Richard Perry

We’ve seen it over and over again: CEOs, presidents, executive directors who actually block progress in the major gift program.

One of the frustrating parts of my journey is getting leaders to provide major gift officers with usable resources.

Ask yourself the following question: “Will this move get me closer to fulfilling this donor’s interests and passions?”

I thought the way to secure a major donor’s money was creative approaches, innovative moves, crafty and emotional donor offers, etc.

In today’s world of tweets and one-liners, it is so easy to abandon the real reason a nonprofit exists.

Each one of the major donors on your caseload is a unique individual with very special characteristics, leanings and preferences.

Major gift work is filled with a lot of formulas and principles for success.

Jeff and I are hearing from nonprofit professionals who worry themselves sick about whether they should be asking the donor for a gift.

“There is no way I can succeed, because all the people I depend on to give me resources are not doing their jobs!”

The main thing I have learned is that hardly anything in life is really solely about me, even as much as I want it to be.

There is no doubt that your job as a major gift officer can be difficult. There are a number of threats to your psyche that come from either the organization or the donor. But there is a group of internal threats that you face as well.

The content of many fundraising and major gift consultants is often about strategy or messaging, which it should be.

Almost every day, I am kindly interrupting a conversation and asking: “What’s the problem?”

At almost every junction on the road of your life, both personal and professional, you have a decision to make.

We are constantly asking directors of development to encourage and thank their major gift officers.