Major gifts fundraising is often misunderstood. If you are facing ignorance, here are some ways you can educate fellow team members.
Richard Perry
A frontline fundraiser can have a long list of credentials (schools attended, diplomas, certifications, etc.) and be a total failure at actually doing major gifts. Conversely, a frontline fundraiser can have no schooling, no credentials, no certifications and be an outstanding high-achieving frontline fundraiser.
Here is an easy-to-use checklist that ensures frontline fundraisers won’t miss a step when contacting a donor.
When nurtured successfully, relationships with donors will pay off economically in surprising ways.
Using data in the form of stories, not statistics, is a powerful idea that applies to major gifts as it relates to wealth data.
Here is how one major gifts officer turned a donor’s $2,600 annual giving one year into a gift of $56,500 the following year.
Caring for the donor is the best way to care for the organization. Do not let unrealistic expectations get you off that basic truth.
I’m often asked for a formula for adding major gift officers. There are many variables, but they boil down to these four points.
One tiny report makes a tremendous amount of difference. Because it closes the giving loop. Read these stories to see the impact.
One problem in major gifts is the lack of emotional intelligence. It’s not about the money or strategy.
The good part about an annual society or membership fee is that it is repeated, so there is donor and value retention. The bad part about it is that the donor is not asked to increase giving or give again in the same year. We have trained the donor to give your society or membership gift and you have done all that is needed this year.
There’s a funny thing about promises or commitments. They are so easy to make and, many times, so difficult to deliver.
Why is it we keep looking for some new way to do something when we know the exact steps it takes to get it done? Because the new thing feels so much better. And it looks so good and is easier. You just have to listen to it all, feel good and apply what you can. And, certainly, since it feels so good, it must work.
The development function of many nonprofits has been lacking for some time, and there are two reasons why. Richard Perry offers advice.
“True connection is a frightening prospect,” Seth Godin explained in his blog. “... Far easier, of course, to do something more shallow.”
