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Success! You're Now Registered for After the Ask

Get the Complete Connection-Based Ask Workshop Series by adding these 2 companion workshops: Signals First & The Ask, Aligned

$80.00

The answer you hear after your Ask depends on everything that came before it.

These 2 workshops help you read your donor's readiness and lead a confident, values-based Ask, so you're ready for whatever they say:

Signals First: How to Read Donor Readiness and Make the Right Ask at the Right Time

and

The Ask, Aligned: How to Lead Donor Conversations to a Confident, Values-Based Ask

Get the best price on all 3 when you complete your Connection-Based Ask Workshop Series today:

Yes, I want the complete series

No thanks, I only need help with what comes after the Ask

What Happens After the Ask Matters

So does what comes before — and while you’re in the room…

These 2 companion workshops help you hear the signals a donor is ready to make a bigger impact actually make an Ask that’s aligned with their values and your nonprofit’s goals:

Signals First:

Learn how to read donor readiness & make the right Ask at the right time

Instant access available now.

The donor who's ready to give more is already telling you. Most fundraisers just haven't learned what to listen for—yet.

This workshop shows you the spoken and unspoken signals that tell you a donor is ready to give (or not) before you ever send a meeting invitation.

You'll walk away knowing which donors are ready for more and what that readiness is telling you to do next—even if right now you're winging it and hoping for the best.

REGULAR PRICE: $47 USD

The Ask, Aligned:

Learn how to lead donor conversations to a confident, values-based Ask

Instant access available now.

You've already built the relationship. Now it’s time to actually make your Ask. What does that actually look like in the moment?

This workshop shows you how to prepare for the meeting, stay on track, and lead the conversation from a strong connection to a confident, values-based Ask.

You'll walk away with five ways to frame the Ask, a reason to Ask even without a campaign, and a calm, ready response to "I need to think about it".

REGULAR PRICE: $97 USD

Why Add These Now?

After the Ask shows you what to do once your donor answers.

But the answer you hear depends on what came before it.

When Cristina Fragale's long-standing donor called back to offer a gift of $100,000, Cristina had to recognize a donor who was ready for more. She had to ask a question that connected the gift to what the donor cared about. And once the yes came, she needed to know what to say next.

Today, that donor contributes nearly $200,000 each year.

Signals First helps you read the donor. The Ask, Aligned helps you lead the Ask. After the Ask helps you honour the answer and keep building the relationship. Then the cycle starts again with new signals.

The Connection-Based Ask Workshop Series gives you a complete process for every moment of the relationship: before the Ask, during it and after it.

Save $64 off the regular price when you add Signals First & The Ask, Aligned today.

JOIN MAJOR GIFTS FUNDRAISING EXPERT, BETH ANN LOCKE FOR A NEW, LIVE WORKSHOP:

AFTER THE ASK:

How to Navigate the Yes, the No, the Not Yet and Everything After

You've made the Ask… Now learn what to say, what to do and when to ask again—whether your donor says "Yes," "No," or "Not Yet."

LIVE WORKSHOP:

Thursday, October 29th 11am PT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET

REGISTER NOW

$47 investment includes live workshop & unlimited replay access.

You did it. You named the number…

And then your donor answered.

Maybe they said “Yes”

— and you were so relieved, you said thank you and wrapped things up before confirming what the gift was for or how it would come in.

Maybe they said "Not Yet"

— and now you're not sure whether to follow up or give them space.

Or maybe they said “No”

— and you spent the next 72 hours replaying every word, questioning every move you made, wondering if you said the right thing, hoping the relationship isn’t a lost cause.

Then weeks go by.

The tyranny of the urgent takes over, and that donor becomes one more "I should really contact so-and-so” on your list.

And somewhere in the back of your mind, the bigger questions keep coming up:

  • When is it okay to ask again?
  • How do I follow up when all I’ve heard is silence?
  • What if one wrong move damages this relationship I’ve worked so hard to build?

The Ask Is One Moment in the Relationship. What Happens Next Decides Where It Goes.

And responding well after the Ask is its own distinct skill.

It means knowing:

  • What to listen for in your donor's answer,
  • How to stay present with your donor when the answer isn't what you hoped,
  • What to check before you leave the room vs what to do back at the office,
  • How to stay in touch in the months after the Ask without over-asking, and
  • How to respond to “No” and “Not yet” in the moment.

When fundraisers don’t hone this skill, here's what usually happens:

You get the gift in, send the thank-you and move on to the next name on your list… And the donor who gave becomes the donor you stop noticing.

Sound familiar? 😬

It’s not your fault if you haven’t learned this yet. But it's time for that to change.

INTRODUCING:

AFTER THE ASK

This live workshop will show you how to stay aligned with the donor after the Ask, honor their answer, and keep building the relationship from there.

In this instantly actionable workshop, you'll discover:

  • How to understand what a “Yes,” a “No” or a “Not Yet” means for this donor — what to listen for in each answer, from the amount and timing of a Yes to what a donor needs before they’re ready to decide, and how to stay curious instead of handling objections.
  • What to do (and not do) in the moments after the answer — including what to say when a donor says yes to a lower amount, so you can stay with them instead of dropping the number on the spot or explaining harder.
  • How to confirm what your donor agreed to before you leave the room — with example language for the amount, the purpose and the timing
  • 5 ways to stay connected in the "Dangerous Middle" — the months after the Ask when it's too easy to lose touch — with real language for each one
  • When to ask again — the readiness questions to ask yourself before your next Ask, and how the timing changes after a Yes, a No or a Not Yet, for annual major gifts, one-time gifts and donors with an active pledge.
  • Plus: Watch me coach real fundraisers through real donor situations, and bring your own questions to the live Q&A.

You’ll walk away knowing what to say and do after a Yes, a No or a Not Yet, and how to decide when it’s right to ask again — even if right now the donor’s answer is the part you dread most.

This brand new workshop is taking place LIVE, on Thursday, October 29th, at 11am PT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET.

We’ll spend 60 minutes on teaching, working through the five steps in order, followed by 30 minutes of live coaching and Q&A.

Don't scroll away without saving your seat:

REGISTER NOW

Registration includes live workshop + unlimited replay access. You'll receive a calendar invitation and instructions on how to prepare as soon as you sign up.

What Fundraisers Said in the Live Chat During My Last Workshop, The Ask, Aligned:

After the Ask follows the same format:

One focused session, a clear process and language you can use with your very next donor.

Hi, I’m Beth Ann Locke

I have 30+ years of fundraising experience, including 20 years focused specifically on major gifts. Today, I coach fundraisers on how to close more major gifts.

I've personally raised more than $75 million for organizations ranging from universities to hospitals, from the arts to human services, in both the US and Canada.

And I know how heavy the donor's answer can feel.

When I worked at the Vancouver Art Gallery, one year we missed our target and had to shut down a program. People hated "the fundraisers."

Years later, a major gift fundraiser who reported to me returned from a donor meeting nearly in tears, afraid to tell me she hadn't closed a $65,000 gift.

That feeling of failure when you hear a “No” is real.

But here's what I know after all that time:

Your donor's answer is information. It tells you what the relationship needs next.

If you've ever left a meeting replaying every word, that's a sign of how much you care about getting it right.

What you’ve likely been missing until now is a clear process for what comes after the Ask.

And that's exactly what this workshop will give you.

HERE'S THE PROCESS YOU'LL LEARN

In the moments after your Ask –  and the months that follow – there are 5 next steps that stay the same, whether you get a Yes, No or Not Yet:

  1. Hear: What did they actually say?
  2. Honor: Receive the answer without trying to change it.
  3. Clarify: Understand what it means.
  4. Follow Through: Do what you said you would do.
  5. Continue: Keep building the relationship in the way the donor has invited you to.

In After the Ask, I'll walk you through each step for a Yes, a No and a Not Yet, with example language you can use with your very next donor.

She’d Planned to Ask a Loyal Donor to Give More. Here’s what happened when she got curious instead…

Heather Haight is the Executive Director of a small nonprofit, where she juggles administration, fundraising, board relations and staff.

One of her larger monthly donors was already giving regularly — and sometimes added extra gifts on top.

Heather was getting ready to meet with her, and her plan was simple: Ask her to increase her monthly gift by about $100 each month.

It’s the question I hear more than any other after the Ask: when, and how, do you ask a donor who’s already giving?

When she told me about it, I suggested she get curious first.

Instead of asking for more, ask: "What makes you give those extra gifts?"

The donor's answer was something Heather never would’ve guessed. Her husband earns bonuses at the end of certain contracts, and the couple decides which organizations those bonuses go to. 

This time, they chose to direct his upcoming bonus to Heather's organization.

And the relationship didn't stop there.

The donor also serves on Heather's board, so I suggested Heather ask whether she'd be willing to mentor her. That mentorship is now underway, and Heather says the donor's connection to the organization is "so much stronger."

Today, Heather uses the same approach with other donors. In her words, instead of asking, "Will you double that?" she’s "getting curious and asking questions."

That's what happens when you let the donor show you what the relationship needs next.

And that’s what you’ll learn how to do when you join me for After the Ask.

What Happens When the Relationship Keeps Going After the Gift

After a first major gift:

Cristina Fragale’s donor went from giving $1,000 a year to a $100,000 gift — and kept giving. Today, that donor contributes nearly $200,000 each year.

After a record gift:

Jackie Dalton’s donor went from her biggest-ever gift of $25,000 to $50,000 — and Jackie’s team continues to cultivate her for another, more substantial gift.

When it was time to ask again:

Kimberly Carrigan called donors ahead of her gala and asked them to consider increasing their gift. One doubled his gift from $2,500 to $5,000. Another went from $10,000 to $20,000.

When you know how to honor the donor's answer and keep the relationship going, every gift becomes the start of the next conversation.

SHOW ME WHAT TO DO AFTER THE ASK

Results My Clients Have Achieved Using the Approach I'll Share in This New Live Workshop:

"The coaching sessions with Beth Ann help me close gifts or take the donor and their giving to the next level.

I used to feel that donors were rejecting me; I've gotten over those feelings and it has helped me navigate a large volume of donors at the major gift and principal gift level.

I recently felt comfortable closing a gift from a new donor for $750,000! I have so much more confidence and success."

BARBARA MARI
SENIOR PHILANTHROPIC ADVISOR, PRINCIPAL GIFTS
ST. JUDE'S CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
DORAL, FLORIDA

"Beth Ann, there were so many insights from our work together that proved incredibly valuable. Everything from building the structure of gift charts and timelines, to evaluating donor potential, to learning how to cultivate relationships and uncover what matters most to each donor helped shape my growth in this field. 

Just as important was learning how to confidently close a gift and, ultimately, how critical consistent follow-up and stewardship are to long-term success.

One of the first milestones I directly attribute to the work we did together was transforming a donor who had been giving $1,000 annually into a $100,000 donor. Today, she is funding scholarships and contributing nearly $200,000 each year."

CRISTINA FRAGALE
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT & DEVELOPMENT
PRESTON HIGH SCHOOL
THE BRONX, New York

"I highly recommend working with Beth Ann.

To this day she has changed the methodology in which we connect and approach donor gratitude.

Many organizations miss the opportunity to properly appreciate donors, with Beth Ann's guidance this has become the most successful part of what we do."

GILA BLOCK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
YESH TIKVA
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Stop wondering what to say once your donor answers — get a clear map for how to navigate where the relationship goes next

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS NEW, LIVE WORKSHOP:

AFTER THE ASK:

How to Navigate the Yes, the No, the Not Yet and Everything After

THE ASK, ALIGNED:
How to Lead Donor Conversations to a Confident, Values-Based Ask

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th at 11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

REGISTER NOW

Registration includes the live workshop + unlimited replay access. You'll receive a calendar invitation and instructions on how to prepare as soon as you sign up.

Will This Live Workshop Help You Know What to Do After Your Next Ask?

This workshop was created with you in mind if:

  • You just heard "yes," and you're not sure what to confirm, document or say next — from the amount and what it's for to how it will come in and how your donor wants to be recognized.
  • A donor said "not yet," and you're stuck between following up and giving them space — especially when they don't respond right away.
  • A No still stings — you worry about damaging the relationship, and every answer feels high-stakes, like one wrong move could have big consequences.
  • You're not sure when it's okay to ask again — or how to respond when a donor tells you, "I already gave."
  • You're managing active pledges and annual gifts at the same time — and you want donors to renew and grow their support without feeling over-asked.
  • You want your thank-yous to do more than check a box — you’re looking for the words that will help your donors feel appreciated and genuinely thanked. Plus, a way to show them what their gift made possible, even when it went to general operations.
  • Life keeps getting in the way between gifts — and it's too easy to forget the donor who gave $2,500 at the event until it's time to ask again next year.
SHOW ME HOW TO NAVIGATE WHAT COMES NEXT

Registration includes the live workshop + unlimited replay access. You'll receive a calendar invitation and instructions on how to prepare as soon as you sign up.

"Keeping Donors Engaged Is Paramount…"

"Keeping donors engaged is paramount, because it only takes a few seconds to destroy all the trust and good feelings you've built up. If you're not constantly thinking about what they care about and why they're giving, you can lose them — and everyone is asking these people for money.

Beth Ann has the ability to really listen to your situation and to the way you're describing it, and then give you language that says the same thing differently, but in a way that's far more productive than what you were using before."

LORIE FEES
DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS
CHILDREN'S HOPE ALLIANCE
STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Questions you might need answered before you join us for After the Ask:

Don’t mark another conversation as closed before reading this:

Before you let another "let me think about it" go unanswered...
Before you make the Ask too soon and watch a donor pull back...
Before you play it so safe you leave a bigger gift on the table...

STOP!

Let me show you a different way. Because if you’ve ever looked at a donor’s name and wondered:

  • “Was that a signal? Or was it just small talk?”
  • "How do I know what the next appropriate level is for an ask?"
  • "What's the actual language for asking for the meeting itself?"
  • "They pledged... and then went quiet on me. How do I follow up?"
  • "Is it too soon — or too late — to bring up another gift?"

You are not alone.

Most fundraisers are fluent in relationship-building and fluent in the Ask.

But the moment in between, where you read what's happening and choose your next move?

Nobody trains you for that.

That’s why I'm about to.

AFTER THE ASK

How to Navigate the Yes, the No, the Not Yet and Everything After

NEW, LIVE WORKSHOP:

Thursday, October 29th at 11am PT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET

You'll walk away from this session with:

  • A clear next step for a specific donor in your database — whether they last said yes, no or "not yet," — so you can finally stop wondering whether to follow up or give them space.
  • Language for confirming a Yes — so you leave every meeting knowing the amount, the purpose, the timing and how the gift will come in.
  • A calm, gracious response to a No — so you can stay with your donor in the moment, instead of replaying the conversation for days afterward.
  • A plan for the Dangerous Middle — 5 ways to stay connected in the months after the Ask, so the donor who gave doesn't become the donor you stop noticing.
  • The confidence to know when to ask again — after an annual gift, a one-time gift or an active pledge, and what to say when a donor tells you, "I already gave."
  • Plus: Watch me coach real fundraisers through real donor situations, in real time — so you have concrete examples of what all this looks like in practice and can apply it the same day.

Come with a donor in mind, and by the time we're done, you'll know what their answer is telling you — and where the relationship goes from here.

REGISTER NOW

Registration includes live workshop + unlimited replay access. You'll receive a calendar invitation and instructions on how to prepare as soon as you sign up. Questions? Send us an email at [email protected]

Questions You Might Have Before You Complete Your Connection-Based Ask Workshop Series:

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