Imagine your major gift effort taking off and soaring to new heights!
It’s a dream that could come true for you. You can become an expert. You can master Major Gifts.
True, there’s not a lot of help available, but I want you to soar. That’s why I developed Mastering Major Gifts
What is Mastering Major Gifts?
Mastering Major Gifts is a comprehensive 7-week, online course.
I’ve spoken at conferences, board retreats and training sessions, coached, and written books on raising major gifts. Thousands, just like you, have already benefited from these efforts.
Mastering Major Gifts draws all this experience, research, feedback, and results together to provide a mastery level course. It’s a simple step-by-step curriculum, easy to follow, and as close as your favorite online device.
Results are what matter. Here are a few recent successes:
- Sarah successfully solicited and received her first ever $100,000 charitable gift annuity!
- Brenda secured her theater’s first ever sponsors at $10,000 and above.
- John surprised himself when, using one simple tip from my course, he secured two 5 figure gifts for the very first time!
The amazing results you dream about are these students’ reality. It’s great to see participants take flight! And I want you to take off too.
Your Chance to Win a Scholarship!
This year, not one, but TWO scholarships will be awarded for the upcoming Mastering Major Gifts course.
- One lucky person will get a scholarship to the upcoming course.
- Another person — someone who has already taken the course — will get their purchase price fully refunded.
We’ll announce both scholarship recipients next week. Now is YOUR chance to get Mastering Major Gifts free!
Here’s how to enter:
Just answer one short question. In the “Comments” section of this post answer this question:
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
(If you’ve already taken the course, instead tell me how it’s helped you raise more money or how it has benefited you and your organization.)
Winners are NOT selected at random — we select the winners. So, more compelling entries have a better chance of winning.
This isn’t a random drawing — my team and I will personally read each comment and award each scholarship accordingly. The more compelling the entry, the better the chance of winning.
Next Monday, January 16th we’ll announce and congratulate our two recipients.
If you’re one of our winners, you’ll get complete access to the membership area of Mastering Major Gifts. Then over the course of 7 weeks, you’ll learn the secrets of raising major gifts right from the comfort of your own home or office.
I’m eager to read your entry and hear what you have to say. So, don’t delay… enter your comment now!
Post Update: (And an Additional $348.00 in prizes)
Important Update: In addition to giving away Mastering Major Gifts, we’re also giving away the following to the two winners:
- A one on one, 45 minute coaching session with Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE ($300 Value)
- Copies of two published books, Raising More with Less and Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops ($48 Value)
Enter below in the comments — simply answer this question:
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
I’d love to win this scholarship! As a part time Development Officer for a Land Trust (our only Development staff), I wear many hats! One of my main jobs is to help rally other staff and board volunteers to help raise needed funds. By taking this course, I could gain knowledge that will be shared with and used by my whole team – so not only will the course empower me personally, but the effect will be compounded and used to empower a whole team of fundraisers on a very small budget. Georges River Land Trust is entering its 30th year of conservation and we are poised for exponential growth. Given the right tools, like more major gifts fundraising power, we can ensure the organization thrives well into the future, protecting the most beautiful place in midcoast Maine for all to explore and enjoy.
For the last two years, we have put the pieces in place to have a stellar major gift program – new Board members with personal capacity, educating them about their role in fundraising, building a good team of fundraising professionals that keep the development plan moving in the right direction and a CEO who is more than willing to ask for gifts. This coming fiscal year we have the opportunity to add 5 new Board members and we are concentrating on that effort right now. Amy’s Major Gift Fundraising book has guided this journey. We believe we are ready to be coached on the next steps to be successful for the patients we are honored to serve and for the donors who depend on us to steward their gifts wisely. Thank you for your work!
I run a one person development shop for a group foster care organization in rural Arkansas. I am spread thin between managing special events, direct mail, applying for grants, and trying to use the rest of my time wisely soliciting and stewarding gifts. I know that major gifts would be the best use of my skills and my time to raise the most amount of funds for our organization, but I can never seem to find the time to plan for raising major gifts. And without a mentor in my organization to teach me, I am at a loss for where to start. I am excited about the prospects of this program to get me started on the right path, quickly and effectively. I know it would be a wise investment for my organization to pay the fee, but because we are more than 90% privately funded through donations, this would be a stretch, and because we have already begun the new fiscal year, it would have to be put off until 2018. I am ready to start now.
With fingers crossed, Matt Cleveland
I’m the only Development/Communications person in an organization of 12 and I’m learning as I go. Thankfully I have a supportive ED (who doesn’t have major gifts experience) so I have some freedom to experiment and fail I think this program will help me raise more money because it will help me launch a major gifts program and do so the right way. I hope to gain the skills needed to build relationships and make asks while minimizing the mistakes that can alienate donors.
Our small non-profit already has high-net worth individuals engaged on our mission. Mastering Major Gifts will give me and my team the tools and confidence we need to take our fundraising to the next level so we can reach more kids in our community!
An enormous part of enhancing a culture of philanthropy is letting go of the attitude of lack. Cultivating and acquiring major gifts infuses life into the organization; it renews hope and possibility. Yes, the gift itself is monetarily wonderful; however, those gifts are far-reaching. Making the celebration public increases donor loyalty and enthusiasm. It can be contagious, and instills greater trust and belief on the part of the organization’s stakeholders. Also, the acquisition rejuvenates the team. We did it! We can do it again! There is confirmation that the effort (and risks) are worth the rewards. As is true with so many things, there is a “rewiring” in the belief system; what seemed quite out of reach is now not just possible but repeatable.
I believe Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money for Rock Recovery and can sum up why in just three words – empowerment, accountability and focus. Being a small staff of one and a half (our Program Director is part-time!) most days feel reactive and like they are spent putting out fires and dealing with what’s right in front of my face. I’ve worked hard to steward relationships and grow giving, but on top of all of my other demands as Executive Director, it feels like a cobbled together plan that isn’t sustainable or tapping into our full potential as an organization. If I could feel empowered and confident in my major gift skillset, have the built-in and effective accountability the program provides, and really focus my efforts and energy on raising more money, it would change everything for us and our clients.
I know there is a desperate need for affordable and robust services for those battling eating disorders, and Rock Recovery is one of the only places that provides this sort of care, especially without the barrier of cost. Our program is unique and unparalleled, and right now we are just in the DC area. We yearn to expand! We’ve had a year-long waiting list for our services since we opened our doors six years ago, and that weighs on me daily. People have needlessly suffered and even lost their own lives while waiting for our services. If we could raise more funds and really hone in on a strategy, it would be a complete game changer – not just for Rock Recovery, but for the millions of people who battle eating disorders in our communities. We have a vision to expand nationwide, but that dream will never be a reality unless we master major gifts!
I believe taking the Mastering Major gifts on line course will give me the tools, confidence and the extra skills to take asking for the major gift to the next level. Learning the skills to take me from good to great in the non profit major gifts world. I believe it will show me the ways to take the passion I have to go out and get those gifts.
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money by giving me resources and accountability. Face-to-face fundraising and Major Gifts is the way to increase organizational capacity. Finding the best way to do that and having someone to answer questions, bounce ideas off of and hold me accountable would be a huge benefit. I’m excited to see what is possible with the current donors and new donors.
My name is Jeff Brodsky. I’m the Founder and President of JOY International (www.joy.org). We are devoted to the rescue and restoration of child sex slaves around the world (including here in America). To date, we have been responsible for the successful rescue of over 2,000 girls. We have teams that risk their lives who go deep undercover searching for the youngest girls we can find. The youngest girls we’ve rescued from brothels were only 4 years old. These girls have to “service” from 10-15 men – a day. There is no worse, more evil, heinous crime against a child in our world today since the dawn of creation. What happens to these precious children is a horrific nightmare that no child should ever have to endure.
The only thing that stops us from rescuing more children – is funding. I have a saying, “When JOY International has funds, girls get rescued.” The more funds we can raise, the more children we can rescue.
I don’t have a Director of Donor Development (I wish I did). It’s just me, my Assistant, several volunteers and many field operatives in various countries searching for children being trafficked and forced to work as child sex slaves in brothels.
In July of 2010, in Cambodia, while searching for children living in a garbage dump who are at high risk of being kidnapped and sold into brothels, my life took a dramatic change as I had an epiphany and began living barefoot in solidarity with trafficked and impoverished children. It’s been quite a challenge to say the least. As of this writing I have been totally barefoot for 6 and a half years (2,367 days). People across America have responded in a powerful way and now host Barefoot Mile walks (even Governors and US Senators have participated). But I don’t know how to ask for big donations!
If you have an organization seeking a scholarship that is reaching children going through a worse situation than a child sex slave, then please give the scholarship to them. I am asking that you would consider JOY International, as I can assure you, should what we learn help us to raise additional funding, it would mean that many precious young girls would be freed from their bondage and abuse as sex slaves and go on to a time of healing and restoration with opportunities to become anything they can dream.
I know in my heart that should I learn how to communicate more effectively and proficiently with potential donors, I could succeed in attaining 5, 6 and even 7 figure financial gifts.
On behalf of each child, I sincerely thank you for your consideration.
Jeff Brodsky
P.S. When I’m asked what I do for a living, I tell people this; “I’m a professional beggar. I beg for children who cannot beg for themselves like children begging in the streets, because they are slaves who are locked in bedrooms, shackled to beds or kept in cages. I beg for them.”
Hi Amy:
My Husband 30 year ago did want he wanted to do since a boy, own his own tractor trailer.
The first year was okay, but as a Christian he realized he could not get to Church. Thirty years ago most men still wore suits to Church. So after trucking for 5 years he realized he wanted to start a Canadian truck stop ministry. Currently we go across Canada one with a mobile 5th. wheel trailer stopping and ministering at many truck stops for 5 days at a time. But we also have brand new office trailers that we park in a truck stop and have a fulltime and parttime staff take care of. Don has done fundraising for the ministry with no training. But we would like to be able to pay partial wages to a fulltime person and office staff. This would enable them to have their attention on each driver that they come into contact with. Our motto is “To win, teach and equip our world to passionately follow Jesus Christ.” Winning this scholarship would mean many more drivers following the path to Jesus. Thank you for this opportunity and we truly appreciate your emails!
I believe Mastering Major Gifts will help our nonprofit raise more money because it is about forging a relationship as well as a partnership- the relationship/partnership between the donor and our nonprofit. We are offering them the means to be a philanthropist. We are the conduit which allows a donor the opportunity to transform a life, indeed, many lives. Mastering Major Gifts is about shepherding our donor’s time, talent, energy, experience and education- all the things that have got them to the point of being a philanthropist- into a monetary gift. But in actuality, what they are giving is a gift of themselves, made tangible by their offering. In this way, our donor/philanthropist/friend, may satisfy and fulfill their heart’s longing for connection and for doing something that is truly worthy and life-changing.
I want to dramatically raise more major gifts to transform the way in which AJC (American Jewish Committee) is able to address the global challenges we are facing in a turbulent and dangerous world as “the state department of the Jewish people.” That is, continuing to build and sustain the relationships built over the past 110 years with leaders of foreign nations and in the U.S. advocating for Israel’s place in the world; for Jews everywhere; and for democracy across the globe. Strengthening our new Muslim-Jewish initiative and the Project Interchange Seminars which take opinion leaders to Israel to learn about both sides of the conflict.
Thanks for the opportunity!
Although I have more than 20 years of nonprofit experience, I am new to the role of Director of Development. Participating in “Mastering Major Gifts” will be an opportunity to boost my professional development, ultimately benefiting the clients we serve in our social services (more money = more services).
Dear Amy:
We have met in passing on several occasions at monthly AFP NJ meetings, annual AFP COP and annual CFNP NJ conferences. I have enjoyed your presentations on Fundraising and related issues.
I work for the Township of Edison, NJ as its only Resource Development Officer. This includes fundraising support for all of its Departments (Edison Department of Health and Human Services; Edison Dept. of Public Works; Edison Dept. of Planning & Engineering), Divisions (Edison Division of Fire ; Edison Division of Senior Services), Agencies (Edison Municipal Alliance/BRIDGES) and Committees (Edison Township Environmental Commission; Edison Open Space Advisory Committee), as well as local CBOs (e.g.: Clara Barton Neighborhood Committee) and NFPs (Hands of Hope for the Community Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen; Edison Greenways Group; Edison Arts Society; Edison Memorial Tower Corporation; Lead My Way; Kids Need Support 2; Edison Public Library Foundation; Northern Middlesex County Domestic Violence Response Team; Edison Public Housing Authority; Edison Senior Outreach Service), to help meet their needs and achieve their missions through viable grant-funded projects. I am also actively involved with local environmental, sustainable and energy-saving initiatives for the Township.
With no designated support staff or assigned budget, my efforts are focused on the research, development and submission of public and private grant applications, as well as sponsorships for annual, Township of Edison public events (Annual Edison Earth Day Celebration; Annual Edison Fall Family Spectacular; Annual Edison Family Day/Health Fair; Annual Edison Fourth of July Celebration).
While I am certain there is untapped local wealth throughout Edison and the Greater Edison Area, I have neither the internal funds, policy or technology to pursue it. This is unfortunate, as I have heard that Individual Giving represents 70% of annual charitable donations. Consequently, my resource development efforts must focus on the remaining 30% highly-competitive funding pool.
It would be a great resource to study and effectively implement Individual Giving (e.g.: Big Ask) strategies, plans, metrics and techniques in developing such funds for local government projects and programs, as well as those of local CBOs and NFPs. Like many local governments, Edison has seen its revenues decrease over the past 10 years as a result of national economic trends, incessant tax appeals, vacant sites and land, as well as large exempt real assets (e.g.: Middlesex County College).
Similarly, local CBOs and NFPs in Edison do not have the training, experience or dedicated staff with time to focus on resource development. With their participation, I provide technical support to them for obtaining public and private grants and donations, entirely pro-bono.
Edison is an economically, demographically and culturally (50%+ Asian and Minorities) diverse community of 104,000 in 30 square miles. It is the 5th largest municipality in NJ. It is an established Bronze Level Sustainable Jersey Community and Keep Middlesex Moving Platinum Level Smart Workplace (the only Platinum Level in Middlesex County).
A Scholarship for Mastering Major Gifts under your guidance and instruction would be greatly appreciated.
Please contact me, should you have any comments, questions, suggestions and/or requests.
Thank you for considering this request. It is greatly appreciated.
Chris Mazauskas
Resource Development Officer
Township of Edison
Department of Administration
Edison Municipal Complex
100 Municipal Boulevard 3rd Floor
Edison, NJ 08817-3302
732-248-7356 Office
732-287-6679 Fax
908-884-6747 Cellphone
cmazauskas@edisonnj.org Email
http://www.EdisonNJ.org Website
1/11/17
I am also a Volunteer on several local and regional NJ Boards: Trustee, Better Community Housing of Trenton; President, Brunswick and Raritan Housing Corporation; Commissioner, Edison Housing Authority; Trustee, Edison Housing Corporation; Mayor Representative/Liaison Middlesex County Route 529 Corridor Study Steering Committee; ESJGT Representative Sustainable Jersey Middlesex County HUB; Member, 2016 CFNP NJ Annual Conference Planning Committee; Member, Sustainable Jersey Leadership Committee for Central New Jersey and Sustainable Jersey Middlesex HUB; Coordinator, Edison Sustainable Jersey Green Team; Board Member, Irvington Counseling Center; and others.
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because I am new to the development field but I am passionate and eager to learn. I think my nonprofit has a good base of donors and supporters who have the potential to give major gifts but I have not gained the skills necessary to engage them and encourage them to give a major gift. We do great things for our community and as the development director it is my job to ensure that we are able to sustain our work. Currently, I am a staff of one. We are a small nonprofit, thus I write grants, plan events, evaluate projects and cultivate donors (or attempt to) and it is very overwhelming. Everyone here is stretched beyond capacity and I know if we had major gifts it could change our little world! We could work more efficiently and with more freedom. I would love to have the opportunity to learn from an expert. I will continue to seek opportunities to learn and be mentored but I think this course could really make a difference for me and our nonprofit. Thanks for the opportunity to win a scholarship!
By mastering major gifts, I believe that I will have a better knowledge of when to make an ask for a major gift. I know that building a relationship with a potential donor is critical and a vital part of the fundraising funnel. I believe that the more insight and knowledge that I can learn about major gifts, will allow me to broaden my fundraising prospects and give me the tools needed to seek major donors. I do not ever want to seem like I am trying to SELL our organization to anyone. I want to engage in a conversation that is focused on their interest in our organization first and foremost.. I believe that this course would be a tremendous opportunity to help me grow as an Executive Director and help build my confidence when the time comes to make that ask for a major gift. Then also I am hoping that I can learn how to KEEP that major gift relationship going for years. I am hopeful that this course will help in developing skills when an initial introduction happens. I just know that this course would benefit me and in so many ways! Thank you so very much for your consideration!
I feel that this class will prepare me to learn and understand the art of how to master major gifts. I recently became the Execuitve Director of a not for profit organization and have very little major gift experience. This would be a great way to start!
Hi Amy,
I am relatively new to my Executive Director job but have been a fundraiser for over 20 years. My organization does amazing work for our clients – adults and children with special needs – and with more resources we could increase the number of clients we serve and offer our services to new populations. However, we have very little money for professional development, especially for our administrative team so “Mastering Major Gifts” is not something I could consider without a scholarship.
The organization was without an executive director for almost 2 years before I joined the team and the entire fundraising program declined dramatically. We have a wonderfully talented events manager and a very supportive Board, but our institutional giving and major gifts program ground to a halt.
While I have experience in both these areas, I am finding it very challenging to get our major gifts program re-started and could use some expert advice and mentoring. I heard Amy speak a few years ago and I know that her program will give me the tools I need to be successful.
Bottom line is that my organization needs to develop and build relationships with potential major donors so that we can dramatically increase our revenue from this important group of constituents. Increased major gifts will enable us to plan more effectively for the future and, ultimately, expand our programs to serve new clients. As an executive director it is easy for me to get sidetracked with other tasks and I am confident that Amy’s program and personal guidance will keep me focused on my goal of raising more money from major donors.
I manage a team of mid-level fundraisers. We’ve not always been seen as “full fledged” fundraisers by our organization, and my hope and aspiration is that through this training I will be able to help lift my team up and encourage them, and as a result raise more money. I truly believe that through education it will help learn what to look for in donors to increase giving.
I am the Development Director for an equine assisted activities program. We provide therapeutic horseback riding for individuals of all ages and various physical and developmental disabilities. I started with HETRA 17 years ago as a volunteer and have worked my way through various staff positions. Most important, I am the Aunt of a rider at HETRA. I witness my sister struggle finding services and adaptable activities for her son with disabilities. With all her heart, she wants her son to have as normal of a life as possible. But, I can also see the program from the nonprofit viewpoint and the need to raise funds for programs offered at HETRA. My passion is fueled every time I talk to a parent or sibling of a child with a disability. Being selected for a scholarship will allow me to learn how to be the best fundraiser I can be AND allow a bit of peace in the hearts of families when this program is funded.
As a young professional, I began my career in fundraising with virtually no experience in the field. The agency that I work for saw my potential and took a chance on me. It’s been almost 4 years now and I have grown in my new role as Director of Development and have learned a lot about fundraising best practices. The agency is in a financially better situation, but Board and Staff recognize the need to invest time in creating an individual giving program and soliciting major gifts. I have sought out resources to help guide me in these new chapter of fundraising, but know that a course such as yours will greatly improve my confidence and ability to lead our agency with this new strategy. Like many of the professionals who will reach out to you, I am passionate about my agency’s cause, which is to empower low-income older adults so they can live independently in the community. Older adults and their needs are often neglected topics in public discourse, and this remains true in philanthropy. As such, fundraising for senior programs seem like an uphill battle, continuously educating the community and finding shared values so others may join us in our efforts. I believe that this course will help improve my skills, build my confidence, and provide me with the foundation needed to create a major gifts program for my agency. Thank you for this opportunity!
I’ve been the Director of Development for the Somerville Homeless Coalition (in Massachusetts) since September 2012 — their first — and have doubled our charitable revenue in that time ($350,000 to $700,000), but have hit a plateau. I’m dreaming of breaking the $1 million mark! We’re a small agency, budget just around $3 million, development staff are myself and an assistant (and a very on-board executive director). We serve people at all stages of being homeless or near-homeless, with two shelters, case managers, supportive housing, prevention services, and a food pantry. (In 2015 we served 2,105 people from 999 households, including 665 children.) The importance of increasing our charitable support, which you know, is that government funding is not guaranteed and has restrictions, and charitable support can provide more flexibility.
Our board’s development committee (7 people) and Executive Director participated in a training in November about going on solicitation calls. Right now they’re working on following up on our year end appeal, and then they’ll be ready for what’s next — stewardship, cultivation and asking!
What I’m especially looking to get out of your training is some structure and support for managing the myriad tasks, to-dos, etc. of directing our development activities. Getting some extra coaching and encouragement is welcome, too!
A disclosure: we’re recovering from embezzlement that was discovered just over a year ago, which has cost us about $120,000 (plus all the staff time spent unraveling it and cleaning it up! We are in a much better financial position now, in terms of procedures and policies.) We’re in a belt-tightening phase, with no funding for professional development, so that we can keep all of our programs and services running. (See our Fall newsletter article about some success in that area: https://www.somervillehomelesscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/SHCSummer2016-newsletter_V7.pdf.)
Thank you for your consideration,
Kathryn Benjamin
Greetings, Amy!
Why do I think Mastering Major Gifts will help raise more money? I had a career transition thrust upon me last month and, following the advice of several esteemed colleagues, have focused my efforts on transitioning into fundraising/development, where I can put my skills, impeccable regional reputation and my passion to better use.
Since my severance, I have been exploring this field full time, networking, attending free seminars/webinars (including yours), taking those courses which I could afford, and volunteering my services at several area non-profits. As you might expect, I was initially apprehensive, but as I met with more development professionals and learned more about the culture, my apprehension went away, In fact, I now consider this new career direction a “calling”, as it seems to be an ideal fit, where I can both apply my professional skills and champion a worthwhile cause.
My severance package included a modest settlement to supplement the unemployment compensation I will receive for the next few months. With that, my spending ability on career advancement is limited until I land a full time fundraising position. Your awarding me this scholarship will prove invaluable, as it will add a high-value training credential to my resume, then ultimately provide long term benefits for the nonprofit who brings me aboard.
Thank you for offering this scholarship, and for your consideration.
Kindest regards,
Wilson Black
I have been in the nonprofit sector for 30 years. I’ve done all kinds of fundraising – and am finishing up a successful $500,00 capital campaign – but when it comes to securing major gifts to support the day-to-day work of the organization, I turn to jelly. It’s partly because I don’t know how to do it, and partly fear of doing it and failing.
This year, we have a million dollar fundraising goal – a 10% increase over last year, our best year ever. We are moving into a new, greatly expanded facility and anticipate an increase in community need and in the number of patients we see, The same old fundraising approach just won’t work any more.
We have a compelling cause and a rich database, The missing piece is some education and support -Mastering Major Gifts will give me the tools and the mindset we need to be successful.
My approach needs work. I have the prospect list and all the management tools necessary to create a great portfolio. I do my homework, and know what the person I am going to ask is interested in, and the appropriate amount to request. Where I fall flat is in the ask itself. I cannot seem to know when to shut up and am always pitching. It’s got to be overwhelming to be sitting across a table from me, and I am probably obnoxious.
Fortunately, it’s a small world and people gossip. I’ve learned from third parties that my efforts in the ask to present a compelling case and get the prospect as much of my organization’s story as I think they need to make an informed decision was received by the donor as being didactic – like I am dictating to them what they should do. They felt pressured and pushed, and that’s the LAST thing I want!
As a result, it’s given me a huge reluctance to get out there and ask. I think my taking the Mastering Major Gifts course will help me find a way to be helpful to the donor without overwhelming them or insulting them.
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
Great question! I think I have a professional block when it comes to Mastering Major Gifts. I know how crucial it is for the organization and our goals and yet it is an area that I catch my breath over when I know I need to prepare to seek a Major Gift. Sometimes I think it’s because I personally do not have the financial capability to give a Major Gift and so I’m painfully aware of how much I’m really asking. So, I know if I had the confidence, backed by the skills to Master Major Gifts I could most definitely raise more money for the mission and capital projects that I am charged with leading.
I am really proud of my accomplishments as a development director. I have taught myself and built a development shop from scratch at my organization. I read lots of blogs and books and network with other development people in town to learn as much as I can, but to take it to the next level I need more. With more training and coaching, I will not only have the know how, but the confidence I need. With that, I KNOW I can bring in even more money.
I am new to my position as the Executive Director of the Walter Hoving Home. A non profit that helps women rebuild their shattered lives by drugs and alcohol. Having the opportunity to learn to master major gifts will help our organization and enable us to help more women. We do not turn any lady away for her inability to pay so every lady that walks through our door is broken, hurting, and lost needing help. We provide 24-hour resendential care for the women and meet all of their basic needs. Being able to learn in the area of major gifts will help me to be a better leader and to ultimately continue to allow women to come in to our program without a fee if necessary.
Just like most of the women who comes through our doors I have a story. At the age of 14 I starting using marijuana and alcohol this following in my fathers footsteps who left when I was five of a heroin addiction. At the age of 22 I found myself fully addicted to heroin, I lost my job, quit nursing school, and lost all hope. The breaking point was when I was driving at 80 mph on the highway. I crashed my car into a brick median and then a tree, my car was totaled. I did not have my seat belt on and by the grace of Hod I walked away without one mark on me. Shortly after that I entered the doors of the Walter Hoving Home.
I do not have a degree and really not many qualifications for the position I have been given. But yet I was still chosen due to my understanding of where these women have come from. I am trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can to better myself, my education, and to better the Home that saved my life. Having the opportunity to attend your class will not only help my organization but help me as well.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Hi Amy,
This is the 7th year that our non profit has operated a Christian retreat facility. We are at the point that we are too big to small and too small to be big! We are expecting BIG things in this 7th year as 7 is Biblical number meaning completion and perfection.
Our non-profit has been blessed and we’ve seen amazing growth in the numbers of people it serves, but we recognize the urgency to develop a major gifts program so that we may ensure sustainability and in turn leave a strong, solid legacy to be successfully carried on with this ministry.
A few years ago we attended a seminar hosted by you and were impressed with your expertise in the field of fundraising. We know your current course on Mastering Major Gifts would help us move to the next level in development and we would be most appreciative to benefit from your teaching!
We aspire to move from surviving, to in 2017 and Mastering Major Gifts could be the catalyst to make this happen!
Last comment was to be “surviving to thriving in 2017! Sorry for the typo!
I work for a great organization. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, my organization has not been able to invest in training dollars and it has been a few years since I have had any fundraising training. I’ve been a fundraising professional for many years and feel that it’s good to relearn or learn new ways and see how others are raising funds. If I am chosen to participate in this class, I hope to reinvigorate my major gift skills / asks. I enjoy reading Amy’s emails and think I would be able to learn a lot from her course.
Thank you for the opportunity to give it a shot.
this can give me the chance to really make the difference for great causes, trying to replicate your succesful model improving my skills and, finally I can take ispirational from one of the most ispiring person I ever listened.
Confidence, ability to communicate the heart message in relatable terms, creating a better case for support, a clearer understanding of non profit fundraising, and building meaningful relationships. These are key elements I believe I would hone in Mastering Major Gifts. It would be a solid foundation for my workplace position as well as involvement with two newer and highly remarkable non-profits in my community. Receiving a scholarship for this program would be incredible!
I think that it will help me communicate the need better
I am in a position at an organization that has little to no understanding of fundraising in general, but has a long history with community members who have the potential of becoming a major donor. Although I have made some important steps to incorporate a fundraising focus, we have not yet fully embraced the concept of paying for training or support for our fundraising efforts, and in all honesty do not embrace our non-profit status as well as we need to.. Even though I come to the organization with a strong fundraising background, my two years have proven that I need expert backup to support my plan. By taking this course I hope to gather information that I can share with my ED and board to FINALLY put a major gift initiative in place. I am an avid follower of Ms. Eisenstein’s blogs and free information and am convinced her course is what I need to make a difference.
Mastering Major Gifts mentors•educate •motivates•encourage you and also helps you to Realign your thinking only to mention a few. Having a mentor is the way to learn and it has been proven time and again and scientifically proven. A mentor encourages u. •motivate •helps you to deal with negativity. A mentor helps you to Realign your thinking. A mentor also. Helps you to aquire major gifts
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money for our non-profit because I am finally in the position of being educated about the importance of major donors and the need to develop relationships between them and the organization, not a person in the organization.
I am the first-ever Director of Development for a 22 year-old organization whose fundraising was done by the founder, who passed away in October of 2014. I came on board a little over a year ago (Fall of 2015), and had nothing but manual tax records in boxes as our database.
As the one-person shop responsible for all aspects of fund-raising, donor relations, marketing and special events, I have had the additional challenge of no experience in fundraising (unless you count selling candles and candy for high school band trips!) I have spent the better part of the last year going through tax records, convincing the board of directors of the need to budget for marketing/messaging and buy database software, updating our website to allow online giving, and establishing a gift acceptance and recognition policy so we can improve on our 33% donor retention rate. I also have finally identified the donor profile for our organization.
Now I want to build a major donor development plan that will identify, cultivate, and steward major donors while helping move mid-level donors into the major donor ranks. Everything I need to create a successful program is contained in your course and I am convinced that it will have a significant positive impact on our fundraising, both for the annual fund and planned giving, which we have yet to implement!
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
Dear Amy:
I am a firm believer in major gifts as the foundation of solid and sustained fundraising effort.
I wholeheartedly believe a well-crafted, well-executed major gifts program is the difference between a solid fundraising program and a transformational one where the organization not only grows but thrives. The excellent curriculum of this program along with your knowledge and experience can and will be the difference maker for our organization.
I work for an organization where I am one person shop and that recently lost a significant source of funding. Since then, I have been asked to write more grants, add two new special events, manage all the marketing and still work on major gifts with limited organizational support. I truly believe if I could bring in one gift of a significant size by using the knowledge and know-how of the program I could help the organization financially and change the culture of our organization in a way that would bring success for years to come.
Thank you so much for your generosity in making this opportunity available and for all that do for promote and elevate the development profession.
Mastering Major Gifts will help my organization raise more money because it has never pursued this revenue stream in the past. The executive director wasn’t convinced, there has been three development directors in five years and no one has championed the cause. Now I am, I have done the research on our most loyal donors and sorted list by capacity and state. This preparation has peaked the e.d.’s interest and she asked me for articles on major gifts, which I gave her one of my favorite, “Gifts of Significance.” We meet next week after she has reviewed the information. I’m very helpful.
I am the perfect candidate for this! I have training, prospects, and a great case BUT, I’m really kinda terrified to do this. Yes, I am a development professional and I FEAR THE ASK. (head held down in shame 🙁
I’ve printed out your column, “You are NOT bothering anyone by asking them for a major gift” and posted it directly in front of me. I’m ready to do this! I also know me – I need a mentor – someone I can ask questions of, get advise from, be held accountable and someone who will not judge me. I would be honored to be selected for this opportunity.
Pretty please!
Being a one man department of a small Christian College, Mastering Major Gifts will play a major role as consultant, instructor, and mentor. I’ve been a fundraiser for 18 years and MMG would give me a fresh perspective and instruction that I haven’t been able to afford.
In 2016, the children’s center here at YWCA Bristol turned away more than 170 children from our sliding-scale program because we are completely full. Families in our small city/rural economy simply can’t afford what it costs to provide licensed high-quality early childhood education without subsidized programs like ours. We keep parents in the workforce, single moms in school, and get babies ready to thrive. Without a major capital campaign and robust growth in our annual giving program our center and several other critical community programs can’t grow to meet the needs of this area, nor to afford the staff raises our front-line childcare staff deserve. The board of directors and dedicated community volunteers have done impressive long-term work building support from our community. But we need to “level-up”, as my 8-year-old son would say. Without the budget to hire a highly qualified career fundraiser, we have to build our own bench. I know I have the research skills and interpersonal qualities to be a great fundraiser. What I lack is the training and mentoring opportunities a larger metro, or larger institution could provide. I won’t “job-hop” to get that training, because I believe deeply in the YWCA mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. This is a message, we hope to take regionally with a successful campaign. Our executive director, for 30 years, has been a one-woman dynamo, but now to take the next steps, as our board plans for succession, we need specialists–experts who can ensure the sustainability of our programs for another generation. I know that the in-depth curriculum, and coaching, that this program provides, along with the professional network of the Facebook group, can replace what we’d have access to in a larger metropolitan region or with a training budget. The families in our area need the support of some of the very successful individuals and companies we have here, but we don’t yet know how to reach them. I hope a course such as this one would empower us to do so. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship. I’ve enjoyed your newsletter and linked In articles for some time. I hope we can “meet” through this course.
As a fairly new Executive Director of my organization, major gifts fundraising is now part of my job description, but something I’m having to navigate through on my own, with no formal training. The Mastering Major Gifts course would not only give me the training I’ve never had but it would give me the confidence and ability to effect tremendous change for our organization.
We are a small foundation that supports a living history museum. Our donors are passionate about history and its preservation and have been very generous in years past. But a larger, state-funded historical foundation with formally trained development officers, has managed to “pluck off” many of our largest donors in recent years. I know we could “win” many of these donors back, as well as develop some of our mid-level donors into major donors, as we have the ability to direct their funds more specifically than at the state level. But without training and someone to mentor me, the task has been daunting and feels like I’m fighting an up-hill battle with no weapons.
Winning the opportunity to take this major gifts course would change not only my career, but the path and future of our foundation. Thank you so much for your consideration.
I’m close, but I’m not there. I have read and read and continue to read and read on mastering major gifts. I’ve taken classes. But the implementation has been challenging. I know I have the data. I need someone to walk with me as implement the skills I have learned. Plus, I know that I learn best by doing. I’m a quick study. Six years ago, I knew nothing about Raiser’s Edge. Through one-on-one training, I’ve learned more than I ever imagined. I would love to do your program, but I financially it’s not an option right now. What I need most to excel is confidence.
We are a 65-year old faith-based non-profit that has lost its way. During the zenith of our organization, we could do no wrong and money poured in from across the country from churches, individuals, businesses and other organizations.
Pride developed. Soon, former leaders from previous decades believed they did not need to fundraise. People of faith would simply send donations because we did so much good. What really happened makes the old adage true, “pride cometh before the fall.”
Donations began to dwindle as people believed one of two falsehoods: 1) we no longer needed them; or, 2) we no longer existed as an organization.
You can see where this train wreck is heading before I share it. Suddenly, multi-million dollar budgets shrank. Leadership believed we needed to diversify to attract new donors. No. We needed to return to our original mission.
As a result, donors became confused as to our true purpose.
Now, as we zoom into the present and future, our active donor base is shrinking (primarily because it’s getting older and we haven’t discovered how to make our mission attractive to later Boomers, Busters, Millenials and all the other generations).
Why this scholarship will help?
You will provide current, working and successful tools to help us resurrect a respected, needed and relevant ministry from a survival mentality to a confident stance. You will provide relevant data to share with my leadership to convince them life is not as bad as we believe. You will help me grow as a fundraiser so I can create the words, ideas and beliefs that will empower our donors to rise up, partner with and celebrate ministry success.
We have numerous donors, of all ages, with the financial, emotional and ancillary capital to position us to do much good in each of our ministry points across the globe. Your training will allow us to connect them to this dream.
Thank you for considering my request for scholarship!
I am the only fundraiser in our nonprofit organization. I have been working in fundraising for over 16 years, but our organization is small, and I am a department of 1. I need to learn the best way to raise major gifts quickly without any help. They have not had a fundraiser before they hired me, so they have zero donors other than small gifts from a handful of grateful clients, and non-involved Board members. We also have competition from a similar organization to ours, that has recently completed a large capital campaign, so our potential donors have already given large gifts to an organization that does what we do. The community gets us confused with the other larger organization. HELP!
Understanding the importance of major gifts to a non-profit organization (some of the largest received) and working to be prepared for them would be an asset to Johnsonburg! (the non profit I direct) As a relatively new director here and with great fundraising potential in the alumni and supporters of this organization, it is a time for me to step up the development efforts (including some training)- one of my goals for 2017. I have found that success breeds success and major gifts often propel others to believe in an organization and give more. I would like to learn more so I can be most effective in my calling!
It’s simple. No money, no mission. Of course, we are all passionate about the mission of our organization. I have proudly represented United Way in my community for three years and consider a privilege to lead others in fulfilling our mission of “uniting our community to empower people in need.” No United Way takes on a small issue. We take on major community issues and rally leaders together to tackle them. No major gifts, no major IMPACT. And we all want positive community impact! By mastering major gifts, we’ll increase our capacity to effectively share our story, engage others in being a part of the change and transferring it to people in need. As an executive director, I already have the ears of many of our community’s business leaders. Mastering major gifts will give me the confidence paired with skill set to move them to the next level of investment and philanthropy.
Master Major Gifts help to raise more money in so many ways. Notable among these are Mentoring which happens to be the best way of learning proven time and again. It encourages fundraisers to get greater heights in fundraising it educate. Motivate the fundraisers. Mastering Major Gifts. Helps in raising more funds in that it attracts a large pool of potential Donors to the fundraisers. It is also the fast quicker method of self teaching fundraisers only to mention a few
The Majoring Major Gifts course will help me change the course of fundraising for my organization to establish a sustainable program for the future stability and growth of the organization. Our past dependence on grants and major events has created a cycle that burns out staff and has kept the organization at approximately the same revenue levels for the past decade.
As a one-person development office, with some assistance from the executive director, I need this course now!
The organization that I work for, SPACES, a 38-year old avant-garde arts organization, recently relocated to a burgeoning creative cluster of small businesses and art organizations. SPACES is having its grand opening this Saturday, January 14th. This move provides a venue that fully supports the artists we serve with expanded gallery space, artwork production facilities, and a dedicated classroom for hands-on and discussion-based activities, and makes the organization more accessible to the public. Our expanded audience engagement efforts touch people of all ages from children up through seniors, as well as youth in juvenile detention and people with disabilities.
In the past 2 years, we have increased the number of activities that we organize and host from 20 per year to over 50 per year, In this highly visible, easily accessible location SPACES will receive more walk-in traffic than ever before, opening up its world class artist projects to a larger audience. We estimate that our audience figures will triple in the first year of operation (to approx. 15,000 visitors/year). To sustain this level of activity for the community, the organization is in desperate need of additional staff.
To support more staff, the organization is looking to the development office to generate additional revenue. Without developing a major gifts program, SPACES will remain under-resourced and not be able to grow to its full potential. I’m ready to make the change!
Many thanks for considering my scholarship request.
Mastering Major Gifts enriches non profit orgànzations in so many ways. It gives the non profit organisation a platform to raise more money or major gifts. It play a mentoring role which is crucial learning strategy and also encourages self teaching. It also jet propels the fundraisers to reach greater height and archieve major gifts. It instills confidence among the fundraisers. It also motivates and increase the law of averages by attracting a large pull of potential donors. More Donors means more money that’s the simple equation of mastering major gifts
Our grassroots charity has a lot of monthly donors and annual donors, but we don’t know who to target for a major donor program, or how to start that relationship/conversation. Also, we’re not geographically proximate to a bunch of our donors, and I’m not sure if it’s possible to do major donor work remotely, or if it has to be face to face.
There are three reasons why I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money. First, this course is had a money back guarantee. While it would be free to me as a scholarship winner, others who pay to participate will be swift to collect a refund if it does not deliver results. And trust, if fund raising people have no other skill we know how to meet deadlines. The refund request will be asked for by the deadline with a detailed explanation. Mrs. Eisenstein has no intention of giving back money; thus you will succeed.
Two, the testimonies of past participants are compelling. No one sounded like they were already far along and just needed a boost. Although they knew there cause was worthy the big gift, each one seemed to be people who did not believe they could get the big gift. But they did. From my point of view, if they started out like me where I am now and got the gift using the tools from this course, then I can achieve the same results with these tools as well.
Finally, Mrs. Eisenstein has her name on this course. Her reputation is on the line. She is not going to let a program she created fail. Her credibility as a trainer is built on her ability to turn a development associate into a development rockstar. You follow her teachings and you will raise more money.
Mrs. Eisenstein I know at the core of your being you want to help people raise money for the things they are passionate about. You want to see every cause secure the funding they not only need but also deserve. And you have created this course to do exactly that. (Well I guess I had four reasons not just three).
Securing the Mastering Major Gifts Scholarship would revolutionise our organisation. As a one person Development Office, this resource would allow us to move from over dependency on major events and some reactive community fundraising – to a much more strategic and fruitful engagement with our supporters. With this knowledge we will identify those leaders who are currently lost and hidden from our view and present them with the opportunity that they are looking for to do more. We face a large Capital Campaign that will only succeed by securing Major Gifts – our market place is small and so to limit the waste of resource, time & money, having this skillset would have enormous benefit to those we aim to help.
The Mastering Major Gifts Course also brings together a community of people who face the same challenges and to have that resource and permission to help each other is powerful and incredibly powerful. Sometimes fundraising can be a lonely space and any help in making clear clever decisions, bouncing ideas and mentoring is invaluable.
Thank you for considering my application and If I were to be successful I can assure you that it would be put to very good use.
Edel
Our organization works with women and girls in South Sudan and Haiti–tough duty! Here in the States there are only 2 – 1/2 of us to do everything. As ED, I do the fundraising with a wonderfully supportive but not-overly-active Board. Our mission is compelling; nearly all revenue comes from indivs whom I’ve motivated to give. Now I’m a squirrel in a cage running faster and faster each year. I fall asleep each night muttering MUST CHANGE M.O…. Raising major gifts seems the obvious route, but I really have no systematic way of doing that. I am a nun, so I don’t don’t do cocktail parties or the golf circuit… There must be a better way…. Your course looks enticing, but as a small org the cost gives me pause. So a SCHOLARSHIP would be terrific (hint, hint!).
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
I try to help smaller organizations focus on major gifts, but it is difficult because they are short on staff and time. I tell them about my belief in The Willie Sutton School of Fundraising”:
Willie was a famous bank robber. When asked by a reporter why he robbed banks Willie replied “That’s where they keep the money!”
And that is what major gifts is about – going where they keep the money!
As a “small shop” fundraiser, I’ve been eyeing the Mastering Major Gifts program for a while now, but can never seem to squeeze it into the budget with our limited resources. This program will help me raise more money because it will provide me with the formalized structure I need for working on major gifts – which will yield greater results in terms of dollars raised. The program will train me to dedicate the time that’s so necessary for an effective major gifts program. The coaching and mentoring aspect of this program are vital to my success in “mastering major gifts” and will provide me with tools and inspiration needed to raise more money. It’s all about discipline and focus I need a coach to whip me into shape!
Investing myself and my time in the program will hold me accountable for doing the right thing for my organization – which is ensuring that I raise the necessary funds to achieve our mission and vision. It will also mean I’m investing in myself as a professional which makes me a better fundraiser all around. When you invest your time and talents in a program of this caliber you will see it through to ensure you get the most out of it and that’s exactly what I intend to do.
This program will train me to focus on the right prospects which will ultimately result in raising more money. It will also train me to give my donors more of the attention (and information) they deserve which will result in more money raised because of the strengthened relationships I can develop with each of them. Mastering Major Gifts will teach me new things, and reinforce things I already know, which I can pass along to my staff, CEO (yes, she can still learn from me), and the board (yes, please!)…which will make them more effective fundraisers that yield more dollars raised for our organization.
Additionally, my “small shop” is about to embark on an epic capital campaign. This program would be critical for me at this juncture as I seek major and capital gifts – and do that delicate dance of maintaining (and growing) an annual fund while raising capital funds too.
I thirst for knowledge and to improve my craft every single day. This program will take me and my organization to new heights as I learn to become more effective at raising major gifts. It will finally mean that there are no more excuses for not putting the time and emphasis in the right place! I want to be a rockstar fundraiser and I know that Mastering Major Gifts will help me get there.
As a young professional in the field, I am extraordinarily dependent on inexpensive opportunities to continue developing my skill set and knowledge base as a fundraising professional. I have escalated to a director level in a small-shop relatively quickly thanks to my drive and eagerness to say “yes” to whatever needs done. However, my inexperience in major gifts has proven to be a set-back. My current organization is in the very early stages of designing a major gifts strategy, and Mastering Major Gifts would be a critical tool for me as I continue to create and implement the tactics we need to succeed.
I will keep it simple…because I believe Amy knows what she is talking about!
Here is why I need this scholarship opportunity:
• Need: Lack of in-house expertise, lack of PD budget
• Context: Neoliberalism has meant government resources are fewer, and fundraising has
become necessary for community services that are essential
• Cost/Benefit: Ability to serve 10% of our Canadian city’s population of 70,000 with just
a few major gifts each year
• Homework: Have been putting pieces in place for success (training committed board,
stewardship efforts, asking for advice, prospect rating, etc.)
• Proof: Track record of steady success over past 3 years
——————> I can do this with your help! <——————-
I decided to summarize above, as it seems many others have similar reasons to my own, and I thought being succinct might be helpful to the crew who is deciding! That being said, in case you are looking for a bit of meat with the potatoes, here is the longer version of my story:
I am a young fundraiser. I began at my small, multi-service community-based charity on a 3-year grant, as a Resource Development Coordinator (with no formal fundraising experience, might I add), and by the end of the three years, we had seen enough results, just from consistency and stewardship, that the Board decided to invest in fundraising, and turned my position into a permanent one. My role is diverse, being the only one in my program, ranging from communications to data entry, stewardship, event planning, IT support, and the list goes on…
Now we are at a point where we are continuing to see modest growth, but it is not enough to keep pace with the reductions in other funding (foundations/government grants, etc.). Through increased stewardship we have seen an 85% increase in the number of donors who increased their donations this year compared to last year, but we are still small enough that one $4,000 gift from last year skews the overall total significantly, making our overall total no better than last year. It is demoralizing to see such incremental results (even though we should be celebrating our highly successful stewardship efforts!)
Our case is incredibly compelling (although I’m sure most fundraisers would say this), and a few major gifts per year would mean we could have a truly significant impact on homelessness and crisis services in a Canadian city of 80,000 people. We see about 10% of our city/county population, but due to neoliberalism, and other changing factors in society, we have found that our work becomes less and less funded by government each year.
Since I work alone, without a strong background in fundraising, I’m afraid I will not be able to take the agency to the next level. Even if we had 5-10 donors who gave $5,000- $10,000 gifts each year, we would be able to fill the gap that has emerged, and we would be able to eliminate waiting lists for people to access free counselling services.
Our agency is one that a little bit more unrestricted revenue would be life-changing for hundreds of people in our community. Needless to say, professional development is not something that can be offered regularly to all of our staff, so I end up only attending free webinars, and one small local conference per year. I also joined the board of our local fundraisers’ network in order to enhance my opportunities to soak in as much as I can at a low cost. I know a course like this would bolster my confidence in order to lead our agency in a new direction.
I was blown away by the session hosted by Amy Eisenstein when I won a scholarship to AFP Congress last year, where she made me feel like I really could become a major gift fundraiser. I’ve tried to follow some of the steps, and now have rated my donors, and know who we should approach, but so far I have gotten stuck at the ‘asking for advice’ and thanking donors. The cycle repeats each year, and I realize it is because I am not comfortable or prepared to take my relationship with our donors to the next level!
We have an excellent, committed board, devoted, long-time donors, and a huge opportunity to expand our mission to new audiences, since the confidential nature of our services have prevented us from telling our story in the past. If I had the confidence to sit in front of a few of the donors who have given with strong inclination and capacity, I have no doubt we would exceed our ambitious goals.
Thank you for this opportunity to enter this contest. I look forward to a chance to join others and take the Major Gifts Challenge Pledge, and find an accountability buddy who I can turn to when I need a reminder that I have the skills to do this!
Best wishes to all who apply! I am sure you all deserve this too, and whoever gets this opportunity will most definitely make our sector (and the organization you work for) proud! It is too bad that our sector isn't funded adequately to support professional development, and that these budgets are so hard to justify to funders.
This scholarship would mean a lot to our organization. We are a nonprofit that disburses grants to our schools and classrooms in our very large school district. Over 70% of our schools are high poverty schools, making our grants crucial to the success of innovative and impactful programs. Teachers and staff have a very hard time fundraising through their families who already give all they can. So far, our Foundation has only impacted less than a third of our student base through academic grants. So many people know the struggles our students face each day, and they are frustrated that our students are falling behind. We have a way to support our schools and we can show donors how they can do something. We are set up for a major gifts program, but have never pursued it. Why? Same old reasons. Lack of resources and staff (we have four staff members, two dedicated to development), lack of time (too many special events, mailings, committee meetings, etc.). Our donors are left in the dark, even though we have the opportunity to host tours at schools in which their dollars made a difference.
This year, for the first time, our executive director and our Board of Directors are preparing to focus on major gifts. This is a huge shift. Even though I have been a fundraising professional for 10 years, I have never been a major gifts officer and I have worked in events based organizations. Our professional development budget was completely wiped after another round of budget cuts. As I am taking the charge on this effort, I need more education, more feedback and I need guidance in how to identify ways to refine our strategy. My executive director, as well, has never had experience in major gift fundraising.
There is not a fundraising professional out there that does not deserve this scholarship. We all have tight budgets. We all want to raise more money and make a big difference. For the first time, I have the support of our Board and my boss to pursue major gifts, and I don’t want to mislead them or let them down. I really don’t want to let our donors or our students down. So, this is me, throwing my hat in the ring.
All my best to you as you make this difficult decision, and thank you so much for your resources and your support.
When I tell people where I work, the reaction is invariably one of these:
Audible inhale/gasp, followed quickly with “Oh, I love Mighty Writers”,
or
“How cool is that?!”
Mighty Writers has a secret. Its a secret we share with every kid who walks through our doors: writing has magical powers. It can and does transform lives by teaching kids (ages 7-17) to think clearly and write with clarity.
That’s our literacy crusade, and its urgent.
It’s way more than just “cool”. Its Mighty!
Mere months ago, I applied for this same scholarship (can you tell how much I want to take your class?!). I’m eager to learn skills and techniques that I can share with an Executive Director, with various Board Members and other volunteers -all of whom who are as equally passionate and dedicated to making more kids Mighty- so that together we can secure more five, six and who knows, maybe even seven figure gifts. No point in being shy about this. No money, no mission.
Our goal is to make Philadelphia home to the best kid writers in the country.
This Mastering Major Gifts course is our yellow brick road. What’s our Oz, you ask?
A city chuck full of clear thinkers and young writers.
What’s more Mighty than that?
Thank you.
Yours in Mightiness,
Naomi
I will be honest and very blunt, 2016 really kicked me in the stomach. It made me feel sad, scared. and dejected. And while I continue to struggle as we enter 2017, one thing that gives me strength and faith is knowing that I work for a non-profit and that the work I do makes a difference. I take great pride in my role to raise funds to support my organization’s efforts and in turn better the lives of those individuals suffering from the disease that we represent. Now you may be asking why am I sharing this or what does this have to do with Mastering Major Gifts. I believe that non-profits and individuals working on behalf of others is going to be more important than ever as we move forward, especially as it relates to health and patient support. And to have as great an impact as possible I need to be successful in my role. That means raising money. While I would like to consider myself a good fundraiser, one area throughout my career where I have struggled or failed to grow is in the area of Major Gifts. I know that Major Gifts can play a prominent role in fundraising and to do my job to the best of my ability and raise more money, I must learn to excel with Major Gifts.
I signed up for the class last Fall but was never 100% invested due to time constraints and the overall ability to focus on the valuable information provided. I have still yet to finish and certainly didn’t get everything out of it that I believe I could have or should have from the parts I did complete. A scholarship would allow me to re-engage and focus on getting the absolute most out of this class and everything I missed out on the first time around. I have no doubt that the class will give me the tools to be successful in the area of Major Gifts. With or without the scholarship, I look forward to taking advantage of everything the class has to offer and thank you for taking the time to provide it..
Hi, Amy! As president of a small theological graduate institution, I know that every fluctuation in major giving has significant impact on our budget, and therefore on our ability to accomplish our mission. In fact, the major gifts category donors has the largest annual impact on the charitable giving side of our advancement work. Stabilizing major gifts revenue as a steady increase would have great impact on how we carry out our global mission. As our global presence and impact increases in the majority world, an increasing number of students need financial aid. Mastering Major Gifts could be a great help to meeting that need. Thank you!
Jim Hart
This would be a fabulous opportunity for my organization. The Symphony is in a period of growth and momentum and I want to ensure I have the best funding-knowledge tools to bring to the table. We have passionate, loyal donors but we need to move the conversation from viewing major gifts as part of the annual fund, to extraordinary gifts in addition to the annual fund. If I could take this course I would come away feeling more confident in not only how I communicate with donors, but also how I handle internal conversations about major gifts and their impact on our company’s continued growth.
I’m a believer! Major gifts (and planned gifts) have the highest ROI of any sort of fundraising method. So much more bang for the buck than events, direct mail, etc., etc., etc.
But, fear, hesitation, the omnipresence of other sorts of tasks keep me away from pursuing them in an orderly, organized way.
We – like nearly every non-profit – operate on a tight budget, and find investments of this type challenging, scary, and we are unlikely to prioritize them….. and so they get cut.
The scholarship would eliminate my (and my organization’s) excuses! thanks for all you do!
Being the Tri-Parish Director of Stewardship and Development for three collaborating parishes and one parish school, I am often pulled in many directions. Although collaborating, each entity has its own needs and timelines. Sometimes those overlap. I am a team of one.
I have had luck with Family Foundations, but those seem to be a one time engagement. I want to be able to reach our parishioners and school families so that they can become better engaged in the philanthropic piece of our ministry…not just the Gala events and the Golf Outings. While they may not come up with Major Gifts immediately, I think this will help to develop a Major Gift attitude for the future.
I also need to look at Major Gifts, because it will help our ministry build a strong foundation. I am trying to change the culture here that says money is what matters. I know that it is relationships that matter, as well as mission. I try to teach our leadership that Evangelization is what feeds Stewardship. By acquiring the tools to bring in major gifts, it gives me the time to be more efficient in my relationship building, nurturing of those relationships and educating leadership on their important role.
Major Gifts training will help me to streamline my activities so that I can be more productive and fruitful for my organizations.
Learning Mastering Major Gifts will give me the skill set I need to use my time more effectively and efficiently so I can continue growing our program. I am the ED for a mobile after-school literacy program in North Carolina., Read and Feed. We have 3 full-time employees and serve nearly 600 low-income elementary-school children annually. Our 425+ volunteers are dedicated and passionate about our program and having the children become successful in their reading skills and attitude towards reading. We use mobile classrooms and travel to the neighborhoods where the children live and provide them a nutritious meal, tutors to help them with their reading and books to build home libraries. There are 110 elementary schools in our county and we are contacted weekly by schools wanting to partner with us. We are limited by our resources and having the opportunity to take the Mastering Major Gifts can help me ( and our organization) raise the resources to give Kids and Appetite for Reading!
I work for a large not-for-profit in Australian. One in seven kids here still lives in a jobless household and our work ends poverty through education one student at a time. Our donors love our work and we have a strong brand. The reason I would appreciate this scholarship is to enable to me shift our organisation’s focus to one of philanthropy & major gifts rather than donors. We are almost 100 years old and are best known for raising funds through direct mail appeals. As part of our major gifts strategy, we are about to launch an endowment fund that as a entry point offers a named perpetual scholarship for AUS$250k, which is delivering a new level of high net worth individual to our organisation, who requires a deeper level of stewardship. There are many discussions to be had around these exciting challenges and I want our supporters to have the best experience possible when engaging with our organisation and for us to give them the opportunity to make a tangible difference to those children who cannot afford the education they deserve. This shift is so large given our size and age, and I truly believe the course would sharpen my focus and help set the priorities around this life-changing initiative. Thank you for the opportunity.
Although I’ve been in the development field for several years, major gifts is an area that is an enigma to me. I haVe created major gifts programs, but have not implemented them for several reasons. Being part of this initiative would allow me to move forward to raise needed dollars for a worthy school. Approximately 50% of our students receive financial aid, yet we are leaving money on the table by not securing major gifts. We need a major gifts program to fund important school initiatives. The ROI on major gifts is higher than events or even direct mailings. Having a major gifts program would catapult the school to the next level of fundraising.
The Mastering Major Gifts course has been a truly remarkable experience for me. I have several decades of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising. This course provided validation and confirmation that I do have the skills, expertise and ability to raise major gifts. And, the course gave me new ways to think about and tackle planning, preparing, and asking. And, I gained new skills and confidence in training and supporting board members and volunteers in major gift work. Thank you, Amy, for your insight and your honest, direct approach to major gift fundraising. Onward and upward!
Why would I want to win this scholarship? I have not yet mastered major gift fundraising and it frustrates me everyday that I don’t, because philanthropy could vastly enhance the quality of life for the older adults that I serve. When I do master major gifts, I know that I would be more successful in partnering with donors in order to advance our organization’s mission of “being a premier senior living provider that celebrates the whole person while embracing families and partnering with the community.”
Thank you for the opportunity to request a scholarship.
Mastering Major Gifts will be a tremendouse opportunity because I’m brand new to major giving. I’ve recenly been promoted after two years as the event person. My colleagues have been working hard to lay the ground work to develop a major giving program by strengthening its annual giving program, implementing metrics and shifting from an event-driven culture and mindset. Instruction from a proven leader will have a lasting imact on me and my organization.
January 13, 2017
Dear Amy,
Thank you for opening up this opportunity to the nonprofit sector. We are so fortunate to have the chance to learn from one of the best! I am so grateful to you and your staff for taking the time to examine each and every response.
Having only graduated a year ago, I have excitedly entered into nonprofit sector with an open mind and an overly eager desire to learn. We have an incredible, all-star fundraising team at our small shop and I have already learned a great deal from them (and continue to do so everyday!)
Amanda Missey, our fearless leader and President & CEO is going to be working with you, Amy, in collaboration with another wonderful leader, Lynne Algrant (who also works at a local nonprofit). Amanda and Lynne have shown me that you can be innovative in getting the resources you need by collaborating!
Watching their thoughtful solutions have encouraged me to think outside of the box by applying for this scholarship. As Amanda undergoes her training, I would want to be the best support that I can possibly be. Taking these courses, especially at a point in my career where I am so malleable, would enable me to assist Amanda in our endeavors to grow our major gifts program. There are so many opportunities within our backyard (Bergen County, NJ) and by both of us having training on how to best obtain these funding sources would allow us to expand our reach. 2017 marks our first year with a budget just hitting 1 million and having all of the tools we need will be pivotal in achieving our goals.
Thank you for your time and consideration. This scholarship application has already been extraordinarily helpful in allowing me to see that there are opportunities out there to become the best fundraiser I can be. For that, I am thankful.
Should you have any questions, I can be reached at (201) 518-8487 or sporemba@bvmi.net. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2017!
With Gratitude,
Samantha Poremba
Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI)
Development Associate
Hi! My name is Nita Wilkinson. I am new to fund development at Green HIlls Community, an aging services provider in Ohio. I have spent the past 25 years in marketing and was invited to use my talents in fund development. While there are some similarities, there are many nuances that I am learning as well. I am the only fund development person in a small non-profit taking care of annual gifts, grant writing, board development and more. I have never gotten around to major gifts because it seems overwhelming to me. I want to learn more about it though and this seems like an excellent opportunity. I will also be eligible to get me CFRE at the end of the year and think this would help with that as well. Thank you for this opportunity. I believe it could help Green Hills enhance the lives of so many more elders!
I am currently a Sr. Foundation Officer at a local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and love what I am doing! I am just an accidental fundraiser that fell into this job and ended up loving it. I have been in this field for almost 10 years now and have yet to secure or ask for my first major gift. My roll didn’t include that job duty until just recently. Now comes the fun part of figuring this all out. I have other major gift officers in the foundation that I work for but there isn’t much training or coaching given to you. You are just told go raise money and you have to figure it out.
Then I found Amy’s website! Reading her blog updates and reading the material she has on her website is very helpful. Amy is so knowledgeable!
I feel that Mastering Major Gifts will give me the tools and know how to get out there and raise some serious money for my children’s hospital.
As the the only development person for a denominational international mission agency in Canada I am pulled in many directions. We have 150 people in 50 countries. These workers development local leaders with the objective of working ourselves out of a job. Local visionary leaders who can generate positive social change, like a man named Baker who decided that girls in the elementary school system in Uganda needed to complete school and graduate. To do that the girls had to have a way to overcome the shame associated with starting their monthly cycle. Baker developed the idea for a reusable sanitary pad. He learned how to sew it himself. He then taught women and girls in the villages of his region how to make the pads. The result is that more girls now finish school in his region. Gaining insight and expertise in major gift fundraising will help me achieve the financial objectives of our organization so that we can train more leaders like Baker. Our direct mail appeals are well known and people respond to them and yet many of our field workers operate on a shoestring. Major gifts will help us round out our programs and fulfill the currently identified needs. The impact will be many lives transformed around the globe.
My organization, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, is the organization where sexually abused children and their families come to find justice, advocacy, and healing. My position is the first time that they have had someone entirely focused on individual giving. And throughout the year, due to some high profile sex abuse cases, we have seen an influx of individuals coming forth to disclose their abuse.
Over 60% of our funding is from city, state, and county government. Unfortunately, last year in Illinois our state government never finalized a budget which meant late payments and many of our partner providers had to close their doors because they never received funding.
Though we squeaked by this past year, we really need to diversify funding and grow individual giving like never before. I have been very successful this year and have helped our team to follow best practices with their smaller portfolios of potential donors. However, to continue teaching I need to learn more! I feel confident that we are going in a great direction and with your guidance I will be able to grow my team and our organization. Our ED and Chief External Affairs officer are allowing me to lead the charge and I just want to be confident that I am always pointing them in the right direction.
I took Mastering Major Gifts last fall when our organization “couldn’t afford it”. And since I finished the course, I have found myself a Donor Acquisition Machine! The process that Amy uses builds confidence… not only in approaching donors but also reminding you of the worth of your organization while giving you the tools to confidently express that value to your community of donors. We are in the beginning stages of a nearly 12 million dollar capital campaign. I can now “speak the language” of big time donors and I have found myself setting up meetings with people that I would never have been comfortable in approaching about money. The confidence that I am projecting as we are going through our capital campaign…..as well as our end of the year campaign is contagious on the others who are working with me. We are creating a wonderful team! If I had to state in single words how taking Amy’s Mastering Major Gifts course changed our whole approach to raising big money I would use:
EMPOWERING VISIONARY SYSTEMATIC ENCOURAGING CONFIDENCE-BUILDING ESSENTIAL And without trying to be overly dramatic: LIFE-CHANGING
Thank you Amy for being willing to share your vast experience and knowledge with all of us in the nonprofit world. I would be thrilled to speak to you personally about our major project and where we are heading our organization.
Mastering Major Gifts would be what our organization needs to propel us forward. We have been diligently working the last ten year to increase the number of funding sources. Learning how to meet with these sources and steward them in the correct manner would be beneficial to these already connected individuals and businesses to increase their giving. My main role is Development Director, but with only five full-time staff members to run a bustling museum I where many additional hats. Thankfully the additional full-time staff members and the part-time employees understand the importance of customer service and caring for our donors and members. If we are chosen for the scholarship, you would have a group of people that already get the need to treat people well and thank them for the service and support. We just need direction on how to approach, converse with, and steward donors to increase their support.
We are moving in the direction of building a new facility because our programs have outgrown the current one which was built in the 1970’s. However, without an established major gifts program it will be difficult to sustain a new, larger facility. It is vital for us to gain this knowledge and put it into practice before we start a capital campaign.
From what I have read and heard, I appreciate Amy’s approach on major donors. I would tremendously enjoy getting to learn from her. I will keep my fingers crossed for a scholarship. Thank you for this opportunity!
When I look at their little faces or hold their hand as we walk down the hall, I want to do all that I can to help them overcome obstacles and reach their potential. I believe that I need your class to help our organization survive and help these beautiful preschool kids get the education and special services (speech,physical and occupational therapies) they need to successful enter kindergarten and start on a lifetime of learning
I am really strong at special events, but at their best they don’t raise NRA enough to keep my organization–the Wyoming Valley Children’s Association afloat. We have been operating in the red yet still providing schoalrships and services to those in need. I write grants, but few allow for operating costs which are a huge need.
As many that have written, I am the sole person in development and also do all communications social media input of batches of gifts et al. I need to get out with my supportive board and cultivate major donors and make major asks. I know some of the folks, but I don’t know how to shape and make the ask. I know that your course would be a lifesaver for me, my board and most importantly our great kids (Facebook wvcakids). Please consider me for your course. I look forward to your help in showing people how helping these wonderful kids is great for them and for our community!
We are a grass roots organization whose major initiative is to feed low income and needy individuals and to provide services to help people to move from poverty and dependency into self sufficiency. Staff and board together, working in a spirit of collaboration, are ready to move our agency into a Major Gifts program that will allow us to assist more people in an organized and intentional manner. In the past, we had a part-time Major Gifts Officer, working solo to reach large donors who may want to support our work. Today, we have a team of staff, board and volunteers ready and willing to share our story and mission with our donors and primed to embrace the challenge of implementing a Major Gifts Program. Our heart is in the right place but we need the tools and the structure to help us create and implement a plan that will accomplish our goals in a systematic manner. We are aware of our need for a mentor and and we are ready to listen, learn, work hard and master Major Gifts.
First and foremost, thanks for the opportunity!
So why do I think Mastering Major Gifts will help our development team raise more money? Because soliciting major gifts should be like “shooting fish in a barrel” for the organization I represent – if we were just equipped with the right tools. Our agency has a long-standing gold-star reputation (80+ years) within the community we serve. When anybody hears our name, they say “Oh, that’s such a great organization!” We have a proven history of support from (and a board that is stacked with) a number of moderately-high to very-high net worth individuals who are highly passionate about us – although a Development Audit that we recently completed has revealed that there is a BIG gap between the capacity of our donors (based on who they are) and what we’re actually receiving from them.
We are about to launch a significant strategic communication campaign for the first time in our organization’s history, designed specifically to support the development function. And we have a compelling (albeit slightly confusing) story to tell. So……we’ve got the goods to prove our merit, strong infrastructure in place to support the fundraising function, people who love us AND they have money to give.
Which means all the right components exist to create the foundation for a HIGHLY successful Major Gifts Initiative. We just don’t know what to do next because none of us are trained on how close the deal!
I represent an organization that provides best-in-class counseling and education services to children and families regardless of ability to pay. Our programs make sure kids get a great start and families stay together.
We are a grass roots organization whose major initiative is to feed low income and needy individuals and to provide services to help people to move from poverty and dependency into self sufficiency. Staff and board together, working in a spirit of collaboration, are ready to move our agency into a Major Gifts program that will allow us to assist more people in an organized and intentional manner. In the past, we had a part-time Major Gifts Officer, working solo to reach large donors who may want to support our work. Today, we have a team of staff, board and volunteers ready and willing to share our story and mission with our donors and primed to embrace the challenge of implementing a Major Gifts Program. Our heart is in the right place but we need the tools and the structure to help us create and implement a plan that will accomplish our goals in a systematic manner. We are aware of our need for a mentor and and we are ready to listen, learn, work hard and master Major Gifts.
Mastering major gifts will be a key for the success of my foundation. This is because as a foreigner (Swedish citizen) with a US registered foundation I will need the special knowledge about makor gifts from someone like Amy to be able to receive major gifts.
To master major gifts is completely new for me as a founder of an organization and an necessity in order to bring success to the foundation. But it is something we have budgeted to work with during this coming year.
My foundation focuses on saving the last indigenous culture in europe: the Saami culture where reindeerherding, handicraft and schamanism are at the core and are under threat by supporting cultural outreach, education and support of the different cultural aspects of the Saami culture and also by people adopting a reindeer.
Hi Amy,
I am new in my position as Director of Development as of May 2017, for Marketing EDGE. I was brought on as part of a strategic plan to shift the organizations fundraising strategy to focus on major gifts fundraising.
Having worked as the only development staff at this and many other organizations (wearing many different hats), I would welcome the opportunity to take your Mastering Major Gifts program so we can achieve our goal of increasing our major gifts revenue. Being a small organization with a budget under $2million, this scholarship will help us to fulfill our mission of educating, developing, growing and employing college students in the field of marketing. We work with students, academics and corporations to help young people develop bright successful careers. I’d also like to add that your course would help me directly as well, by allowing me to prepare for the CFRE certification exam as well as earn 35 CEU’s needed to be approved to take the exam.
Thank you, Amy, for considering my request. I’ve been to many conferences where I’ve heard you speak and I welcome the opportunity to learn more from you.
Best,
Amy Sigona
Director of Development
Marketing EDGE
I work for a small size non-profit organization working on a great program; providing educational and learning opportunities to the less-fortunate girls and boys in developing country where access to better quality education is close to impossible. We are two staff members here. I am the person responsible for all the fundraising activities which takes a lot of my time and efforts. We have developed our plan for 2017 which has a number of new projects, meaning the annual fundraising goal has gone up from $250,000 to $1 million. Without major gifts there is no way I can achieve this target and failing to do so means a number of great and important projects will not be happening this year. Thus, mastering major gifts is extremely important for me to take part in and gain all the knowledge I need to be able to raise major gifts this year.
I must thank you Amy for the free of cost tips and information you share on daily basis. That itself is a great contribution from you.
Amy and team,
Thank you for this opportunity, it’s a great gift you’re offering.
The organization I work for has an incredible track record for maintaining annual givers and foundation and corporate grants. However, we can count the number of truly major gifts we’ve received on one hand.
Over the past year I have been participating in all the free training on Major Gift Programs possible. From that training I’ve been able to grasp the theories behind a successful major gifts program, but I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me learn how to execute on those ideals. By learning how to lead our board in better prospecting, lead my team in a more intentional cultivation plan and continue our successful stewardship program, I believe that our organization will be able to raise more funds than ever in the next year.
We like to say that by providing financial literacy services to teens, our supporters help teens feel confident and free when it comes to money. I believe that Mastering Major Gifts would provide the same confidence to my team and I. The confidence necessary to get out there and inspire major gifts.
Thank you for considering me for your program.
Best,
Jeni Foshey
I have always wanted to take the course but like others have said, didn’t think my organization could afford it. As the state adviser for two non-profit organizations, my daily job responsibilities takes precedence over raising funds for either organization. I feel like I am caught in a vicious cycle of learning about how to make an ask, not having the time to ask and then starting over again. I am stuck with raising many small gifts, but would like to raise some major ones to move the organizations forward. Help me build my confidence and become successful in raising major gifts!
Dear Amy,
CHANGE! CHANGE! CHANGE!
I am the Director of Development and a one person shop for Millwood School, an independent co-ed JK-12TH grade school with 170 students. After 29 years of service, our Founding Head of School is retiring at the end of this school year. This presents a substantial change. The new Head of School will bring his ideas, his management style, and his energy to our school. Though we are sad to see our Founding Head of School leave, we are very exciting about Millwood School’s future.
In 2001, our school was bursting at the seams with 321 students. After the economic downturn in 2008, we have continued to struggle to grow our enrollment. We need a change! A necessary change would be to increase enrollment and show our community how we make a difference in the lives of every child who walks through our doors. Our philosophy is that each child is unique and that no two children learn in exactly the same way. We impact the life of each child we teach.
The training and guidance that I would receive from the Mastering Major Gifts Course would be the change that would exponentially benefit Millwood School. As Director of Development, I wear many hats. There has not been a steady effort in building a Major Gift Program. Our Major Gift Program has stumbled because of lack of knowledge of the right steps to take to secure gifts, the dedicated time, and a Board that is not trained in fundraising. The development budget is steep this year and I have to make my goal. I have worked hard at stewarding and cultivating our Millwood School Family. I am sure that your Mastering Major Gifts Course will give me the needed confidence and skills that will empower me to go out and “make that ask.” I am convinced that the best use of my time is in raising money through major gifts and I am anxious to get started. This course will also equip me with the knowledge to train our board to fund-raise more effectively.
I know that the Mastering Major Gifts Course will be life changing for me, our students, and our school. I would be honored to have you as my mentor.
Thank you for your consideration and opportunity.
Lisa McClanahan
People, basically, want to be helpful and generous.
People want to donate their money to a cause they feel will use their donation wisely.
Many organizations are “out there” asking people to donate their money to them.
People want to donate but they don’t have to donate to my non-profit.
Why would I NOT want to participate in “Mastering Major Gifts” to increase the odds of marrying those potential major gifts donors with MY non-profit?
Anything that can be done to increase my group’s odds in a limited pool of donors only makes common sense.
We are a small nonprofit helping afterschool and summer programs grow and provide access to more students. I am the ED and also the Development Officer. We have survived primarily on grants for years but it is time to start making personal connections to make our organization more sustainable.
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
With much fear and trepidation I signed up for Mastering Major Gifts last fall. For the small faith based organization for which I am the one person development director, the investment was by far the largest we have ever made in fundraising. But after communicating with Amy, and her “common sense” encouragement, I bit the bullet and signed up.
Then after a week in the course a sudden family sickness developed, and then I became extremely sick. Obviously, this put me way behind in my participation and study. Dealing with these sicknesses along with our meager (but extremely necessary) end of year fundraising efforts only put me further and further back of the 8 ball.
Finally, I contacted Amy and explained my situation. Amy has graciously allowed me to be a part of the February Mastering Major Gifts course, at no additional charge! How gracious and generous!
I feel as if I have been blessed with a second chance! Therefore I am more dedicated than ever to put the necessary time and effort into Mastering Major Gifts to make sure that my organization will receive a tremendous return on their investment in the course (and in me!). And that our mission will move closer to the dreams that we have in bring the Gospel of Christ to the next generation of youth.
Thank you Amy!
Thank you for this opportunity! In the world of development, there is always room for professional growth. 18 months ago, I moved into a new position. I’m charged with engaging alumni and raising funds for the university’s nonprofit Foundation. I’m a “department of one” and this a new position for the university, and the first time alumni have been asked for money. I LOVE this opportunity. There is significant potential for growth and success. I want to make the most of it. I want to be very sure that my relationship building and engagement strategies are as effective as they can be, and that I’m not, in my inexperience, overlooking proven approaches . The work of our nonprofit Foundation is just too important. Our scholarship recipients are active military, veterans, parents and employees. They are excelling in spite of “life happening in the background.” Through student scholarships we change lives. My success or failure directly impacts the number of lives our nonprofit Foundation can change. Mastering Major Gifts will help me bring my A-game and change more lives. It’s that simple.
I would absolutely love to win this scholarship to “Mastering Major Gifts” as our not-for-profit is small but growing larger and larger. Thus, the need for more funding to feed the growth spurt and keep it going and growing is imperative. Without the growth, there can only be mediocracy, and to be in such a “holding pattern” is to die. We have only been a 501(c)(3) for a year now and as Founder and CEO it is my vision that Unity House not only continues to grow but keeps on existing long after I am gone; thus helping many, many more people struggling with the battle of addiction. What we do is something that no one else in this or the surrounding community does. We “provide a safe, semi-structured environment to individuals with substance and behavioral addictions without forcing or coercing the clients/members to be a part of or take any part in prayer to a God they may not be ready to have a relationship with. This is why it is imperative we grow; we believe in attraction, not promotion. This is what keeps our success rate so high. We need to be there for more and more people as the disease continues it’s ugly growth in our communities.
I would like to take Master Major Gifts course to develop a master major gift program at St. Lucy’s Priory High School, so that it can remain a viable choice for future young girls to attend this wonderful all girls college prep high schooI.
I have been in the fund raising field for over 25 years but been a generalist heading hospital foundations for most of my career. And, have of course, sought and received major gifts. But, I would love to refine and further my skills in major gift fund raising because I know that is so greatly needed here.
Four months ago, I received a call from one of the sisters at St. Lucys, asking me if I would be interested in helping them in advancement. How could I say no? So, I found myself back at the high school where my two daughters attended and my husband coached as part of the track and field program for six years. We joke in the family, that finally mom is a St. Lucy’s Regent.
I know first hand what this school can to for the young women who attend. My daughters, have turned out to be two beautiful, compassionate, caring young women that I believe can be largely attributed to the education that they received at St. Lucy’s. They have successfully graduated from a division I school, as student athletes and continuing to make their personal mark in the business world.
The school was founded over 52 years ago by a wonderful Benedictine order of nuns and every student is made to feel special and embraced. We have girls who come from all walks of life, many who could not attend if it weren’t for the scholarships that we offer and our tuition is one of the lowest in the area. And we have not raised our tuition for years because of the Sisters desire to not exclude young women who want to go here.
I would love to build a major gift program here to ensure that we turn away no one who wants to receive and benefit from the education that they would receive here at St. Lucys. Raising major gift funds would not only allow us to keep our tuition reasonable, but, help us upgrade our campus and allow us to continue bringing new teaching practices here that will benefit each student. For example, we are now launching a one-to-one iPad program here next fall.
To date, we have never embarked on a major gift program here, so this would be a new adventure for us here. I know as an alumnae parent we have missed many major gift opportunities and a consistent major gift program would really do well here. Please help me continue the legacy of the Benedictine Sisters and help ensure the longevity of this wonderful high school that has brought light, truth and peace to all the young girls who have attended and who will attend in the future.
Hi Amy,
I recently moved into the Major Gifts position from Membership within my museum and found that I was completely lost in this new style of fundraising. I am pleased to say that after taking Mastering Major Gifts, I have built a new Major Gifts program and stewardship model for my museum. We are already noticing an increase in gifts and board participation. Thank you for the much needed help!
Courtney
My name is Michelle, and I am honored to serve as the Resource Development Leader for Friends of the Future, a small nonprofit working locally in Hawai‘i.
Friends of the Future provides an organizational home for sixteen (16) community initiatives empowering people to take action that positively impacts education, the environment, leadership, and wellbeing.
Most of our initiatives are sustained by grants and volunteer efforts. So my interest in major gifts would be focused on two (2) of our initiatives as well as the operating support for Friends of the Future.
Though we have been blessed to receive major gifts ($500 or more) from thirteen (13) people, those gifts were given without an ask. I don’t know what we did right to make those happen! I am also unsure what I should do to build relationships with those donors.
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because:
1) I am very motivated to be successful in growing our sources of financial support. The two programs I am focused on will be losing their funding to continue in 2018, and I simply love what they do. I wish I had the money to sustain them myself.
2) As motivated as I am, I know it is not enough. Friends of the Future has a major gifts department of one and it is me. It’s up to me make it happen. I know in our community we have more than enough potential donors with the capacity and interest to fulfill their dreams by supporting our work. I know I have all the time and other resources necessary to be successful at raising major gifts for our organization. I am poised to succeed for the benefit of our organization and community. I know I will be successful because we are poised to succeed … the ‘stage’ is set … the conditions are ripe! I just need the confidence and added knowledge I will gain through the Major Gifts course to help me work thoughtfully, efficiently, and most of all, effectively.
I would love to win the scholarship. I have taken advantage of several of Amy’s on line webinars. She is an inspiration as well as very knowledgeable and easy to listen to and learn from. I have been in my role for 2 years. I have always been a philanthropist in my day to day live but this is the first non profit job of fundraising responsibilities I have had. I recently was promoted to Vice President of Development from Director of Development at my organization and I have the desire to expand my knowledge as far as I can.
I would love to win a scholarship, I have followed you for a number of years online. I have 12 years experience as a major gifts fundraiser and then a philanthropy consultant (own business) helping major donors give well – so I can see the perspectives of givers and those seeking gifts. From this perspective, so much of what you write about in your blog is spot on! I am looking to get back into philanthropy and major gift fundraising after a 4 year break to start raising to wonderful daughters. The HUGE challenge I am finding here in Australia is the lack of flexible work in the fundraising sector. While major gifts can totally be done part-time/flexibly, the sector here appears closed to anything other than full time roles. My plan in response, partly inspired by you Amy, is to establish myself as a major gifts and philanthropy consultant/online mentor, delivering individual and group mentoring online. I saw your fab new course and thought that it will refresh my knowledge and skills and give me more confidence. This will help me to raise more $ for my current clients and additionally I now have somewhere to refer them to to get excellent training while I give them local support (why invent the wheel I say?). So let me know Amy if branching into Australia is of interest!!
Having spent the better part of my twenty-five year Development career in University related and highly structured shops, I have had the benefit of a “train the trainer” model of fundraising. Universities are famous for being incredible Development training organizations but the reality is that most of the time you are learning best practices and not the foundational logic, reasoning and steps to building a program. Last fall I personally enrolled in the Mastering Major gifts course (I have successfully solicited and received seven seven-figure gifts during my career) so that I could learn the foundational aspect of what constitutes the development of a major gift program. Many would say that I was “over qualified” for the course when, in actuality, the course was exactly what I needed!!!! The binder sits on my desk and is a reference tool for me daily. Sometimes development officers need to know the “how” behind a program in addition to the day-to-day mentorship and mimicking that often happens when new major gift officers join a major gift team. I look forward to using the binder with board members and others as it shows impartiality in the fundraising process…the verbiage is not my verbiage,,,,simply the verbiage of a “prophet from some other land”. Great experience and I highly recommend it for all Development leadership!
In the last few years, our organization has made some big changes. Prior to hiring me, the leadership decided to start a fundraising department and team. It took some time to roll it out effectively, but for the last 3-4 years, we have been able to increase the funding for our life-changing international projects. We’ve increased our impact around the world, yet one thing was lacking: operational funds. In 2016, the lack of operational funds was such that we unfortunately had to do what was now inevitable. We had to say goodbye to 2 key people in our organization as their salaries could no longer be sustained. Since then, I have been the only full-time Development Officer focusing on major gifts.
In the last 3-4 months, our fundraising efforts have been bearing lots of fruit, despite the financial crunch and working with reduced operational budgets (approximately 50% of what it was a year ago). I do not have any formal training in fundraising, but have been doing my best to find funding for both our projects and our operational budget. I’ve also recently been promoted to a director role and would love to kick that off with a solid foundation in fundraising.
The opportunity to win a scholarship for “Mastering Major Gifts” would be a game changer. It would kick off my new role with crucial training. It would significantly improve the quality of our Development department’s efforts, significantly increase our impact in our international projects, and I am certain we could reach our operational budget goals so that we can find ourselves in a solid, sustainable financial situation.
Thanks, Amy, for your help through your webinars, emails and the opportunity to win this scholarship!
MMG has empowered me to think about what I do in a different way. I am not just asking for money, I am helping donors find their passion, invest in something they believe in, and identify their legacy. I am working on shifting my thinking to be about where the relationship with the donor should be in 10 years rather than focus on the first gift. Changing the way I think about the donor (and my job) helped me with my first Major Gift ask. They said yes! Thanks Amy for the confidence.
Our non-profit is small but worse we aren’t one of those pretty nonprofits that everyone seems to want to get behind. We tackle a tough topic that is very necessary in our community, supervised visitations. We believe strongly that every child has the right to know both parents whenever possible. Without our service children would be separated from a parent, mom or dad. Children often believe they are the reason for the separation but it’s really a parent issue, drugs, alcohol, mental health, abuse.
Because what we do is such a niche service we don’t get donations, of any kind! We rely heavily on fundraising. We need for people to believe in us and support us. We’ve been around for 16 years and the only people that could really promote us, the parents who use us, do not want to tell their stories. This scholarship could teach me the things I need to know to keep us going strong and to add more much needed services for kids and their parents. Thank you.
My non-profit has been sliding along. We haven’t really gone after big money. Part of that is because the only staff person is the Executive Director and she is the visionary. I have been volunteering for 3 years and am now on the board. We are still infants and need to learn more.
Funds are extremely limited. Most things I am learning through free webinars.
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because Amy is a highly respected and inspiring expert who will teach best practices. Securing major gifts is an art and a discipline. It is more than “meeting” with a donor. It is connecting the donors passion to the program. The steps to getting to that final ask are critical and I believe this seminar shed a refreshed light those steps. I hope to learn how to make those steps a natural part of my work. By focusing on major gifts, I believe the impact will be faster and far greater for the students and school I am a part of.
Training in major gift fundraising will be a game-changer for my organization’s future potential growth, as well as improving my ability as a self-taught fundraiser to support and lead my organization in an upcoming capital campaign. As a self-taught fundraiser (starting with grantwriting), major gifts is the area where I have the least experience and the most still to learn.
My organization is facing critical challenges in serving our community as we have physically outgrown our current space. We have exciting opportunities for expansion and future control of our own building with the support of our current landlord, but launching a capital campaign for this effort will require deepening and expanding our donor relationships — and the area where there is the most opportunity is in major gifts.
Some of our longest-term donors are signaling that they are ready to be asked for deeper support. Training in major gifts now is a critical step up in stewarding these relationships. And even more importantly, so is bringing this knowledge to our Board of Directors so that I can support them in these major efforts on behalf of our organization.
Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.
Sincerely,
Jeff Deveaux
Development Director
SANCA
I am an avid reader of Amy’s emails and I have already applied some of that learning with success. I have no doubt the course will be excellent and give me what I need. We are a small non profit school in New Zealand and have out grown our rented building. I believe major gifts is the way to funding a new and bigger school so we can provide alternative education to more children.
My career in philanthropy was an accident – a happy one but an accident none the less. I started in the finance department of a local charity in Calgary but was soon told that I would be a much better fit in a development role, I have excelled at executing effective annual giving programs and put on numerous successful fundraising events. I know the amount of work that goes into these types of activities and as I transition into a more senior role with a more fulsome portfolio I know the value in developing a major gifts program.
I now hold a senior leadership role and have been given the directive to work with our volunteer board to develop a major gifts pipeline and help our volunteers solicit gifts, To benefit my organization and support our mission I am keenly aware that major gifts will help us give us more to invest in patient care and innovation.I am starting to look at our pipelines to assess who are prospects and potential major gift donors are but I know I need help to develop compelling cases and to move these relationships forward.
I also have 10 staff who report to me and need to be able to provide them with tools and coaching that will also make them successful as well. I have valued receiving the emails from Amy since the beginning of the year and have been sharing the emails as I truly believe in positive self talk. We have a “can do” attitude within our team and we know we can do major gifts too!
We are a small parochial school without a major gifts program. Training is key to starting a major donor program so we can launch it the correct way. Our goal with the major gifts program is to provide scholarships to students who want a Catholic education but cannot afford to attend our school. One donation of $5,000 will be enough to fund one scholarship! Imagine what we could do if we had 10 $5,000 donations or more!
Our students receive a top shelf education. Our students testing ranks high compared to the national average. Our students go on to leading universities and become active, caring members of our society. Imagine how many more students we could help with a successful major gifts program.
Your scholarship would be critical in changing lives – changing the educational opportunities for our students for years to come. Imagine how many lives they can change because you decided to change theirs.
Thank you
Sandi