10 Secrets to Major Gift Fundraising Success: The Second 5

Ready to get your share of the major gift goodies?

Every organization should have a major gifts program. That’s where much of the philanthropic money is.

It’s a rare organization that has a mailing list large enough to raise a million dollars from a million different $1 donors. But most organizations do have major donor prospects hiding in plain sight.

Your job is to find them, then move them along a cultivation path that prepares both them — and you — to make an ask that results in a values-based exchange.

In Part 1, we covered the first five secrets to major gift fundraising success: choosing your major gift amount, finding the right prospects, creating the right case for support, building a gift chart, and knowing when to ask.

Today, we’ll cover the final five — the secrets to working the plan you’ve developed.

6. Secret to Choosing the Right Solicitor(s)

There is no one right solicitor for every prospect.

Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. Does the prospect know the person who will ask? Will they perceive that person as credible, authoritative, knowledgeable, friendly or otherwise persuasive?

ACTION TIP: Decide in advance who will play which role.

Sometimes one person serves as the “educator” and another as the “asker.” The educator might be a knowledgeable staff member — a doctor, teacher, researcher, program manager, executive director or development director — while the asker might be a volunteer leader or peer with a relationship to the prospect.

There are no hard-and-fast rules. The important thing is to decide ahead of time who will do what.

Otherwise, you risk leaving the room without ever getting to the solicitation.

7. Secret to Getting the Right Decision-Maker(s) in the Room

Are all the necessary people there?

You may as well have everyone who will ultimately influence the donor’s decision in the room. Otherwise, you’re counting on your contact to convey what you said to someone else — a little like playing telephone. Something inevitably gets lost in translation.

ACTION TIP: Think beyond the individual you initially identified as your prospect.

Should you include a spouse, adult child or significant other? What about a legal, financial or philanthropic advisor? If the gift is coming from a family foundation, perhaps several family members should participate.

You put a lot of work into preparing your “dog and pony show.” Make sure you invite everyone who needs to be part of the conversation.

8. Secret to Preparing Your Solicitor(s)

Are you — or your volunteer or staff member — truly prepared to ask?

Do you have the information you need about your prospect and the project? Have you practiced what you’re going to say? If you’re doing a team solicitation, have you practiced together?

And perhaps most important: Do you believe the prospect is ready to say yes?

One reason board members hesitate to ask for gifts is fear. Staff can help by making the experience less about asking for money and more about what the gift will make possible.

ACTION TIP: Hold a board inspiration session before the solicitation.

Remind board members why they became involved in the first place. Ask them to share stories about their own engagement and what your organization means to them.

They don’t need to memorize a stack of facts and figures. They need to be able to tell their story — and perhaps share some of the stories they’ve heard from others in the room.

Years ago, when I trained to be a lawyer, I took a trial litigation course. Rule #1: Don’t ask a question to which you don’t already know the answer.

The same principle applies here. You should have good reason to believe your prospect is ready to give you a “yes” — even if it’s a conditional yes, or not for the full amount you’ve requested.

Prepare for the question you’re about to ask.

9. Secret to Defining Success for Your Organization

You need a gift that is enough to meet the need.

If you don’t raise enough, you won’t reach your goal. You may help fewer people than need help, close programs or even put your organization at risk.

“Any amount you can give” is not a strategy.

ACTION TIP: Get crystal clear about what success looks like before you make the ask.

Suppose you have 25 prospects and need 10 gifts at a particular level. One prospect giving less than you hoped for may not be a problem.

But at the top of your gift chart, you may have less room for flexibility. If a prospect offers less than you’ve asked for, don’t automatically accept the first number they give you.

Instead, ask questions.

Find out why they’re hesitating. Is it the amount? The project? The timing? Something they don’t understand? Something you haven’t addressed?

You may discover the objection isn’t really an objection at all — it’s an invitation to have a deeper conversation.

And sometimes, of course, the donor’s answer will be “no.” That’s okay. Your job is to understand the reason, not to pressure someone into giving.

10. Secret to Defining Success for Your Donor

Your donor needs to get something meaningful from the exchange, too.

All effective fundraising is donor-centered. Every individual has different values and motivations. The better you understand them, the better you can shape an offer that provides the value they seek.

The donor gives monetary support in return for something — usually intangible. It might be recognition, a sense of belonging, the fulfillment of a moral obligation, the opportunity to give back, or simply the satisfaction of making something happen.

The entire process is a value-for-value exchange.

ACTION TIP: Use cultivation to discover what matters to your prospect.

Ask open-ended questions such as:

• “What first got you involved here?”

• “Why is this your favorite aspect of our work?”

• “How do you feel about the role of our organization in the community?”

• “What would you like your legacy to be?”

Don’t guess what motivates someone. Find out.

Then use what you’ve learned to shape an offer that connects their values with an outcome they care about.

The Bottom Line

Major gift fundraising isn’t about finding rich people and asking them for money.

It’s about finding the right people, understanding what matters to them, showing them what their philanthropy can make possible, and creating the conditions for a meaningful exchange.

That’s how you move from a fundraising transaction to a philanthropic partnership.

And that’s the real secret to major gift fundraising success.

Ready to Rock Major Gifts This Year?

Whether you’re new to major gifts or a seasoned pro, I invite you to join this 8-week online course: Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers.

If you’re serious about fundraising, you’ve got to get serious about investing in major gifts. This is true no matter your size.

I’ve done every kind of fundraising there is, and can tell you from decades of experience there’s no more cost-effective fundraising strategy.

It’s a struggle to figure out how to do it on your own, and it wastes time.  Enroll yourself and your team today — and make this your best fundraising year ever!

SAVINGS ALERT: Use my special Clairification School discount code – CA5.

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