Donor cultivation is a critical aspect of fundraising for nonprofit organizations. It involves building and nurturing relationships with potential donors, supporters, and major gifts contributors to secure sustainable financial support. Once prospective donors are identified, nonprofits employ moves management techniques to establish meaningful connections with them.

Find below our articles about Donor Cultivation best practices.

Building Lasting Relationships (1)

How to Have a Super Successful Visit with a Major Donor

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Major donor visits can be nerve-racking. Here you are with a golden opportunity—you've obtained a meeting with an important capital campaign prospect. It’s exciting but it is also high-stakes – because, of course, you want to…
World's Largest Porch Party Wrap Up

World’s Largest Porch Party Wrap Up

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Did you miss the World's Largest Porch Party? Watch this recap of some of the fun activities that took place this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANZo1gXGrE In the video above, we were celebrating the grand opening of a wonderful…

Tour Experiences Are Great Donor Cultivation Tools

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One of our favorite donor cultivation tools is a carefully-designed tour. But we are not talking about just any tour - this is a special, scripted, step-by-step tour. A Misson-Focused Tour can help you spread the word in your community --…

The Right Way to Follow Up Your Social Events and Tours

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And one of the things people always ask is how to follow up friendmaking events that your board members will host. Plan your follow up ahead of time, or DON'T DO THE EVENT! We believe in two types of followup: First, the personal phone call…
How to Host a Successful Porch Party

How to Host a Porch Party, a Fun Donor Cultivation Event

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A casual, small social event like a Porch Party is a terrific donor engagement and cultivation tool. Porch parties and small socials can be wonderful for building community support, engaging people, and generating momentum about your…

Gear Up for a Thankathon Now

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November is a season of gratitude. It’s the perfect time to for a Thankathon. It can be a vital part of a smart year-end fundraising strategy.

Using a Feasibility Study to Close Major Gifts – Without an Ask

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An expertly crafted Feasibility Study can open your donors' hearts and minds to wonderful possibilities your project will create.

Want to Know What Your Major Donor is Thinking? Try This Question!

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Want to find out what your donor is thinking? Ask them what they think or what are their impressions. It's our favorite Golden Question to ask donors.

Don’t Get Stuck in Endless Cultivation 

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Don't get stuck in endless cultivation and let your donor's slip away. Move a donor from discovery questions right into a gift conversation.

Creating a Donor-Centered Case Statement

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We're sharing expert guidance on how to create a snappy, compelling case statement. Take a look and don't make the all too common mistakes.

The Fundraiser’s Kiss of Death: Talking Too Much

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Learn why it’s important to listen to the donor, rather than make a presentation. And why talking too much is a fundraiser's kiss of death.

How a Capital Campaign Planning Committee Develops Lead Donor Relationships

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If you’re planning a capital campaign, you are very likely evaluating your fundraising potential.  How much can you raise? Who will be your major funding sources? Would a Capital Campaign Planning Committee help you raise more?   A…
How Will We Cultivate Donors This Fall?

How Will We Cultivate Donors This Fall?

“Cultivate donors.” I bet you’ve heard that before.  But how do we accomplish this in the virtual environment?  We like to think of cultivation as nurturing your donor’s philanthropic interest in your organization’s work. And…

Listening – The #1 Skill for Virtual Phone or Zoom Meetings

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Everyone needs to sharpen their listening skills for fundraising in the new virtual environment. Dealing with donors is more difficult these days. Many of us can't get in front of our donors - so we are on zoom or on the phone. Everyone is…

The #1 Secret of Raising Lots of Money? Face Time With Major Gift Donors

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Don't we love our major gift donors?  And we all know smart fundraisers should be spending their time with these lovely folks. But it can be really tough to get out of your office. And that’s a problem when you’re trying to raise…

It’s OK to Bless and Release a Donor

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What do I mean by Bless and Release? It’s what you do with an incommunicative, unresponsive donor: You just let go and release them from your attention. Take this situation for example: Here you are, trying so hard to reach out…