I hope you’ve jumped in, the water is fine! I hope you’ve taken the plunge. I hope you’ve committed to the Major Gifts Challenge.
Over two dozen videos in this series walk you through the steps of raising major gifts, challenging you to jump in and start raising major gifts for your organization. The videos cover the process from start to finish.
If you’re unsure what the Challenge is, check out the introductory video here and get yourself up to speed!
If you missed any of the posts, you can always go back and review.
Major Gifts Challenge – The Key Takeaway
The weekly action steps of the Major Gifts Challenge have you well on your way to raising major gifts — you might have already raised a few!
If you’ve followed the steps but haven’t raised any major gifts this year, relax. Take a breath.
The Major Gift Challenge is designed to help you start and sustain a Major Gift Program, there are lots of variables, so it may take a little longer for one organization than another. Consistency is what’s important. Stay with the process and you’ll have a productive major gift program.
Remember, the steps to raising major gifts are time consuming. One Challenge video dealt with time management and offered ways to fit major gift fundraising into a busy development office schedule.
The most important takeaway of the Major Gifts Challenge — and this might surprise you — comes down to this:
Raising major gifts doesn’t have to be hard.
The hardest part is setting aside time and doing something every week to move the needle.
That’s why I created the Major Gifts Challenge — to teach you manageable steps to accomplish a monumental achievement.
Unfortunately, raising major gifts has no deadlines. It’s easy to not find time for it when your gala rolls around or something else comes along. Especially if you think it’s a hard task with little chance of success.
But I know something you don’t know … it’s another surprising takeaway about raising major gifts.
Here it is…
ANYONE Can Raise Major Gifts
And that includes YOU!
I know that YOU can do this, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I’ve seen hundreds of fundraisers, who started as novices, raising four, five and even six figure gifts for the very first time. You have learned their formula for success in this series.
Success in raising major gifts comes, in part, from knowing the path. But it’s even more important to walk the path … consistently.
You CAN Raise Major Gifts!
Raising those huge, game-changing gifts for your organization comes from the perfect union of know-how and commitment. The Major Gifts Challenge has provided you with lots of know-how. But the commitment … that part’s up to you.
So if you’re still not there yet, go back to the beginning. It may be just one or two steps that need to be repeated to open the door to Major Gifts. Here’s a link to the very first post.
Hundreds of people enthusiastically pledged, “I’m in!”
Were you one of them?
Did you follow through? If not, why not?
What got in the way of your success?
Challenge Yourself Action Item
This week’s action item gives you the chance to give something back to me as the creator of the Major Gifts Challenge. And then I’ve got something more for you!
This task is super simple — it’ll take you just a couple minutes.
Step 1: Share one success and one challenge.
Take two to three minutes to share one success and one obstacle you faced during the Major Gifts Challenge. Successes need not be securing a gift — small successes count too. For example, getting more meetings with donors or seeing more engagement on the part of your board members.
Write a comment below to share your one success and one challenge. Please include your full name for step 2.
Step 2: See if you win a free 45-minute coaching call!
I’ll review all comments over the course of the next week. Then I’ll randomly select three winners for a free 45 minute private coaching call with me! I’ll list winners in my email newsletter next week. So if you don’t already get my weekly emails, sign up here!
Going Further with Major Gifts
If you want more information on all things related to raising major gifts, check out my 7-week online course, Mastering Major Gifts. Worth 35 CFRE credits, this course covers far more detail than the Major Gifts Challenge, offering dozens of templates and worksheets so you save time and avoid reinventing the wheel. Learn more here.
Act, Comment and Participate
Now it’s your turn to share your progress with the Major Gifts Challenge.
Did you see the Challenge yourself action item? Go ahead and share one success and one challenge, and you’ll be entered to win a free coaching call with me.
What are you waiting for? Share your comments below!
The Major Gifts Challenge has given me the beginning tools to raise major gifts. A step-by-step plan with actionable steps each week has provided a certain level of confidence in doing this. The biggest challenge remaining is actually having face-to-face meetings with major donors. Getting out there and doing it is the key to that challenge.
Yes! Time to put the plan and tools into action next year. You can do it!
Hi Amy – I am responding to the opportunity to win a coaching session with you. I look forward to also viewing your videos.
In terms of a success, my organization has done well this year in obtaining sponsors for our monthly forums and workshops. Our next hurdle/challenge is to put a system(s) in place to help us move to more sustaining annual and multi-year sponsorships.
One major gift! But the biggest challenge is my head – I keep stalling at setting up meetings.
Hi Sheryl – Thanks for your honesty. Sometimes you are the biggest obstacle. No more stalling or procrastination. It’s time to raise major gifts! You can do it!
I met with a long time donor who wanted to tour the campus and came from out of state. We toured and met with the CEO and then I sent her away with the building campaign packet to call after the holidays about ways that she and her husband may want to participate.
In the major giving area, the biggest step forward this year, was bringing on a board member who knows the Development world and want to help lead the organization to appealing for/gaining major gifts. The biggest challenges are my fear, and a kicka## case statement.
Just wrote a grant to take MMG. fingers crossed! I’ll know in March.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the opportunity to reflect on successes and challenges at year’s end.
My greatest success this year has been to identify a faculty member who has strong relationships with former students who attribute their career successes to him. He’s a great person to bring along on visits.
My biggest challenge is that virtually none of my “MG” prospects have ever even made a first gift and that this list has been generated almost entirely by “wealth ratings.”
Hi Caroline – Great idea on the faculty front – especially if he is willing to “go on the road” with you. Start with your existing donors first, even if they aren’t as highly rated. Better to get a smaller gift than no gift at all (from those who are highly rated, but not inclined to give to your organization). Thanks for sharing!
Our individual school departments are good at raising funds to accomplish special project goals through sponsoring events (success!).
Our challenge is a two person development department where the only way to do it is the director’s. Which would be alright if major gifts were coming in, there was follow through on sponsorship campaigns, enrollment was up (or at least steady), and alumni engaged…but it is not happening. The executive director has been non-involved and cuts taking place and lagging in academics compared to our competition. The development director has overseen the enrollment as well.
We’re making progress on major gifts, but still have a ways to go. Winning your consulting would be amazing.
We’re developing a fund solicitation plan than includes major gifts. A success for us is 100% board member contributions, A challenge is creating a major fundraising plan. But I have a bunch of videos to watch from your major gift challenge, so that’s a start