Why You’re Struggling to Raise Money (and How to Fix It)
Let’s get real for a moment.
The number one reason you’re struggling to raise money is simple: you’re reaching out to the wrong audience.
Most nonprofit founders fall into the same trap. You think, “If I just convince them enough, they’ll give. If I just show them the good work we’re doing, they’ll give.”
But here’s the truth: that never works. And you already know this—you’ve been in the game, and you’ve seen how exhausting it is to keep trying to persuade people who aren’t aligned with your mission.
What you need isn’t better persuasion.
What you need is a better audience.
Meet Your Ideal Funders
The people you should be reaching out to aren’t “everyone in the community.” They’re what I call your ideal funders—individuals, businesses, organizations, grantors, foundations, and even government agencies who already have a reason to give.
These are people who are naturally aligned with your mission. They don’t need convincing. They just need an invitation to partner with you.
Not everyone will believe in your cause. Not everyone will see the importance of your work. But your ideal funders will. And when you start focusing on them, fundraising becomes easier, more effective, and way less discouraging.
How to Map Out Your Ideal Funders
This is where the game changes. In our 5-Day Challenge, the very first thing we do is what I call Ideal Funder Mapping. We identify individuals, businesses, and organizations that are completely aligned with your mission.
Here are just a few categories we use:
Those who benefit from your cause. And I don’t just mean the people you directly serve. I mean those who indirectly benefit. If you serve children, their parents are benefactors. If you serve people experiencing homelessness, real estate companies, landlords, and home decor businesses benefit once those people secure housing.
Those who look good by associating with your mission. These are companies or individuals who gain credibility, goodwill, or visibility by partnering with you.
Those who’ve triumphed over what you’re fighting against. Survivors, advocates, and champions who understand the importance of your mission firsthand.
We use eight categories like this to help you identify funders who have the propensity, affinity, and capacity to give. That means they want to give, they care about your cause, and they actually have the resources to do so.
Why This Changes Everything
When you start reaching out to the right people, you stop begging.
I know what it’s like to feel like you’re pleading for money. As founders, we hate that. We’re doing good work. We’re helping people. We don’t want to beg to be able to do that.
And here’s the key: begging only happens when you’re talking to the wrong people.
With ideal funders, you don’t have to twist arms. You simply speak to their reason for giving and invite them to join you. It’s not a plea—it’s a partnership.
And once you start building relationships with the right people:
Every “yes” boosts your confidence.
Every new donor feels like momentum.
You create recurring supporters who give not once, but again and again.
The Next Step
So here’s my challenge to you: step off the begging trail. Step off the convincing trail. Stop wasting your time trying to get anybody to care.
Instead, start mapping out and reaching out to the people who already care. The people who depend on your work. The people who want to see your mission succeed.
That’s the shift that will transform your fundraising strategy, your organization, and ultimately, your impact.
In my next post, I’ll share a step-by-step strategy for reaching out to these people in a way that secures donations up to 70% of the time and keeps them coming back.
Because raising money isn’t about begging.
It’s about building the right relationships.
If you are struggling to raise money consistently for your mission, I am always happy to help. Let's schedule a convenient time to chat. You can pick a time here: https://calendly.com/meetwithrooney/introductory-call