The Right Way to Ask Someone for a Million Dollars, According to a Fundraiser Who Does It For a Living

Short of running an online scam, how do you get someone to willingly fork over $1 million? The magic happens somewhere between dumb luck and intelligent strategy, says Wanda Urbanska, who does it regularly. She’s the director of philanthropy for North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering, and brings in large gifts for the school — but she’s also done it for other causes, including her PBS series, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska.

No matter what you’re raising money for, she says, the same basic rules apply:

Rule 1: Don’t let the zeroes faze you.