If you’re feeling passionate about a particular charity or cause, getting other people inv
olved is one of the best things you can do to help. Most nonprofit organizations need regu
lar donations and volunteers just to stay afloat, and introducing new people to your cheri
shed causes can make it easier for groups to raise money, organize, and make a difference
in the world.Asking people to join you in supporting a cause can sometimes feel a little a
wkward. After all, no one wants to feel like they’re begging their friends and family for
contributions or annoying the people who follow them on social media. Luckily, it’s possib
le to get people interested and invested in things you care about without making it awkwar
d. Here are six tips for politely asking for donations and making the most of holiday givi
ng season, special occasions, and more to support the movements you care about.1. Ask for
donations in lieu of gifts on special occasions.If you have a cause that’s important to yo
u, people may be more likely to contribute on a day that is special to you or when they’d
already be spending money on a gift for you anyway. Sending out requests to donate money a
s a gift on your birthday, during the winter holidays, or for a wedding or anniversary can
be a fantastic, casual way to solicit significant donations without putting any stress on
yourself or the people giving.2. Email a reminder to donate for a cause on Giving Tuesday
.With the boom of Black Friday sales, it’s difficult for anyone to forget that the day aft
er Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. What may fall under the r
adar is the fact that the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is Giving Tuesday, a day dedica
ted to donating to causes and giving back to your community.Before Giving Tuesday, connect
with friends via email or text to see if they’d like to join together to donate to a caus
e along with you. You might also consider sending an email in the days leading up to Givin
g Tuesday letting friends and family know where you’ll be donating and sharing that you’d
love their support. Keep it short and sweet:Giving Tuesday is coming up, and I wanted to t
ake the opportunity to share a special cause with you. I’m donating to [name of cause] bec
ause [reason for donating]. Your support will contribute to [goal]. If you plan to partici
pate in Giving Tuesday this year, I hope you’ll join me in supporting this important work.
3. Tie your request to a special event for a natural deadline.People often function better
with a deadline, and you can use this to your advantage. Rather than making an open donat
ion request, try including a timeline and tying your request to a specific goal.We’ve set
a goal to raise $300 by next Friday at 10:00 p.m.We need 12 volunteers to sign up before o
ur event on Christmas Eve.Setting a deadline creates a sense of urgency. It also encourage
s people to think seriously about how and if they’re able to contribute before the deadlin
e passes. Most importantly, it communicates the importance of contributing without creatin
g too much pressure. People can still choose to contribute or not, but they need to make t
heir decision as soon as possible.Let people know their actions have a big impact by using
one of these impactful synonyms.4. Tailor your message to the person you’re asking.No one
likes a form letter, right? Get creative with your donation requests. If you’re asking fr
iends, try including a funny meme or joke to put them at ease. For newcomers to the cause,
share a few key facts about why the cause is important to you or what specific things don
ations will support. Language matters as well, so you might also consider using synonyms f
or the word donate to keep it fresh and remind people what their money is really going tow
ards. Consider a more impactful word, like contribute, support, grant, or provide.5. Get e
ducated about your cause and share why it matters to you.Passion is contagious, and a big
part of getting other people excited to contribute to a cause is sharing why it means so m
uch to you. The more you learn about your cause, the better you’ll be able to answer quest
ions about specific ways people can contribute, why that cause is vital, and how people ar
e actually making a difference when they give their time or money.When you’re writing an e
mail or social media post to request donations, try to include information like:How you le
arned about the cause.Past success stories or fundraisers that led to meaningful action.Wh
at percentage of donations go towards the cause and how those funds are used.Stories of re
al people or places impacted by your cause.Why you give your own time or money to that cau
se.6. Make it easy to contribute.Once you’ve convinced people of the importance of your ca
use, you need to make the actual donation process as simple as possible. Many websites and
social media platforms make it as easy as clicking a button to donate. If you’re creating
your own online fundraiser, do so with a reputable website that has a transparent donatio
n process, and always link people to the exact pages they need to visit. When soliciting d
onations via text or email, consider including brief instructions letting people know step
-by-step what they need to do to make their donation. The less work they have to do, the m
ore likely you are to succeed in getting your causes on their radar.