Fundraising Scripts: How To Get Donations Over The Phone

Asking for donations through telephone fundraising can be a daunting task.

It is especially difficult if you are not sure what scripts to use or have never done it before! You may find yourself feeling out of your element, and wondering how to start the conversation with someone who has never given money before.

In this blog post, I will outline a script that you can either take as-is or modify to suit your individual needs.

How to write a great fundraising script

Before you start copying and pasting the call scripts below and making your own fundraising phone calls, it’s important to know that scripts and the words you use when asking for donations is important. And it’s not just what words to say, but also how you say them! If you’re raising money through phone fundraising, then you need to know best practice in order to make sure your call script will move people to give.

If you want to use phone calls to receive donations then these resources will help you know how to treat your supporter like a real person while you’re asking them for funds.

So make sure you implement these tips when preparing your own call script for your next fundraising appeal. Using these tips you either write your own script or modify the scripts at the bottom of this post.

Set the right tone

It all starts with having a warm and friendly tone of voice when speaking with your donors or potential donors on the phone.

You want to be engaging and make sure that they know who you are and that you care about the organization.

At first, scripts for fundraising telephone calls may feel like a foreign language or just words on paper so don’t worry if it doesn’t sound natural at first! Just read through the scripts below to get started with your phone call scripts.

You can also try recording yourself reading these scripts out loud to see what it sounds like!

Another great way to set the tone is to make sure you’re using warm and friendly body language. Even though your supporter won’t be able to see your body language, they’ll hear the warmth through your voice.

It will also help you to have a more natural conversation while you’re on the phone rather than sounding like you’re robotically reading from a call script.

While making a cold call to ask for donations may seem daunting at first, with a little practice you’ll get the hang of it!

Know your audience

Before you start writing your script, you need to know who you are speaking to.

If your existing donors, what is it that they like about the organization?

What may motivate them to give money?

Think of things such as “Who am I calling?

Are they current donors or prospective donors?”

Are the people you’re calling receptive to your message?

If you’re calling people who have never given before, think about what may motivate them to give.

Do some research on the organization and its cause so that you can talk about it with donors in a way that is interesting and engaging.

When writing your fundraising scripts, it’s important to tailor them depending on who you are speaking to.

For example, if you are calling a current donor (someone who has made a previous donation in the last 12 months), you can be more personal and mention how their donations have helped the organization in the past.

If you’re calling someone who has never donated before or is not familiar with your organization, take that into consideration when writing your scripts.

Keep in mind that they may need more information to be able to make the decision to give, so having a script with questions can help them feel comfortable and lead them down the path of donating!

Identify the reasons people might give

Think about what would motivate someone to give to your campaign.

Write a list of reasons why people might donate to your organization.

Some reasons people might donate are:

They care about the cause and want to help make a difference
They received a donation request in the mail or by email and decided to donate
They were given a call from someone representing the charity and decided to donate

Before you start writing your script, make sure you have a list of reasons why someone would resonate with your mission and give to your nonprofit.

Highlight the problem that needs to be solved

Next, you need to build your case for support. Why does your nonprofit need to raise money? What problem are you trying to solve? How does that relate to your organization’s mission?

All great fundraising is problem-solving. Your cold calling script should include your nonprofit’s mission and the specific problems you are trying to solve.

Most non profits spend too much time focussing on their organization rather than the person they are speaking to. Taht’s why using language that focusses on your support is so important because it puts the onus to act on them rather than on your fundraiser.

For example, say your nonprofit is trying to end the cycle of homelessness in a specific area. Your cold calling script should highlight that problem and how important it is for you to raise money so that you can achieve this goal.

Focus on the donor, not you or your organization

One mistake that far too many nonprofits make is focusing too heavily on their organization rather than their donors.

If you’re soliciting donations, you need to focus on what it is that they will get out of donating to your organization.

Don’t say things like “my nonprofit” or “the campaign.”

Instead, use donor-centric language and phrases that put the focus on your donor.

One really great way to do this is to make sure you are using the word “you” a lot in your script.

Prepare for objections and questions

As soon as you start making phone calls, you are going to get objections and questions from donors. Your callers need to be able to handle objections by being prepared for them so that you can answer them in a way that makes the donor feel comfortable and more likely to donate.

Some common objections are you might hear on the phone are:

I don’t have any money right now
I just donated last month/year
I don’t know anything about

Before you make your first phone call, make sure you have prepared responses to these common objections.

Use a clear, unambiguous Call To Action

Don’t beat around the bush.

When you’re asking someone to donate, be direct and ask for what you want.

A clear Call To Action will make it easier for the donor to say yes.

For example, “Can you donate $25 today to help us solve the problem of homelessness?” is a lot more direct than “Would you consider donating to our cause?”

Be polite and respectful

No matter how frustrating it may be, always stay polite and respectful when speaking to a donor on the phone. They are not obligated to donate to your fundraising campaign, so make sure you thank them for their time if they decide not to contribute.

Have a conversation, don’t read a script

So now you’ve written your script and you’re ready to make your first phone call, it’s important to remember that you’re speaking to a person. A real human being!

Once you’re on the phone and you’ve made contact, you need to build rapport with the person on the other end of the line.

Use your script as a conversation guide rather than mindlessly reading every single word.

Remember, fundraising is about building relationships and trust with your donor base.

Making phone calls

Once you’re ready to start dialling, it’s important to make sure you know the laws and regulations for your state or country about phone fundraising. Some jurisdictions have rules about what time of the day you’re allowed to call. Some don’t allow cold calling or automated calls to cell phones. Make sure you know the rules before you make your first call.

Follow up to make sure you’ve received donations or not

Finally, you need to make sure that you are following up with your cold callers. You want to make sure they have donated or not.

To do this, make sure you’re using your donor database to mark down their response for each cold calling script you send out.

You can then use that information to follow up with cold callers who haven’t donated yet or thank donors who have given a donation.

Remember to say ‘thank you’.

Once you’ve received a donation, don’t forget to follow up with that donor a day or two later with a thank you letter or email.

This will show them that you appreciate their donation and will make them more likely to donate again in the future.

Fundraising Script Examples

Here are some example scripts you can use in your fundraising efforts.

You can either copy and paste or modify them to suit your own fundraising campaign.

Thank you call / Donor care

Audience: Donors who gave in the last week either online, through direct mail, an event or some other channel other than by phone.

Purpose: Thank them for their gift

Hello is that <DONOR>?

Hi, my name is <CALLER> and I’m calling today on behalf of <ORGANIZATION>.

I just wanted to say thank you for your generous <DONATION AMOUNT> contribution.

Your gift has come at such an important time and I just wanted to let you know how important your support is to us.

Thank you so much for your support, it means a lot to all of us <ORGANIZATION>.

Is there anything else I can do for you or would you like me to keep you updated on our work in the future?

Lapsed donor reactivation

Audience: Donors whose most recent give was more than 12 months ago

Purpose: Donor reactivation

A note about lapsed donors: Many organizations fail to understand that many lapsed donors don’t actually see themselves as being lapsed.

While we might think of donors in terms of their past giving and the recency of their latest contribution, most donors don’t see themselves that way.

While their most recent donation may have been a good 18 months ago, many lapsed donors still see themselves as current supporters.

Don’t treat your lapsed donors like a cold call to a prospective donor but equally, don’t mention the fact their most recent donation was a long time ago.

Instead treat them as a person, a human being who supports your mission and make your case for support.

Hello is that, <DONOR>?
My name is, <CALLER> and I’m ringing on behalf of <ORGANIZATION>.
Is this a bad time to talk?
The reason for the call is to make an important request
Outline the problem
Show the donor how their gift can make a difference
Ask for a gift
Be prepared to answer objections
Ask again for a smaller contribution
Politely end the call

Conclusion

We hope these examples help you craft a fundraising script that will resonate with your audience. Keep in mind, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a good fundraising script. You should customize the tone and content of your letter to address who you are appealing to, what stage they are at in their relationship with your organization, and how much urgency surrounds the issue or event being highlighted. The more personalized it feels for them – the better chance they’ll give!

Fundraising Script: A step-by-step guide to asking for donations