This is the 4th installment of the fundraising blogs aimed at helping musicians find the different paths towards achieving funding for their recordings. This is primarily to assist those involved in the Freedom Solutions Recording Plan or FSRP.

It takes a creative approach to fundraise money. Ask any professional fundraiser or non-profit organization. You have to have the drive, creativity and the ability to take a lot of no's before even a single yes.

There are a lot of other avenues to finding funding besides just going directly to individuals. This is key since most people will exhaust all options with the individuals they go to directly before they have achieved their full budget.

Visit the previous fundraising blogs that are posted each Wednesday for different ideas and approaches on how to obtain the capitol you need for your project.

The passive / submissive approach can be an excellent place to start with the initial contacts for asking for donations or money. Many people that become a part of the FSRP program have no prior fundraising experience or knowledge on how to ask for money.

In the last segment we talked about looking for items, objects and gifts that can be used for raffles. That is a great step toward learning how to ask, and looking for donated items is a lot easier than going after cash. In the passive, or submissive, approach you learn how to talk about the project and how to talk to people about donations, by asking them who they think might like to donate to the project.

The idea is to learn how to approach others and refine yoursell. You need to create the most effective personal approach for you to discuss the project, and at the point where you would ask for the donation, you take the passive / submissive approach and ask the person you are talking to if they know anyone that would be interested in getting involved.

This is the last step before taking the direct, or assertive approach. If your pitch is refined and ready, you will find that some of the people you approach in this format, may want to get involved or donate to the project themselves.

You can also ask opinions on what they think of your pitch and your delivery. This empowers the person that you are speaking with; many times people that are being asked for money feel backed in to a corner and it can make them feel uncomfortable. By asking them what they think of how you delivered your pitch and how they think you could improve it, it can give them a more empowered, dominant feeling. This allows them to give their two cents and feel that they have helped you make your pitch better.

With some personalities, this can be the turning point towards getting a donation out of them. For instance, after explaining the record you are making and all the elements that go along with it, follow with these steps, make your delivery more passive and submissive. “Who do you think would be interested in donating to this” or “what would you change about the pitch? Could you tell me what I could do better? Or what do you feel I am missing from the presentation?

The power you give them in turn can make them feel more a part of it. They might think of who they can turn on to this project. In their mind, this makes them a part of the project without donating. They may also give you a number of opinions about how you should change and alter your pitch. Regardless of how you disagree or agree, be respectful and attentive to every idea that they share with you, and thank them for their feedback.

After all is said and done, some of these people, now in the power position, may donate to the project, since they now have a sense of being a part of it and making it better. Involvement is a powerful thing. Certain people and certain personalities need this while others do not.

Try to get the best sense of a person so you can individualize and plan the best approach to asking for donations. At the same time, take the notes and the ideas from these people that you take the more passive and submissive approach with. You can use this style to continue to learn, refine and really prepare your pitch for when you are asking in a more direct and assertive way.

Test your approach; think about when you feel strongest and when you feel weakest. What reactions gave you an extra boost of confidence and what were you talking about?

On the other hand, when you felt like they were losing interest, what were you saying and how were you saying it?

Its just like music, every part has to fit together. It has to flow, transition well and keep the listeners attention.

Though it is possible that some of these listeners may give to the project, don’t count on it and don’t look for it. Take the approach that you are simply asking for their opinions and for suggestions of people that they think might want to be involved.

Remember, you are testing the waters. It’s a step above going after physical items for the raffles. You are talking directly to people about what you are doing and expressing that you are looking for money to do it.

Think about the marketing points, don’t drag it out. Review your FSRP business plan if you are in the program or if you have a business plan or a model, review and work the pitch.

Think about how to address the individual, each person will be different and therefore each approach should be a little different.

This is a great step to build your confidence as you effectively use your time to be proactive and search out potential donors. Make up a list of people you could talk to who would take the time to hear your pitch and see your materials. Again, it is all good training and preparation for the direct, more assertive approaches.

Just as you practice and prepare your music for the studio and for shows, you need to practice and prepare your pitch for the donors that you are going to ask. You wouldn’t go on stage in most cases and play a brand new song with out rehearsing it, so look at the fundraising in the same way, tighten up the loose sections and make sure it is ready.

Working on the passive and submissive pitch with certain people can help you build the pitch, build the confidence and zero in how to best approach people for donations. At the same time, it is still being effective as these people may help you with the pitch and turn you on to potential donors that you do not already know of. These people also may even ask to be a part of the project and donate themselves.

It’s a challenging thing to ask for money, but its also challenging to get up on stage and play music. You didn’t master the craft after only one show, the more you practiced, the more you became comfortable playing with others and playing for the audience.

Now, when you go to ask for donations directly you will deliver a stronger, more confident and more assertive pitch, which is exactly what it is going to take to get people to believe in you and believe in donating to your project.

 

© Loren Weisman