Finding Major Gift Prospects

Everyone knows someone who is capable of making a major gift. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard trustees and volunteers tell me they don’t know anyone capable of a gift of $25,000 or more. Images are conjured up of mansions, exotic sports cars, and lavish lifestyles. “I don’t run in those circles,” they…

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The Major Gift Visit – Firing for Effect

Major gifts are the key to successful fund-raising. Major gifts take many forms, often depending on the needs, the goal and the method of solicitation. For the purposes of this discussion, major gifts are the top gifts in a capital campaign that comprise at least 60% of the funds raised. Typically, major gifts in a…

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The Ask — There is a Way to Ask, and then there is a RIGHT WAY to Ask

Perhaps the most critical part of a capital campaign is ‘‘the ask’’ing process, especially with major gifts. Each solicitation is an opportunity to close another great gift, but it is also possible to make some critical errors. We have all made the mistake of low-balling a potential prospect with an “ask” that was too easy…

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Who Asks Whom and for How Much?

In the beginning of any campaign, there are many important decisions to make, but none is more important than who is asked first, and for how much money. Those of you involved in classic major gifts fundraising know that it is crucial to start with the largest gifts first, before moving gradually through medium sized…

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