How are you acquiring major donors? If you are concerned about your major gift pipeline, start reviewing how you are currently bringing in new donors and spend the time and energy it takes to start filling that pipeline. Years from now, you will reap that investment...
Jeff Schreifels
A couple of years ago, I was helping to manage a major gift officer at a mid-sized nonprofit. Mary (not her real name) was a veteran fundraiser who was struggling with making her revenue goals when I met her. Her manager was concerned...
When Richard and I are out talking to prospective clients, one of the questions they often ask us is, “For the clients you have worked with who were not successful, what was one of the contributing factors?” We love this question...
I think I’m changing my language on how a major gift officer’s approach with a donor who is difficult to engage should be. For years, both Richard and I have said you should be patient, yet persistent with a donor… eventually you will come together...
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17 years ago, I was working at one of the top direct-marketing fundraising agencies in the country. We had just landed a brand-new client, and I was in charge of leading the team to work on their account...
By far, the number one complaint that major gift officers tell us is that they find it very hard getting the donor to engage with them. Not to sound flippant, but… welcome to the world of being a major gift officer. There are so many facets of major gift fundraising that are difficult...
Being small is not an excuse for not having a major gift program. In fact, in many ways, Richard and I find that it’s an advantage. Being small means you know your programs deeply and, because you are working with just a small number of donors, you can really get to know them...
Do you know the one question to ask your major donor that, when answered, will unlock everything you want to know about that donor?...
Are you a major gift manager? Do you love managing major gift officers? Do you love developing others and getting results through the efforts of others? When one of your major gift officers secures a large gift from a donor they have been cultivating, do you have a rush of joy for them?...
Recently, I took part in a LIVE call in which is part of our nonprofit leaders and managers course for major gifts. It gave me such hope because the leaders that are taking this course are doing it because they want to learn about major gifts and, even more importantly, lead their nonprofit to be supportive of the major gift team...
There is a school of thought in the circles of some major gift fundraisers that if you do a really good job of telling your donors you love them by sending them thank-you cards, updates about your programs and small gifts every once in a while, the donor will just give out of the kindness of their heart...
You know as an avid reader of this blog that Richard and I are always talking about being donor-centered, having a donor-centered approach for your major gift program and being donor-centered in your communications as you build a trusted relationship with your donor...
Our team at Veritus gets this question all the time because, not only do we help build and manage major gift programs, we also do the same with mid-level programs. Before I get into how do make this transition, let me talk about why a good mid-level donor program is so helpful to major gifts...
If you want to be a great major gift officer, you need to be curious. Curiosity will lead you and your donors on an incredible journey where you really get to be that bridge by taking the donor in one hand and in your other, taking the need your organization addresses and bringing them together. How will you practice major gift curiosity today?...
History books and our current culture like to tell stories of success of the “self-made man.” We all grow up thinking that if we become the lone wolf and just do something on our own it is more noble than having someone help you. I think that is a pile of garbage...
