It’s OK to Bless and Release a Donor
Donor Cultivation, Major Gift Fundraising 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…
How to Create an Inspirational Nonprofit Case Statement
Capital Campaign, Major Gift Fundraising This post is by Dr. Kathryn Gamble, senior consultant with Gail Perry Associates Your case statement is the backbone of your fundraising program. Why? Your nonprofit's case statement outlines your entire fundraising rationale: why your organization…
Strengthen Your Fundraising Appeal With the “IPM” Formula
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Major Gift Fundraising Here’s a very smart, efficient way to present your fundraising appeal. It forces you to be crystal clear about the three fundamental parts of any formal Ask: What impact it will make (I) What project it will fund…
Major Donor Relationship Planning: How to Tell If You Have a Close Relationship With Your Donor
Major Gift Fundraising Major donor relationships planning can be challenging! We find that fundraisers often don't take the time to understand their donors' interests and motivations. But don't plunge into an ask until you do your homework. Do you really know…
Major Gift Series #9: Romancing the Ask – 6 Steps To a Perfect Major Gift Ask
Asking for Donations, Capital Campaign, Major Gift Fundraising Here's the last in our series of 9 topics to help you raise many generous major gifts for your cause. Fundraising always comes down to asking, doesn’t it? “The Ask” is something we study, prep for, script, dream about, love and sometimes…
Major Gifts Series #8: How to Use Moves Management To Raise Major Gifts This Year
Major Gift Fundraising Thanks so much for hanging with me these two weeks as I share some of my deep dark secrets about major gift fundraising. We both know that major gifts are where the big funding really is. It's the most profitable place to spend your time…
Major Gift Series #7: How to Develop Friendly, Authentic Relationships with Major Donors
Fundraising Strategy, Major Gift Fundraising Here’s #7 in my series of major gift fundraising posts to help you build up and expand your major gift revenue. I’m sharing some of my best advice to help YOU and your team bring in the major gifts that are out there for your nonprofit. Today,…
How to Engage Board Members in Major Gift Fundraising
Board Members & Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising, Motivating Board MembersThere are so many ways we can engage board members in major gift fundraising. The challenge is, exactly, deciding the best ways to try to engage them. Where, within your fundraising program, can they lend their weight and help the most? Board…
Major Gifts Series #5: How to Get Appointments With Major Donors This Year
Major Gift Fundraising Here's the 5th of my 9-email Major Gift Series – all designed to help you and your team sharpen your major gift fundraising skills. Today we're tackling a challenge we all face. Huge fundraising shops to small community organizations…
Major Gifts Series #3: How To Develop Your Own Courage for Major Gift Fundraising
Major Gift FundraisingI hope you are enjoying this email series I'm sending to help you succeed in major gift fundraising. It’s a lot of food for thought, so take some time to digest it. Focus on major gifts, and you’ll get the largest return on your investment…
Major Gifts Series #2: How to Avoid the Top 5 Major Gift Mistakes This Year
Major Gift Fundraising Here’s the next in my series of tips to help you nail major gifts for your organization this year. Today, we can laugh at some of the bigger bloopers that we see in major gift fundraising. We are human, so we do sometimes make mistakes with…
Major Gifts Series #1: How to Get your Whole Organization Behind Major Gift Fundraising
Major Gift Fundraising Here's the first of a series of articles to help you bolster your organization's major gift success. And I'm starting at the beginning- how to get full organizational support for major gift fundraising. All the studies…
Major Donors are Changing – 5 Trends to Watch
Donor-Centered Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising What's going on these days with the most generous donors of all? How are they changing? What are their expectations of us? What do they really want? Do you ever wonder...How can I reach them? How can I appeal to their big hearts, and…
Should You Include Major Donor Prospects in Your Year-End Appeal?
Major Gift Fundraising, Year-End Fundraising Campaign Should your year-end fundraising appeal for annual giving funding include your major donors? Many development offices are challenged by this question, and we understand. Our clients are always asking about how to handle major gift prospects…
Becoming a Power Asker: 4 Secrets to Successful Major Gift Fundraising
Major Gift FundraisingToday we have a guest post from one of the smartest major gift experts around: Amy Eisenstein. She's helped tons of people learn how to successfully ask for large gifts. Here's Amy's smart advice: One of the best ways to raise more money…
5 (Very Simple) Steps to Build a Major Gift Program from the Ground Up
Major Gift FundraisingMajor gifts are the “big win” in fundraising. We all want these wonderfully large gifts that help fund important programs and solidify your financial base. Major gifts enable transformational growth, and huge expansions of your work. Yes! The…