Fundraising Readiness: The Art of the Ask
Having explored five of the six key components of fundraising readiness in this blog, we bring everything together. From governance and people, to storytelling, impact, and approach, each pillar strengthens your organisation’s ability to attract and retain funding. We view these as the building blocks for your organisation’s long-term sustainability, designed to help you maximise your fundraising efforts.
The final area to cover is your ask. The previous areas should have helped you lay the groundwork for credibility, strategy, and trust, instilling belief in funders that you know your organisation and the people you support inside and out. The ask is where all your preparation comes together: you articulate your need, demonstrate your readiness, and inspire others to invest in your mission.
Developing clarity around your ask gives focus to your fundraising strategy. With the right tools and resources, it will give you both conviction and confidence to approach all your key sources of income.
In this blog, we will cover:
What the ask actually is and why it matters
How to create a compelling case for support and programme concept notes
The importance of storytelling and putting people at the heart of your ask
Knowing your numbers and being transparent about your funding needs
Demonstrating sustainability and answering the key question: “Why us?”
A practical readiness checklist to guide your team
By the end, you’ll have a clear, actionable framework to confidently make your ask, backed by evidence, impact, and compelling stories.
What is “the ask”?
The fundraising ask is your organisation's clearest expression of need: what you require, what it will achieve, and why it matters now. Yet many organisations struggle here—not because their work isn't compelling, but because they haven't translated their passion into a concrete, evidence-backed request that funders can act on.
A strong ask clearly communicates your organisation’s purpose, presents a tangible amount or goal, and connects that request to the donor’s own motivations. The better you are at being able to discuss and share what you do, the easier it will become for a funder/donor to say yes, as they can see the full impact their funding can create.
Mastering this skill reflects a broader organisational culture of confidence, clarity, and purpose. Whether you’re approaching a corporate partner, writing a grant application to a trust or foundation, or speaking to an individual donor, the principles remain the same.
Why the ask is crucial
Here’s why it matters so much:
It turns strategy into tangible support - without a clear ask, even the strongest impact story or governance framework won't secure funding from any donor type.
It signals strategic thinking and accountability - a specific ask, including amount, timeframe, and intended outcomes, shows you are organised and purposeful, reassuring funders that their investment will be well-managed and impactful.
It focuses funder decision-making - suggesting a funding amount or range helps funders visualise the difference they can make, rather than guessing how much and where it will go.
It strengthens credibility and trust - approaching an ask from a position of readiness, backed by evidence, realistic projections, and transparency, builds confidence across all funder types.
It fosters long-term partnerships - understanding a funder’s priorities and exceeding expectations lays the foundation for loyalty and multi-year support.
How to make the ask happen
Knowing why the ask matters is one thing, but knowing how to turn that insight into action is where the real change happens. Fundamentally, this is because it is not something that can appear overnight; an effective ask requires preparation, clarity, and a structured approach. The following practical steps will guide your organisation in delivering asks that are confident, compelling, and impactful.
Create a compelling case for support
If you missed our blog “Fundraising and Storytelling: Crafting a Compelling Case for Support”, we explored the rationale, method, and long-term strategic impact of creating a strong case for support.
But why is this so closely linked to your organisation’s ask? Alongside a strong folder of concept notes - detailed case studies of your programmes tailored for funders - your case for support begins to direct your ask and allows you to fundraise proactively and efficiently. This is particularly crucial for smaller organisations submitting lengthy applications.
A case for support should:
Explain the problem you exist to solve, backed by evidence and insight.
Show your solution through what you do, how you do it, and why it works.
Demonstrate impact through data, stories, and testimonials.
Be specific about the need, specifically how much you’re asking for, what it will fund, and what outcomes it will deliver.
Show sustainability, including how the project will continue beyond the initial grant or donation.
For fundraising readiness, clarity in both your case for support and concept notes is essential. Wherever possible, write in simple, translatable language that allows the funder to put themselves in your organisation’s shoes. If someone reading it doesn’t immediately understand your purpose and impact, refine it until they do!
Remember: your case for support doesn’t need rewriting for every donor, instead you should be creating a strong core version, then tailor sections or examples to match each funder’s interests. A bank of case studies for different programmes, understanding the demographics you support, and knowing the impact of each programme element, will make your fundraising proactive, consistent, and more time-effective.
Put people at the heart of your ask
Numbers are important, from data tracking, understanding your reach, capacity, and demand, but behind each statistic is a real person, and a real story nurtured by your team and the programmes you deliver. Beyond general storytelling, personalised narratives transform your fundraising ask from a transaction into a relationship, because they give meaning to the figures, context to your outcomes, and emotion to your mission.
Why stories matter:
They evoke empathy by showing real lives, real challenges, and real change.
They demonstrate tangible impact, helping donors visualise exactly what their contribution will achieve.
They humanise your organisation, showing the faces and voices behind your mission.
They motivate action, turning understanding into giving.
They build trust and credibility by showing authenticity and lived experience.
Examples:
Data only:
We are seeking £30,000 to run our community football programme. Over 60% of young people in the local area are not participating in regular physical activity, and youth crime rates are above the national average. Your funding will help improve participation and provide structured, safe activities for hundreds of young people.
Personalised stories supported by data:
14-year-old Tariq had stopped attending school sports and was often on the streets after lessons, at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour. In our local area, over 60% of young people do not engage in regular physical activity, and youth crime rates are 25% higher than the national average.
Since joining our community football programme, Tariq has gained confidence, improved his fitness, and now mentors younger participants, helping them stay active and make positive choices. Stories like Tariq’s show the real impact our programme has on young people’s lives.
With more opportunities like those Tariq has experienced, we can continue fostering a safe, supportive environment for other at-risk children. To continue this work, we are seeking £30,000 to expand the programme and support more young people like Tariq. Your funding will give 130 children the chance to develop skills, stay safe, and thrive within our local community.
By using stories (this is an example) gathered from beneficiaries, volunteers, and frontline staff, you will be better equipped to illustrate the “why” behind your work with confidence.
Know your numbers and be transparent
While knowing your numbers may seem like a smaller element of your ask, it is no less important. Unlike storytelling or impact evidence, which require interpretation and ongoing work, accurate figures speak for themselves, they can be scaled up or adjusted as needed, but if they are incorrect, they can undermine your whole case.
Having drilled in the ethos so far that clarity inspires confidence, you need to be clear about:
How much you need
What it will fund
How long it will take
What success will look like
Include both immediate outcomes and long-term impact so funders can see that their investment drives lasting change, not just a short-term fix. Transparency about budgets and sustainability positions your organisation as a responsible steward of funds. Show how the project will continue beyond the initial funding, through income diversification, strategic partnerships, or community-led ownership. Funders increasingly want forward-thinking, innovative organisations building something that lasts.
Ultimately, why you?
No matter what you are doing, the cornerstone of all your work should be: how well are we articulating why we should be funded? If this feels challenging, it’s a signal to strengthen your evidence and impact data.
Ask yourself: among many other good causes, what makes your organisation the right one to deliver this change?
This is where your previous readiness work pays off:
Governance shows credibility and accountability.
People demonstrate lived experience and expertise.
Storytelling shows authenticity and alignment.
Impact evidence shows results.
Approach shows structure and foresight.
Together, these components make your organisation fundraising-ready to approach funders, donors, and potential partners with confidence.
Your Ask Readiness Checklist
A checklist is a simple way to track progress, reflect, and revisit key areas of your ask. So, ask yourself:
Do we have a clear and compelling case for support?
Do we have detailed concept notes for our top 3-5 programmes, ready to share?
Are our stories and evidence woven through our proposals?
Do we know our numbers, what we need, why, and for how long?
Have we shown sustainability beyond any single grant or donation?
And ultimately, why us?
The goal is to confidently answer and evidence these questions. Remember: fundraising is everyone’s responsibility, so your team should be ready to discuss your ask and signpost any supporting evidence, even if they aren’t the ones approaching funders or writing applications.
Conclusion
The ask is the culmination of all your fundraising readiness work. It’s where governance, people, storytelling, impact, and approach come together to show funders and donors that your organisation is credible, capable, and purposeful. A strong ask demonstrates what you need and why, and the difference their support will make, backed by evidence, stories, and clear numbers.
Remembering that fundraising is everyone’s responsibility is something that will elevate your readiness. When your team understands the ask, knows the numbers, can speak to the impact, and shares the stories of those you support, you create an environment of confidence and credibility that funders can trust and that can be demonstrated through all your work.
By taking the time to develop a compelling case for support, weave in personalised stories, and clearly outline your numbers and sustainability, you position your organisation to approach funders proactively and confidently. With clarity, evidence, and storytelling at the heart of your approach, you’ll inspire funders, build lasting partnerships, and create real impact for the people and communities you serve.
Your next step: revisit your checklist, ensure every element of your ask is clear. As always, if you’re unsure where to start, or would like to find a benchmark for where your organisation is in regards to ask or any of the other five areas, use our free Fundraising Readiness Tool.
Written by Jess Smith