The NEW Major Gifts Challenge

In January of 2013, I issued a challenge on my blog — one that went viral — Major Gifts Challenge. Now the Challenge is back! The new Challenge incorporates the latest data and research, and lessons learned over the past few years. So… are you in?

Whether you’ve never raised a major gift before or just want to raise more gifts this year, you’ve come to the right place! Like the original Challenge, you’ll only need to commit a few hours each week. Stick with it for a year, and I promise you’ll be raising major gifts in no time!

Succeed in 3 Easy Steps

1. Watch each video in the series. Start with the first one and go in numerical order. New videos will appear each week throughout 2017.
2. Commit at least a few hours each week (5 hours is ideal) to taking the recommended action. This step is critical — if you don’t take action, you won’t see results.
3. Share your progress in the comments. Add a comment at the end of each post and I’ll offer free advice to keep your efforts on track.

After seeing you present at the AFP Conference in San Diego, we followed your Major Gifts Challenge and used your book 50 ASKS in 50 Weeks to go from $850,000 to $1.3 million for the Abbotsford Food Bank this past fiscal year. Just wanted to say thanks!— Dave Murray, Director – Abbotsford Food Bank

The best part of all, taking the Major Gifts Challenge is entirely FREE!

Major Gifts Challenge — Videos

Watch each video below in numerical order. New videos will appear each week throughout 2017!

1. Fame and Fortune Await! Take the NEW Major Gifts Challenge
2. How to Calculate the Amount of a Major Gift and 3 Reasons Why Size Matters
3. Creating a Donor Pipeline: Building a List of Major Gift Prospects
4. Creating a Donor Pipeline: Zero in on Your BEST Major Gift Prospects
5. Friendraising: How to Raise Major Gifts When You Have No Donors
6. How to Create a Major Gift Stewardship Plan: Forget About the Money!
7. Precisely How to Determine and Calculate Your Major Gift Goal
8. 4 Metrics to Measure the Success of Your Major Gift Program
9. Recruit Board Members Who Are Hungry to Raise Major Gifts
10. Give Your Board Members a Proper Orientation and Watch Them Soar
11. A Simple Month-by-Month Cultivation Plan for Major Gift Donors
12. Foolproof Ways to Get a First Meeting with a Major Donor
13. Precisely How to Conduct Your First Meeting with a Major Donor
14. 3 Brilliant Ways to Cultivate Long Distance Donors for Major Gifts
15. Your Secret Weapon to Raising the Biggest Gifts: An Engaged Board
16. How to Prime Your Donors BEFORE You Ask for a Major Gift
17. An Airtight, Bullet-Proof Way to Overcome Your Fear of Asking
18. How to Determine an Exact Ask Amount for Each of Your Major Gift Donors
19. Practice and Prepare: A Strategic Pair for Your Ask Meeting Agenda
20. After Asking for a Major Gift: How to Respond to Yes, No, and Maybe
21. Planned Giving and Major Gifts: A Winning Combination
22. Your Future Major Gifts Depend on Top-Notch Stewardship
23. Future-proof Your Nonprofit with a Culture of Philanthropy: 3 Things You MUST Do
24. Donor Retention vs. New Donors: Donor Retention ALWAYS Wins
25. Yes, You Do Have Time to Raise Major Gifts – Here’s How to Find It
26. A Beginner’s Guide to Board Retreats, a Staple of Successful Major Gift Programs
27. Two Shocking Takeaways from the Major Gifts Challenge
28. Major Gifts, Starfish and Second Chances: Small Changes Can Make Big Waves
29. 3 Brilliant Ways to Stay on Track with Major Gift Fundraising
30. The Changing Landscape of Fundraising: From Major Gifts to Capital Campaigns
31. You CAN Raise Major Gifts, and Here’s the Proof!
32. Assess Yourself and Your Fundraising: 5 Profound Questions

Remember — it’s never too late to start raising major gifts!