If you're always looking for the right moment to ask for the money, you'll never find it. You have to be ready, willing and able to close what you started. You have to take the risk of hearing “no.” If that happens, don’t take the rejection to heart. The person is saying no to the organization, not to you.
When it comes to soliciting charitable gifts, hockey great Wayne Gretzky’s wisdom holds true: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.