Our friends at the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa hosted a workshop and discussion on Wednesday May 4th about grassroots fundraising, led by prominent local activist Carl Patrick. He instructed that grassroots fundraising is not just about getting money, it's about getting supporters more invested in your organization. Small donations allow your group more independence, whereas dependence on large foundations can be limiting. Shifting control requires creating a vision that's achievable, first, he said.

It was clear that the attendees shared discomfort with talking about money. We identified our fears: coming on too strong could offend, reluctance because others are also broke, butterflies about big donors and distaste for brazen schmoozing. We are sick of people with no money having to support grassroots groups. Charity rarely changes structural problems in society. We want to show people we care about their lives, not just their money. It isn't always easy to be concise, but telling our own stories feels so important. And of course there's the old catch-22, that it takes money to make money.

Carl told us that 7 out of 10 people in the US give money to nonprofits. 85% of the money donated comes from families with household incomes under $60K. Poor people give a higher percentage of their annual income. A total of $240B was given to nonprofits by private donors last year, according to stats from Kim Klein's 'Grassroots Fundraising Journal.' The biggest barrier is not asking.

Tips for making personal asks for financial support:

Ground yourself and think about what's going on in the world. Don't be on autopilot, find out why each donor will support the work that you do. Be cool and unattached to the outcome, give options. Be clear, concise and direct. Ask folks to give an amount that's meaningful to them. Be excited and thankful for whatever is given. Be prepared with other ways to get involved. And be sincere.