non-profit.
4. Genuine friendship between donor prospects and professional and volunteer non-profit leaders. Note that the word “relationship” is not used. Relationships have been defined as something you have until something better comes along. Relationships tend to be transactional. Friendships run much deeper, last longer and can sustain an occasional setback.
5. A philanthropic track record. More than just financial capacity, the donor has demonstrated through gifts to other organizations a history of sharing and caring through gifts of time, talent and treasure.
6. Volunteers make great donors. Gifts of time are actually more precious than gifts of money, because unlike money they can never be replaced. Volunteers have demonstrated their belief and commitment to the mission of the organization and have witnessed for themselves its value close up.
7. The external environment is favorable. Philanthropy typically follows the strength of the stock market. The stock market continues to soar to new heights. This is especially crucial for the donation of major and leadership gifts.
8. Listen like the world depends on it. In the most productive meetings, the donor prospect speaks 75% of the time, and the non-profit representative 25%. The non-profit representative must use that time diligently. If the right guiding questions are asked, the donor will reveal how much to ask for, for what purpose and when.
9. Hearing “no’ is not the end of the world. A negative response can have several nuances such as not for that project, not that for that amount or not at this time. Successful fundraisers continue to stay in contact with the donor prospect and apprise them of the progress that the organization is making toward fulfilling its mission.
10. There are no perfect times. The only sure thing in the world of resource development is not asking means never having the chance to receive a gift.
Successful fundraising is a combination of science and art. The better the science is understood, the more artfully it can be applied. Nothing tops preparation and practice that empowers professional and volunteer non-profit leaders to replace fear and anxiety with comfort and confidence. They can position themselves to know how much to ask, when, what type of gift and who is best suited to do the asking.
About Eskin Fundraising Training
After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin’s consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training, launched in 2018, builds on the success of more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, broadcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services to equip non-profit leaders to replace fear of fundraising with comfort and confidence. He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country. He publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. Sign up here for a free subscription. You will also receive invitations to free virtual learning community programs. He is author of 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons, an 82-page common sense guide to understanding the art and science of fundraising, and How to Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, 104 pages filled with strategies, best practices and homework assignments to unlock exciting opportunities that elevate organizational impact to the next level. Both are available in print and digital formats through Pathway, the book distributor, and Amazon. Quantity discounts are available to non-profits who want to share books with teams of management, development staff, board and volunteers. Eskin is also available for customized virtual training for boards, staff, and fundraising committees. His newest initiative is the Lifelong Learning & Sharing TV Streaming Network
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Eskin
Founder
Eskin Fundraising Training
10410 Pelican Oak Drive
San Antonio, TX 78254-6727
Cell: 210.415.3748
E-Mail: jeskin@aol.com
www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com
Links
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Lifelong Learning and Sharing TV Streaming Network
www.insidecharity.org/2026/05/22/lifelong-learning-sharing-network-eskin-fundraising-training-welcomes-major-gifts-ramp-up-as-founding-partner/
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Eskin Fundraising Training LLC
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