5 Tips to Make Major Gifts Fundraising More Fun — While Raising More Money

There may be a lot of pressure to hit fundraising goals. After all, your nonprofit depends on that revenue to continue its mission's work. Major gifts officers work their caseloads by scheduling donor meetings with high-net-worth individuals so they can better understand their passions and present the perfect ask when the time is right. But all that pressure doesn't have to feel so intense. 

Susan Scott, president and CEO of Public Television Major Market Group (PTMMG), kicked off the first day of NonProfit PRO's annual event, NonProfit POWER, welcoming 85 nonprofit attendees in Baltimore yesterday with a lively and inspirational talk, “Where’s the Fun in That?”

Throughout the session, Scott explored how nonprofits can bring an air of joy and playfulness into their major gifts fundraising strategy. Using her own experiences in her career, and engaging the crowd in icebreakers and even a game of silent charades, Scott reminded the audience that while what they do is very important and serious, incorporating more lightheartedness into their fundraising endeavors will ultimately strengthen their donor relationships and allow them to raise more money. 

“I want us to have fun," Scott said. "We work hard. It's hard to raise money. It's hard to convince people that you can be trusted.” 

Here are five of her tips.

1. Ask Pointed Questions 

Scott admitted she can’t exactly crack the code on developing a good relationship with your donor overnight. However, she did achieve a great relationship in 16 months thanks to pointed questions. 

“There's no reason not to be upfront about why you're together," she said. "It's fine to go for coffee, drinks or lunch. It's fine to go to their homes. It's fine to have them in your organization. But if you're not having a critical conversation with them early on about what is important to them, then you're actually not able to cultivate an engagement experience that is going to be meaningful for them, and you will forever be far away from them. And when it is time to ask, you will ask for something that they have very little interest in.” 

Instead of having basic, surface-level conversations with donors, Scott urged the audience to dig deeper and engage them with questions like:

• What motivates you to give beyond a tax deduction?
• What part of our work interests you the most?
• How do you want to feel about your philanthropy?
• What’s your favorite childhood toy?

Scott revealed that asking about their favorite childhood toy is the best question because it shows you have a deeper interest in getting to know them — but don't ask for the sake of asking. 

“That question is a really good and meaningful way to reach a milestone in your relationship, to find and perhaps replicate that toy that says to them, ‘You really do care about me.’ More and more people will ask, but very few people still ask that question. I have had so many major donors say, ‘You got me with that. You really got me.’” Scott said. “So it is a dance. This is a dance to extract information, to leave them feeling that they're in control while you're really behind the scenes working like a marionette to make it all feel natural.” 

2. Make It Fun for Your Donors 

Scott admitted that while she doesn’t have a template for strong donor relationships, fundraisers must incorporate fun to develop strong connections with donors. Ultimately, donors are people, not ATMs. To donors, thoughtful gestures — like game nights and personalized tokens of appreciation — matter.  Don't forget to invite your major donors behind the scenes and ask for their opinions.

“The point is they are real people, and when they are exceptionally wealthy, people tend to treat them like they belong under glass, and what they rather know is that you see them as individuals, and you want to have fun with them.”

3. Don’t Be Frugal With Other People’s Money 

Scott shared that many nonprofit professionals have a “middle-class mindset,” meaning they come from modest, middle-class backgrounds where frugality was key. However, this mindset should not apply in their everyday nonprofit practices. 

“We know what our parents did to get us to this point," she said. "We understand the sacrifice, but it isn't our job to be concerned with a philanthropically minded person, or a wealthy individual or organization. We're not set up to think for them. That's like negotiating against yourself, and what that does is you start to second-guess what you've been thinking as it relates to asking this person or these individuals to support you. So we're frugal with other people's money, and it costs us, and therefore we miss out on helping them achieve their stated desires.”

4. Embrace Essentialism

Avoid saying "yes" to tasks and meetings without fully thinking through each request. As a leader, that’s what you think you need to do, but Scott urged nonprofit professionals to prioritize and not stretch themselves too thin. When you’re dividing up your energy among too many things, it’s impossible to ever have fun, she said. 

“By investing in everything, you actually accomplish very, very little,” Scott said. "When you give energy to fewer activities, you have a faster and more direct result."

5. Love What You Do 

While this concept may seem like a no-brainer, Scott reminded the crowd that the root of the fun starts at your mission. If you don’t fully believe in your mission, then it's time to sit back and reevaluate. 

“Do you really believe in your mission?" she asked. "Is it really something that excites you? That is the nub of the matter because nothing I say will change what this has to mean to you. ... I am not ignoring the need to feed families and do whatever you plan, but, in nonprofit work, what I have come to understand is that if you don't love it, you shouldn't do it. Don't do it because you will compromise your ability to raise funds.”

Save the Date for NonProfit POWER 2025

Next year's NonProfit POWER will take place Dec. 1-3, 2025 at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. If you're interested in attending, fill out the NonProfit POWER inquiry form.