When we work with fundraisers on goal-setting for individual donors, we recommend that they create both a budget goal that aligns to the organization’s official budget AND an aspirational goal to help them dream big about opportunities to partner with their donors for a larger impact.

So why create these two different goals? What we’ve seen in our coaching work with clients is that people tend to ask too low. Whether it’s from fear of offending a donor or a false story in their head, fundraisers tend to hold back from asking their donors to do more. Setting both a budget goal and a stretch goal enables fundraisers to break free of those internal constraints and imagine what it would actually look like to reach that aspirational goal.

In this Question of the Month video, Jeff and Richard share more about why it’s important to have these two different goals in mind. Watch the video or read the transcript below!

And if you’d like to learn more about our process for goal-setting and building individualized plans for your donors, check out our Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. This is a comprehensive training that will give you our best practices, tools and resources to help you create a thriving major gift program and connect more strategically with your donors. 

Read the full transcript:

Jeff Schreifels 

Hi, welcome to this month’s question of the month. When we work with clients on goal setting, we often advise that frontline fundraisers create both an aspirational and budget goal. But why do we recommend both types of goals? Well, that’s what we’ll be talking about today. So, Richard, why do you recommend this?

Richard Perry 

All right, that that’s a really good question, Jeff. But I want to start off by saying something, something that’s foundational. Here’s what it is. We tend to ask too low.

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s very true. We always run into fundraisers who ask way too low.

Richard Perry 

I know. And it’s just it’s an interesting dynamic, isn’t it? Like, why do we do that? And I think it’s a matter of confidence. And it’s a matter of…

Jeff Schreifels 

Fear?

Richard Perry 

Fear, like, well if I ask too high, the donor is going to be upset or whatever. But part of why we do these aspirational goals versus budget goals, is to counter that truth that people tend to ask too low. So an aspirational goal versus a budget goal. And we’ve talked about this before, when you’re setting goals, you’re setting both a budget goal, that’s for the official organizational budget, right, and then this aspirational goal, which is like if everything lined up, and it was just like perfect externally, internally, with the donor with everybody else, you know, what could they possibly give? And there’s a big difference between the two.

Jeff Schreifels 

So, an example might be, you set a goal for the management, the budget goal, of $10,000. But maybe the aspirational goal is $15,000.

Richard Perry 

Yeah, or even higher. Right. Okay. So, now you don’t share the aspirational goal with management. Because what have we seen happen?

Jeff Schreifels 

Then they’ll expect it right?

Richard Perry 

Yeah. Like, well, you know, I thought you said you were going to do $15,000. And it’s like, no, that was my aspirational goal. But the budget goal was $10,000. So that that’s an important thing to figure out. Now, why do we recommend this? Well, aspirational goals help the frontline fundraiser move the whole asking process to a higher level. I mean, that’s one reason, okay? They allow the fundraiser to become braver, they motivate the fundraiser to become brave and have more confidence. So that’s another reason that we do the aspirational goals. And it allows the fundraiser to dream big, and to think and actually to maximize the amount of giving that the donor can give.

Jeff Schreifels 

I love that.

Richard Perry 

So those are all the reasons that we do aspirational goals.

Jeff Schreifels 

Thank you, Richard. We hope this has helped you see the value in creating both aspirational and budget goals for your donors. If you’re ready to learn more about goal setting, and the rest of our system and structure for major gifts, be sure to check out our Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. This is a comprehensive training that will give you our best practices, tools and resources to help you create a thriving major gift program and connect more strategically with your donors. You can learn more about this course by visiting our website or by emailing us at academy@veritusgroup.net. Thank you and take care.