I am all about making more asks. So when I pulled my team’s metrics after three quarters, I wanted to see if the data backed up that idea. It didn’t just support it – it proved it.
The fundraisers on my team who are at or above goal are the ones making the most asks. It’s not that they have better portfolios or got lucky with timing. They ask regularly. They don’t wait for the perfect moment. They don’t endlessly cultivate. They move donors to a decision.
The Surprise Isn’t Who’s Winning, It’s What Isn’t Winning
Here’s the part that might challenge some assumptions: visit volume is not what separates top performers from the rest. Some fundraisers are hitting 80–100% of their visit goals and still trailing on commits. That tells me the difference isn’t effort. It’s that too few of those visits are turning into asks. There are longer gaps between qualification and solicitation, and that gap is where momentum goes to die.
Visits create opportunity. Asks create outcomes. Both matter, but only one closes the gap to goal.
What Else the Numbers Showed Me
A couple of other patterns jumped out when I dug into the data.
The strongest performers ask at all three levels. They’re making major gift asks, mid-level asks, and leadership asks consistently. That diversification gives them multiple pathways to hit their number instead of riding on one or two big bets. It’s a smarter, more resilient strategy.
Fundraisers who ask more don’t have worse close rates. They have better ones. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. Asking clarifies donor intent sooner. Unqualified prospects self-select out. And that means fundraisers get to spend more of their time with donors who are actually willing and ready. Asking doesn’t scare away good donors – it helps you find them faster.
The Takeaway
When fundraisers move donors to decisions, they’re respecting the donor’s time and their own. The goal should be spending more time with the best donors and less time with people who aren’t philanthropic. The ask is how you figure out the difference.