How to Fix Fundraiser Caseloads So Your Donors (and Staff) Thrive

Fundraiser caseloads are out of control. In too many nonprofits, major gift officers are expected to manage 200, 300 or even 400 donors at once. Let me be blunt — that’s insane. No fundraiser can build meaningful relationships with that many people — yet this remains the norm across the sector.

When fundraiser caseloads balloon out of control, everyone loses. Donors don’t get the personalized attention they deserve. Fundraisers feel overwhelmed and ineffective. And the organization misses out on transformational gifts that could have made a real impact. 

The good news is that there’s a better way — and it starts with redefining how we think about portfolio management.

Fundraiser Caseloads: No More Than 150 Qualified Donors

No portfolio should have more than 150 donors. Sometimes it should be even smaller, depending on the total value of the portfolio.

And I’m not talking about just any 150 names. These need to be qualified donors who not only have the capacity but have also told you they want deeper engagement. Too often, I see major gift officers saddled with lists of donors who have no interest in deeper engagement. That’s not a caseload — that’s a glorified mailing list. 

Qualification takes time and intentional effort. I find that only one in three donors want deeper engagement, but it’s the only way to ensure your fundraisers make the most impact. 

Tiered Donor Caseload

Once you have 150 qualified donors, tier them. A tiered caseload is one of the most powerful ways a major gift officer can manage their time effectively.

Here’s how it works:

• A-level donors. These donors should only represent about 10% to 15% of the portfolio, but they’ll be half of the portfolio’s total value. Major gift officers should spend half of their time with them. That means 15 to 20 donors get half of the attention.
• B-level donors. These donors are the middle of the pack. They’re valuable, but not quite as critical as the As.
• C-level donors. These donors are important too, but they require less intensive contact.

I can’t stress enough how transformative this system is. I’ve watched fundraisers go from feeling scattered and reactive to being laser-focused and strategic. And guess what? Their donors noticed. One major gift officer shared that a donor told her: “I feel like you really understand me now.” That’s the kind of feedback that comes when time is invested where it matters most.

Data Is Your Friend

I know some fundraisers bristle at the word “data,” but trust me, it’s your friend. Data helps you figure out how many donors on your major gift officers’ caseloads truly meet your major gift criteria. From there, you can determine how many major gift officers you actually need.

Do the math: If you have 1,350 donors who give at least $5,000 cumulatively, that’s enough to fill three full-time major gift officers’ portfolios. A third of those donors (450) will qualify, and that works out to 150 qualified donors each.

Too often, organizations try to force one major gift officer to manage all 1,350 donors. No wonder they’re drowning! The math is simple, but the implications are huge. When you structure caseloads appropriately, everyone wins.

So what happens to the donors who don’t make it into a qualified portfolio? They aren’t forgotten. They belong in your mid-level program or in your regular direct-response efforts. Those channels are designed to serve donors who aren’t ready — or may never be ready — for a deeper relationship. That’s OK. Every donor deserves to be cultivated in the way that matches their level of engagement.

Relationships at the Core

At the heart of all of this is one simple truth: Major gifts is about relationships. It’s about earning enough trust with a donor that they feel comfortable sharing their passions and interests — and why they matter to them.

Your major gift officer needs the space to listen, uncover those passions and connect them with the programs your nonprofit offers to change the world. That’s transformational fundraising.

Your major gift officers can’t do that well if they’re juggling hundreds of donors. They’ll be stuck at the surface level — checking boxes and sending form letters. That’s transactional fundraising. And donors can feel the difference.

Helping Fundraisers Thrive

If your fundraisers are drowning right now, it’s not because they lack talent or passion. It’s because they’ve been set up with unrealistic expectations and impossible workloads. The solution is straightforward: build smaller, qualified caseloads; tier them strategically; and back it all up with data-driven decisions.

If you do this, you’ll see your fundraisers thrive. They’ll spend more time in meaningful conversations. Donors will feel truly known and valued. And your organization will experience the kind of growth that only comes when fundraiser caseloads are structured for success and relationships remain at the center.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.