Getting to the Heart of Major-Gifts Giving

By Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels

Spread around the joy you feel. Talk about why you’re there. Share a story of how a person your organization helped really touched you. Talk about specific donors and how encouraged you are about their help. Just get away from your desk.

10. Get emotional about things. This isn’t just about plans, charts, grids, logic and the mind. It’s about people. Allow your heart to be broken by the tragedies of life. Celebrate the victories. Get excited. Jump up and down. Be human. When your employees sense that you do have blood running through your veins, that you can cry and laugh, that you’re real — you’re on your way to getting passion back into the workplace.

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Richard Perry Author's page

If you’re hanging with Richard it won’t be long before you’ll be laughing.

He always finds something funny in everything. But when the conversation is about people, their money and giving, you’ll find a deeply caring counselor who helps donors fulfill their passions and interests. Richard believes that successful major-gift fundraising is not fundamentally about securing revenue for good causes. Instead it is about helping donors express who they are through their giving. The Connections blog will provide practical information on how to do this successfully. Richard has more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience, and is founding partner of the Veritus Group.

Jeff Schreifels Author's page

Jeff Schreifels is the principal owner of Veritus Group — an agency that partners with nonprofits to create, build and manage mid-level fundraising, major gifts and planned giving programs. In his 32-plus year career, Jeff has worked with hundreds of nonprofits, helping to raise more than $400 million in revenue.