How to ask for donations without making it weird

Start with people you actually know

Your first donations usually won’t come from strangers on the internet.

Start with the people most likely to care about you and what you’re doing:

• Family
• Friends
• Colleagues
• Former teammates
• Clients or suppliers you know well
• Anyone who’s supported you before

And whenever you can, ask them directly.

A personal text will usually beat posting your fundraising link and hoping for the best.

Tell them why you’re doing it

You don’t need a huge personal story.

One or two honest sentences is enough.

Maybe men’s health has affected someone in your life. Maybe you want to support better mental health. Maybe you’re doing it because you think the men around you need to take their health more seriously.

Whatever your reason, share it.

People are more likely to support you and your reason for doing Movember than a generic fundraising link.

Actually ask

This sounds obvious, but it’s where a lot of fundraising stops.

Sharing your page isn’t always the same as asking someone to donate.

Try:

“I’m doing Movember again this year to raise money for men’s health. If you’re able to chip in, I’d really appreciate the support.”

Or:

“I’ve joined Movember with a few friends this year. We’re trying to raise $5,000 as a team - would you be up for helping us get there?”

Simple. Personal. Clear.

No sales pitch required.

Make the ask easy to act on

Don’t make people search for your page or figure out what you want them to do.

Include your Mo Space page link and give them one clear action.

You can even suggest an amount:

“Even $20 would be a huge help.”

That gives people somewhere to start without turning the message into an invoice.

Don’t rely on one big social post

Social media is useful, but it shouldn’t be your whole fundraising strategy.

Instead, mix it up:

Text a few people directly.
Your warmest supporters are often the easiest place to start.

Send an email.
Great for colleagues, family or people you haven’t spoken to recently.

Post your story.
Explain why you’re involved, share an update or celebrate a milestone.

Ask again later.
People are busy. A reminder isn’t rude - especially if there’s something new to share.

Give people a reason to pay attention

“Please donate” gets old pretty quickly.

Give people something new to follow.

Share:

• Your moustache progress
• A team milestone
• A fundraising challenge
• Why you’re taking part
• A men’s health fact that stuck with you
• A ridiculous team photo
• What you’ll do if you hit your goal

Fundraising gets easier when people feel like they’re following the journey, not seeing the same link 14 times.

And yes, you can ask more than once

Someone seeing your message and not donating doesn’t necessarily mean no.

They might have been busy. They might have meant to come back to it. They might have seen your post while standing in line for coffee and immediately forgotten you existed.

Follow up.

Just give them a new reason.

“We’re halfway to our team goal…”

“One week left…”

“We hit $2,500 - trying to get to $3K by Friday…”

That feels a lot more natural than repeatedly sending the same ask.

Make it easier for your teammates too

If you’re the Team Captain, don’t assume everyone on your team knows how to fundraise.

Give them something they can copy.

Try dropping this into your team chat:

“This week’s challenge: text three people directly. Tell them why you’re doing Movember, ask if they’ll support you, and include your link. That’s it.”

Sometimes people don’t need more motivation.

They just need to know what to say.

Already made your first asks? Try these next.

Go back to previous donors
If you’ve fundraised before, your past supporters are one of the best places to start. Head to Fundraising History under the My Account tab to download your previous donor list, then send a quick personal note letting them know you’re back for Movember.

Check for workplace matching
See whether your employer matches charitable donations. If they do, submit your donation or fundraising match request — and remind your teammates to do the same.

Follow up with people who meant to donate
A lot of people genuinely intend to support you and simply forget. A friendly reminder later in the month can go a long way.

Keep it personal. Keep it simple. Ask.

You don’t have to become a salesperson.

Tell people why you care. Ask them directly. Make donating easy.

And remember: you’re not asking for money just for the sake of it. You’re helping fund work that supports men’s health and changes lives.

That’s worth asking for.

So send the text. Share the link. Make the ask.

It’ll probably feel a lot less weird after the first few.