Major Gifts

So you've identified your big kahuna potential prospect, your mega-capacity donor. What next? How do you get in the door? Here are five quick tips to help you get that very first visit.

Do I really think we need to make a choice between members and donors? Nope. We just need to manage both of the programs better and make sure they are treated in a holistic and integrated manner.

I believe you can teach old dogs new major gifts tricks if you are focused and willing to learn. Use every opportunity for growth, and continually practice your craft. In today's world of fundraising, status quo is not an option!

To get a handle on what’s in store for 2015, NonProfit PRO rounded up some of the nonprofit industry’s finest, who were kind enough to share their nonprofit trends for 2015. Here are three trends on the giving pyramid and major gifts.

Everybody knows that emphasizing major gifts can turn the development offices into money-raising machines, if we can just get a major gifts program rolling. But there’s one killer mistake that sabotages too many major gifts efforts.

Moves management. Sounds really sexy, doesn't it? Not really. But if not done correctly, you will be an utter failure as a major gifts officer.

Here are three important objectives for every single major donor visit you will ever make.

A sad situation I observe very frequently is a major gifts manager whose primary skill set is major gifts but finds him- or herself in a management position where the up-line managers, even the CEO, are critical of his or her "lack of management ability."

There is one important thing you can do to ruin your chances with a major donor. It's when you are guilty of being boring.

As a major gifts fundraising professional, you need people in your life to help guide you personally and professionally. I'm saddened when I see good fundraisers think they can do it on their own, that they don't need advice or they can't listen to good criticism of their work.