You might need to shake up your staff’s way of thinking.

By Betty Ann Copley Harris

The 2004 Association of Fundraising Professionals’ annual survey cited two important trends. First: Large organizations once again outperformed smaller organizations in fundraising — no surprise there. Second: Major gifts and planned gifts are on the rise.

More than 80 percent of AFP’s 3,000 survey respondents said they expect revenue from major gifts and planned giving to remain strong or increase in 2005, while casting direct mail as essentially flat.

The survey also revealed that larger organizations raise more funds because they have more fundraising professionals on staff and because they invest more resources in their major-gifts and planned-giving initiatives — again, no real surprise.

As a consulting firm working with both large and small organizations, we often are hired to assess the potential for growing philanthropic revenue and recommend appropriate strategies to achieve higher performance.

Our recommendations always push for a more aggressive shift into major gifts and planned giving. A comprehensive, high-performing development program engine runs on four cylinders: annual giving, special events, major gifts and planned giving.

A development program that is running on only two cylinders could easily kick it up a notch and more than double its gift income by getting serious about major gifts and planned giving.

But the burden to cultivate large gifts rests squarely on the shoulders of your staff.

Just imagine the intensity of work, staff time and costs required to raise $5 million, relying solely on small gifts from thousands of donors through direct mail, telemarketing and special-event appeals.

One organization we’re working with does just that, and while it recognizes the need to invest in major-gifts and planned-giving initiatives, it is struggling with the shift to get there.

Board members lack experience in giving and getting; staff members lack experience in prospect research and cultivation; the CEO or executive director doesn’t spend any time working with the top prospects; and no one has had the time to learn about planned giving.

Hire smarter … if you can
One simple solution might be to hire a major-gifts officer with planned-giving expertise and train the board to learn how to ask for major gifts. Easier said than done.

Talented major-gifts officers are in high demand and tough to come by. Try running a search on Google with the words “major gifts officer,” and you’ll immediately uncover more than 14,800 opportunities.

But can you place a new major-gifts officer into a small organization and expect him to succeed overnight? Or can you expect a person who has led your direct-mail and events programs to suddenly become a major-gifts officer? Not likely.

Success in major gifts requires a cultural shift within the organization — moving away from transactional fundraising techniques into relationship-based philanthropy, where more value, more time and more effort are focused on attracting gifts from individuals with a considerable capacity to give.

Seek outside expertise
Not all fundraisers are cut out to be major-gifts officers, much less planned-giving officers. The skill sets are different. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a fundraiser tell me: “I need to learn about planned giving someday.”

If you’re leading a fundraising program and lack major-gifts and planned-giving expertise, find a mentor or hire a consultant to work with you, your staff and board — someone who brings skill in major-gifts fundraising and advanced knowledge of the planned-giving field.

If you were embarking on a capital campaign, you’d hire outside counsel to guide your organization through the effort. Why not do the same to get yourself and your program up to speed with major gifts? You’ll be amazed at the results.

Betty Ann Copley Harris can be reached at bach@copleyharris.com.