10 Reasons Why Most Major-Gift Programs Suck

By Jeff Schreifels

(Editor's note: Veritus Group co-owner Jeff Schreifels started the Passionate Giving blog last month, and he's already posted some pretty interesting stuff — like his "10 Reasons Why Most Major Gift Programs Suck!" Here are Nos. 6 and 7. Click these links for Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, then the final three next Tuesday.)

Reason #6 — No marketing plan for EACH donor on the caseload
“What, are you kidding me?!” That is usually the response I get from major-gift officers (MGO) who have caseloads of 150 donors (which by the way, is the maximum amount of donors any good MGO can handle).

My response is, “No, this is mandatory if you are going to be great!” And, it’s true.

In my previous post I discussed accountability, staying focused and strong management. The only way to be successful with all that is to have a solid plan … a road map, if you will, on how to get from point A to B.

“But that will take a lot of time to create a plan for 150 people.” Yes, it will … but my gosh, is it worth it. Remember, if you have 150 people on a caseload, hopefully you’re managing a portfolio of at least $1.5 million in revenue. And, that is just for one MGO!

How can anyone effectively manage 150 people without a detailed marketing plan for each person and revenue goals?

They can’t. Don’t let anyone fool you otherwise. This is hard work, and without a plan you will soon be lost.

Going through the process of creating a plan for each of your major donors, while arduous and time-consuming, is probably one of the best exercises in forcing you to really understand every one of your donors. And, if you don’t know a donor, then you better get on it quickly.

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If you like baseball, tennis, golf, Gregorian chant, jazz, rock, good wine and deep conversation, then you’ll like to hang out with Jeff.

If you are passionate about fundraising, Jeff will inspire you to be a true “broker of love” for your donors, helping you bring together a donor’s desire to change the world and the world’s greatest needs. Jeff believes that if nonprofits truly want to grow and obtain more net revenue for their mission, it will come through creating, building and successfully managing major-gift programs. The Connections blog will give you inspiration and practical advice to help you succeed. Jeff has more than 25 years of nonprofit fundraising experience and is senior partner of the Veritus Group.

10 Reasons Why Most Major-Gift Programs Suck — Nos. 6 & 7