Major Gifts

How to Promote Legacy Gifts
February 22, 2018 at 10:56 am

You’re focused on inspiring donors to give today, right?  It’s not surprising. It’s how we’re wired as fundraisers. Our organizations are tackling urgent needs, and we’re held accountable to make those budget numbers!...

6 Reasons Why Most Major Gift Job Descriptions Don’t Work
February 19, 2018 at 11:53 am

Most major gift officer job descriptions have everything in them, but the kitchen sink. And besides being really irritating, it actually hurts the MGO and what the organization is trying to do in major gifts...

Major Gift Officers: Just Do It!
February 12, 2018 at 11:53 am

At Veritus, we have worked with many major gift officers who, when we ask how it’s going with meeting and deepening their relationships with donors, we get a response like this: “Well, I haven’t been having much donor contact. I’m just not finished with all my planning for my caseload, and I have to get my goals done. And I really need to get more understanding of our programs... then I’ll be able to visit and get to know my donors.”...

A Relationship Block to Success in Major Gifts
February 5, 2018 at 11:48 am

We all talk about the need for relationship in major gifts. And we all know that relationship is the key to success—servicing the desires and dreams of the donor in an ethical, sincere and caring way is what will cause a generous financial response...

#NPPTrendingNow Ep. 31: Your Board Members' Legal Obligations
February 2, 2018 at 11:41 am

Welcome back to #NPPTrendingNow, a weekly video series where NonProfit PRO Editor-in-Chief Nhu Te breaks down the top three coveted stories of the week. Here's what we've got going on for you this week: one major donor's experience with two different nonprofits, legal responsibilities of nonprofit board members and event planning tips...

#NPPTrendingNow Ep. 30: Why You Should Be Reaching Out to Millennials
January 26, 2018 at 11:26 am

Welcome back to #NPPTrendingNow, a weekly video series where NonProfit PRO Editor-in-Chief Nhu Te breaks down the top three coveted stories of the week. Here's what we've got going on for you this week: two nonprofit data trends, the secret to major gift asks and the importance of Millennials...

2 Keys to Improving Nonprofit Leadership
January 25, 2018 at 12:11 pm

There are some fantastic leaders in our nonprofit arena—CEOs, chief development officers and beyond. There are also some leaders who are underperforming and too often get passed from organization to organization...

An Organizational Block to Success in Major Gifts
January 22, 2018 at 12:39 pm

Organizing things or work is not everyone’s strong suit. In fact, some of the best sales people and major gift officers I know seem to be (on the surface) some of the most disorganized people I know. They seem to have a heightened sense of intuition that guides them to do the right things...

The Major Gift Ask Secret to Success
January 18, 2018 at 12:53 pm

Every contribution is important, of course, but major gifts are “stop-and-think gifts,” according to fundraising legend Bill Sturtevant. They’re different, for example, from those that might result from a direct mail piece or made as a reciprocal gesture to a friend...

Major Gift Officers: Do the ‘Impossible’
January 15, 2018 at 12:10 pm

At Veritus over the years, we have conducted hundreds of major donor assessments. These assessments reveal an incredible amount of information. Besides understanding donor retention and donor value attrition, the data reveals a whole slew of donors who donate essentially the same amount year after year. Perhaps it’s $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 or even $20,000 every…