It’s easy to get so caught up in the excitement of organising the logistics of your fundraising activity that you forget to think about who and how you will ask for money.

Spending a little time focusing on who you think might support you and what approach they are most likely to respond well to will pay great dividends – quite literally. Often when we think about who we can ask we focus too narrowly. Sometimes this is because it feel awkward asking people we don’t have a close relationship with, but it can just be because we haven’t had a chance to think of all the people we could ask. The know-how sheet ‘asking properly’ is designed to help you get the maximum out of your requests for funding. There's even more information for you if you are trying to secure sponsorship.

If ‘asking’ really isn’t something you feel you do well, or your fundraising activity requires lots of planning or training time, consider trying to find a fundraising buddy.