Major Gifts

Why is it so good to give? Most donors know instinctively that it's right — and they give with joy.

What kinds of donors should be on your caseload? By kinds I do not mean gender, age, ethnicity, political or religious leaning, etc. By kinds, I mean a selection process that takes two factors into account: inclination and capacity.

This approach and these ideas can guide you to much, much bigger money. It's all in how you approach your donor.

There are hundreds of ways to do just that. But none of them will do any good unless you actually do them!

Inviting major donors to an event defeats the requirement of creating personal, cause-connected relationships with them and results in raising less money from those who attend.

My business partner and good friend, Richard Perry, has this sign he put up in his office that says, "Preserve Self." I love it because it's a constant reminder to first take care of you.

Objections are simply signals of something deeper. Embrace them and look for the real meaning. That meaning will lead you to the place you need to be in your relationship with the donor.

I've realized that no's are my friends. They provide a learning. They give me wisdom. They shine a light on my path so I can figure out where to go.

This is crucial. Your organization will never grow if your top leader cannot embrace fundraising and understand it's a large part of the job.

One of the most frustrating things a major-gifts officer can experience is an objection. But an objection is nothing more than a signal or marker for something else.