Invite to Action: Ask with Connection and Confidence

Welcome back to the B.R.I.D.G.E. series! If you missed the last posts, we began with Build Connection and Establish Rapport. Today, we step into the part many fundraisers both anticipate and avoid: Invitation to Action or the Ask.

It’s time to Invite to Action

Inviting isn’t demanding. It’s not persuading or convincing. It’s just that: an invitation.

You’re offering the donor an opportunity to act on something they care about. To step forward and indicate their interest.

It’s a moment of alignment: the values and interests of the donor or prospect and the impact of your nonprofit.

Major donors express or live their values by giving. In challenging times, discovering their values or intentions and inviting them to see the "mission in action" becomes even more important. And it is important that the invitation to action isn't driving by "need" or year-end deadlines or budget panic. 

"Invite to action" may include:

• Making an Ask to be a partner and donor in the work you're accomplishing, a solicitation 
• Asking the person, couple or family to a tour (or "behind the scenes" tour) to see your your mission in action
• Extending an invitation to an event that relates to your mission
• Inviting the prospect or donor to an intimate event - a donor circle, Town Hall-style event that is in person or virtual where they may learn about current activity or future vision or your organization
• Distant or overseas travel to where your mission is being accomplished (typically small groups but may be an individual or family)
• A small-group presentation or like minded individuals at your nonprofit, at a supporter's home or in another neutral space at no cost to the nonprofit

Over my career, I've extended so many types of these invitations. Of course, there are other opportunities for engagement: large-scale: galas, golf tournaments, group walks, etc.

In your Invitation to Action, there are two key aspects to keep in mind: First, that the donor or prospect does NOT feel lost or ignored in a large event. Second, that they are able to see, hear about, or experience the change your nonprofit is making in the world. 

And note: I received wonderful advice from Carolyn Miles, at the time the CEO of Save the Children. I had asked her about inviting donors to overseas trips. She told me, "Being invited to attend a trip to see the work you're doing overseas can have as much meaning to the person as actually going there." 

A Major Gift Story: An Invitation That Sparked a Million-Dollar Gift

When I worked with Aga Khan University, we were fundraising in North America for a brand-new university campus in Arusha, Tanzania. This was part of a broader vision from the Aga Khan Development Network, which supports education across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, from early learning through higher education.

While storytelling and photos were helpful, the most effective tool was extending a bold invitation: we asked donors to travel - at their own expense - to see the current educational work in East Africa and the future site of the university.

These weren’t inexpensive or casual trips. The real cost wasn’t money it cost to take the trip. It was the time and attention required from busy, high-capacity donors. But the right people said yes. And that simple invitation of "come and see" galvanized a dedicated group of supporters.

Our first $1 million gift came from an individual who had briefly met His Highness the (late) Aga Khan at a gathering. Hearing the vision directly -- and understanding the scale of change the university would bring to thousands of young people -- was what moved him. 

Not a flashy pitch.
Not a glossy proposal.
It was meeting - and being moved by - the leader. 
It was the invitation to be part of something transformational.

 Two Actions You Can Take This Month to Invite with Confidence

1. Consider your inventory of connection points

2. Create ‘Lower-Lift’ Invitations for Hesitant Donors

Not every invitation to give needs to be a stretch gift. Particularly for the first gift. There may be an opportunity to create smaller, intentional next steps: a $2,500 sponsorship, support of a pilot effort, a restricted gift for a favorite program, or joining a giving circle. These giving opportunities can deepen their commitment and keep the relationship moving forward.

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The Upshot

When you invite a donor to give, you’re not asking them for money. You’re inviting them into their own values, and into the impact they can help create.

When it’s rooted in relationship, an ask doesn’t feel like a risk. It feels like the next right step.

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🌉 This is Part 3 of the B.R.I.D.G.E. series.

Build Connection
Rapport – Establish or Reestablish
Invite to Action
Deepen the Trust
Guide the Conversation
Extend the Relationship
Start with Part 1 here

Want to build strong donor relationships—where they continue to give in good times and challenging times?
Let’s talk about how I can help you and your team strengthen your major gift strategy.