Pain Point #4 – Admin Overload is Killing Your Major Gifts Program

Stop Pulling Your MGOs Away From Major Gift Work

You hire a major gift officer to build relationships.
To close transformational gifts.
To bring in the kind of support your mission can count on for years.

So why are they spending hours on events, reports, and other admin work instead of talking to donors?

Let’s be honest.
Every time you pull an MGO away from donor work, you lower your return on investment.
And major gifts have the highest ROI of any fundraising strategy you can choose.

Protect your major gift time like gold

Your MGO’s top priority is relationship building.
Face-to-face visits.
Meaningful conversations.
Moving donors toward a gift.

When they’re pulled into tasks like writing the annual report or managing an event, your organization pays an opportunity cost—the lost potential from choosing a lower-return activity over a higher one.

If you’re leading the team, ask yourself:

• Are the right people in the right roles?
• Do job descriptions match actual work?
• When was your last role audit?

The right people, doing the right things, with the right skills—that’s how you protect your donor relationships.

Show leadership the numbers

Sometimes leaders need to see the dollars at stake.
If your MGO has a portfolio worth $2 million in potential commitments, and you take 20% of their time away, you’re potentially delaying or losing hundreds of thousands in revenue.

Compare that to the net revenue of the other task.
The math speaks for itself.

Small shop? You can still focus on major gifts

Even if you have to wear many hats, major gifts should be one of them.
And it should be worn proudly.

If your portfolio is 100 top donors, prioritize them.
Protect that time fiercely.
Your ROI will thank you.

Make it easier to stay in the lane

Help your MGOs spend more time with donors by:

• Automating reports and acknowledgments through your CRM
• Building an annual plan for appeals and communications so they run smoothly without constant hands-on time
• Delegating event logistics to the right team members
• Reporting activity in simple, clear ways leadership understands

Why it matters

Major gifts aren’t “cash in the door this week.”
They’re often multi-year commitments.
That means they require patience, strategy, and consistent outreach.

The cost to raise a dollar in major gifts can be as low as 5–10 cents.
Compare that to events, which often cost 50 cents on the dollar or more.
Over time, the payoff is enormous.

Takeaways for leaders and MGOs

1. Audit roles — Make sure people are spending time where they bring the most value.
2. Use ROI as your language — It’s easier to reassign work when the numbers are clear.
3. Track activity — Show leadership your donor visits, calls, and proposals.
4. Automate and delegate — Free up time for the high-value work.
5. Educate your team — Help everyone understand the long game of major gifts.

Ready to focus where it counts

This is exactly what we teach in our Major Gifts Officer Bootcamp.
You’ll learn how to prioritize your portfolio, protect your time, and make the case for major gift work in your organization.
Live sessions. Small-group coaching. Real strategies you can use the next day.

Join us here: Major Gifts Officer Bootcamp

P.S. If you’ve been pulled in too many directions lately, tell us your biggest challenge. We’ll help you find the path back to the work that matters most—raising transformational gifts for your mission.

We’re launching our series on the real pain points holding back major gift fundraising with the Major Gifts Officer Bootcamp. So stay tuned for our Pain Point series!

Introduction to the Pain Point Series

Pain Point #1: Finding the Hidden Major Gift Potential Hidden In Your Database

Pain Point #2: What to Do When Donors Ghost You!

Pain Point #3: Major Gift Fundraising Gone Wrong – When You Ask Too Early

Pain Point #4: Admin Overload is Killing Your Major Gifts Program