Help Your Executive Director Embrace Their Role in Raising Major Gifts

Executive Directors have unique roles to play when it comes to raising major gifts. It’s not a role they can hand off to a Director of Development. It’s not a role a board member can play. It’s a role uniquely held by the CEO at your organization.

Think about a leader or a boss you’ve been excited to follow. That’s the kind of person who should be raising major gifts. They come in all shapes and sizes. Great major gift fundraisers could be dynamic, insightful, or introspective. There’s no one size fits all.

Of course, some executives are more comfortable in their fundraising role than others, but it’s one they can learn and improve upon.

3 Important Aspects of Your Executive Director’s Role

If your Executive Director is not a great major gift fundraiser yet, there *IS* hope. Here are some aspects of major gift fundraising that simply can’t (or shouldn’t) be delegated.

1. Vision

The Executive Director is uniquely positioned to develop and articulate the vision of the organization with input and buy-in from the board. ED’s are often knows as “visionaries” for their organization — and that’s by design. Hopefully your Executive Director has a big vision for your organization which invites and inspires major gifts.

Of course, the vision of the organization is a collaborative effort between the board and the Executive Director, but at the end of the day, the Executive Director is responsible for driving that vision for the future of the organization.

2. Communication

The Executive Director, with the support of their team, is responsible for communicating the vision to the board and major donors. When speaking or writing to major donors, there is no substitute for the Executive Director. They must be able to convey their enthusiasm and vision clearly and articulately.

3. Solicitation

While the Development Director and board members can ask for many gifts, there some donors who simply want to be solicited by the Executive Director. However, if your Executive Director simply can’t choke out the words, they should at least be in the room, nodding along in agreement with the person who is doing the asking.

Not only that, but the Executive Director also needs to be at the solicitation meeting to answer question and provide validation and reassurance to the donor about their big gift.

Executive Directors have a key role to play in solicitation

As much as many Executive Directors dread the idea of asking for gifts, they play a meaningful and important role in fundraising and especially in raising major gifts. It’s simply not a task that can (or should) be completely outsourced to a Development Director.

Executive Directors are in that special role for a reason. They are in a position of leadership to lead, and that’s exactly what they need to do when it comes to raising major gifts.

The good news is that there are many strategies and tactics to help hesitant or even resistant Executive Directors with this important responsibility. Here are some of my favorite, most simple strategies to help Executive Directors start raising major gifts.

How To Help Your Executive Director Embrace Their Fundraising Role

Sit down with donors and have your agenda ready. Start with someone the Executive Director knows well, like a board member or close donor, and ask to “practice” on them (but for real). Let them know you’ll be asking for feedback on how they did at the end of the meeting.

You want to encourage your Executive Director to take the lead on three things:

1. Discussing Your Programs

Your Executive Director should start with what you do best — talk about the programs. Mention two or three things you’re especially proud of or looking forward to.

2. Asking Open-ended Questions

Next, have your Executive Director ask the donor two or three open-ended questions about their connection to the organization or cause.

3. Conveying Your Specific Needs

Lastly, your ED should ask if the donor would like to help and learn more about your specific needs. Assuming they yes, your ED should be up front and share that they’re not sure what to ask for. They should outline two or three large needs you have, being prepared with those in advance.

For example, when it comes to the ask, your Executive Director might say something along the lines of:

I’m not sure what to ask you for, but we have really big needs in three areas:

1. First, we need to hire a new social worker for our after-school program;
2. Second, we need to purchase a new school bus to take kids home from school and on field trips;
3. And third, we need scholarship funds to enable kids to participate at low or no cost.

Each need will cost about $100K for a total of $300K. Could you consider supporting one or more of those areas?

Then, everyone should be silent and wait patiently for the donor to respond.

With this sort of practice and encouragement, your Executive Director will be one BIG step closer to embracing the totality of their role as a successful major gift fundraiser. Give it a try!