Hidden Gap #1: You Don’t Have a True Major Gift Strategy

You May Think You Have a Major Gift Strategy

You may believe your organization already has a major gift strategy.

And that belief makes sense. On paper, everything looks organized:

• Your team works hard.
• You have portfolios.
• You have donor meetings on the calendar.
• You have revenue goals in your budget.

We see this in strong organizations all the time. From the outside, it appears structured. From the inside, it can feel busy.

Here is the question that helps clarify everything: Can you clearly articulate your major gift strategy in 3 sentences?

Not your activity. Not your annual goal. Your strategy.

Most organizations pause when we ask that, and that pause tells us something important. It tells us that what they feel is a major gift strategy may only be major gift motion.

And motion is not direction.

Activity Is Not Strategy

Meetings matter. Moves management is helpful. Prospect research makes all the difference. But none of those things, by themselves, create a major gift strategy.

A true major gift strategy answers three clear questions:

1. Who matters most in this effort?
2. What are we trying to accomplish with them?
3. What is the path that will get us there?

When those answers are clear, decisions become easier. Portfolios become focused, conversations become more confident, and revenue becomes more predictable.

When those answers are unclear, something different happens. Fundraisers stay busy, but progress feels uneven. Energy gets spread thin, and leadership begins to ask harder questions.

Let us be clear: This is rarely an issue of talent or commitment. It is almost always a clarity issue.

The Real Cost of Not Having a Major Gift Strategy

Major gift fundraising revenue is concentrated, where a small percentage of donors drive a significant share of results.

That reality requires focus, discipline, and an intentional major gift strategy.

Yet many organizations unintentionally build programs around expansion instead of concentration. More names. More outreach. More activity. Sure, it feels productive. But growth does not come from doing more.

It comes from focusing better.

Without a defined major gift strategy:

• Portfolios expand beyond what is realistic.
• Time is divided evenly rather than intentionally.
• High-capacity donors receive the same attention as early-stage prospects.

Strategy protects your focus, and protected focus drives growth.

What a Strong Major Gift Strategy Includes

A strong major gift strategy is not complicated, but it is deliberate.

It includes six key areas:

1. Clear portfolio criteria.
2. Revenue targets tied to verified capacity.
3. Prioritized top-tier relationships.
4. A differentiated cultivation approach.
5. Defined roles between staff, leadership, and board members.
6. Metrics that measure movement and depth, not just dollars raised.

When these elements are in place, something shifts. Fundraisers feel steadier and leadership feels more confident. Board members understand their role, and donors experience a thoughtful and strategic partnership.

Without these elements, a major gift program becomes reactive. And while reactive programs can sustain, they rarely grow consistently.

Why Strategy Feels Uncomfortable

Strategy requires restraint, which includes:

• Refining portfolios.
• Focusing on the top 20 instead of managing 120.
• Deprioritizing certain prospects.

It requires alignment across departments. That can feel uncomfortable, especially in organizations where growth has traditionally meant doing more.

But clarity requires courage.

If your team feels busy but unclear, that is a signal. If your revenue goals feel hopeful but not mapped, that is a signal. If your fundraisers walk into donor meetings unsure of the larger plan, that is a signal.

These are not failures but ARE invitations to strengthen your major gift strategy.

A Simple Way to Assess Your Major Gift Strategy

Start by asking yourself one question: “Can we articulate our major gift strategy in three sentences?”

If the answer is no, you have uncovered an opportunity. But there’s good news!

Strategy CAN be built, strengthened, and aligned across your organization.

The 2026 Major Gifts Intensive was designed to help nonprofit leaders and fundraisers clarify and strengthen their major gift strategy through structured and practical application.

It replaces activity with intention and busyness with focus. And it builds confidence that comes from clarity.

The Bottom Line

If your major gift strategy cannot be clearly articulated, it is time to strengthen it. Activity alone will not create consistent revenue, but clarity and focus will.

It’s a flywheel: a strong major gift strategy creates focus, focus builds confidence, and confidence drives sustainable growth.

The 2026 Major Gifts Intensive helps organizations build that clarity in practical and structured ways.

We invite you to apply or schedule a complimentary conversation to explore whether this is the right next step.