Experienced major gift officers will tell you they listen their way to major gifts. Unfortunately, many development directors think the opposite -- that they need to talk their way into a major gift. What’s important to remember is that fundraising is NOT about convincing, cajoling or guilting your donors to make a gift. When Fundraising … [Read more...]

Heading into Valentine’s Day, there will be countless marriage proposals. However, most of these proposals will not be spontaneous -- they will be well planned, and carefully executed events. The “proposer” has probably made arrangements for a memorable occasion -- at a minimum, reservations at a favorite or fancy restaurant. It’s likely … [Read more...]

You understand fundraising is about relationships. But building relationships with donors is easier said than done. One reason building relationships is challenging is that it's often difficult to get meetings with prospective donors. And you do need to meet with donors to learn about them and build the relationship. Another reason … [Read more...]

Major Gifts are a personal affair. They’re not just responses to general appeals, special programs or online campaigns. Donors make major gifts because they feel passionate about a cause or organization ... AND they generally have a personal connection to that cause: They have a family member with cancer They grew up loving the great … [Read more...]