DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm in the process of starting a not-for-profit organization, and I am wondering what is the polite way to solicit donations for such an organization. I don't want to become the person who is always asking for money, but I also don't want the organization to suffer from me being overly shy.
GENTLE READER: As your question warms Miss Manners' heart, she will answer it without dwelling on her suspicion that you are not cut out for a career in fundraising. Shyness about asking others for money is a rare and admirable trait.
Fundraising is a legitimate activity, so long as it is not done under false pretenses (which means to unsuspecting persons at unrelated events like family birthday parties) or to excess (which means after the would-be donor has expressed a desire not to be solicited again). The key is to interest people in the cause, not to shame them into paying. Think of yourself as an ambassador and remind yourself not to be a zealot.