What do major donors need to know in order to make a big gift?

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Question of the Month

Among your major donors, there are maybe 2 or 3 individuals who have both the capacity and the inclination to give a transformational gift to your organization. But before they do that, they want to feel confident in the following:

They need to know that they can trust you and your organization. It can take 12-24 months of consistent outreach and two-way interactions to build that level of trust with a donor.
They need to know the impact of all their previous gifts. Are you reporting back on impact so that they know what their gifts accomplished and feel inspired to give again?
They need you to connect the giving opportunity directly to their individual passions and interests. When you understand the passion and motivation behind a donor’s giving, it allows you to bring proposals that deeply connect to what matters most to them. If your offer doesn’t connect on a personal level, it won’t inspire a large gift.
They need to know you have a believable solution. When you present the problem, make sure you present a tangible solution so the donor understands what their gift will do. Support your solution with numbers and facts.
Many donors will want to see your budget and your long-term goals, but they also need to hear the emotional stories from the frontlines about the impact on the community served. Because donors give from their hearts.

As an MGO, it takes a lot of intentional planning to make sure that you’re providing all the above for your major donors. To stay on track, you need to create a vision for your donors for the next 1-2 years and align with them along the way as the partnership evolves.

To learn more about cultivating your major donors and preparing offers for transformational gifts, check out our free white paper, Packaging Program Into Donor Offers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a couple FAQs we get on this topic

What’s the process for building a long-term plan for each major donor?

We recommended creating a 12-month communication plan for every major donor, and our main tool for this is called the Donor Engagement Plan (DEP). The DEP helps to keep you on track so you can be proactive in your donor relationships. When you plan ahead, it gives you room to gather information so you can provide them with key facts and figures, share stories, and all the other key points above. You can read more about it in our White Paper, Creating Strategic Plans and Goals for Every Major Donor.

I have a major donor who gives regularly and has capacity to give more, but I cannot get them to respond to my outreach. What do I do?

Not every major donor will want to have a two-way relationship with your organization. If you’ve tried to connect at least 7 times in different ways through a formal qualification process, with no response, that’s your answer. It’s time to move on. Continue to send them impact reports on their giving and regular updates on your program, but you can decrease your individual outreach efforts and focus on others who will be interested in connecting on a deeper level with your organization.

If you’re looking for proven strategies and systems that will support your day-to-day work as a fundraiser, sign up for one of our certification courses. In addition to CFRE credits, joining a course gets you access to the tools and processes that we use with our clients, plus an invitation to join our Community Hub where you can connect with your colleagues in the non-profit space.