The Most Common Major-Donor Fail

In my experience, major donors have a reputation for being untouchable. Communication with this group is often a delicate dance in which few risks are taken due to the high-dollar annual contributions that are at stake.

Not surprisingly, there are a few issues with this ultra-sensitive approach to managing your major-donor relationships. The first is that we live in a networked world, and while many nonprofits are taking advantage of this social model by incorporating peer-to-peer fundraising strategies into their development programs, few also are weaving these strategies into their major-donor programs. Outside of annual galas, we rarely turn to our major donors with fundraising—as opposed to giving—asks.