How to Leverage AI to Enhance Major Gift Fundraising
NonProfit PRO
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
Artificial intelligence is particularly exciting for major gift fundraising. Here's how you can use AI to boost your fundraising success.
major-gift-fundraising 
7 Big Money Fundraising Ideas to Bring in Major Gifts
Donorbox Nonprofit
DECEMBER 15, 2023
When looking for fundraising tactics that will bring in major gifts and other large donations, sometimes you have to be willing to spend money to make money. We call these big money fundraising ideas – those that may require a higher budget, but should produce big results.
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The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Major Gift Fundraising
Clairification
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
What if you had a new strategy for building the types of committed, transformative relationships with donors necessary to build, nurture and sustain a meaningful major gift fundraising program? Most nonprofits know how important a major gifts strategy can be to their overall survival.
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The Donor-Centered Approach to Major Gift Fundraising
NonProfit PRO
MAY 2, 2023
In fundraising, there is one singular approach to success, and that is relational fundraising. Let's discuss ways that fundraisers can utilize this strategy to acquire and properly manage major gifts.
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7 Steps New Major Gifts Fundraisers Should Take
NonProfit PRO
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
I believe that, over the next 10 years, major gifts fundraising will grow rapidly and become more sophisticated and donor-centered. So, here are some things to think about if you are new to major gifts fundraising.
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Understand the Seasonality of Major-Gift Fundraising
NonProfit PRO
APRIL 18, 2024
Nonprofits need to understand that major donor fundraising has a seasonality. Here's some guidance on how to work with this ebb and flow.
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3 Ways Major Gift Fundraisers Can Talk About Legacy Giving Without Reminding Donors About Death
iMarketSmart
MARCH 20, 2024
Planned gifts often constitute some of the biggest gifts charities ever receive. We’re going to give you three legacy giving language tools you can use to bring up the idea of a planned gift, and none of them require going near the subject of death. But winning them requires you to make the donor think about their own death.
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What Hocus Pocus Can Teach You About Major Gift Fundraising
Bloomerang
OCTOBER 20, 2021
Believe it or not, I’ve found that there are parallels between one of the greatest Halloween movies ever made and major gift fundraising. How does that relate to fundraising? Well, donor loyalty is the biggest factor in determining and stewarding potential major donors. So how do you keep track of them?
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Dr. James explains why the feeling “People like me make gifts like this” is so powerful in major gifts fundraising
iMarketSmart
JULY 17, 2023
Some gifts may help reputation, while others won’t. Theory: The monomyth Showing that “people like me make gifts like this” matches the primal-giving game. That cycle is, Showing that “people like me make gifts like this” connects ● Original identity→ Challenge Who is “like me?” The gift helps my group. It’s complicated.
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The Next-Gen Major Gifts Fundraising Metrics Your Nonprofit Should Be Measuring
iMarketSmart
APRIL 12, 2022
If you looked up suggestions for which major gifts metrics and KPIs your organization should be measuring, most of what you’d find would seem fairly reasonable. The typical metrics measure activities quantitatively, such as number of calls, number of visits, number of solicitations, number of gifts, and so on. Staying constant?
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9 Secrets for Success in Major Gifts Fundraising
iMarketSmart
APRIL 21, 2023
Here are Nine Things I Wish I Knew My First Year in Major Gifts 1. Success in major gifts comes from lots of practice. Kevin’s goal is to help fundraising professionals constantly seek to deepen their relationships with their benefactors. Stop talking so much. Ask Good questions and listen. MAKE MISTAKES!
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Tips for hiring major gift fundraisers
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 9, 2022
So many times, organizations want to hire major gift fundraisers because of the people that the gift officer knows. Or worse, the fundraiser presents themselves as valuable because of the connections they have. These are the worst fundraisers in the industry. Here’s the problem: Johnny is an idiot.
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How Data Empowers Major-Gift Fundraisers
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
OCTOBER 6, 2023
By Elaine Gantz Wright Getty Images Experts explain why a data strategy is no longer optional and share real-world examples of how they use data to attract big gifts.
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The Importance of Being Authentic in Major Gifts Fundraising
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 10, 2023
Getting started in Major Gifts … better learn to golf! So many people told me I needed to learn to play golf when I started working in major gifts. One time I played golf with someone for 4 hours; he was never interested in giving a gift.) The path to success is not identical for every fundraiser.
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Major Gifts Still Require A Personal Touch: Here’s Why AI Alone Won’t Work For Fundraising
Bloomerang
JULY 5, 2023
Fundraising and the nonprofit sector are no different. There is certainly a place for AI to improve productivity and efficiency in fundraising. It can expedite research, gift processing and acknowledgments, preparation of proposals, contact reports, and monitoring and reporting on the impact of precious donor gift dollars.
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Why you should pay your major gifts fundraisers more
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 9, 2022
This applies so much to determining compensation for fundraisers. I’ve seen it happen frequently where a gift officer is CRUSHING their goals and they ask for a $10,000 raise only to have their boss or board whine about how they can’t pay them so much. It is very difficult to find great major gift fundraisers.
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Bloomerang | Major Gift Fundraising
Bloomerang
JANUARY 9, 2023
————. The post Bloomerang | Major Gift Fundraising appeared first on Bloomerang.
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7 Major Gift Fundraising Benchmarks You Really Need To Know
iMarketSmart
MAY 4, 2020
The 2020 Major Gift Benchmark Study asked people working in nonprofit organizations (n=580) what they consider to be a major gift, how they are staffed to raise major gifts, the types of information used to identify major gift prospects, and more. Scream this from the mountain tops folks.
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“Sales and Major Gift Fundraising are NOTHING alike!”
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Of course, Major Gift fundraising should not at all be modeled after slimy sales techniques, but sales done well is incredibly rewarding and honorable work. Some of the similarities between high performers in major gifts and sales: They keep a full pipeline and know how to schedule visits or meetings effectively.
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The Power of Follow Up: The One Question Every Major Gift Fundraiser Should Ask
iMarketSmart
MAY 19, 2023
” For some of you that were trained by some major gift legend that was successful and had the time to teach you, this might be super obvious! But for me, the one major gift person at an organization, I had no idea to ask it. Every time you ask for a gift, ask when you should follow up. Ask when to follow-up!
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Comment on Major Gift Fundraising – Everything You Need to Know in 2022 by 3 Easy Ways to Determine Your Campaign Readiness
Amy Eisenstein
JANUARY 5, 2023
[…] they don’t have yet a robust major gift program? Sometimes we are able to use a campaign to grow their major gift fundraising and to engage key donors. But I think we do need to take a serious look and a campaign is much […].
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How to Learn the Advanced Fundraising Skills Needed for Long Term Success as a Major Gift Officer
iMarketSmart
JUNE 14, 2023
Major gifts fundraising is a job that requires an advanced set of skills. Russell James, who has conducted decades of research and experiments in major gifts fundraising and won numerous awards for his work, there is one goal that gift officers must pursue with donors, above all others: Help the donor advance their hero story.
What is a major gift fundraiser to do with all this free time?
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 14, 2020
For decades, we've known that face-to-face meetings were the best way to raise major gifts. Meeting face-to-face is so important, most major gift officers' job performance is measured by how many in-person meetings they have, in addition to how much money they raise. So what is a fundraiser to do?
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The Worst Way to Start a Major Gifts Fundraising Call
iMarketSmart
NOVEMBER 18, 2022
Kevin’s goal is to help fundraising professionals constantly seek to deepen their relationships with their benefactors. 10 Follow-Up Questions You’ll Need to Deepen Your Conversation with Major Donors (and One to Avoid). Top 10 Reasons Why Gift Officers Won’t Make Outbound Calls to Donors. LIKE THIS BLOG POST?
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Giving vs. Sharing: The Power of Community in Major Gifts Fundraising
iMarketSmart
JULY 10, 2023
This gift is sharing. This gift is sharing. The gift helps those in another country rebuild after an earthquake. This gift will likely be much smaller. Lead with a gift, then act reciprocally.[2] Fundraiser as builder of community The charity can serve as a greenhouse for this community building.
How major gifts fundraisers should introduce themselves to donors
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
The monomyth role of the hero’s guiding sage can inform the fundraiser’s work. It can build the fundraiser’s occupational ideology.[2] 2] It can direct the fundraiser’s emotions and career. This can happen when the fundraiser personally adopts this role. A tricky question for fundraisers. with ‘I’m a fundraiser.
Why your greatest enemy in major gifts fundraising is the status quo
iMarketSmart
JULY 15, 2022
Many years ago, I worked with a coach who met with me weekly to help me be more successful at major gifts. I started thinking of all the reasons he was wrong: You don’t have any direct experience doing major gifts. The best fundraisers I know only have 20 visits per month. Why can’t you?”. LIKE THIS BLOG POST?
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Top 10 Reasons Why Major Gifts Fundraisers Fire Their Employers
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 5, 2022
As a Major Gifts Fundraiser don’t you want to fire your employer at times? They keep getting pressed to solicit gifts from supporters who aren’t ready because they haven’t been cultivated properly (and there’s no time for cultivation because they are too busy sitting in useless meetings or arranging events).
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A truth about major gift fundraising
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 16, 2016
Major gift fundraising can be a wonderful experience for donors and for the nonprofit. But an unseemly truth about major gift fundraising is: it's hard. I recently talked to Bill Littlejohn about leading fundraising efforts. The results are great - both for donors and for the nonprofits.
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How “Polite Persistence” Pays Off for Major Gifts Fundraisers
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 7, 2022
Kevin’s goal is to help fundraising professionals constantly seek to deepen their relationships with their benefactors. Webinar: 9 Useful Proven Strategies to Get the Major Donor Visit. The post How “Polite Persistence” Pays Off for Major Gifts Fundraisers appeared first on MarketSmart.
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Only 43 Percent of Organizations Met Their Major Gift Fundraising Goals in 2019
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 11, 2020
You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to know that major gift fundraising is of the utmost importance. Whether it be reports from Giving USA , the Association of Fundraising Professionals Fundraising Effectiveness Project , or Fundraising Report Card’s Live Benchmarks , all signs point towards fewer donors giving more dollars.
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Major and Legacy Gift Fundraising Is Changing… Blame Robocalls.
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
And, as we all know, raising major and legacy gifts is all about building meaningful relationships. Over the past few years, the strategies and tactics nonprofits employ to raise major and legacy gifts has evolved and changed, and with good reason. Robocalls are changing fundraising. The culprit for this change?
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Major Gift Fundraising For Smaller Organizations
The Agitator
NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Lots of time and money is spent on identifying success factors in major gift fundraising for large organizations. Amy Eisenstein, author of Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops , has just released a study done in conjunction with Prof.
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What Dr. James means when he recommends you harness the power of storytelling in major gifts fundraising
iMarketSmart
NOVEMBER 7, 2022
The “one big thing” in fundraising is always the same: Advance the donor’s hero story. Returns to the place of beginning with a gift to improve that world. The compelling fundraising challenge will make each link. Or why not just collect a list of fundraising tips and tricks? Good fundraising brings in big money.
10 traits of terrible major and legacy gift fundraisers
iMarketSmart
MAY 30, 2018
Here are my top 10 traits of terrible fundraisers that drive major donors away: . Related Posts: >>Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Major Donor Letters. Blog post: 5 traits that make a great gift officer great. The post 10 traits of terrible major and legacy gift fundraisers appeared first on MarketSmart, LLC |.
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7 major principles for major gift fundraising (including planned gifts)
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 4, 2015
Before we get into these 7 major principles for major gift fundraising (including planned gifts), let’s review some neat stats first. In the United States, 72% of gifts come from individuals and wealthy individuals are responsible for most of those gifts. LIKE THIS POST? PLEASE SHARE IT!
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What is 3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising?
iMarketSmart
MARCH 22, 2019
This compelled me to come up with a simple methodology that I call “ 3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising. One Thank You + One Report On Results + One Engagement Offer = Ask For Next Gift . One Thank You + One Report On Results + One Engagement Offer = Ask For Next Gift . And I bet you’ll get it!
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What is a major gift fundraiser to do with all this free time?
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 14, 2020
For decades, we’ve known that face-to-face meetings were the best way to raise major gifts. Meeting face-to-face is so important, most major gift officers’ job performance is measured by how many in-person meetings they have, in addition to how much money they raise. So what is a fundraiser to do?
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Why Organizations That Institute the Greatest Demands for Accountability Perform So Poorly
iMarketSmart
APRIL 24, 2024
Accountability is good – even for major gift officers. But here’s the rub when it comes to fundraising metrics – it matters very much which accountability metrics you use. Use the wrong ones, and your fundraising revenue will start trending the other way. But then, in month seven, they win a $250,000 gift.
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The Wind Is at Your Back. What Are YOU Going to Do?
Veritus Group
APRIL 8, 2024
Fundraising reports are predicting that giving will expand in the years ahead. Now's the time to focus on mid-level and major gift fundraising. The post The Wind Is at Your Back. What Are YOU Going to Do? appeared first on Veritus Group.
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iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 5, 2014
This compelled me to come up with a simple methodology that I call “3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising.” One Thank You + One Report On Results + One Engagement Offer = Ask For Next Gift . One Thank You + One Report On Results + One Engagement Offer = Ask For Next Gift . 3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising!
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2017 Major Gifts Fundraising Benchmark Study – Episode 13
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 5, 2017
On today’s episode we discuss the 2017 Major Gifts Fundraising Benchmark Study. This study is the first of its kind by focusing on major gifts. The post 2017 Major Gifts Fundraising Benchmark Study – Episode 13 appeared first on MarketSmart, LLC |. You can download the report at [link].
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4 things pizza and major gift fundraising have in common
iMarketSmart
MARCH 15, 2017
A while back I wrote a blog post that included 5 best practices for delivering progress reports to major donors (sometimes including legacy gift supporters too). Then it dawned on me that my pizza delivery experience and your major gift progress reports have a lot in common. Later on, my kids wanted Domino’s Pizza.
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Mastering Major Gifts: The Ultimate Guide to Raise More
Bloomerang
NOVEMBER 10, 2023
This small portion of your nonprofit’s supporter base is known as your major donors. To secure the support of these crucial donors, your nonprofit needs to build a robust major gifts fundraising strategy. Because major gifts are so large, it requires time and dedication to cultivate and acquire more of these donations.
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