Really big gifts can have a transformational effect on a nonprofit organization. Here … some ideas on how to cultivate them.

By Terry Burton

By definition, transformational gifts are large enough to have major, lasting effects on the organizations that receive them.

When it comes to determining how much money qualifies as a transformational gift, there is no one magic number. The phrase “one size fits all” does not apply.

A $5 million gift to one charity could mean the difference between continuing its operations or closing the doors. Yet, that same amount given to one of America’s top 50 universities could be just another generous contribution in an annual-giving program that tallies $50 million to $100 million a year or more.