Major Gifts

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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…

I’ve been thinking about why some major gift officers don’t do the right things even when they know what to do. I don’t think it’s a motivational problem. Most of the MGOs Jeff and I know are motivated to be successful. So, it’s not about a MGO just sitting around collecting a paycheck, doing nothing and hoping the day will pass...

Some time ago, I was walking with one of the major gift officers I work with after lunch. She was lamenting that she felt like there were “so many things” keeping her from meeting with donors. And how she just “wished she had the time” to just get to know them...

Have you ever been around someone that is a blur of activity, but never gets anything done? I’m sure you have. And if you stop and think about it, usually this person is more interested in the process versus the result. They love the process. Just “doing the process” makes them feel good...

A few major gift fundraisers asked why it is important to meet with prospective major donors. Do meetings with high-value, prospective supporters help secure the gift or raise more money? Why can we not just rely on communicating with them via phone, email or letter?...