The Ask is a complete resource for teaching anyone--experienced in fundraising or not--how to ask individuals, in person, for a contribution to for a local nonprofit or a special event or community project, an enhanced annual gift, a major or planned gift, or a challenging capital campaign gift. Written by fundraising expert Laura Fredricks, The Ask shows what it takes to prepare yourself and others to make an effective ask and includes over one hundred sample dialogues you can use and adapt. Step by step, the book reveals how to listen, what to say, and how to follow up on each and every ask until you receive a solid and definitive answer. In addition, The Ask covers such topics as how to Examine your views on money before making an ask Learn the ins and outs of asking for money Work with others to make an ask Determine if you should or should not ask a friend, colleague, or peer for money Figure out how many asks you can do given your time constraints Deal effectively with all the responses you will get to an ask