Major Gifts

You would think that it would be difficult to “lose” a donor who gave a significant gift. But in the last two weeks, I have received stories of a $73,000 donor disappearing, a $100,000 donor gone missing and a lost check from a $25,000 donor...

Building trust in any relationship is essential if that relationship is going to be real and authentic. And creating mutual trust in your nonprofit donor relationships is really your ultimate goal. Why? Because if you have mutual trust, then you and your donor will feel comfortable to be real with one another...

Soliciting new donors, much like growing your major gifts portfolios and upgrading mid-level donors to give more, should also start with those you already know. Prospects can be hiding in plain sight. It is after you’ve culled through your existing list that you should then utilize proven strategies to find new major donors elsewhere...

Who would ever think of running a nonprofit major gifts program as if it were a business? Not many people. And that’s too bad, because it would cause each of us to pay more attention to the things that are important. I have often said that the only difference between a nonprofit and a for-profit is that the for-profit pays taxes. Other than that, there should be no difference...

Being a small nonprofit is never an excuse to not have a major gift program. Lately, I’ve been talking to a great number of executive directors and development directors from small nonprofits. Bottom line: Everyone is overworked and doing multiple jobs...

As a result of this writing, you could propose to reduce the gadget influence in your own personal life and experience life as it should be again. And then, in your major gift life, maybe you could propose to view your donors differently as well...

In the process of creating a 12-month strategic plan, there is a lot of focus on: soliciting, preparing proposals, thanking the donor and reporting back the impact of that donor’s gift. But, what we have found can really make a difference in nonprofit impact are the small, personal touches that let the donor know you know them...

Bequest programs are a fundamental building block of any planned giving program and for good reasons: They are simple to establish; they represent the largest segment of planned gifts (over 65 percent by some estimates); and they do not change the donor’s life one iota...

Have you ever wondered why you’re not getting larger individual donations or funder awards? It is perplexing isn't it?  You did your research and you knew that the donor/funder made larger gifts, but they haven’t made them to your agency! This is frustrating. You wonder, "Was it how we asked? What happened?"...

It was the late 1980s. I was a guest in the home of a Fortune 500 executive in Vail, Colo. It was a cavernous house where, on several occasions, I got lost trying to navigate my way back to the guest quarters. I was invited to this couple’s house to brainstorm new ways they could help the organization they loved attract more donors. They had come to know and trust me because of my work with the organization...