Ely for Ely: Fundraising Basics

As of drafting this blog post, there are 70 days left until 2026. You may think of this time as entering the "holiday season," but to anyone working in a nonprofit setting, it's also the "giving season." 30% of all giving happens in December, and in Minnesota we have Give to the Max Day - Minnesota's largest giving holiday as well. This season is full of giving feelings and celebrations of the great work done in this state.

Back in September 2025, Ely for Ely hosted Kelsey Polcher to share some practical strategies and tips for fundraising when you're working in a small team at a nonprofit. These strategies were shared with the lens of nonprofit work and thinking about Minnesota specifically. We wanted to compile a short guide to Kelsey's tips in case you need a reminder as we enter giving season.

Fundraising is connection, not a transaction. It's supporting your mission, not asking for money. It's consistent small touches that build relationships and donor loyalty.

Kelsey challenged us to think about fundraising as connecting people who want to give with your mission and letting them decide what's meaningful to them. She encouraged us to ask donors for a "gift that is meaningful to them" and to practice making the financial asks.

She states that fundraising can be done in 15 minutes a day, while you're building systems and templates to take it to the next level.

There are 3 fundraising task categories: Thank + Steward, Strategy Development, and Implementation and Planning.

Each of these categories are needed to have a fundraising campaign that works. Starting with identifying new donors. Keep a list of people who volunteer, come to events, or are in your circle and express interest in your mission. This way, when you have time to reach out to new donors or when you see them next, you can work on thanking them for their current involvement and start stewarding them toward giving.

Kelsey also recommends keeping detailed records of who has been giving, when they last gave, and any questions or interest they've expressed. You can always ask for general giving support, but knowing what donors are specifically connecting to within your work and mission means you can also ask for specific support toward a specialty program or project.

Remember: a no is not personal. Ask why the person is not donating at this time, because, Kelsey states, a no is usually "not right now." You're offering the opportunity to donate and get involved in the mission, they may not accept right now, but these conversations often lead to support later.

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Where should you start?

Start by finding 15 minutes in your calendar to block off for fundraising tasks. Here's an example of how to use that 15 minutes in a week:

• Monday - Draft your impact story (why does giving help the mission, what does a donor feel when they give)

• Tuesday - Write 2 handwritten thank you card to donors who gave this year

• Wednesday - Identify 3 donors whose yearly donation is going to renew in the next month

• Thursday - Make the calls to those donors and ask them to give again this year, and maybe increase their donation

• Friday - Call 2 donors to thank them for giving this year.

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How do I make the ask?

Asking for donations includes three components - Connection, Story, and Invitation.

Connection	Why are you talking to this donor? What is their relationship to the work and mission? Share information they will find interesting or important to the work you do. Thank them for any previous support they have shown.
Story	Why does the work matter? Share a personal or mission driven story about the work and how their donation will support it.
Invitation	The ask. Be clear and specific. "Would you consider...?" Write down how you like to say this part and keep a list of amounts and phrases that you find work. Then stop talking and let them think. Wait for their answer in silence.

This is a simple, 3 sentence ask:

Thank you for ____________. This matters to you because ___________. Would you consider ___________?

Write multiple versions of the 3 sentence ask to pull up when you're calling donors. Include links to any articles in the press, blog posts, or other information that donors may find interesting to use in the connection or story when talking with donors. Then practice. Call a friend, talk to a partner, reach out to board members or donors and ask them for feedback. Keep practicing until it feels natural.

Write down a simple elevator pitch using the template below to use when talking with new donors or volunteers, use this format to help keep it simple:

We do _________ so that _________. Right now, we're focused on _______________.

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Final tips and tricks

•  Keep templates of what has worked to reuse.

• Ask donors, "Before I let you go, do you have any questions about your gift or our work right now?" to find out what you should be sharing but aren't

• Track donor interactions and keep notes about their interests

• Remember: you aren't asking for money, you're inviting support

• Instead of saying a donation is "going toward" (restricted), say that it's "helping support" (unrestricted)

• Set realistic goals for yourself and know that everyone is sending emails, so phone calls and cards go a long way in setting your organization apart

Remember that you're inviting people into the work and mission. You're not asking for money for yourself, your asking for money for the mission. Connecting people who want to give to your mission and work is good for both of you.

We recorded Kelsey's presentation and encourage you to watch HERE. Kelsey shares more detail and examples to help you get started or level up your fundraising practices. Stay tuned for the Ely for Ely annual workshop of 2026! Details will be announced soon!