FFA Mentor Michelle Boakes shares three simple lessons from her fundraising experiences:
1. Never assume people won’t give
Don’t take the choice away from people by not asking. We can be quick to assume that people either don’t want to give or don’t have the financial capacity to donate. But unless we ask, we simply don’t know.
This summer, I supported a group to ask their audiences and the public for donations. Initially, they were uncomfortable with the idea of asking. So we explored what was behind that: Why don’t you want to ask? What’s stopping you?
A number of barriers emerged:
‘But we can’t…’
‘How do we…?’
‘I don’t know…’
Once we broke those down, they developed a compelling ask and went for it.
The result? £7,000 of new, unrestricted income. Yes, you heard… new and unrestricted!
#TrueStory
2. Ditch the generic statements
Especially when you’re working with a character limit, every single character needs to earn its place.
Instead of:
‘We help reduce isolation and improve wellbeing.’
Honestly, funders hear this all the time.
Tell me what actually changed:
‘In 2025/26, 78% of our young carers told us they felt more confident. This improved their wellbeing and helped them advocate for themselves and their loved ones at GP and housing appointments. We also saw a 50% reduction in reported loneliness, with all young carers telling us they felt more connected to peers and had developed new friendships through our carers’ forum.’
Yes, it’s longer. But it tells the funder what you did, who benefited and what difference it made.
3. Build relationships before you need the money
Particularly with individuals or if you want to secure a large gift
Think about who could donate or who could introduce you to someone who could donate, open a door, or simply give you a different perspective.
One thing I regularly do is ask someone I have built a relationship with to read a funding application and give me their honest feedback:
- Did you understand it?
- Was there too much jargon?
- Did the need and impact make sense?
It’s a simple way of involving people in your work and building their understanding of what you do, and it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
For me, this approach has helped raise the profile of organisations I’ve worked with and has developed into long-term relationships with major donors.
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Big thanks to Michelle for sharing! 🙂