Conference Roundup: Major-Gift Fundraising for Anyone

And it’s a way to bring donors “along a path that leads to lifelong giving” to your organization.

Though any organization can have a major-gifts program, there are some realities to be considered, Ginn said, adding, “Major gifts don’t happen by [themselves. They take] scheduling and discipline.”

An organization’s major-gifts schedule should look something like this, he explained: 18 to 24 months from first contact to gift; seven to eight contacts per donor; and one major gift for every three to four prospects. Small steps are key to getting a major-gifts program started, Ginn said, suggesting that organizations: