Donor Objection: “Can you just send me something?”
This one is trickier than it looks, because it can mean genuinely different things — and “send me something” is often where fundraising momentum quietly dies.
What the donor may actually be saying
- “I’m curious, but I’m not ready to have a real conversation yet.”
- “I want to share this with someone else before I respond.”
- “I’m a reader — I need to see it in writing to process it.”
- “I don’t want to say no to your face.”
The challenge is that brochures get skimmed, emails get filed, and follow-up starts to feel awkward. Without a clear next step, “send me something” becomes a polite ending rather than another step in a donor conversation.
What not to do
Don’t just say “Sure!” and send a generic packet. A 12-page case statement isn’t what’s needed here — and it rarely moves anyone toward a decision.
Don’t wait two weeks to follow up because you’re not sure what to say. The longer you wait, the colder the conversation gets.
Don’t skip the next step. Whatever you agree to send, you need a committed follow-up moment before you leave.
What to say
First, find out what would actually be useful:
“Happy to do that. What would be most helpful — are there specific questions you want me to address?”
Then, before the conversation ends, establish a next step:
“Let me get that to you in the next day or two. Would it make sense to connect again next week to see if it answered your questions?”
If they agree to a follow-up, you’ve kept the conversation alive. If they push back on scheduling:
“I can appreciate that. If I haven’t heard from you in a week or so, I’ll check in. And please don’t hesitate to reach out if something comes up sooner.”
What you send matters too. A short personal note with one clear attachment almost always outperforms a dense packet of information. Think: one page, one story, one restated opportunity.
A word about third-party voices
One of the most effective things you can include is a donor testimonial — a short story about why someone else chose to give. Hearing from a peer carries weight that organizational language simply can’t. If you have a donor who’s given for similar reasons, their words (with permission) can do more than your best case statement.
As Marc often puts it: donors expect you to say good things about your organization. They give more weight to what other donors say.
AI prompt
A donor asked me to “send them something” after I made an ask. I want to send a short, compelling follow-up message — not a brochure, but something personal that restates the opportunity and ends with a clear next step. Here’s the context: [donor background, giving history, what we discussed, the ask amount, what the gift would fund]. Help me draft a 2–3 paragraph email that’s warm, specific, and donor-centered.
Privacy note: Use initials or a general description rather than your donor’s real name. Skip sensitive personal details — what they told you in confidence stays off the page.