Note: This guest post is adapted from The Accidental Fundraiser: A Step -by-Step-Guide to Raising Money for Your Cause, Second Edition (2025) by Haley Bash and Stephanie Roth. Thanks Stephanie and Haley!

A common belief among new fundraisers is that they don’t know anyone they can ask to support their cause. This is based on the misconception that a person must have a lot of money (whatever that means!) to be asked.

Fundraising CBAs

The following criteria will help you realize that you do know people you can ask. Using these criteria will help you find people most likely to say yes.

Here are three things to look for in creating your list of people to ask. We call these the Fundraising CBAs (Contact, Belief, and Ability).

C is for Contact: Who do you know?

Most successful fundraising requires you to tap into networks of potential supporters you already know. You will have a much greater chance of getting a “yes” from someone you know than from a stranger. An exception is the person who’s already donated to your group and therefore knows the group, if not you personally.

In creating your list, the first step is to consider a range of categories, including friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and more. Keep in mind that you likely won’t ask all of them because you’ll want to look at other criteria for whether they could be potential supporters. However, your list will increase substantially if you take the time to consider all the people you know.

B is for Belief: Caring about your cause

The people you ask should care (even a little) about your cause. Even if someone is a very generous donor to many groups, the likelihood of them giving to your cause is greater if they already care about your issue.

For example, the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which led to a devastating increase in restrictions on abortion in many states, was followed by a surge in both activism and donations to the hundreds of abortion funds around the country that provide funding and travel support for those needing abortions.

Your key takeaway: Identify people you know who already care about your issue and prioritize them in your (one-on-one) solicitations.   

A is for Ability: Who gives away money?

Studies have shown that seven out of ten Americans give away money. This includes people of all class and race backgrounds, all ages, genders, and sexual orientations.

At least some of the people you know (probably 70 percent of them) already support causes they care about. Moreover, most of the people who give donate to several different organizations and/or crowdfunding campaigns to support individuals in need.

People like to give

The most important thing to keep in mind is that people actually like to give money to things they care deeply about. People want to be involved in their communities and in making a positive difference in the world. Making a financial donation is sometimes the easiest way participate.

When people don’t have time to volunteer, one way to be involved is by giving money. And those who do volunteer are generally more willing to give financially as well, since their level of commitment to the organization is already higher than someone who is not yet involved.

How much should I ask for?

People’s capacity to give will vary greatly. There is no absolute formula to determine how much to ask for.

If they have donated to your group before, you can ask them to give that amount again or consider increasing their gift. If not, make your best guess and ask for that, or suggest a range. An example of such an approach: “My goal is to raise $5,000 over the next 6 weeks. I hope you’ll consider a donation of $50 – $100 towards the goal. Of course, donations of any size are greatly appreciated”.

Ask for different amounts

We do not recommend that you ask everyone for the same amount: for example, $20. Experience teaches us that, for any given fundraising effort, people give differently based on:

• What they feel they can afford.
• How motivated they are by the asker or the cause.

If you ask everyone for $20, those who can afford more – and are willing to give much more – are likely to give only what you asked for. And those who can only afford $10 will be less likely to give at all.

Your takeaways

As you consider who (and how) to ask, remember the following:

1. Focus on CBA: Contact, Belief, Ability.
2. Customize your ask amounts.
3. You already know more donors that you realize!