How to Ask for Gift Donations
Do you dread asking for donations for a group gift? The Public Speaker explains why some people prefer not to participate and what you can do to make the process painless.
Lisa B. Marshall
Listen
How to Ask for Gift Donations
As a working professional and a parent, I get asked to donate money for gifts all the time. In fact, just a few weeks ago, my husband and I were asked to collect gifts for the staff of our kids’ summer camp. My husband doesn’t like to ask for gift donations and I know he’s not alone. Requesting money for a group gift can be uncomfortable. In today’s episode, I hope to make it a little easier. .
First, it’s important to recognize that not everyone in the group is going to donate and that’s OK. There will always be people who won’t participate and the key is to be polite and gracious with everyone, regardless of their ultimate decision. After all there are many legitimate reasons not to donate.
5 Common Reasons People Opt-Out of Gift Donations
Reason #1: “I’m suffering from group gift exhaustion!” Don’t we all feel like this sometimes? At the end of the last school year, one of my friends was asked for donations for 4 preschool teachers, 5 elementary school teachers, the school support staff, and coaches for 3 different sports – all in one week! This can really add up. For some people, the only option is to start saying no.
Reason #2: “Group gifts are too generic. I like to give more personal or homemade items.” Some people enjoy buying teacher gifts, or have a tradition of making homemade gifts. Don’t try to convince these people by telling them that recipients prefer one large gift to “a bunch of junk.”
As a working professional and a parent, I get asked to donate money for gifts all the time.
Reason #3: “I don’t want someone else controlling my money.” Whenever I read an article on the topic of group gifts, the comments nearly always include this line. People are afraid they’ll end up contributing to a gift they don’t like or that the recipient doesn’t want.
Reason #4: “I don’t know the person very well.” If you’re asking coworkers to contribute to a gift for someone’s retirement, you’ll probably hear this comment. Unless you work in a very small office, you can’t expect all of your colleagues to contribute to a gift. Would you buy a gift for someone you only recognized from the employee directory?
Reason #5: “Why should I give a teacher a gift? I don’t get gifts for doing my job.” A well-meaning parent I know sent email asking for donations for a teacher gift. Only one parent didn’t respond. Rather than leave the child out, my friend let her sign the card. The child’s mother berated her for including her daughter in a gift that she had intentionally not participated in.
The best strategy is to simply offer the option to participate, but make it clear that giving is optional. If someone tells you they don’t want to participate, you need to be sure that all your body language and tone of voice express that you understand and respect their decision.
Are you a Smart Talker? Take the Smart Talk Quiz to find out!
With that out of way, I want to share a few pointers for making group giving more appealing…..
5 Steps to Ask for Gift Donations
Step #1: Write a brief letter explaining who and what the gift is for. Here’s a good example:
“I’d like to get a small end-of-the-year gift for our girls’ dance coach, Miss Karey. I especially appreciate that she’s put in extra effort this year working on routines on her own time. Would any of you be interested in going in on it with me? Since she’s also a college student, I thought it would be nice to give her a Visa gift card that she can use toward school books, supplies, or anything else she needs. Any amount would be fine. If you want to participate, I’ll collect money and have a card to sign during Thursday’s dance class.”
Step #2: Explain what the money will go toward. If it’s a large group, it’s best to choose the gift and then tell everyone what it is. If it’s a small group, you can ask for suggestions, but be prepared to make the final decision. A gift card is always a good option. You don’t have to raise a specific amount to purchase it, and the recipient can get something they really want.
Step #3: Don’t ask for a specific amount. Everyone has different ideas of what is an appropriate amount to spend on a gift and of course, what is affordable is different for everyone. Someone will only want to give $5, while someone else might give $20-$30.
Step #4: Be clear about deadlines and how the funds will be collected. It’s Ok to send one reminder as the deadline approaches, but don’t spam your group with “final reminder” emails unless you want to really annoy them.
Step #5: Choose a method of money collection that is simple for everyone. You can pass around an envelope at the office or have donors mail you the money. You can also use a group gift purchasing website such as eBay Group Gifts or Frumus. Just start a page for the recipient, add the gift you want to purchase, and email the link to potential donors. If they choose to donate, they add their gift amount to the pot. The process is completely anonymous.
Finally, along with a kind hand-written note of appreciation, be sure to include a list of donor names with the gift so the recipient knows who to thank. You’re not going to get 100% participation, but that’s Ok. Remember, you’re a facilitator, not a fund raiser. If you can purchase a nice gift for the recipient without annoying or offending the group, I’d call that a success!
This is Lisa B. Marshall, The Public Speaker. Helping you lead, influence, and inspire through better communication. Your success is my business.
https://smarttalksuccess.com/Do you wish you got an email from me letting you know when the new podcast is available? Would you like my most popular “Top Ten Tip” series cheat sheets? Do you want to recieve my weekly TED talk recommendation and analysis? Then sign-up for my weekly newsletter.
Do you struggle with difficult conversations? Do you procrastinate when it comes to delivering feedback? Do you know how to effectively persuade and influence others? Learn this and more in my book Smart Talk. Radio personality, Maureen Anderson called it “The owner’s manual for your mouth!” Visit www.smarttalksuccess.com to get your personally signed copy.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.