Nonprofit Organizations: Ask for what you need and what you want

When I was CEO of Philanthropy Massachusetts, we hosted a lot of panel discussions with foundation and nonprofit leaders. I was often surprised by how nonprofit colleagues were hesitant to self-advocate for what they needed from funders. We would be in a room with 30, 40 or sometimes hundreds of foundation staff, and there was a lot of generality and politeness. I longed for real specificity - I wonder if it was because I was thinking back to my days of running a small arts nonprofit and was jealous of the opportunity. I realize that hesitancy in these situations is likely due to the power imbalance, a fear of overstepping or seeming self-serving. In these panel sessions, I sometimes found myself saying, “you are here in a room full of funders, you have an opportunity to share with them what you think are the top priorities for your organization and those like yours.” I’d encourage any moderator hosting a similar session to push funders to answer these types of questions and to give the speakers license to fully answer them. I’d also suggest that the question shouldn’t be limited to a panel discussion. In any conversation you have with a funder, make your needs known and how the funder can support you and your fellow nonprofits. 

Here’s what I would recommend nonprofit leaders think about:

Come with one ask you can say in a sentence. Before walking into the room, decide the single thing you most want funders to remember. "Unrestricted, multi-year support" is stronger than "flexibility." Stronger still is "Three-year general operating grants would let us keep our program staff instead of losing one every 18 months." If the moderator gave you only thirty seconds, what would you say?

Separate the need from the want, and say both. This is the heart of your title. The need is what keeps the organization stable: fair wages, real overhead, cash flow that doesn't depend on reimbursement timing. The want is the ambitious thing you'd do if resources weren't the constraint. Many leaders only voice the need, and only in softened terms. Funders who are looking for something to get excited about rarely hear the want, even though it's what often moves them.

Speak for the field, not just your organization. "Organizations like ours" is both safer and more persuasive than "my organization." It turns a solicitation into a policy observation. Funders in a convening are often thinking about their portfolio and practices, so framing an ask at that level meets them where they are.

Ask for changes in practice, not only money. Some of the most actionable requests cost funders nothing: shorter applications, reporting that matches the grant size, paying on time, accepting a report written for another funder, covering true indirect costs. A concrete example lands hard, such as "a 20-page application for a $7,500 grant." It's specific enough to fix and doesn't read as self-serving.

Pair a number with a story. One short, real example of what a funding practice did to your organization and the people you serve, followed by what it costs in dollars or staff hours. Generalities are easy to nod along to and forget.

Give the room something to do. End with "If you change one thing after today, I'd ask you to…" It turns a panel comment into a request someone can act on Monday.

Take funders at their word when they ask for candor. Many say they want honest feedback. Being direct and constructive, and critiquing a practice rather than a person or institution, is usually received as a gift. Leaders who do this well often become the people funders call for advice later.