Make the ask

Five moves

1. 01

   Choose your messenger

   Pick the person the funder already knows.

   The messenger should know the funder’s interests, areas of focus, and previous investments. Ask yourself three questions:

   • Who has a positive, established, and ongoing relationship with this funder?
   • Is this person a clear and concise speaker?
   • Is this person passionate about the services you want to provide?

   The right messenger may not be the person who knows the most or who leads the work today.

   In Arizona, the CEO of Southwest Human Development built relationships across the state over decades and kept them up outside of times of need. In Colorado, the state’s early childhood mental health director met funders, learned their priorities, and joined the regular conversation about children and families before making an ask.

2. 02

   Put your case on one or two pages

   Write it for someone who’s new to the issue.

   Organize your data into a one- or two-page document to share with funders. Give enough to orient someone who’s completely new to the issue and stop before you overwhelm them. Keep it free of jargon and typos.

   Prepare talking points from your data and include the short- and long-term benefits of the investment. Ask someone outside your team to read both and point out anything unclear.

   Then make the appointment. If you’re presenting to an established group, such as an early childhood advisory council, make sure you’re on the agenda.

   For help with messages, read Communications and Messaging.

3. 03

   Practice the eight questions

   Know your answers before the meeting.

   Practice your request before the meeting. Review your state plans, such as the state Medicaid plan, and any policy changes that might support consultation. Make sure you can answer at least these questions:

   1. What is the issue?
   2. Why is it a problem?
   3. What will your team do to address it?
   4. What will your team not be able to do?
   5. How much funding will it take to support what your team will do?
   6. What difference will the funding make?
   7. How will your team measure success?
   8. What is an example of how this work has been influential to a child or a family?

   In Arkansas, the Project PLAY team aligned its request with state priorities and with new Child Care and Development Fund requirements. It brought federal documents and policy papers on social and emotional development and reducing expulsion. The team opened by asking the state, “What is your response to these challenges? How can we be helpful and be a part of this discussion?” It put its energy into expansion funding after that discussion was under way.

4. 04

   Make the ask

   Be concrete and tell a real story.

   After the greeting, signal that the conversation is turning to something important and remind the funder of your connection to their organization. Show your impact with a real-life story. Colorado’s early childhood mental health director advised striking a balance between a story and quantifiable data and linking both to what’s happening more broadly.

   Then be specific about four things. The sample language comes from our Financing Guidance.

   • The need you found. “We have learned that XX [number of] children in Huron Valley have undetected mental health challenges.”
   • The service and its cost. “Since early intervention is essential, we are requesting $XX to cover two additional children’s mental health consultants in Huron Valley.”
   • The fit with the funder’s goals. “You have consistently demonstrated that the quality of childcare is important to you. IECMHC has been shown to improve classroom quality and also reduce provider stress, burnout, and turnover.”
   • The difference the funding makes. “Being able to fund two more mental health consultants in Huron Valley will support up to 20 preschool centers and potentially XX [number of] children and families.”

   Don’t expect an answer right away. Leave room for questions and offer to follow up within 24 hours.

5. 05

   Follow up

   Thank the funder within 24 hours and prepare for the next ask.

   • Debrief with your team right away. Share what worked and what didn’t. Refine the request while the experience is fresh.
   • Follow up with the funder within 24 hours. Thank them for their time, answer any open questions, and ask how you might communicate in the future.
   • If the answer is no, find out why. Ask for reviewer comments on grant proposals.
   • Keep championing consultation. Leaders and staff of Arizona’s Smart Support program presented at conferences and served on early childhood committees so a mental health lens was at the table.
   • Prepare for the next ask. Obtaining funds is a long-term process. Small pilots that show success are a stepping-stone to larger projects.

   Colorado invited Head Start, private child care and preschool programs, Project LAUNCH, and philanthropies to attend its trainings, enter their data in the state database, and join its learning collaborative. Arkansas started with pilot sites and a strong evaluation component. That start was important for making a bigger ask and maintaining its funding.

Three things that strengthen a request

• Collaboration

  A request made together by early childhood, mental health, child welfare, and health care agencies demonstrates a unified approach.

• Cost-benefit analysis

  A strong analysis that highlights the potential cost savings from consultation can help secure funding.

• Demonstration projects

  States might be more willing to fund a pilot that shows consultation works before they commit to larger-scale funding.

Check your readiness