Advancement · Community & Giving

Ready to ask,
before you sit down.

Major gift asks rarely fail on the day because of what was said; they fail because of what was not prepared: a spouse who was not there, an amount nobody discussed, no one ready to stay quiet after the ask. Check each planned ask against ten readiness questions. The checklist works out the pledge per year and the jump from past giving, and flags what is still open as the meeting nears.

Plan an askWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Development and giving kit, $39 for 27 items.

Planned asks

The worked example is made up: a $50,000 robotics lab ask next week with roles not rehearsed, a $25,000 scholarship ask with nobody assigned and a $40,000 gift of stock 40 times the prospect’s largest gift. Prospect codes, not names. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Advancement · Community & Giving$5 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per planned ask: prospect code, amount, purpose, form of gift, pledge period, largest gift so far, meeting date, who asks and ten readiness checks. Works out days to the meeting, the ask as a multiple of past giving and the yearly pledge; totals asks scheduled and counts those fully ready; flags a close meeting with checks open, a big jump with no recent conversation, non-cash gifts without a policy check and no named asker.
Who it is for
Development directors, heads of school and board members who make major gift asks for schools and school foundations.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per ask. Prints one ask as a meeting brief, every ask in a table or a blank readiness sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Development and giving kit ($39) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Community & Giving space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the ask when the meeting is set.
  2. Confirm the purpose in the prospect’s words.
  3. Rehearse who says what.
  4. Prepare gift options, including a pledge.
  5. Plan the thank-you before you go.

Plan an ask

The meeting itself

The ask meeting, in order1Thank themFor what they have alreadydone.2Their wordsRecall what they said theycare about.3The proposalWhat the gift will makepossible.4The askA specific amount, for aspecific purpose.5Then quietLet them answer first.6Next stepWhatever the answer, agreewhat happens next.The ask meeting, in order1Thank themFor what they have already done.2Their wordsRecall what they said they care about.3The proposalWhat the gift will make possible.4The askA specific amount, for a specificpurpose.5Then quietLet them answer first.6Next stepWhatever the answer, agree what happensnext.
A first answer of “let me think about it” is common and is not a no. The follow-up plan matters as much as the ask.

A pledge makes it possible

Many major gifts are pledged over three to five years. In the worked example, $50,000 over five years is $10,000 a year, a step a family who gave $2,500 can consider. Have the pledge form and the yearly figure ready before the meeting.

Gifts of stock

Gifts of appreciated stock can let a donor give more at the same cost to them. The school needs a brokerage account to receive them and a gift acceptance policy that covers them; check both before offering it as an option.

Sources

  1. Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Major gift solicitation practice (case.org).
  2. Association of Fundraising Professionals. Code of Ethical Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights (afpglobal.org).
  3. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526, charitable contributions, including gifts of property (irs.gov).
  4. Sargeant, A. and Shang, J. (2017). Fundraising Principles and Practice (2nd ed.). Wiley.

The worked example is made up. This is not tax advice; donors should ask their own advisers about gifts of stock or planned gifts. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.