First, it’s important to start with the basics. Before you can ask for a transformational gift, you  need to have a major gifts caseload of no more than 150 qualified donors, tiered A to C, with an individual communication plan for each donor.

Then, of your Tier A donors, you’ll want to identify 3-5 individuals who have the capacity and inclination to someday make a transformational gift. For those donors, you’ll adapt their communication plan, planning 24-36 months ahead for opportunities to learn more about them, develop the relationship, and understand what kinds of programs they’re most interested in. You’ll also need to talk to your program and finance counterparts so you can share with your donor what’s needed and what their transformational gift would be used for.

And don’t hold back from asking for gifts while you’re building up to a larger amount. It’s rare to take a $10,000 donor and then have their next gift turn into a million dollars. That’s part of developing the relationship and trust with the donor, as they see the impact of their increasingly significant gifts.

You can watch the video or read the transcript below. And if you’re ready to learn how to build deeper connections with your donors and encourage more transformational gifts, make sure to check out our Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers.

Read the full transcript:

Jeff Schreifels 

Hi there. Welcome to this month’s Question of the Month. I’ve invited my colleague, Lisa Robertson, to be with me today as we discuss transformational giving. Reaching this level of giving takes work and planning, but it’s so important to the future of your organization. All right. So here’s today’s question: How do you plan for a transformational gift?

Lisa Robertson 

Well, the important thing is to start with a good basis, right? So you’ve got your caseload of no more than 150. They’re qualified donors; we know their passions and interests; and we have a good plan for them. And then what happens is, it’s good to look out a little bit further, right? So about 18 to 36 months, and look ahead. And then think about what we can talk to them about. And so we’re looking long term. And in the meantime, we’re not stopping asking them every year. We don’t hold on and wait. But we think about, during that time, what can we do to learn more about them? So are we connecting with other board members or other donors who might know them? Because even small things we can learn about them are things we can use to help develop the relationship, right?

Jeff Schreifels 

Now, just to back up just a bit. These are probably going to be in your A Tier, right?

Lisa Robertson 

Oh yes, yes.

Jeff Schreifels 

These are the donors in your A Tier that you’re focusing on long term?

Lisa Robertson 

Right. And probably only maybe three to five. I should have said that. Yes. So just, you know, the very top three to five, looking long term, finding out what we can about them to help develop more the relationship. And then you’re also looking internally, right? So talking to Program and Finance and making sure if we’re going to get this transformational gift, what’s it going to be used for? And then we’re really trying to find creative ways with the donor to connect during that time to just deepen that relationship. And so all those things really work together to make sure we’re focusing long term and continuing to act in the short term, to really kind of move them to find something that really compels them to give more to the organization.

Jeff Schreifels 

Okay. So, bottom line is, you’re gonna find them in Tier A. You’re going to plan probably for the next 24 to 36 months. And out of that Tier A, there’s probably three to five of those that have that capacity to give transformationally. Awesome.

Jeff Schreifels 

Thank you, Lisa. I hope this has helped you better understand how to plan for transformational gifts, and why it’s such an important thing to focus on. If you’re ready to learn more about how to create meaningful relationships with your donors that lead to transformational gifts, be sure to check out our Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. This is a comprehensive training that will give you our best practices, tools, and resources to help you create a thriving major gifts program and connect transformational with your donors. You can learn more about this course by visiting our website or by emailing us at academy@veritusgroup.com. Thank you and take care.