Because these campaigns require such careful planning and supporter cultivation, they can take multiple years to complete. Eventually, your team will need to make the ask in some form or another. For any type of donor, it’s always great to have a plan on how you’ll ask for a donation.

• When it comes to an ask of this magnitude, it’s essential to highly personalize the appeal and use data to ask for a major gift the prospect would be willing and able to give.
• An effective major gifts strategy helps organizations not only survive but thrive.
• However, many nonprofits have a problem with getting educational information into packed marketing calendars.
• Donors can contribute cash, securities, and other assets to the account and use it as a holding ground until they determine which charities they’d like to support.

Qualified Charitable Distributions

On this page, the nonprofit provides social proof (“our team of major donors”), specifies the amount that they consider a major gift, and explains what special privileges major donors get after donating. Then, the page gives major donor prospects the contact information of someone they can reach out to to learn more. Next, your major gift fundraising team must outline a process for identifying and researching major donor prospects. Organizations can typically only secure one major gift for every four or five qualified prospects, so it’s essential that your team can effectively compile long lists of prospects to cultivate.

Steps to create a major gifts strategy for your nonprofit

Major donors often have varied financial situations and preferences, so it’s important to accept all of these types of gifts. Giving donors options makes it more likely that they will find a suitable option and ultimately make a major gift. Improve your nonprofit’s major gift strategy and solicitation success rate by following a few expert best practices.

One way to identify major gift prospects is to look at your current donors and see if you have any donors with the capacity to give at the major gifts level. How does your organization cultivate relationships with potential major donors? This involves regular communication, personalized interactions, and engaging them in the organization’s mission and activities. Identifying potential major donors involves researching individuals or organizations with the capacity and inclination to make significant financial contributions. Major gifts, which include planned gifts, are the largest gifts an organization receives.

Learn How to Find Major Donors in Our Free Nonprofit Training!

If prospects come to your office, hold the meeting somewhere appropriate for a confidential conversation. This approach not only honors your donors, it also broadcasts the kind of appreciation that’s possible to potential benefactors. Bloomerang is the community-focused nonprofit donor management software built to deliver a better giving experience and help organizations thrive.

Preparing for a Major Gift Program

This allows you to leverage a relatively small ongoing cost into a potentially large future gift. Donating unused assets from retirement accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s can be a tax-smart way to give. Retirement accounts are typically subject to income and estate taxes when withdrawn by beneficiaries. Donating these assets directly to a charity allows you to avoid these taxes and make a significant contribution. Finally, you should partner with professionals, including attorneys and financial planners, for the occasions when you need technical help. They might leave 90 percent to family, and still provide for their religious organization, alma matter, and favorite charity.

If an MGO has strong peers, expertise, and support, their results could be exponentially higher than those of an MGO with limited or restricted support. “Realistic” is the magic first word that should come to mind, and three factors can help you determine if you’re achieving that with your Return on Investment (ROI) expectations. If the donor balks at your original request, whittle it down until you both feel comfortable. Look for clues in donor behavior, such as frequent engagement with your organization or attendance at events, which may signal readiness to give more.

Donor Follow-up and Reporting

This will help you wrap up your fundraising and make that final push toward your overall goal. When uncertainty rattles the markets, it’s more important than ever to make planned giving an integral pillar that sustains your organization and helps you to weather the storm. Wealth screenings can show you an overview of stock ownership, real estate ownership, and business associations for your prospects. For any campaign—whether comprehensive or single-priority—you’ll probably be raising funds for at least a 8 considerations for a new major gifts campaign year. When writing a grant, be sure to include how their giving will change lives, address their passions, and support their company goals.

Remember, it’s not just about having the tools but using them effectively to connect with the right donors. Personalized outreach that resonates with potential benefactors’ interests and capacities can make all the difference. So, take the data you’ve gathered, craft your strategy with precision, and watch as your fundraising efforts reach new heights of success. Let’s put these insights into action and transform your approach to major gifts fundraising—your organization’s future successes are waiting.

Seeking Big Gifts: Steps to Build Your Major Gifts Program

• Look for clues in donor behavior, such as frequent engagement with your organization or attendance at events, which may signal readiness to give more.
• It’s ideal for these meetings to occur in quiet spaces such as a home or office rather than a public setting, allowing for additional privacy and fewer distractions for both parties.
• When you first reach out to supporters and donors, ask them if they want to build a deeper relationship with your organization.
• Utilize your website, email campaigns, and social media to promote planned giving.
• If you’re looking to grow, we recommend working with a consultant who can fill in the gaps, train your team on major gift fundraising best practices, and even help you hire a major gifts officer.

Since a major donor program requires a level of cultivation and stewardship that’s unlike other donor programs, having a team that can “specialize” in it can certainly help in the success rate. Because working with major donors is a little different than micro- or standard donors, you’ll want to be prepared for the scenario. A strategy will allow you to go into the process with a mapped-out plan. Use the information you know about a major gift prospect either from prospect research or from your nonprofit CRM to craft a proposal you know will appeal to their interests. The proposal is different from your case for support because it is specific to this donor and their philanthropic goals. Your case for support will help you frame your major gift askes because it will be a resource for fundraisers to draw on for mission and impact information.

The Art of Storytelling for Nonprofit Fundraisers: A 3-Act Structure

Tailor your communication to their interests and values, and make them feel valued and appreciated. They can serve as advocates, introducing you to potential planned givers, and may even consider making their own planned gifts. Utilize your website, email campaigns, and social media to promote planned giving. Create dedicated web pages that provide detailed information and easy-to-access resources for potential donors. This form of fundraising is called “planned giving” because it requires much more planning than your typical donation, often taking 7-10 years to come to fruition. Planned gifts are more complex than cash donations, requiring tax advisors and legal counsel to be involved in the donation.

If you will be accompanied by another member of your organization, be sure you know who will open and close the meeting and who will actually make the ask. Touch base personally with a phone call or a video message for that extra bit of appreciation. This level of communication fosters transparency and strengthens the bond with your supporters. With these strategies in play, you’ll keep them engaged and invested in your cause. Mary, you’ve been such a great supporter of this organization, and we want to thank you again for that.