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. More compelling entries have a better the chance of winning.
On Monday, May 15th 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 will be able to raise more money,after attending and successfully completed a well organised course on Mastering Major Gifts.
8th May,2017
I’ve raised money through capital campaigns, started a monthly sustainers program and focused heavily on stewardship and retention. But, I haven’t implemented a full-fledged, ongoing major gifts program! As a one-person shop, I feel I need a guide in this area. Outside the special one-time ask for a capital campaign, major gifts is unknown territory for me and I feel this is the perfect time (after the completion of a successful capital campaign) to put this type of program in action. There are no mentors in my area and a course like this would be exactly what I need.
I truly believe that efforts in the major gifts area yield the greatest return on the investment because it’s based on one-on-one, face-to-face relationship building. Research has shown this is the most effective way to help donors see what a wonderful difference they can make through your work.
In a nutshell: major gifts is my Rubicon! (And think it is for many small shops.) I’ve created my fund development program, I’ve put in place the best practices – now it’s time for me to take it to the next level: Major Gifts!
Mastering Major Giving course will assist me in methods to identify the right prospective donors, help to clarify language to use to ask for a gift. Allow me to be more confident is asking board members to help. Boost my overall confidence in my ability to secure major gifts.
When I started at my current organization, major donors were a priority, but they were being tracked on a small scale, using an Excel spreadsheet. I created a moves management system within our database and have spent a lot of time figuring out what will work best for our organization in terms of managing major donors.
It’s always an ongoing process, and I’m always seeking out new resources and ideas, particularly around tracking and around asking. One of my responsibilities is to make recommendations to our ED based on prospect research I’ve done; I believe you can never have too much information when it comes to the art of major gift fundraising!
For me, major gifts comes down to a simple equation: connecting people who have capacity and a drive to change to organizations that support their passions and philanthropic directions. Asking a donor to invest in your mission and programs can only be successful when that donor has been researched, cultivated, and stewarded according to their interests. The art of getting this right for individual donors, coupled with the science of tracking these very individualized investments in a way that makes sense for my organization, is what compels me about major gift fundraising.
With gratitude,
Beal St. George
Burlington, VT
Mastering Major Gifts will give me the tools I need to develop and launch a major gifts program, while also supporting general fundraising efforts at Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta. As an organization, Komen has done well with event supporters, but little has been done to create a donor-centered giving program. When I joined Komen Atlanta in 2016 I set out to help correct that, build a donor-base, and work towards a major giving program that can be managed alongside my other development duties (as an office of one!). While I have been very successful at corporate, mid-level individuals, membership programs, and other fundraising initiatives, my one area of hesitation is major giving. A chance at a scholarship that will allow me to overcome this hesitation will greatly help Komen Atlanta by changing the way I connect with donors and deepen their commitment to our mission – and once I have the tools I know I can help build a great giving program that will not only help financially, but also in the way our work is perceived in Atlanta’s philanthropic community.
Mastering major gifts will help me raise more money by getting started! Our small nonprofit doesn’t have a major gifts program and is largely dependent on grants. I need help for myself and for our front-line fundraisers to elevate their confidence in inviting major donors to invest in our work.
The nonprofit I work for has made major strides over the last four years in expanding programs and impact. This growth is exciting and wonderful, but without growing our infrastructure and creating a robust major gifts program, we’re setting ourselves up for a “hamster wheel” of just getting by in the next few years. Taking this course will help us harness the strategies and prospects at our fingertips in a meaningful way to take positive steps towards sustainable long-term growth to support our mission, “serving children of all abilities.” The course will give us (okay, we’re a one-person development staff… me) concrete tools to continue to grow and succeed for years to come.
I had the honor of attending a workshop with Amy one year ago in Norfolk, VA and felt very motivated. Her advice and direction was clear and concise, which I greatly appreciated. I’ve done my best to implement “Major Gift Mondays,” a dedicated time to focus on these efforts. I’ve also been working my way through the Major Gifts Challenge, but feel I am ready for more. I started in my position as Chief Development Officer two years ago at the age of 25 – promoted several times because of a combination of hard work and good timing. I, however, recognize my youth and lack of experience. While that can make it difficult to connect to our older donor base and supervise co-workers who are the same age or older, I believe I bring a deep enthusiasm and an intense desire to not only be the best that I can be, but make our organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula, the best that it can be. What I need now is additional instruction for how to take my fundraising efforts to the next level, to make up for what I’m lacking in years of experience. I believe this course could help me do just that. Thank you for your consideration!
We have a major capital project that the organisation is relying on to move forward. As it is a very large expense, and one not easily broken down into concrete, easily achievable components (i.e. $500K pieces of equipment, salaries, etc.), we’ve had no traction through our current private donations pool. The project seems simply outside of the reach our our current Annual Fund fundraising efforts, but much more achievable with at least partial funding from some leadership donors.
I am about to launch a campaign at a social service agency with a long history of service. There has not been a campaign done here in the current Board’s tenure or the current Executive Director’s tenure, which has been 14 years. The majority of the Board is not engaged in fundraising as most of our programs have government funding and they have become used to that type of support. We are launching a $2.5 million campaign which is half program growth/operating and half capital costs for a new entrance and improved space to a building that houses our Crisis Nursery and Children’s Healthcare Center. I believe that your course will help me raise more money by giving me tools to empower Board members to actively and enthusiastically engage in this process as well as engage donors to make major gift commitments to us in a way that they have not been asked to do in the past.
Mastering major donors will help me raise more money for my organization because currently, a significant amount of time is devoted to individual donors that give less than $1000. Although this is a worthwhile audience, being able to reallocate time to major donors would result in larger gifts and introduce the organization to higher capacity donors and ultimately result in larger gifts to impact the organization’s mission. The same time devoted to donors at levels below $1000 could be redirected to target major gifts the could multiply the fundraising bottom line.
Hi Amy! I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because I’ve been tasked with starting a program with little dev experience and no support from the higher-ups! I think I may lose my job because they think major gifts will come in over night!
“Mastering Major Gifts” will add some meat to the bones of my growing adolescent career in philanthropy. I appreciate the natural ability gifted to me, an ability to instill personable and genuine gratitude in others for the good they do and provide to a non-profit’s mission, and the greater communities they all serve. I want to build transformational, sustainable relationships that connect people’s values to any organization’s mission I am lucky enough to serve.
We are moving from events fundraising and normal gifts to major gift fundraising and have to replace up to $750,000 with Major Gifts – this will help us create a more sustainable and reliable and consistent development future.
Our organization currently doesn’t have much of a major gifts program. We are in the beginning stages of developing this program and simple steps would help us move forward!
It shows how important and dear the gift is to you
Mastering Major Gifts will teach me to connect the right people to the heart of my organization. Rather than a lot of people with little connection, it will train me to develop long-term relationships with people who can invest in my organization to create more meaningful work with the donor.
I believe the course will help me because there has not been a program like this done at my organization before. I am not new to fund development, but the program itself is new. Therefore, any help I can get in learning best practices, examples, etc. would be great to help get the fund development program off the ground and running.
I would like to take this course as my organization will be starting a capital campaign. I would like to learn some new tips about asking the right questions to donors and what answers I should be exploring further. I would like some help in engaging our younger donors. I would also like to know how we can use events as a fundraising tool
Thank you for considering me for this great opportunity!
I know that I am effective when I have an accountability structure in place, It’s been a while, so I’m sure a fresh start will inspire me!
I have been fundraising for over 20 years but never had the opportunity to work at an organization where a major gifts program was a priority, let alone did we have access to high-level donors. I currently fundraise for a 31-year-old recovery program building and diversifying our fundraising efforts. We have reached a number of milestones in the short two years I have been here. Some of those milestones include reaching 100% participation in the annual fund, adding in a formalized grant writing program, written board responsibilities and soon the first ever board retreat. We are on the road to complete board commitment.
Our board has access to high-level donors however they lack the discipline and understanding that the approach and cultivation of these donors are key. Mastering Major Gifts would not only provide me as the development director the training I need to sharpen my skills but it would also provide our board with a strong foundation to develop a major gifts program. I see this training as a team approach – it would not just be me as the staff person participating but a requirement for at least one board member to go through the training modules with me. I am a strong believer that the staff and board/volunteers are a team and when they work together, following best practices, great things happen.
In the past, our organization has not realized the importance of allocating financial resources towards fundraising and marketing. This has been a slow process but we are moving in the right direction. The board understands the importance of raising funds and the fact that with more fundraising dollars the more we can accomplish. The roadblock we continue to face is that even when we do raise more than budgeted, those funds need to be put directly back into providing services. As mentioned earlier our population is those who are dealing with the disease of addiction. Nearly every dollar raised goes to direct service. Receiving this scholarship would be the bridge we need to a professional training for our staff and board to build a successful major gifts program which will help us continue to save lives and reunite families.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
I work at a small nonprofit where I am the “Donor Relations Manager”… but I am also the only person in this department! We operate on a shoestring, so there are no extra funds for training, everything possible goes to supporting orphan children in 9 countries. Unfortunately, we have no Major Gifts Department, and I have no training in major gifts. We have good, faithful donors, many of whom have been with us since we started in 2000, some of whom give $1000 or more per month, and several who give year end gifts of $5000 to $75,000. I try to be very supportive with these people, sending cards and letters letting them know how much we appreciate them, but I fear we just aren’t doing enough even though most aren’t seeking recognition for their gifts. These major donors are spread all across the nation, so I can’t invite them to dinner to talk to them, and I can’t travel to visit with them because all our travel budget goes to the Education and Advocacy Department as they travel to hold presentations. I try to keep all of our donors happy, whether they give $10 per month to $1800 per month, give annually or quarterly. I try to have at least one personal contact with each one each year, so since I am a one person department, it is hard to give each major gift donor the attention they probably should have. To be truthful, the COO and CEO prefer to be the ones who talk in person to the major donors, so other than sending appreciation or thank you cards and thank you letters, they seem to prefer that I don’t have more contact with the major donors. I’m not sure if your training could help me or not, but I’m willing to try.
Mastering major gift will help me more and more as i will raise money to start my organisation and i will also be helping many friends facing problems
I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because I am brand new to my position as a Development Director and really have had no formal training on how to raise major gifts. When I took the job, there was an experienced board member that was promised to help me learn how, but they have basically disappeared. We are doing such great work helping the homeless animals in our community and I would love to be able to bring in larger donors to help sustain our operations for another 90 years. Because we receive no government or operational funding from the county, state, or other governments; and we are not affiliated with any national humane societies or animal welfare organizations, donations from individuals are crucial. Our organization is currently struggling to close the monthly gap of funds needed to sustain our operations and make the necessary improvements to benefit the homeless pets that stay with us until we can find them a forever home. Therefore, paying for development training is not currently a luxury that I have. I believe that with the tools and training from your course, I will gain the step by step knowledge and the confidence to find and secure the major gifts we need and to develop a plan to grow the fundraising capability of our organization, which will allow us to continue to help the precious animals that need us the most.
Amy, I need your help! We are entering the quiet phase of a capital campaign for scholarship endowment. We have no counsel and I am a one person shop. We are a community college district foundation serving two local community colleges in El Cajon, CA. I know that your guidance and education would be invaluable to me at this time. Thank you for your consideration.
Hi Amy,
I currently work for an international mission organization. We are in the final stages of a merger with a domestic mission organization. Both organizations share a 100+ year history and a large number of donors at major, mid and general support levels.
Both organizations do good work and we believe we can do more together. We currently have over 200 staff in various counties around the globe including North America who provide extensive and transformational leadership training and community development programs for some of the most marginalized and poorest people you can imagine.
Throughout the merger process I have been saying to everyone who will listen that 1+1 does not equal 2. Every survey and estimate that we have conducted shows that donors are going to consolidate their giving at lower levels than the current independent giving patterns.
As part of the development department merger team we have realized that neither one of our organizations has a well organized major gift program. If we are going to preserve the good work and valuable programs for some of the poorest among us we need help.
As a team we have decided that a major gift program needs to be the priority. We want to build a culture of philanthropy in this newly merged organization and believe a major gifts program will be the backbone of that effort. We are looking at this course as a way to provide some the basic structure and elements for our new major gift efforts.
The merger is an opportunity for both organizations to rethink how we have done things in the past. We want to create a new office culture where resource development is a part of everything we do. A major gift program is a way for us to develop good habits and practices. Using the major gift program as a template we want to apply current best practices across our entire development department.
As we rebuild our development office on the back bone of a major gift program we are looking for expertise that will help us build a fundraising plan that will help sustain our organization for the next 100 years. We need the expertise that this course offers and an opportunity for free tuition would really help the professional development budget.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our story with you and I am looking forward to taking the course.
I have been working at my organization for several years as a volunteer and a student aide, but was recently offered the chance to apply for a major gifts officer position. I got it (!) and am really excited for this next phase of involvement with our school. I love this place very, very much – it is so close to my heart – and feel confident about connecting potential donors with what makes our school so special. (I’m actually really excited for this part of the job – I already talk about this place to everyone all the time!) But I’m nervous about the mechanics of actually asking for gifts – I don’t understand what this actually looks like/feels like, and it sounds scary. Taking your course will allow to make the leap from “professional tour guide/visitor” to someone who is actually successful at raising funds for out school. This is so important to me, because our school is in need of some major infrastructure repairs and we would really, really like to be able to offer more student scholarships. Help me help our school and our student fulfill their highest potential, Amy!
Fundraising for the Arts is difficult with all of the other worthy Not-For-Profits in our area. We are partnering with other venues to make our area a destination for the Arts and have a very dedicated donor base for annual membership but are lacking in the Major Gifts department. The more I learn, the better job I will do in raising major gifts to help make our organization sustainable for future generations.
Working 15 years in a national corporate PR/Marketing role provided me an incredible learning experience in how to market in a variety of ways and to a variety of demographics.. But 3 years ago I lost my position due to a department restructure. During that same time, my husband lost his job and we found out my dad only had 1 year to live–and I had two kids in college. I felt like my world was crumbling and there was nothing I could do about it. It took a day or two to take the sting off, but then I decided it was time to sink or swim.
In my corporate career, I was tasked with engaging non-profits in branding initiatives, cause-marketing programs, as well as community and sponsorship development. I loved working with non-profits and many times my colleagues would say that I should quit the corporate life and focus my energy on nonprofits because it was clear that’s where my passion was. I did some soul searching when I was unemployed and decided it was time to start my own consulting company. I developed a strategy where half of my time would be devoted to non-profits and the other half I would support entrepreneurs. Neither group could afford to have a full-time senior marketing professional on their team, so this was a way I could pursue my passion AND give back to my community.
It has been life-changing in so many ways, I never work. You heard me, I NEVER work! I love what I do — it seems like a privilege to partner with these organizations. Their energy and inspiration motivates me every day!
When I first started out, I had to get up to speed on the operational side of non-profit organizations, I was a bit rusty. Your website was one of the first sites I came across and immediately realized that your training’s were going to be incredibly helpful. I’ve sat on many different webinars that you have hosted or were a guest speaker on. Each one of them proved to be inspirational and helpful – mostly because of how concise you are..
The non-profits I work with hired me for my marketing expertise. But now, they are asking me for additional development help as well. I have very little formal training in major gifts, but I think it might be very useful for me to go through your class. Being an entrepreneur I have to watch my spending on training and I’ve always wanted to take your class. I figured I had just as much chance as anyone else to be one of the scholarship recipients.
If I was awarded this scholarship, it would directly impact organizations that I am working with. Currently, I work with agencies that are focused on child abuse prevention and advocacy; developmental disabilities and hunger initiatives. Each organization is amazing in their own way and I would love to help train them further on best practices.
Thank you for supporting those of us in the non-profit world–your advice is always right on!
Why do I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money?….because we can’t raise much less! I love my organization but I inherited a non-profit that has never pursued major gifts and has relied on grants and (small) contract revenue to get by. We’re growing and building and adding new funding partners now but we need a major gifts strategy and program to keep going.
In an increasingly competitive and highly marketed not-for-profit field, donors are faced with the difficult decision of who to support with their disposable income. Boundless options at local, state, national, and international levels leave their heads reeling as they try to navigate where their donations will best be put to use. It’s up to fundraisers to help donors make the best choice for themselves and for the people they wish to serve.
By taking your course, Mastering Major Gifts, I will be able to cultivate better relationships with donors who have a capacity for major gifts. Those relationships will lead to more generous gifts which will assist in the advancement of my organization’s mission to improve the quality of life for adults over 50 and enrich our community.
Now, more than ever, it is important for organizations to become self-sustaining when possible, By investing in professional development for major gifts, I will be investing in my organization’s future. Major gifts to a responsibly-managed endowment are what will take my organization from relying on outside funding to becoming a successful, self-sustaining organization.
we have been working diligently for the past ___ years in revitalizing the area where we are, recognized as an inner city community. After providing community resources and events to build up this neighborhood we have witnessed the crime rates diminishing, the streets and clearing up and have been able to draw in individuals from all walks of life, and feel comfortable and secure in this are. We are working on moving into a larger facility in the same area to be able to continue providing resources to help people in all areas of their live, whether physically, emotionally, financially, etc. We were recently working on a 3month capitol campaign, our goal was to reach $300,000 to initiate the project. We were able to reach over $100,000; but this is still not enough to move forward in working towards providing great service to our community. We are eager to learn and gain strategies on how to be more effective and build something that can potentially influence our city, not just our current 3 mile radius.
Edit: total of 7 years in this neighborhood.
Amy,
You could take our animal welfare agency to the next level of relationship building!
Our local independent humane society has many “ripend fruit” /donors in our Inspiring Rescues Giving Circle. These 83 families have pledged unrestricted sustainable funding five year pledges within the last three years. Now it may be time to take some of them and us to the next level.
Your major gifts class would create excitement with special relationships.
Many kind thanks for what you do for development.
SANCA is Seattle’s only nonprofit circus arts center. The mission of SANCA is to improve the mental, emotional, and physical health of children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities by engaging them in the joyous creativity of acrobatics and circus arts. We have exciting circus arts program that serve at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and performance oriented programs for youth as well as aspiring professionals in circus arts.
SANCA is one of those scrappy little nonprofits that received great community interest and support and has grown far faster in programming than in our administrative and operational support. In addition to developing more operational support, SANCA 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 learning to steward 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.
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.
Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.
Sincerely,
Jeff Deveaux
Development Director
SANCA
I’m not a trained fundraiser — not formally trained. I’m moving in to this role more and more each day, and could use this class to better understand and implement strategies, and create a plan.
Dear fellow Amy,
In my two years as the Executive Director at The HEAL Project (THP), THP has grown markedly, reaching more students than ever with our hands-on nutrition and garden based education programming. With the help of a capacity building consultant, Tricia Dell, we are much stronger and poised for growth than we have ever been. We are in the process of creating a cohesive plan for long-term financial sustainably and growth that includes diversifying our income sources.
It is at this critical time that I feel it necessary to have some professional development to learn about how to empower THP to bring in major gifts, an area I am unfamiliar with and where THP is sorely lacking.
While THP is not able to afford to pay the cost of the Mastering Major Gifts online course, I would benefit from the scholarship and learn how to be more effective in this critical area of our new business plan.
Sincerely,
Amy Bono-Kruckewitt
Executive Director, The HEAL Project
My background as a fundraiser has been primarily behind-the-scenes focusing on direct mail, database management, grants and helping with the logistical aspects of fundraising events (check-in, auction logistics, program) among other things (membership, general admission sales, rentals, etc.) for smaller non-profits. Two years ago, I was recruited for another position in my organization, but ended up being offered a donor relations role that entails working with the Board on fundraising and prospecting for new donors to our organization (and other new skills like public speaking). I took the position because I wanted to jump out of my comfort zone and learn new fundraising skills—and so I wouldn’t look back on my career and regret never taking a chance like this.
Now that I’ve been in this role for almost two years I’ve reached a plateau. I can see the potential in our Board to do more, and in myself to learn how to be a major gifts fundraiser to help our organization grow. I know that I flourish when I have a system or a road map in place to work from and from reading about “Mastering Major Gifts” – I think it will provide the resources I need to do just that.
Dear Scholarship Decision Staff:
Question: Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
Your question takes me back, way back, to when I had be apply for college. According to the information I read, I was encouraged to write in a way that would make my entry stand out, and there were 4 rules to follow. So, based on that, here is my answer.
1. No your audience.
a. I know that Amy has been a development and fundraising specialist/consultant for over 15 years. She also holds the highest certification in this field. Based on her knowledge, extensive speaking engagements and measurable outcomes, I believe she alone can provide the real tools I need to step up my fundraising game.
2. Plan far in advance.
a. That one is out the window. I saw the email today and it said get your entry in now.
3. Make it personal and passionate.
a. This is the most passionate thing I do in my life. Raising money is hard. So hard, you have to be a bit crazy to really want to do it. But, the mission I support is critical to keeping survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault safe. My success means that the program and services we provide at no cost will be available, or, they will not. Not is not an option. As long as I am successful, I am helping my community. I am very passionate about that.
4. Find an editor.
a. That one is also out the window. My non-profit does not have funding to hire an editor. Hence, we don’t have funding for this master class either. This is why I would love a scholarship.
So now, I come to my real answer. Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money because this class will teach me a proven method that generates successful outcomes. I love my organization, I like fundraising in fact, but I will love it when I master major gifts. Help me love fundraising.
Thank you for your consideration.
Regarding my last post. In hindsight, an editor would have been worth the money. The first sentence had an error. So sorry.
Our organization is finally well poised for a major gift after 27 years of providing housing and support services for low income older adults. Our beautiful new subsidized senior apartment building is loaded with areas that can be named. We are beginning to plan for construction of a new wing on our affordable assisted living building. Our organization is leading a local age friendly community initiative through which we are connecting with all segments of the community AND bringing tremendous resources to the community. With our growing footprint in the community and naming and giving opportunities that will have an obvious and significant impact on the lives of older adults, we are ready to master the art of major giving!
Hello Amy
My agency is a small nonprofit located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in American. It was founded in 1911 by Jane Edna Hunter and six other women who befriended and cultivated relationships with major donors at that time such a John D. Rockefeller and Henry Sherwin of Sherwin Williams. Blessings from such philanthropists and others have sustained the agency for the first 100 years. As we move into our next 100 years, we need the expertise that will help us build a fundraising plan that will help sustain our organization for future generations. We currently do not have a Major Gift Fundraising Plan nor the in-house staff to develop a such a plan. I want to further my knowledge in development and grow major gifts in game-changing ways.
By taking your course, Mastering Major Gifts, I will be able to identify the right prospective major donors and cultivate new relationships with those donors who have a capacity for major gifts.
Thank you for this offer!
Blessing to You and Your family,
Richard
Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money for our mission because our department is ready to hire a major gifts officer and I am the prefect candidate! I am relatively new to advancement and have been doing this for three years. My background is law. I currently handle our Parent Giving which includes Annual Fund for Parents and Alumni Parents as well as our annual auction that netted $440,000 for 2017. This number is up from $220,000 net when I started. We are currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign and there is a need for a major gift officer.
This opportunity would enable me to join my love of relationships with my love for the mission and make some powerful changes in the lives of our students. I feel grateful that my invitation to give is well received by our donors and I would like to receive the tools necessary to develop a more effective way of drawing upon the desires of our constituency and enabling them to change the world.
As a new hire in a newly created Development Director position for a nonprofit focused on combatting hunger I am charged with bringing in new donors, encouraging sustaining donors and overseeing special events to raise our public profile. My fundraising experience to date has focused on individual rather than organizational and I am very aware of how much I do not know.
The Mastering Major Gifts series was recommended to me by my ED as a great resource to broaden my knowledge base, provide grounding and inspire innovative approaches to the tasks at hand. The BOD and ED are looking for me to approach the age old task with new eyes, fresh insight and innovation with the right tools and understanding of process to promote success.
We believe this course will assist those goals.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brandi Kerley
Developmental Director
Kenai Peninsula Foodbank
Mastering Major Gifts will help me advance our organization’s practices and abilities to build and maintain meaningful relationships with major donors. Outside of a few select foundations and individuals with whom we have lengthy history, this is an area in which our organization is primed for growth and maturation.
I want to be a part of this course in the worst way! I have been in the development field for over 20 years but am just scratching the surface with Major Gifts. I am new to leading a team of 3 major gift officers, and I am carrying a portfolio of my own, in addition to many other responsibilities. Things in my organization have gone astray, as energies have been focused on donations through our state tax credit program. Although these are very important and appreciated, tax credit donors do not always give to our organization for the love of the mission, but because of the tax benefit. In the focus to secure tax credit donors, we lost sight of major donors of ‘outright gifts’ and did not cultivate or steward them well, if at all. It is my job to right the ship, and I feel I have so much to learn. I love all of your work, and am constantly inspired. I would soak up this course like a sponge, and I want to take our program to new heights! Pick me, pick me!
I have no trouble meeting new folks and asking them to support my small nonprofit organization. The outcomes generated and community benefits are obvious. My issue is the discipline and process to make this a sustainable effort and lacking the toolkit to engage my board and advisors into a “culture of philanthropy”. Right now I’m the Executive Director and the only fundraiser. I know this takes (1) the right team, (2) the right tools, and (3) the right process. I believe Mastering Major Gifts is the right solution to put us on a longer-term and sustainable track. I’ve participated in a webinar that Amy facilitated and believe she’s got the right stuff for our needs.
Thank you for your consideration.
Bruce Ganger
Bounty & Soul
Black Mountain, NC
My first major gift fund raising started in 3rd grade when I asked my fellow classmates for a quarter so we could purchase and present a blanket for our teacher’s new baby. Students gave their quarters and parents join in supplying little treats for the “shower/baby party”.
I remember how great I felt in accomplishing my goal of participation but also that we were able to give a blanket to the newborn! I was surprised that parents wanted to get involved too.
It just shows that fundraising, whether for a quarter or $100,000, includes being brave enough to ask someone for money and seeking people who are interested in the cause you are promoting.
As a fundraiser, I also know it takes more than these two factors. It takes a strategy, researching and using the content in our database for linkage, interest and ability through a rating system.
I love being strategic. My strengths include communication, empathy and being able to relate to our clients, staff, board of directors and donors.
I need help in getting my plan in place in a professional format. I have served my company in many capacities and my new role has a focus on soliciting planned and estate gifts too. Both major gifts and planned giving are crucial to the overall financial health and long-term stability of any non-profit. An increase and devotion to major gifts will help decrease our reliance on state and public funding, allowing us greater financial flexibility to provide the highest level of care to those we serve with intellectual & developmental disabilities, in our community based services division or homeless program.
Lastly, I am making a commitment to invest in training and continuing education, receiving and becoming a mentor.
If I am selected for Mastering Major gifts, I’ll learn a new set of “R’s” – Research, Reality and Results for a strategic major gift plan. I would be most appreciative, as would my company and “budget”.
Thank you for consideration!
Barb Swanson
Major and Planned Gift Associate
Pioneer Center for Human Services
Hi Amy,
I am a fifth year development professional at a Community Health Center. Our current fundraising mix consists of grant, special event, and small to midsize annual fund gifts. I recently purchased your book “Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops.” You have convinced me that soliciting major gifts is the most effective fundraising strategy for maximizing ROI in our two-person development shop (namely our CEO and me). However, our CEO believes that targeting more donors for smaller donations is the way to go. I know that Mastering Major Gifts will give me the confidence and knowledge to help educate our CEO and board of directors about major gift fundraising. I have identified my top 20 major gift prospects, but I am hesitant to take the plunge and begin cultivating them for major gifts because I lack a robust understanding of how to create and implement a successful major gifts program. Based on the course outline, Mastering Major Gifts looks to be just what I need to organize my thoughts and put rubber to the road in the most time-efficient manner. Right now, I am my greatest obstacle to raising major gifts. I know that I will raise more money with your help and the foundation provided by Mastering Major Gifts.
Elizabeth Clemence
Development Officer
Goodwin Community Health
Being able to participate in the Mastering Major Gifts Mastery Course will help develop a foundation for myself to start understanding and utilizing this as a process to obtain financial support for our small community center that is currently operating on a financial shoe-string of a budget. It would be my biggest honor to create a strong foundation of financial grounds for the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center (N4Cs), of which I am the Executive Director of, as it serves, supports and enhances the community that raised me many years ago.
While I have very little knowledge of the process of asking for major gifts, I am the Executive Director a non-profit Community Center in a rural community in which there are limited grants, revenue resources, and opportunities for professional development; making it all the more important to gain access to this type of skill set through your scholarship. This is area that I, and therefore the organization, could greatly benefit from in using this to increase our income which in turn helps us create more opportunities in our community.
While I am outgoing, social and constantly looking to connect people in the community, the notion of asking for major gifts completely intimidates me; yet I know it’s my next challenge to work through in taking my professional realm and N4Cs to the next level! I would not disappoint in being awarded a scholarship to experience and put into practice the Mastering Major Gifts Class- thank you for offering us this opportunity! 🙂
I am excited to learn the BEST ways to attract and retain major donors for the benefit of many nonprofits in the Capital of Washington state and beyond. [Am i sounding like Buzz lightyear?]
Right now I am working on behalf of those who want to move beyond homelessness and for the Whales of the Salish Sea and the ecosystem they depend on! Funding for both are in the chopping block on the national level and major gifts need to take center stage quickly! Help!
I am just now beginning my nonprofit, still waiting on the IRS for tax exemption. I am brand new to this and feel thstif I take the course, I can begin with the correct knowledge I need to get the major gifts.
Do you know what I love about my community? Almost everything. The state of Alaska is truly something of wonder. I love the majestic mountains that tower over the east side of my city. I love the crisp salty ocean full of surfacing humpback whales that create the west. I love the powerful rivers full of tenacious salmon and the bays teaming with world record size halibut. I love the moose that walk through my front yard and the bears that borrow their lunch from the bird suet feeder on my back porch. But most of all, I love the people. Anchorage is a true melting pot of culture and is home to the most diverse neighborhood in the country. The children enrolled in the Anchorage School District speak 99 different languages. The Alaska Native people share their traditions and stories that have shaped Alaska to what it is today. It is truly a place of beauty and hope.
However, towering over the community that I love are statistics that we are not proud of. Alaska has one of the highest violent crime rates in the United States. Alaska ranks number one in the nation for suicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence. We’re also number one in the nation for women who are murdered by men.
To combat the violence and defend the state I love, I began my career in development. For the past few years, I’ve been working for the largest domestic violence agency in Alaska. And while the issue is an epidemic, we’re eating the elephant one bite at a time. For each victim we can save, we’re making progress. We’re setting men and women up to live fear-free, and we’re teaching children about the red flags of domestic violence in hopes of stopping the cycle.
I love my community. I love what I do. I love my donors. I want to better my community. I have been in Development for about six years, however, nonprofits in Alaska do not tend to have a focus on major gifts. This is one area that is really lacking for me professionally, but also throughout nonprofits in my community.
Mastering Major Gifts would allow me to obtain the knowledge to find the right donors, get the first meeting, use the right language, secure major gifts, and properly recognize and steward my major donors. While we’re keeping the ship afloat, for now, I want to see this organization grow and thrive to positively impact as many survivors as possible. Additionally, I would be able to share my knowledge as a best practice to others in the field through my work with the AFP Alaska Chapter. We could really start to turn the tides on major gift work in Alaska. It’s a win-win for everyone in this community I love.
Amy, thank you for sharing your wisdom and for your generosity in offering this opportunity to us. You truly lead by example.
Warm wishes from The Last Frontier,
Becky More
I recently completed Amy’s Mastering Major Gifts course. At first I was hesitant to take it, primarily because of the price and since I’m in Canada, the price after currency conversion was even higher! I have been primarily in annual campaign work, which while highly useful to the organization was starting to feel a bit tedious. I knew I needed to get into major gifts, but no one had time to mentor me. With no assistance from my workplace secured, I chose to pay out of pocket because I knew I needed coaching in order to secure major gifts for my organization and to take my career to the next level.
I knew the process to get a major gift to an extent, but nothing about the work to be done prior to meeting the donor, how to get a meeting with a donor, what to talk to them about once you actually meet with them or what to do in follow-up. Amy’s course covers EVERYTHING. Not only do the weekly videos and worksheets make it easy to see the steps and really understand the process, but the conference calls and access to others who are taking the course gives a range of perspectives and ideas as you work toward implementing a major gift program and how you personally seek and secure major gifts. Amy is incredibly accessible and goes out of her way to make sure you feel well supported in this program.
I’ve been trying to get in touch with a donor for months and finally had a face-to-face meeting with her today. I knew what to do and how to do it. Her husband will be retiring within the year and they will be making some big contributions in our community – we will be included in their planning. I can’t say I would have been comfortable having a conversation like this prior to Mastering Major Gifts, but thanks to Amy’s teaching and mentoring of all of us along the way – I knew how to handle the conversation with this donor, getting to know her and her interests while aligning them with what my organization has to offer (and it all happened over lunch!).
Amy’s approach makes it simple to understand and start implementing the process to securing major gifts. If you’re on the fence about it, leap off the fence and into this program – it’s well worth it!
Amy greetings to you, I can see that all the comments listed above warrant your expertise advise, and all with good cause. I don’t know how to compete with such magnitude of competition of those desperately wanted to engage in your course. The only thing I can say is that this is all new for me. I help a lot of people that the world does not care if they are existing or not. So for me Mastering Major Giving course would not be for me, but for those that have no hope. We have been funding our project mostly with our own funds, and we have made minor strides toward our goal of housing and feeding the homeless Veterans, Seniors with Alzheimer’s, and those that are mentally challenged. It has been an uphill battle, Mastering Major Giving will give us the tools to win this fight. Best of luck in your decision and I wish all participants the best in all their future endeavors.
The Mastering Major Gifts course would be a truly remarkable experience for me. I have virtually no experience in nonprofit management and fundraising. This course would provide validation and confirmation that I do have the skills, expertise and ability to raise major gifts. And, the course would give me new ways to think about and tackle planning, preparing, and asking. And, I will gain new skills and confidence in training and supporting board members and volunteers in major gift work. The insights are practical , honest , specific to direct approaches to major gift fundraising. And having finished the course, I would find myself a Donor Acquisition Machine! I would be able to “speak the language” . No doubt !!!!
Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?
I don’t believe in experts. I do, however, believe that with the right information and equal access to education around particular topics we can become proficient at fundraising and excel at asking for the resources that we need. Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money for the work that I believe in because it will help to harness skills and talents that I have only just started to realize and understand. As someone who is committed to an “each one teach one” ethos, I also know that I will transfer what I learn to others – making the overall fundraising more successful. Thank you for asking!
Because we have people who are probably ready to give, we just need to cultivate and ask. More time spent on larger gift cultivation means bigger returns and more investment in what our clients need.
Often the major gifts process is conceptualized as “asking” or trying to persuade the donor to give, I would like to be able to create win-win scenarios with my donors where I am able to help them clarify their philanthropic interests as well as feel both proud and energized about their relationship with my organization. I believe that participating in “Mastering Major Gifts” would enable me to cultivate my skills to this next level.
I am only a year into my Fundraising Career at a camp for teens. I think this course could help us in our Fundraising efforts to make a safe place for teens who don’t come from great homes. Some of the teens that come to our camp had plans of suicide after leaving the property and going home. However, among other things after going through our activities and learning about community (instead of going through live alone), they decided to destroy the suicide plans and live life to their fullest potential. That is my goal for working at working at Watermarks and if we can do that for just one teenager than I know we have done what we were called to do. After all Fundraising is apart of every aspect of the Non-profit sector. That is my heart for what I do everyday.
Thank you for the opportunity. Up until last July, I had spent 25 year in For-Profit sales and marketing and retail of various forms. Simultaneously, volunteer events and situations filled the balance of my calendar. As of August, my life is now full-time non-profit work. At Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, I get to watch dedicated case workers and program managers help homeless Veterans and families, those suffering from addiction or returning from the criminal justice system create a path back to independent living. My job is to provide them the resources to execute and I will not let them down. By helping donors of all shapes and sizes realize their philanthropic goals – whether with us or some other great cause that is dear to their heart – having the best tools to do this work and grow my abilities to continue to help is critical. Thanks again for the opportunity. I’ve read your “Simple Things You’re Not Doing…” and found it quite helpful.
I am so appreciative of this opportunity. I am about a year and a half into my fundraising career (donor relations as well as some grant writing) for a wonderful family/child-focused non-profit, and I have learned so much during this time. However I believe that Mastering Major Gifts could help me increase my comfort with making asks, and help harness my unique strengths as an introvert to make meaningful connections with major gift donors and prospects. Mastering Major Gifts will give me the tools I need to better cultivate donors and prospects, and to select the best metrics to measure success. I truly believe in my organization’s mission and the good work we do every day, and I believe Mastering Major Gifts will help me lead by example to our board and other staff to help tell our story in meaningful ways that inspire action through giving. I am also very excited about the aspects of time management available in Mastering Major Gifts, so that I can continue prioritizing time building donor relationships while still keeping the other fundraising “plates” spinning each day.
In November, I will celebrate my 20th year working as an Employment Specialist at Mainstay. Mainstay is a 14-person, self-sustaining agency helping job seekers with disabilities match with excellent employers in Seattle. Our Mainstay community, our staff and our leadership are all incredible; we are at a pivotal point. For the last five years, our fundraising efforts have been growing incrementally $19K in the first year to $55K this year, but we know there is so much more out there within our own community of individuals, our business partnerships and beyond.
Personally, I am a fund raising department of one, so as you can imagine — I am pulled in 100 different directions. I have no formal training in Major Gifts (I’m a social worker!!!), but I am a quick study, very motivated and ready to make a difference. I know a scholarship with “Mastering Major Gifts,” would be the springboard I/we need to make Mainstay meet our goals to help job seekers with intellectual and physical disabilities reach their full potential.
We have participants who have been working 5-10-15-20 years in competitive jobs within the Greater Puget Sound area, and I want to be the one who establishes a legacy for supported employment. We have held events, sent annual fund mailings and worked on direct asks of our stakeholders, I have the donor data, personal involvement and historical knowledge of our clients and donors, which greatly helps in consistency of building major donors. In fact, half of our Mainstay team have worked here 15 years or longer….and they are still as passionate as ever about our mission. We just need the extra edge and guidance that “Mastering Major Gifts” could provide.
I am ready to get started and put your tested practices to work! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and get down to business.
Warmly,
Rebecca Jansson
Employment Specialist, CRC
Hi Amy, I hope all is well with you and yours!
Before tackling the question, let me provide some background. Four years ago I left the for-profit world of building materials after 25+ years and transitioned to the non-profit world of higher education at my Alma-mater. Three years ago I accepted a position on the board of our local Habitat for Humanity where I chair the development committee and will soon become president. My major gift mentors have been few. Other than being fortunate to attend two CASE seminars, I have had to learn much on my own. Our College welcomed a new president two months after I came aboard thrusting our leadership into quickly beginning the current comprehensive campaign. I was given a prospect list and goals, and told to make it happen.
Why do I think Mastering Major Gifts will help me raise more money? I want to raise more money for both causes, my College and our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. I’m not currently raising the major gifts I know I am capable of. There must be a better system than the ones I am struggling with. There must be better ways to manage my time in the world of major gifts. There must be better ways to transform our Habitat board to be more active fundraisers. I want to have a larger impact in transforming the lives of students, faculty, staff, alumni, companies and families. Your Mastering Major Gifts program I believe would provide the leg up I need to better plan, better prepare, and ask more effectively to leave a bigger mark on the world around me.
Both organizations have so much potential to help many more than they are currently. Throughout my life I have always helped young people, students and families have a better opportunity to succeed. I am very passionate in helping our faculty and staff transform the lives of our students so that they may transform the world for years to come. Our alumni have many opportunities to receive joy by helping our students of today and tomorrow have the tools and faculty to excel. Our local community and our Habitat board have much more potential to provide a leg up to our local families so that they may have a safe, affordable and decent home. I believe your Mastering Major Gift program will help me learn better ways and develop better skills to be the Major Gift Officer I want to be.
Thank you for your blogs, your books, your videos and for this opportunity.
There’s an old saying I’ve heard for years…”It takes money to make money.” Well, I believe this to be true. So, in order to be successful at raising major gifts then it makes sense that you’d have to invest in this process. If given the opportunity to take this course with a scholarship, I can absolutely guarantee I would put the knowledge learned to good use. As a dedicated volunteer for our local humane society and shelter, I would enjoy nothing more than using the information in this course to do some good for the many animals in our community. Please consider me for this scholarship and know that your contribution will be appreciated by more than just this recipient.
hie Amy
this training will help me how I will teach others how to reach our goals,because successful people never reach there goals alone.My aim is to show good example to NGOs who are busy making them rich not doing what they see they can help.But if I can raise $7000 I will show them good example
in my country Malawi
I am a Development Director for a well-branded, national youth mentoring organization. I’m also a single mother who left a tenure track faculty position with a Big 10 University to return to my career in philanthropy.
How come?
Because I love it. Because I am good at it.
But I need to get better, fast.
Our agency has celebrated a century of service – and we ARE changing lives for the better, forever. But our Development Office has been rocked by huge leadership transitions and abrupt departures: with four VPs of Development in as many years.
It’s time to right this ship. And I know it can be done -with your help.
In my first three months, here, we have already secured $225,000 in donations and pledges from major donors. Mastering Major Gifts will help me navigate giving vehicles like DAFs, prioritize prospects from our ravaged database, creatively cultivate lapsed donors, and effectively engage board members, staff, alumni and advocates in our major gifts effort.
Amy, I need you whispering in my ear, offering the tools and expertise to allow this great agency to reach its extraordinary potential.
As a single mom of a high school student, I have everything from car insurance costs and promposals to college tuition keeping me up at night. So I just can’t swing tuition for me, right now.
It’s been my experience that we receive much more from what we give.
So I am asking that you give me a shot, Amy.
I promise you will not regret it!
Dear Amy,
I believe that being awarded the opportunity to take your course Mastering Major Gifts will help me “pick the lock”. I am fairly new to my position, being hired after the contract of the professional fundraising consultants hired by our parish expired. The capital campaign has stalled with no new major donors, our regular fundraising efforts have been minimally successful at best, and engagement within the different parish communities is fractured. The thing is, I KNOW that the potential is there and that we could be beyond successful in every aspect when we have the right and consistent plan in place. I have not been professionally trained in this area but I am willing to learn. More importantly, I want to build a culture of giving and leadership in giving within our organization so that others feel confident to cultivate people’s giving attitudes and relationships. It has taken me 30 years to land my dream job and now I want to do it to the best of my ability and to bring others along with me!
Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to the chance to learning from you!
Jane Birmingham
Development Coordinator
St. Mary – Riverside
My experience as volunteer leadership for many years eventually led me to choosing philanthropy as a career. My first job was as a Development Coordinator for a large community organization. It was a very warm community experience where I enjoyed fundraising primarily through events, annual appeal and planned giving efforts. My next role was as Regional Director for a large nonprofit. There, my focus was on Corporate Sponsorships, community development and some major gifts in the mix – not my main focus.
Over the years I’ve learned a lot and have mastered many of the skills necessary to be successful in a leadership role. This, plus a strong history of strategic business growth and development, has prepared me to be responsible for providing overall direction, while working to achieve the company mission. However, I’m still stuck.
I recognized the gap in my skill set is in the Major Gift category. I have not procured a six or seven figure gift that I can brag of…although I know I could do it! Out of work and unable to take your last Mastering Major Gifts course, I did the next best thing – I purchased the book. This motivated me to pursue an excellent opportunity to cultivate those skills by “practicing” at a small local Museum. They had never had a dedicated Major Gifts initiative, and are thrilled with the result.
I know that I can make a significant impact on a larger scale in the nonprofit world, and I know this course can get me there! Major gifts is a key piece of any diversified development plan.
Hi Amy,
I represent a relatively young nonprofit called Alstrom Angels. We were formed in 2012 when my then, 3-year-old daughter was diagnosed with one of the rarest diseases in the world, Alstrom Syndrome. Since our formation, we have been able to grow our annual revenue to just over $200,000, all through fundraising events: galas, golf tournaments, etc.
Now we need to learn how to cultivate major gifts so we can take our mission to the next level I say we because I am referring to myself as well as my board of directors. They 100% believe that asking for a major gift is not asking for a donation and it isn’t arm-twisting. It’s asking our donors to help us make their world and the children fighting Alstrom Syndrome’s world a better place. Our hiccup is feeling comfortable and confident the process of making that type of ask.
In a funny twist, we have trained our donors a little too well to support us by attending events, buying tickets, and purchasing auction items. As we attempted to dip our toes into major gift cultivation, we realized we need to help our donors feel comfortable with a major gift ask from Alstrom Angels too! After all, we normally ask them for sponsorships and auction donations.
Being awarded the Mastering Major Gifts scholarship will not only allow myself and our board of directors to learn the art of asking for a major gift, it will allow us to properly steward our donors as we navigate the complete major gift cultivation process. When we are confident in why, when and how we are making the ask, our donors will be confident in joining us to bring more impact to our mission than we ever could have dreamed of!
Cassie Johnston
Alstrom Angels
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Faith and passion gave me the strength to do it. With a simple click to send, it was gone from my outbox in hopes of truly making a difference for the Society.
After seventeen months as executive director I knew what needed to happen. It was time to make a bold move to convince my board to act and change from a fundraising focus to a financial major gifts focus if we’re to have a brighter future, save the Society, preserve our historic village, and ultimately the County’s history.
It’s not about the great ideas, dedication and contributions of our volunteers and staff. Because yes, we do have all that. It’s not for the want, breath, effort, and hours spent, or what is poured into every minute of my life as the ED; and I do know that this too is appreciated, but none of this insures sustainability.
Having donors that understand the value history offers to the community, donors who have the capacity to give because of it, those who can make that difference — will make that difference for our future. That is what is most important.
Much like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest, if history isn’t seen or heard by our future generations how will they know if it really did happen?
In what I weighed out to be my most gracious proposal, I laid everything on the line to my board. Seventeen months of their investment in me. All those months in operational and program changes. Months of tireless work to build back trust that had been lost in the community. Months spent in recruiting and coaching volunteers and our minimal staff to build the right team to be able to get things done. It’s a scenario we all hear over and over again in nonprofits. In this we are not unique.
It still, is not, has not, been enough.
I was at the point of physical and mental burnout. So I did it. I sent off my email resignation offering a proposal to stay if we restructured operations and management responsibilities to allow me the time to focus on what is most important. Time to focus on major gifts through donors with the giving capacity to truly make a difference in our future.
I believe that there is a time for everything. Right now, the timing of this story and this opportunity is coincidentally timely.
During the past two and a half weeks since my email was sent, my ED life has been a hurricane of brainstorming, creative financing ideas, and meetings with my executive committee to be able to engage a plan forward. It took that bold move of my resignation to bring attention and urgency to the forefront with my board. And, yes, they have asked me to stay to be part of the restructure and vision into the future. Hooray!
Please know, it was a risk I had to take.
I study and read everything I can to become better at what I do. When I heard about your scholarship opportunity I knew that this was something that I wanted to reach for.
Current circumstances aside, I couldn’t be more ready for this next challenge. I’m ready to further develop my skills. As a lifelong student, I want to build on what I already know to learn and grow in in my abilities to ask and get major gifts.
Those who know me, tell me, that my passion for the Society, the Village, and our history is evident — that my vision is solid. My personal goal, is to continue to prepare myself to be the best I can be, to be able to move things forward. My professional goal is to raise the desperately needed funds required for our Society to weather this storm and survive.
I know that this is the way forward for our Society. It is the way we must go.
If chosen to receive a scholarship to the Raising Major Gifts Master Course I’m confident that it will give me and the Society an edge in insuring our future, our voice, to be heard for future generations.
Thank you so much for your consideration in choosing me for this opportunity.
Yours in struggle.
After 25 years in fund raising, taking seminars and almost every course I can get my hands on to help me help my organization, I know that there are things I am not doing, or not doing right that could help transform the lives of the people my organization serves. Yes, I would like to be better at what I do. But it is really not about me. It is about changing the lives of the people we serve each and every day.
Even professional athletes need a personal coach to critique their performance and to motivate them to achieve more. That’s what Mastering Major Gifts will do for me. As the sole major and planned gifts officer for our school, I know succeeding on my own will be difficult. I need the training and coaching Amy can give.
Learning is an invaluable tool for any professional. We turn to those that we respect who have knowledge, expertise and realistic workable tools to help improve and be successful. When you have an understanding of what to do, how to do it, what pitfalls to expect, great things can happen! I have been a nonprofit development professional for years, and am always open to diving in, learning new things, and impacting a host of nonprofits as a development consultant (new business) in my community.
One of the biggest gaps for our organization is a lack of a major gifts program. This summer and fall, my main assignment is to build up a program from scratch – to steward the major donors in a way we should have been for years, to nurture current donors to increase their gift to a major gift level, and to cultivate new donors. Having never had a program before and not having a background in major gifts, I know that this opportunity would be invaluable to our organization.
I have attended many of your webinars and read some of your resources, and they have been incredibly beneficial. I know that this extensive training would open new doors as we build this program and learn how to do more with the resources we have. Implementing the 5 hour per week strategy has been a great strategy and allowed us all to realize what we are capable of with the time that we have. I know this training would provide us tons of new skills and techniques, and help take Hire Heroes USA to the next level. Thank you for the opportunity.
Our local public library has outgrown its space. Thanks to a major gift from one donor, a new building is definitely in our future. Honing our skills raising more money through major gifts will do far more than complete this building – I will share the tips and information gained through this course with our team of volunteers so they have the tools they need to also ensure the sustainability of our new library. They have already seen that the efforts put into one event can be more effectively used in building the relationships with major donors that will make this possible.
And in my day job, I am a proponent of major gifts. I would prefer to spend the time cultivating 10 people to each donate $5,000 than to run a major gala that raises $50,000. Major gifts have longevity. They are also the foundation for planned giving and bequests. Unfortunately, there is no budget for this type of training at our organization and definitely not in my small local library. If I win this scholarship, I will be able to leverage my knowledge across multiple non-profit organizations in my community. Thank you.
I am a new ED and this is a new position for our agency! They have done a variety of fundraising events in the past with success but, after reading your blog and subscribing to your emails I know that their are so many opportunities we are not taking advantage of! We provide fitness and gymnastics opportunities for ALL children in our community and it is the dream of our agency that EVERY child has access to our high quality programs.
I’m always reading reports about philanthropic giving going up, yet foundation funding is always being cut. There are obviously many generous people out there who would invest major gifts in a cause they believe in. As I’ve not done much with major gifts in the past, it is really important for me to master the art to get potential major donors as excited as I am about our work before we can procure major gifts. If I am not going to give to a random cause I am not passionate about, how can I expect others to do the same? Cultivating major gifts is I think the next important step in ensuring we can keep on keepin’ on well into the future.
For me its about discipline, and the need to understand and implement the habits that will make for successful fundraising. So, its content, and the commitment/discipline of your workshop.
I am a one person development department, this course has given me the knowledge and courage to take that first step into major gifts. In fact, I am having my first two meets next week out of state. I am also trying to set up additional visits on my 20th anniversary “listening tour”. I am really excited and I appreciate all that I have learned from this course. Also, the wealth screening is an added bonus.
Mastering Major Gifts will give me the chance to bring my organization new resources to provide quality camp experiences to low income children from poor urban neighborhoods. Our agency was established as part of the Settlement House movement in the 1880’s – helping immigrants to obtain services and skills in their new country. What a relevant mission today! We are a small nonprofit who have over 90 years of experience bringing together children and youth with quality programming – we exist because of the generous legacy of philanthropy in the 1900’s, 1922 and the 1950’s! Major donors leaving a legacy enabled us to acquire and preserve a 235 acre camp just 20 miles from the city. But up until five years ago, there was no Development Department! I am their second Director of Development and have only been in my position for 15 months. In this time, we have raised more money from individual donors than ever before, we are training our Board so that they understand their role in prospecting, cultivating and asking for gifts, but we are a long way to having a integral major gifts program. Like so many, I wear many hats. I do have a half-time assistant, and my Executive Director understands and appreciates fundraising. We have done well with the “low hanging fruit” mined from our donor database, but we still need more help than I alone can provide. If I am able to participate in this program, knowing your work and methods, I could turbo-charge our major gifts by creating a program based on principles that work, and with the evidence to provide to our Board of the value of this approach, we could honor our heritage and re-energize our community. I am certain that for a small organization like ours, individual giving is the only way for us to have a sustainable future. We are one of the last nonprofit camps left in this region, and a thousand children and their families rely on us. We need to assure we will continue to be here for another 90 years, and your program can help us to get there.
It is my firm belief that major gift fundraising is not the sole responsibility of the development department – nor should the development department work in isolation. All fundraising, especially major gifts, should be an organization wide responsibility and its role and importance to our survival should be understood by all from the board, to staff, and to volunteers. As Executive Director, I view fundraising and major gifts fundraising in particular as a fundamental responsibility of every executive director. Your class will be the first step in ensuring I have a solid understanding of the process and the necessary skills mastered needed for success. It will also enable me to share the experience and knowledge learned with my board, volunteers and staff..
I am a development director that wears a lot of hats, like everyone else. I believe this course will assist me in prioritizing major gifts to the forefront of my responsibilities and also help me “sell” the importance of a dedicated person to raising major gifts. It is so easy to just put raising major gifts aside to work on other tasks. I want to focus on raising major gifts and building relationships with our donors. This opportunity will put me on a path for success.
Thank you Amy for this amazing opportunity
We run a small shop at my environmental education organization – just two development staffers. With the attacks on the environment (environmental funding) at the federal level, education about environmental issues – and how they effect our nation’s public health and wellness is more important then ever before. All American’s have the right to knowledge about how they can better prepare for extreme weather, save money while protecting the environment, and make good (and cost effective) choices every day that will help protect the planet and protect their family’s health today.
To continue to fulfill our mission: Make the environment ever-present in the daily lives of Americans by delivering practical, accessible information they can use through the sources they know and trust – my organization will need to reach beyond government, corporate, and foundation funders and build a strong individual program including major donors. This will ensure that more Americans have knowledge to live by for generations to come.
Serenity Horse Haven is a small horse and sanctuary. I am great with the horses, but have no experience in fundraising. I believe this course will help me learn and build a foundation for our fundraising.
Amy,
I know that Mastering Major Gifts will make a huge difference for me and my team. Thanks in part to your 50 Asks in 50 Weeks session at an AFP conference a few years ago, and the practical tips and incredible logical advice (ASK more! Dance when the gift comes in!) our annual fund performed better than it had in years. Now, I’ve been in a new and challenging leadership position at a scientific research institution (thanks in part to your accountability partner excersize!), and have been tasked with growing an Advancement department from the ground up, with the hopes of bringing in $2,000,000 annually in the relatively near future. This cannot be done without intensive efforts in the major gifts category. Because my first year was quite successful (increased annual fund by 133%, established alumni relations and increased communications), I was voted by the board to be a VP for Advancement two days ago. They believe in me and my team, and the inroads we are making! However, we are only about 1/8th of the way to making our ultimate goal a reality, and the pressure is on. Major gifts are an absolute must at this point. Your advice and tips have helped me to succeed so far, and I have absolute faith that the Mastering Major Gifts course will also be a game changer for the organization that I represent. Either way, I am so grateful for the impact that you’ve already had on both my career and the organizations that I’ve been involved with. Thank you for this opportunity to request a scholarship. I would be so thrilled if you chose me. Thank you!
I’ve been doing lower level major donor fundraising for the environmental advocacy organization where I work for almost two years now. We’ve had a major donor program in place for about 15 years, and we’ve got a solid development shop following the basics of major donor fundraising.
At this point, following the basics is not enough. We’re ready to transform and elevate our major donor program and I’m eager to learn evolving best practices to take my individual major gift fundraising to the next level. Mastering Major Gifts is exactly what I need to achieve that.
I’m so passionate about the incredible work of my organization, and my donors are so appreciative and responsive to that passion. I’m driven to achieve so much for my cause, but feel like I need more structure and guidance to truly excel and transform the level of support we currently receive.
I’m so pumped for Mastering Major Gifts to provide the tools, best practices, and best metrics to better prioritize my time. I’m eager to learn how to be more strategic with cultivating the most important prospects and to more effectively inspire their deepest investment in the cause.
I like win-win situations. I see Mastering Major Gifts as win for my personal fundraising development, a win for my donors to get more deeply invested in a cause important to them, and a win for the environmental advocacy work that is so critical in my state!
Can’t wait to start this course on June 6th!
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. Our enrollment seems to decrease with every year that passes. 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 fundraise 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
Being the Development Director at Helena Food Share is not just my career, it is a personal crusade to improve the human condition for my neighbors. Helena Food Share exists to end hunger in our community. While there are many, many worthwhile causes, I love this one because when you are hungry the only thing you tend to think of is your next meal. Children can’t focus and learn when they are in school, adults cannot find and keep employment, overcome a disability, or combat mental illness when they don’t have food. Every dollar I help raise is not only feeding the human body, it is feeding the human spirit. Through providing food, one of our most basic needs, we provide hope and dignity- giving our customers the fuel they need to take on other challenges in their lives.
This is why I want to raise major gifts. In order to put more food and more hope into my community. I understand that raising major gifts is the future of fundraising. It is the most efficient and rewarding use of time and resources. With the help of Mastering Major Gifts, I will be equipped to bring in more money than ever before for my cause. I want to take this course because it means more meals for children, families, and seniors.
My organization, like so many here, does not have a deep professional development budget. I have been trying to learn and master this field through self-teaching. Ever, ever since taking this position I have been following Amy’s work because I know it is the answer for our organization. We are ready to move to the next level and I believe this course will take us there.
If given this opportunity, I will make the absolute most of every minute of training I receive. I will raise more money for the things we dream of- a mobile pantry to feed those who lack the transportation to get to us, a commercial kitchen to teach our customers how to make healthy, nutritious meals, a garden to grow and distribute local, fresh produce, a bigger facility so that our customers don’t have to wait outside in the elements for food.
By giving me the chance to work alongside a major gifts expert for seven weeks, you would be moving the needle of hunger in Helena, MT. At Helena Food Share, we are a small staff with little to no professional fundraising experience. We are ready to take on the future, to keep up with the needs of hunger in our community, but we need your help to do it.
Please consider helping us end hunger in our community through providing me with this amazing opportunity to learn to build fruitful relationships from one of the best.
Thank you for your consideration.
Until all are fed,
Daneal Lightner
Development Director
Helena Food Share
Recently, a guest at Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center gave back in an unexpected way. Her group had a 50/50 raffle during a retreat and she won! But after she was handed the money, she marched across the room and handed our hospitality director the money instead. The guest’s story was compelling. She had lost a dear friend to cancer and mourning this loss was painful, without healing. She came to get away for a weekend of scrapbooking. Here, in this sacred place, she found peaceful trails to walk, a labyrinth to quietly experience, and time to make some memory pages of her friend. She was excited to share that she finally found healing, here. As a result, she was motivated to make a difference in someone else’s life.
This is the work I believe in- it happens 12 months of the year and affects children, youth and adults in profound ways. However, after 3 years in my job as executive director (and chief fundraiser), I realize how much more I have to learn in order to provide for the future of this important place and the transformation of lives. I believe that Mastering Major Gifts would provide significant tools in my toolbox of fundraising, enabling me to prevent the deferred maintenance and mentality of bare survival that stagnated this non -profit before I arrived. It is starting to thrive, with a new healthy board and increased guest numbers. Now we need to take the next step and I’m ready to learn so I can lead more effectively. Thanks for considering!
Major gifts is a priority area for me this year. I know that this is the area that can have the most impact for me and our work. As major gifts and planned giving resides primarily on my plate, I know that it will be challenging but the reward could be really incredible.
I think Mastering Major Gifts would not only provide me with knowledge and skills to be successful but will also give me confidence when meeting with donors.
Thank you for considering me for this opportunity!
Kindly,
Robin Levy
Senior Development Officer
Phoenix Youth Programs
Mastering major donors will help me raise more money for my organization because I need coaching HELP! I am a one woman show and I have tried so many things and I’m running short on the little funding I do have to cover my salary. I would hate to lose the momentum we have and the brand we are creating because I failed to try everything I could. Thank you for your continued effort in supporting nonprofits in their quest to be the difference in the world. <3
Let’s be honest! This program will help me stay focused on the most important activities to connect with our “friends”. We are a very small shop serving a 26 county area with 2 development team members (and that includes our database management). I need a program and the individual attention from Amy’s team to keep me on track. I have the knowledge of a major gifts program. I need the accountability to focus. It is easy to let all the hundred of other activities within fundraising to keep me busy. With the direction of Mastering Major Gifts I will get a system together that will last for years.
I know I can, and must, do better. Even though I spend each day dutifully checking off contact list – and actually enjoy every minute of sharing of how we (and they) are changing the lives of students who have invested in their futures – I know I can be more effective. Whether it is in my presentation, in developing new leads, in being more creative with how thank and keep informed current donors, I know I must continue to grow. I am a one-person department, so working smarter not harder is a must to be successful. Last week, I heard from a scholarship recipient, Kattelyne, who, in expressing her gratitude for her scholarship shared that her journey to college began in Haiti with a very abusive father. She grew up and out of that environment and is desperately trying to break the cycle by becoming a nurse. I must do better for her and the other students we support. I would be grateful for a scholarship for your Mastering Major Gifts Course. I feel that our Foundation is already changing the world one student at a time and would love to be able to significantly expand that impact. Thank you!
Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. The fact that you have offered to give back yourself shows I have chosen to listen to the right kind of advice and that im headed in the right direction. I am a financial advisor who works with families and their businesses. A key cornerstone of my work is showing clients how to make a massive difference in the community we live in and depend on, and give back to less fortunate folks with the abundance many of them have.
I have found that there is no training for people, in high school or university, (unless you major in fundraising) to learn these techniques, and usually folks with huge hearts will find a way to make large gifts, but it takes a helping hand for many people to understand HOW to get this good work done.
For the last 10 years I have worked very closely with non-profits in my community, sit on 3 different boards, consulted for several others (at no charge), host annual fundraisers, volunteered thousands of hours, setup an endowment program for another local board, and even started and currently run my own charity for an ESL school in Nicaragua. As I help and guide clients through the huge process of making major gifts through their estates, I feel taking this course would be incredibly beneficial to broaden my horizons; helping even more people as I can guide them through the process of making incredible gestures while they are alive, rather than just at the time of their death.
I have followed your work and instilled many of the things I have learned from your teachings since being introduced to your ideas in 2015. The incredible gifts you have shared have helped us build better processes, increase the strengths of the boards I work with and have had a measureable impact in the lives of others each day. I have never charged anyone a penny for the work I do with regards to their giving, nor is there any cost (nor will there ever be) to any of the boards I have consulted for.
If I were fortunate enough to learn even more from you, I would be extremely grateful, and could further advance the effects of my efforts. Thank you dearly for your consideration and I know whomever you choose will be able to add rocket fuel and momentum to their work.
Yours in giving,
D
Because there is no better way to increase revenue and overall support for our organization. Building relationships with supporters is critical, securing major gifts from those supporters creates passion and a connection with the organization that can (and should) last a lifetime. We understand the importance of this and with our growing Development Department the Mastering Major Gifts course will be a true asset to us and ultimately to the people and animals we serve.
As a purchaser of your last two books, Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops and Raising More for Less, I am confident that this course will allow me to continue to enhance my professional development skill set. As nonprofit advocates, we must be willing to expand our knowledge base in order to keep current with the latest trends in fund development. In addition, this course will allow me the opportunity to continue to help continue expanding my skill set and and learning more from a successfully mentor who have been instrumental in professional growth.
As a former nonprofit CEO, I completely understand the importance of keeping up with current trends. I know that any time spent from learning from you would be a wise investment of my time. and allow me to step up my fund development game.. I am truly hoping this guy from Mississippi can be one of your recipient. Thanks for the opportunity to engage and participate.
“Why do you think Mastering Major Gifts will help you raise more money?”
I am the Associate Artistic Director for a small professional theatre company, which means I split my time between artistic decision-making, directing shows, marketing shows, and hitting contributed income goals.
In my three years on staff, I’ve raised contributed income by 15 – 20% each year, but mostly from increases in grants and smaller gifts ($5 – $500).
Simultaneously, the past three seasons has seen several of our most invested, longstanding major donors pass away, while the majority of our remaining major donors are reaching advanced age.
The biggest blow to us, both personally and professionally, was the unexpected loss of one of our founding donors and the owner of our building in January.
Without new faces to step up and take the place of the friends we have lost, we will not survive as a company for long.
I need to discover the new generation of major donors and activate existing prospects in our circles who can help carry us into our next era of growth as a company.
This course will give this one-woman department the skills needed to identify and cultivate the friends who will ensure our company has a bright and longstanding future.
I really want to master major gifts so I can prove to my Board of Directors that we really don’t need another event to increase our fundraising dollars. If I can get the necessary training to take my major gifts program to the next level, it will save my agency and staff time, energy and money. At this point there is a missing piece, and I wholeheartedly believe that comprehensive training would complete the puzzle so we can be the best at what we do.
I have had a career in non-profits and have essentially done every job there is within the non-profit except major gifts. Having a diverse background just like have a diversified portfolio will help elevate my ability to continue serving the constituents who utilize the programs and services offered through the non-profits I have worked for. I not only want to further my growth and development but more so be the best steward for those in need. As a small localized nonprofit this would mean the world. Major Gifts is another step forward in helping the children with cancer that I know serve. I have heard nothing but amazing feedback on Amy and her programs and would be honored to learn from the best.
This scholarship and class could not come at a better time for me personally and for the organization that I support (the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, whatcomdrc.org).
My immediate professional goals include growing my fundraising and nonprofit management knowledge and laying a foundation to fully enter the role of major gifts officer (part of my larger role in our 1 person shop). Participation in the Major Giving Master Class will elevate my skills, and situate our organization to develop, formalize, and launch our much-needed major gifts program.
A highly-focused and ambitious set of development objectives are imbedded in the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center’s (WDRC) Strategic Plan. With a fundraising staff of one and budget that is 47% dependent upon community support, we face many challenges. We are excellent stewards of our donors, have motivated board members, and are making a huge impact in the community. We just need the tools and strategies to effectively develop major gift systems and train staff and volunteers to execute those tools.
I entered the development field 3 years ago and have become empowered to create a legacy of philanthropy. As the WDRC’s only fundraising staff, I have dramatically increased the agency’s fundraising capacity—launching in individual giving circle, strengthening donor stewardship, expanding grant solicitation, and more. Through numerous volunteer leadership roles, I mobilize donors to passionately support causes, empower marginalized voices, and lead teams to solve complex problems.
Post-graduate education and expert classes to advance my skills are cost prohibitive at this time. The WDRC has supported my participation in many of Amy’s webinars, but is not able to fund this class. I will pay this opportunity forward by referring colleagues to Amy’s resources and furthering our collective missions as a development officer for years to come.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Iris Maute-Gibson
My small shop will be able to take advantage of your expertise in an effort to raise funds to assist with department/patient needs in our rural community.
I would be thrilled to win your mastering major gifts contest. As the director of development for a 2- person development shop, we would greatly benefit from your course. Your course would be the stepping-stone to help change the culture with our board and to make fundraising not scary. We need to shout to our donors the impact we are making to inspire them to give and many times, I just feel that I do not have the right tools and support. Instead, we go around the mouse wheel each year with events, annual appeals and newsletters raising what we raise and I know that is not the answer. The time for change is now! I want to cultivate and build meaningful relationships with people who feel the same passion as I do for the organization. I want these donors to understand the impact their gift is making and ensure they know their gift is making a difference.
I am the Director of Donor Relations at New Hampshire PBS. As you may know, the proposed White House budget eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Small stations like mine are very dependent upon the funding that comes through the CPB and it will be nearly impossible for the station to stay on the air without that annual funding.
We have a nice membership base here in NH, but a small major donor base. While there is a lot of wealth here, NH, particularly the Seacoast area where the station is located, is one of the wealthiest, but least philanthropic areas in the entire country. It is a hard nut to crack.
For the station to survive, we need to raise the profile of the station and let donors know that we are worthy of their philanthropic support. I believe that the Mastering Major Gifts will give me the tools that I need to move our program forward.
Thank you for your consideration.
Tamara
I am in this field because I love what I do and I love helping people. I started raising awareness to people when I started an ice cream sales program to provide much needed supplies for my elementary school in 3rd grade. I have held various positions raising money for various for profit organizations. In January of 2017, I was hired on as Director of Development for a well known world wide non profit organization. The organization has just restarted their development department after 4-5 yrs of minimal development efforts. I head up the whole development department with emphasis in raising major gifts I believe our organization will take off in a big way, I just need some guidance.. Mastering major gifts will help me raise more money because I have had no formal training or education. There is so much information out there in form of books, seminars and service companies. Unfortunately,I have found not all of of it is good information. I believe with your strong background and incredible knowledge in raising major gifts, I will gain the knowledge to bring more awareness to a wide range of large number of donors. We are only able to continue to help others because of the generous support of some loyal followers and like many non profits who struggle with meeting overhead costs there is generally not much money left for training.
Thank you so much for considering me as the winner of the free Mastering Major Gifts Scholarship!
All the best!
Like most people in development I fell into the field. Although I didn’t set out to be a fundraiser, I’ve found that this is the best way I can contribute to ending injustice and to building a peaceful society.
From day one of being a fundraiser major gifts work gave me both sweaty palms and a shot of adrenaline. It was most outside of my comfort zone, but also most rewarding. And I knew it was key to a successful development program. Every work place I pushed and pushed the people around me to support major gifts work. But I found roadblock after roadblock. With little major gifts experience in one-person shops, I didn’t know how to shift the culture, what priorities to set, or even where to start.
Today, I’ve made it to someplace special. I’m a full time major gifts officer (yes! I can finally devote my time to this aspect of the work!) at an agency I care deeply about (I’ve been a volunteer and donor for years). My role will be to develop and organize the major gifts program, as well as manage my own portfolio. This is my dream job. And yet, I feel so out of my league!
I care too much about this organization to not get this right. Deep, intentional guidance from you, Amy, and the Mastering Major Gifts program – well it won’t be the silver bullet. But it will be exactly what will allow me to push myself and be held accountable to this work.
Your gift, of choosing me for this scholarship, will strengthen my ability to connect individuals’ giving priorities to their values AND put much needed dollars towards the work of ending one of the worst human rights violations of our time – torture and war atrocities.
My daughter struggled at mainstream schools. Everything improved when she changed to an alternative independent school. I now find myself working to raise funds to keep the school open. We received a major financial gift recently so I want to learn how to attract more and help the school grow.
Mastering major gifts will help me add value to the already acquired knowledge on how to figure out potental donors,how to appraoch and communicate, also on how to address challenges especially when i get back questions from donors. It will also help me be able to master all the possible techniques i can use to rise the mojor gifts starting from the grass roots to major donors. Communication in afundraising is amajor factor than cant be leftout,it will help me know which language to use on presenation to both board members and donors,how to give out progress reports for any success made as an accountability to the donors.generally,mastering major gifts will sharpen the already acquired knowlwdge with confidence, trust and outcome oriented. The organiastion will also benefit too much from this programme since with the intergration of the knowlwdge,skills and competences will avail success
I believe Master Major Gifts will help me to raise more money for 3 non-profit entities: Cross-Country Ski de fond Canada (CCC), Vantage Point 3 (VP3) and for Bogota Kids (BK).
I am the CEO of CCC and we raise funds for country skiers attempting to be Olympic medalist. CCC does not have Business Development Team and so the task falls to me and a few volunteers.
I am the Chairman of the Board for VP3 (a USA non-profit) where we raise money to help churches and other organizations to develop leaders.
I am a board member of BK which is a non-profit where we offer an educational after-school program to under-privileged kids in Bogota Columbia
I need a well-designed and proven fundraising system that well guarantee my success as a fundraiser for these three worthwhile causes for athletes, leaders and children. And this is how
I believe Master Major Gifts will help me to raise more money
Master Major Gifts can only help me improve my fundraising since I have basically no skills in this area. I have always been great at “earning” money but I don’t know how to ask people to give me money. As the executive director of two homeless shelters in a small Texas town I have successfully set up an organization to help the homeless but have discovered that people would rather give to an animal shelter than a shelter for homeless people. I and all my workers are volunteers and have been for 7 years. I am 72 years old and need to get some of my management positions paid so I can hire someone to take my place. I don’t know of anyone dumb enough to do this for free indefinitely.