Last October, I watched the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team win their way to Game 7 of the World Series. Seven games. Momentum swung back and forth almost every inning until it wasn't. In the space of a few outs, it was gone, and the crazy baseball nerd that I am still thinks about that loss.

Baseball is a game of momentum and always reminds me of the work we do in fundraising.

I saw that up close with a client I recently worked with. When we met, they'd just wrapped up a brand-awareness push, including social media, a local news feature, and a partnership with a well-known business.

Even their web traffic jumped nearly 20 percent in a single month. Impressions and shares increased, and people wanted to know more about the mission. The team felt thrilled.

A few gifts trickled in, then nosedived. Sadly, online donations barely budged, even with all those new eyes on the site. Surprised by the numbers, the executive director said, "People seem interested," she told me. "So why aren't they giving?"

We pulled up their homepage together and quickly found the problem. There was only one thing a visitor could do: donate. That was it. There was no way for those who simply wanted to learn more about the organization to sign up to receive more information before giving.

At that point, every at-bat was a swing for the fences, and most of them struck out looking. (baseball speak for you :P) The team had built up a ton of momentum but given their supporters nowhere to understand what their campaign was all about.

Where I see the similarities to baseball are the teams that win consistently. They aren't the ones hitting the most home runs. They're the ones with the highest on-base percentage.

Remember the film, Moneyball? It made the strategy famous: a runner on first can still come around and score, and enough runners on base beats a lineup of all-or-nothing sluggers swinging for the fences every time.

Fundraising works the same way, inning after inning, campaign after campaign. Not every visitor is ready to commit on the day they land on your site, and that's normal, not a failure on your part or theirs. What they need is a way to get on base, a smaller, no-pressure ask that keeps them in the game.

Adding options such as: Join the email list. Sign a pledge. Download an impact report. Take a two-minute survey about what matters most to them.

Each of these can turn a one-time visitor into someone you can follow up with, where donor cultivation happens long before any solicitation comes up. Give prospects only one swing to take, and you lose everyone who isn't ready yet. Give them a way to get on base instead, and you keep the relationship alive for another at-bat.

This matters more when you remember who's standing behind that donor. Your team, your board, your most loyal supporters—they're your bullpen. But keep in mind that a strong bullpen can't save a game if there's no one on base to bring home. The base runners come first.

Visit your website homepage this week. If "Donate Now" is the only action your visitor can take, add one lower-friction option, such as an email sign-up, a short survey, or a "see your impact" link. Give first-time visitors a way to get on base before you ever ask them to hit one out of the park. Then follow up.

If you're unsure what your first base ask should be, hit reply. I read every response, and I'm happy to help you figure it out.

Here's to fewer strikeouts and more runners left on base.

Link 💜

Check out this practical walkthrough, plus a template, for mapping every touchpoint before someone gives, so you can see exactly where to add your first base ask.

As fundraisers, we love research, but what if you could read the articles like a scientist? Anne-Laure Le Cunff, neuroscientist, wrote about it this week.

Looking for a quick framework to ensure every call to action on your site, not just "Donate," is clear enough for someone to take? Grab this guide to take your call to action (CTA) to another level.

➡️ Just in case you missed it - in the last edition, I asked you to fill in a quick survey. It's about everyone's favourite topic: AI. I want to learn where you're at and how I can help in future emails and products. Takes 2 min.