At the end of each year, it’s important to reflect on how you did in asking for major gifts, measure your results, and review what could be done better or differently during the next year. And, don’t forget to celebrate any success you had! Did you receive your first ever major gift this year? If so, it’s time for a celebration! That … [Read more...]

Time is running out if you want to raise major gifts for your organization in time for year-end. My friend, colleague and mentor, Gail Perry, has put together a panel of the best-of-the-best experts in the field of fundraising to help you raise more money by year-end this year. I was honored to be included in the line-up and my topic, of … [Read more...]

Congragulations — you've made the ask! (If you're not quite there yet, go back a step and prepare for any twists and turns your ask meeting might take. Be sure to read my post Why Maybe is the Best Answer When Asking for a Major Gift about how to respond when a donor says “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” during the ask meeting. That post also … [Read more...]

Hopefully you spent some time in the Major Gifts Challenge cultivating your donors. If not, there’s always time to start now. So, you should be ready (or almost ready) to ask your major gifts prospects for a gift. Before you know it, it will be the end of the year, so you need to ask sooner, not later. Some people won’t be available to … [Read more...]

There are three possible answers (and only three) that a person can give after being asked for a Major Gift: Yes No and maybe You need to be prepared for all of them. When a Prospective Donor Says "Yes" Let’s say you ask someone for a major gift, and they say “yes.” What do you do? First, thank them, of course. Then find … [Read more...]

As we approach "the ask" in the Major Gifts Challenge, I've asked my colleague, Andrea Kihlstedt, to prepare a guest post for this week dedicated to Asking Styles. Andrea’s unique approach to asking could really help as you approach your asks. Asking Styles is also the name of Andrea's new book (pictured right), for which I had the honor … [Read more...]

You may have heard the expression: Fundraising is an art and a science. As much as I wish there was an “ask amount formula,” unfortunately there isn’t. 5 Rules to Determine Your Ask Amount Determining how much to ask for could be the most confusing part of the entire major gift process. So here are some rules of thumb to live by: … [Read more...]

The most important activity on every cultivation plan for soliciting major gifts from prospective donors is a personal meeting or visit. You will want to meet with all major gifts prospects, regardless of whether you already have a good relationship with them (board members and other volunteers), as well as those you need to meet for the … [Read more...]