asking matters
Asking Matters is a privately held, founder-owned fundraising training platform that uses its proprietary "Asking Styles" personality-based assessment to help nonprofit fundraisers and board members become more confident and effective at soliciting donations, serving small-to-mid US nonprofits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMaplewood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What asking matters does
Asking Matters is a privately held, founder-owned fundraising training and assessment platform founded in 2010 by Brian Saber and Andrea Kihlstedt, headquartered in Maplewood, New Jersey. The company is built around its proprietary "Asking Styles" framework, a personality-based methodology that classifies fundraisers into four archetypes (Rainmaker, Go-Getter, Kindred Spirit, Mission Controller) along extrovert/introvert and analytic/intuitive dimensions. The framework is operationalized through a free three-minute online assessment quiz that functions as the top-of-funnel conversion tool for all downstream offerings.
The product portfolio spans a free Insiders membership with a Facebook community and a weekly "Monday Morning Matters" newsletter; a paid Premium membership subscription with a 30-day free trial; a separate Board Fundraising Pro subscription for nonprofit board members; recorded training modules on specific asking topics; customized board and organizational training packages; branded merchandise; and four authored books. Revenue mechanics combine low-ticket one-time purchases (books, recorded trainings, training packages, merchandise) with a smaller recurring subscription component, all sold direct via askingmatters.com.
The customer base consists of US-based nonprofit professionals — development officers, directors of development, board members, and executive directors — and the small-to-mid nonprofit organizations that purchase institutional training. Acquisition is content-led and community-led through blog posts, the Fundraising Masters webinar series, the email newsletter, and the Insiders community. Named customer logos (Rome Capitol Theatre, St. Luke's School, California Academy of Sciences, Fiver Children's Foundation, YMCA of San Diego) function as testimonials across a long-tail audience rather than as anchor enterprise contracts. Since Andrea Kihlstedt's 2014 departure to build Capital Campaign Masters, Brian Saber has operated the company as sole owner and primary operator.
asking matters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- asking matters
- Legal name
- Asking Matters
- Website
- https://askingmatters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Asking Matters is a privately held, founder-owned fundraising training platform that uses its proprietary "Asking Styles" personality-based assessment to help nonprofit fundraisers and board members become more confident and effective at soliciting donations, serving small-to-mid US nonprofits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
asking matters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Fundraising Training
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Information (51)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools (MPACALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Survey, Formative Assessment & Classroom Response (Quizzes/Polls) Tools (EDAFADAN), Live Polling, Quizzing & Formative Assessment Engagement Tools (EDAFAGAB)
Keywords
Where asking matters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Maplewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
asking matters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Premium Membership Subscription: Paid membership providing access to exclusive video trainings, webinars, downloadable resources, and discounts on products. Free Insider membership available with premium tier for full library access.
- Recorded Training Products: Individual video training modules on specific asking topics available for purchase through the products page.
- Books: Sale of books authored by Brian Saber including Asking Styles: Revolutionize Your Fundraising, Boards and Asking Styles, Engaged Boards Will Fundraise!, and Fundraising for Introverts.
- Training Packages: Comprehensive training programs for organizations and boards on fundraising and asking techniques.
- Merchandise: Branded products including door hangers, pads, post-its and other training materials sold through shop.askingmatters.com.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Insider membership with access to Monday Morning Matters newsletter, Facebook community, downloadable resources, and product discounts. |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium membership with full access to training video library, all webinars, and exclusive member resources. |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
asking matters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Asking Matters provides a proprietary personality-based Asking Styles assessment and accompanying training programs to help nonprofit fundraisers and board members become more effective at face-to-face solicitation of donations. The platform offers a free quiz that categorizes users into one of four Asking Styles (Rainmaker, Go-Getter, Kindred Spirit, Mission Controller), and pairs this with recorded trainings, webinars, books, membership resources, and customized training packages.
Product overview
Asking Matters is a fundraising training and assessment platform built around the proprietary Asking Styles system. The core offering consists of a free personality-based quiz that categorizes users into one of four Asking Styles (Rainmaker, Go-Getter, Kindred Spirit, Mission Controller), paired with recorded video trainings and worksheets. The platform operates on a freemium model with a free Membership (Insiders) tier providing weekly emails, community access, and downloadable resources, while premium offerings include Board Fundraising Pro for ongoing board training, Fundraising Masters webinars with industry experts, and authored books including 'Asking Styles: Revolutionize Your Fundraising,' 'Boards and Asking Styles,' 'Engaged Boards Will Fundraise!' and 'Fundraising for Introverts.' Additional products include merchandise and training packages. The four Asking Styles products work together to help nonprofit professionals and board members understand their natural fundraising approach and apply their specific strengths to donor cultivation and solicitation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Asking Style Assessment Quiz A free three-minute personality quiz that identifies an individual's Asking Style (Rainmaker, Go-Getter, Kindred Spirit, or Mission Controller) based on their personality strengths when asking for gifts.
- Asking Style Recorded Trainings Video training modules with worksheets and bonus materials covering prospect selection, ask preparation, meeting setup, solicitation, and follow-through for nonprofit fundraisers.
- Board Fundraising Pro An ongoing board member fundraising training program providing continuous training and motivation, including webinars on topics like approaching friends without damaging relationships.
- Asking Matters Insider Membership A free membership program providing Monday Morning Matters emails, access to the Insiders Facebook Group, downloadable resources, exercise materials, sample guides, and discounts on products.
- Asking Styles: Revolutionize Your Fundraising The flagship book on the Asking Styles system, co-authored by Brian Saber and Andrea Kihlstedt, explaining the four fundraising personality types.
- Boards and Asking Styles: A Roadmap to Success A guide focused on helping board members understand their Asking Styles and apply them to organizational fundraising efforts.
- Engaged Boards Will Fundraise! A book by Brian Saber and Michael Davidson on how good governance practices inspire board members to fundraise effectively.
- Fundraising for Introverts A book by Brian Saber exploring and validating the qualities introverted fundraisers bring to the profession, based on 38 years of fundraising experience and research.
- Fundraising Masters Webinars Live and recorded advanced training sessions featuring expert presenters on topics including major gifts, capital campaigns, board training, storytelling, and donor cultivation.
- Training Packages Customized training programs for organizations covering staff and board fundraising skill development, offered by experts including Joe Tumolo.
- Asking Matters Merchandise Branded products including door hangers, pads, post-its, and other training materials for fundraising meetings and inspiration.
Quantifiable outcome
- Fundraisers gain confidence and effectiveness by understanding their natural asking style rather than trying to be a 'stereotypical' fundraiser.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use asking matters
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
asking matters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
asking matters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Andrea KihlstedtcoreCo-founder of Asking Matters alongside Brian Saber in 2010. Co-created the Asking Styles methodology. Kihlstedt subsequently founded Capital Campaign Masters and serves as Asking Matters' resident campaign expert, contributing blog content, webinars, and expertise on capital campaigns.
- Joe TumolocoreCAP-certified training expert and guest contributor at Asking Matters. Trains and coaches fundraisers and board members nationwide on developing confidence and stronger donor relationships. Contributes to Training Central section with blog posts and webinars.
- Sue KindredcoreBusiness strategist and resident story expert at Asking Matters with 30+ years of experience helping nonprofits. Leads the Story Corner section, contributes blog posts, and presents webinars on storytelling for fundraising.
- Capital Campaign MastersminorCompany founded by Andrea Kihlstedt specializing in capital campaign consulting. Affiliated partner providing campaign expertise to the Asking Matters community.
- DonorSearchminorWealth screening and prospect research service. Partnered with Jay Frost webinar to offer free wealth screening of 200 donors and 30-day free access to research tools for Asking Matters members.
- Heller Fundraising GroupminorFounded by Peter Heller, specializes in major gifts and capital campaign consulting. Presented Fundraising Masters webinar on major gift fundraising.
- Andy RobinsonminorNonprofit consultant with 36 years of experience. Presented webinar on recruiting and managing fundraising volunteers. Co-authored 'Train Your Board' with Andrea Kihlstedt.
- Marcy HeimminorMajor gift fundraising expert known as 'The Artful Asker.' Presented webinar on donor stewardship and thankfulness.
- Jeff BrooksminorFundraising writer and strategist at Moceanic. Presented webinar on donor-centric fundraising approach.
- Beth KanterminorInternationally recognized nonprofit trainer and author of 'The Happy Healthy Nonprofit.' Presented webinar on avoiding burnout in fundraising.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
asking matters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): Candid operates the largest U.S. nonprofit information database and provides research, training, and courses for nonprofit professionals. It is comparable to Asking Matters as a training/knowledge resource for the same nonprofit fundraiser audience, though Candid's scale and grantmaking focus differ.
- Givebutter: Givebutter is a modern, free-to-start fundraising and CRM platform for nonprofits, with strong content marketing (blog, webinars, guides) aimed at nonprofit fundraisers. It is comparable to Asking Matters in audience and content-led GTM, though it competes more on software pricing than on training methodology.
- Network for Good: Network for Good offers donor management software, fundraising coaching, and educational resources tailored to small and mid-sized nonprofits. It overlaps with Asking Matters in serving nonprofit fundraisers with both software tools and training/educational content.
- Bloomerang: Bloomerang provides donor CRM, fundraising, and volunteer management software for nonprofits, along with educational content, webinars, and a conference (Raise). It is comparable to Asking Matters because it targets the same nonprofit fundraiser persona, combines software with training content, and relies on community/thought-leadership marketing.
- Classy: Classy is a venture-backed online fundraising and donor management platform for nonprofits, offering event registration, recurring giving, and peer-to-peer campaigns. It is comparable to Asking Matters as a software-and-content platform serving U.S. nonprofit fundraisers, though Classy's offering is a SaaS suite vs. Asking Matters' training-and-assessment focus.
Direct peers
- DonorSearch: DonorSearch is a prospect research and wealth-screening provider that partners with Asking Matters on webinars and free trials. It targets the same nonprofit fundraiser audience and overlaps in educational content delivery (webinars, guides) for development professionals.
- CharityHowTo: CharityHowTo produces on-demand webinars, courses, and books for nonprofit professionals on fundraising, marketing, and board development. It is a direct peer because its core offering — paid recorded trainings and books for fundraisers — mirrors Asking Matters' products and buyer.
- BoardSource: BoardSource is a nonprofit membership organization that provides training, consulting, and resources specifically for nonprofit boards. It is comparable because Asking Matters' Board Fundraising Pro product directly addresses the same audience — board members expected to fundraise — with overlapping educational content.
- Capital Campaign Masters: Capital Campaign Masters is a consulting and training firm founded by Andrea Kihlstedt, co-founder of Asking Matters. It specializes in capital campaign fundraising guidance for nonprofits and is comparable because it shares audience, methodology roots, and an affiliate content relationship with Asking Matters.
- Firespring: Firespring is a Certified B Corporation providing website, marketing, and donor communication services to nonprofits, plus educational webinars. It is comparable to Asking Matters because it pairs nonprofit-targeted services with content-led education and has collaborated as a webinar partner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
asking matters social profiles
Digital presenceasking matters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
asking matters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
asking matters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
asking matters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about asking matters
What does asking matters do?
Asking Matters provides a proprietary personality-based Asking Styles assessment and accompanying training programs to help nonprofit fundraisers and board members become more effective at face-to-face solicitation of donations. The platform offers a free quiz that categorizes users into one of four Asking Styles (Rainmaker, Go-Getter, Kindred Spirit, Mission Controller), and pairs this with recorded trainings, webinars, books, membership resources, and customized training packages.
Is asking matters a public or private company?
asking matters is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was asking matters founded?
asking matters was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is asking matters based?
asking matters is headquartered in Maplewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does asking matters make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Premium Membership Subscription is the primary driver. The others are recorded Training Products, books, training Packages and merchandise.
Who are asking matters's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar), Givebutter, Network for Good, Bloomerang and Classy. Direct peers are DonorSearch, CharityHowTo, BoardSource, Capital Campaign Masters and Firespring.
Does asking matters have an API?
No public API is recorded for asking matters.
What industry is asking matters in?
asking matters's product category is Nonprofit Fundraising Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACALAK, Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools, with a secondary code of EDAFADAN, Survey, Formative Assessment & Classroom Response (Quizzes/Polls) Tools. Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 7372.