Beyond the RFP: Reimagining Institutional Giving Through “The Big Ask”
Is the power of your work not coming through within the character counts and narrow requirements of grant proposals? Are calls with funders making you anxious—and not furthering your cause? Is your nonprofit simply working too hard for highly competitive (and relatively small) grant dollars?
AmplifyDMC clients have voiced all these concerns, and the challenges of traditional grant-seeking only seem to grow when funders begin to pull back or grant opportunities become more competitive due to federal funding uncertainty.
Is there a way to flip this dynamic and put your organization in a stronger, proactive position with funders? Over the last year, our team has explored that question with several clients.
Out of this emerged what we call “The Big Ask,” a succinct and compelling 3-pager to share before you speak with a funder. While this starts as a document, it is a longer-term strategy intended to:
Create new and less restrictive relationships with funders, positioning you as proactive versus reactive
Communicate your organization's long-term vision and needs, transforming the conversation from transactional grant-seeking to relational, strategic partnership
Put your best foot forward with a beautifully designed document that captures your organization’s power—on your own terms
The Big Ask: The Big Parts
1. Introduction: Who You Are
Establishes your nonprofit’s identity and mission in your own words. This section is “evergreen” and unchanging.
2. Alignment with Funder Vision
How your mission and work align directly with the funder’s priorities, using both your language and theirs. This section changes per funder—Amplify works with you to customize based on funder priorities. Our clients have gotten feedback that funders appreciate them “thinking ahead” in this way about how their visions align.
3. Long-range Vision and Funding Needs
Short-term (e.g., $50,000 to add 10 program participants this year)
Medium-term (e.g., $300,000 to open a new location in 2–3 years)
Long-term (e.g., $1–2 million for an endowment, capital project, or expanding to different states)
We will help you design this section to capture where you see your organization 10 (or more!) years from now. This again allows you to step outside the confines of a one-year grant period, and shows funders you are thinking big—and have a real plan for sustaining that bold vision over time. Amplify has seen this lead to off-cycle funding as funders see an organization in a new light, not just in the dark and narrow space of a grant portal.
4. Extras
Some nonprofits add a final page to the Big Ask that highlights something that doesn’t usually make it into a portal or narrative. For example, if you’re advocacy-oriented, you might include a page summing up the bills you’re rallying around. If you gain a lot of media coverage, you might share a page capturing that. Again, it is all about playing to your strengths.
Big Ask Bonus Benefits
It takes on a life of its own. Even when they might not fund you directly, we have seen funders share the Big Ask with other funders after recognizing a potential fit.
The next time you apply, you’ll be on their radar in a new way.
Big Asks are developed collaboratively among executive directors, development teams, and program staff, strengthening internal alignment and clarifying collective vision. It also provides built-in messaging for board members and others who help you fundraise.
Let’s Talk Big Ask
Interested in learning more about what this might look like for your nonprofit? Let’s connect! Amplify’s Big Ask workshop brings key members of your team together to think big. Reach out below to start the conversation!