Developing Major Gifts

This book has the insightful and cost-effective techniques you can use today that will deliver tremendous returns for years to come.

This book explores various strategies for major gift solicitation by colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. Emphasis is on the face-to-face interactive communication process. Section 1 presents 16 chapters that discuss various solicitation strategies, including examining organizational readiness for major gift solicitation; the fund raiser's readiness for face-to-face solicitation of major gifts; the theoretical basis of interpersonal communication in gift solicitation; 10 steps to achieving success in major gift solicitation; donor motivational factors; getting an appointment with the prospect; techniques for opening and closing a major gift meeting; the structure of the gift solicitation meeting; dealing with the prospect's objections; major gift communication and stewardship through group cultivation events; the problem of institutional tension as addressed by 20 college/university presidents; the role of power and status in major gift solicitation; and a final review of major decision points in the strategic approach to major solicitation. Section 2 contains 11 case studies, which offer questions designed to facilitate application of the information. Section 3 offers some possible solutions to the questions posed by the case study situations. (DB)

Amy Eisenstein guides you, in only five hours a week, to safely and surely meet the challenges of getting your organization ready for major gift fundraising, all the way up to that all-important ask--and beyond. If you've been in fundraising for any length of time, you've no doubt heard of the "90/10 Rule." In its simplest terms, it means that 90 percent of the funding comes from 10 percent of our donors. Yet far too often, the majority of our time is spent focused on low-yield fundraising activities, such as events. Amy argues that the key to successful long-term, sustainable fundraising lies in dramatically increasing your fundraising income from individual donors. And savvy fundraisers will do well to heed her advice. But how can you get started? With Amy at the helm, guiding you in developing your organization's major gifts program, you'll find it's absolutely doable. Amy doesn't pull any punches. She makes it clear, if you're going to succeed in major gifts, that everyone will need to be on board and that effective and consistent fundraising training is a must. It's a commitment. Throughout the book, she explains key fundraising concepts, the difference between major gifts and capital campaigns, how to determine exactly what constitutes a major gift for your organization, the importance of gift acceptance policies, job responsibilities for your major gift team, the role of online fundraising in major gifts fundraising, the role of direct mail, maintaining your database, and more. In short, she cuts to the chase to show you that major gift fundraising is something that, yes, you can do. It just takes focus and Amy's know-how, marvelously outlined within these pages. Part One-- You Can Raise Major Gifts in Only Five Hours per Week! Chapter One: The Secret to Successful Fundraising: Creating a Culture of Philanthropy and Professionalism at Your Organization Chapter Two: Creating Your Strategy Chapter Three: The Secret Weapon of Major Gifts: Engaging Your Board Chapter Four: Creating an Army of Advocates and the Role of Social Media Chapter Five: What Does Bulk Mail Have to Do with Major Gifts? Part Two-- Are You Ready to Ask for a Major Gift? Preparing to Ask Chapter Six: Who Will You Ask for Major Gifts? Chapter Seven: Researching Your Prospects: The Fine Line between Professional and Creepy Chapter Eight: The Art and Science of Getting a Meeting: How to Meet With People You Know--and with People You Don't Chapter Nine: How to Build Deeper Relationships with Major Gift Prospects Part Three-- The Moment of Truth: Asking and Beyond Chapter Ten: Get Ready to Ask Chapter Eleven: The Moment of Truth (Time to Ask) Chapter Twelve: More Than Simply Thank You Part Four-- Taking Your Organization to the Next Level Chapter Thirteen: Considering a Capital Campaign? Chapter Fourteen: Can a Small Shop Really Do Planned Giving? Chapter Fifteen: Moving on Up: Taking Your Organization to the Next Level

If you are not feeding new prospective major gift donors into your pipeline on a regular and systematic basis, sooner or later your efforts are going to stall. So, whether you are new to fundraising or have been active in the profession for years, this is a resource that can help you build new relationships and add good prospects to your portfolio. The book provides specific strategies that will increase your odds for success when you are ready to meet your donors. You will learn to "warm" your prospects so they are receptive to your outreach, to make allies of the gatekeepers who control access to the decision makers, and to conduct a qualification call that is both casual and purposeful. All of these methods are designed to initiate a comfortable and meaningful relationship that will one day result in a significant philanthropic investment.

Boost Your Nonprofit's Success! Written by a sterling group of experts for their nonprofit peers, Major Donors: Finding Big Gifts in Your Database and Online supplies all types of nonprofit organizations with the best strategies for navigating the ever-changing world of fundraising on the Internet. Truly international in its examples, research, advice, and knowledge, this book is rich with avenues and ideas about approaching prospective givers--and generous with cross-cultural tips about conducting cultivation and solicitation in various countries. "At last, a practical book that helps us move our thinking in the critical future area of major gift fundraising. As one of the oldest techniques in the fundraiser's armory, we have sat for too long using the same frameworks and techniques; this book offers new thinking, new insights, and new approaches that will help fundraisers harness the potential of the growing band of high-net-worth individuals within their country and internationally. This book is packed with up-to-the-minute, practical information that will enhance existing major gift programs as much as it will help beginners get their head around where to start." --Tony Elischer, Managing Director, THINK Consulting Solutions "Institutional advancement is a deeply personal process that requires in-depth understanding of our supporters, to the degree to which specific aspects of our own priorities reflect our donors' personal aspirations and interests. Prospect research is indispensable to this process and to identifying possible supporters from thousands of possible donors--it would have been impossible for the University of Toronto campaign to have succeeded in the absence of our investment in prospect research." --Dr. Jon S. Dellandrea, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Development and External Affairs, University of Oxford "Major Donors offers some of the best advice from some of the world's leading prospect researchers, and it will help you to become a much better fundraiser. It is a great resource and an important part of any fundraising library. When you follow the advice in this book, you will raise much more money." --Harvey McKinnon, President, Harvey McKinnon Associates author of Hidden Gold and How Today's Rich Give, and coauthor of the international bestseller The Power of Giving

Conducting a Successful Major Gifts and Planned Giving Program— the fifth volume in the groundbreaking Dove on Fundraising Series—is a complete guide to establishing and sustaining a major gifts and planned giving program in a nonprofit organization. Written by master fundraiser Kent E. Dove and coauthors Alan M. Spears and Thomas W. Herbert, this essential resource includes the information needed to build a viable major gifts and planning giving program and offers a clear understanding of the law as it pertains to a variety of planned giving. The authors address the full spectrum of major gifts and planned giving principles, including research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Conducting a Successful Major Gifts and Planned Giving Program describes how to involve a governing board in the program and craft a gift acceptance policy. It also outlines how to manage the program, develop a budget, set goals, define what resources are needed, and determine when to use consultants. Conducting a Successful Major Gifts and Planned Giving Program also includes a resource section that contains a wealth of illustrative real-world examples.

This publication contains 15 papers concerned with the establishment at colleges and universities of new major gift programs or the improvement of existing programs. The papers, all by development professionals in higher education, are as follows: (1) "An Introduction to the Major Gift Process" (Jon Cosovich); (2) "Strategic Management of a Major Gift Program" (David R. Dunlop); (3) "Developing Major Gift Staff" (Carol L. O'Brien); (4) "Setting Guidelines: Assessing and Directing Major Gift Staff for Optimal Results" (Don Myers); (5) "Prospect Research: Key Methods for Discovering and Targeting Donors" (John Gliha); (6) "Prospect Management: Tracking and Coordinating Information" (Carole W. Karsch); (7) "Prospect Identification and Assessment: Using Prospect Meetings and Peer Review" (Linda J. Marks); (8) "Using Volunteers in the Major Gift Program" (David G. Pond); (9) "Narrowing the Major Gift Market: Principal Gifts" (William F. Dailey, Lucretia L. Martin, and Dennis J. Caplis); (10) "An Effective Model of Principal Gift Program" (William H. Boardman Jr.); (11) "Developing Prospect Strategies" (Marjorie E. Millar); (12) "Factors of Engagement: Using Volunteer Committees and Special Events to Cultivate Donors" (Charlotte B. Heartt); (13) "Asking for Major Gifts" (A. H. "Bud" Edwards and William Outhouse); (14) "Major Gift Case Studies" (James W. Osterholt and Roger A. Meyer); (15) "Stewardship of Major Donors" (William R. Haden). Includes a bibliography of major donor research resources. (JB)

Are you searching for the next big idea in fundraising to help your organization soar? It's actually right under your nose in your database. Major Donors. Right here, right now, you have the donors who have the capacity to give five, six, and yes, seven figure gifts. This book tells you how to find them, and what to do once you have them. Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels tell you everything you need to do to take your organization to a new level of performance in major gifts. This book is packed with easy to implement ideas and strategies to create, build, and manage a robust major gift program. You won't put this book down. You'll be entertained and helped. You will learn how to create a culture that puts relationships with donors above everything else. You will be left inspired to succeed; because, ultimately, it's NOT just about the money.