Major Gifts

If you can keep up-to-date and make sure your records are clean and have good information, it will help you and your organization cultivate, steward and solicit your donors in the proper way.

The next time you have a free moment, jot down the various groups you belong to and think about others in the same context. If you can relate to others on their interest level or group dynamic, you will have a better understanding of the proper beginning point to a successful relationship.

The top 10 biggest charitable gifts in 2014 came to a combined total of an amazing $3.3 billion. Imagine that much money coming from just 10 people!

Doing major gifts right is a long and tedious process, and involves a lot of steps — steps that if not followed will undermine the major-gifts officer's ability to raise money.

When someone wants to speak truth into your life, run toward it and embrace it! It is a gift, not a constraint. It will help you, not hurt you. It will make you better.

If an MGO is expected to do all the in-office work as well as meet with donors, he cannot manage the donors as he should. The net effect of this reality is that donor attrition is substantially higher.

Major-gifts fundraising is not rocket science. It's not quantum physics or brain surgery. It's very hard work, but it doesn't require a masters degree or doctorate, or a CFRE for that matter. I'm not putting any of those down, but successful major-gifts officers don't need any of that.

Don't fear, but embrace your next and future road trips. We all must do them, so do them well.

What is it each day, each week and each month that you absolutely must focus on for the best possible fundraising results?

You really do need to have a structure and logic for what you're doing and where you're going with your donors. If you don't, your donor will suffer, the organization you work for will suffer and, just as important, you will suffer.