Cheerful Persistence – The Fundraiser’s Super Power
“We regret to inform you that we are unable to provide the requested funding at this time.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read those words with minor…
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Major Gifts
18 posts
Major gifts is a type of fundraising that focuses on asking individuals for large donations. Not for the faint of heart.
The Anatomy of the Ask
When Nathan, founder of The Almoner, asked me to write about the “Anatomy of the Ask,” my mind immediately returned to high school and college science classes—facts, experiments, science fairs—none…
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Tee ‘em Up
As fundraising team members, we must involve our leaders – whether it be a President, Executive Director, or CEO – in fundraising activities creatively and strategically. We also have…
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Major Gift Officer: Best Job in Development?
I was at a career crossroads, reflecting on Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.” “Two roads diverged in a wood – and I….” How would I finish that line,…
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The Holy Grail of Fundraising – Major Gifts
For many organizations, creating a major gifts program is kind of like searching for the Holy Grail. They know they should be doing major gifts, know that it’s really important,…
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How do I build a major gifts program from scratch?
Are you trying to build a major gifts program for your ministry? The task might seem so big that you just don’t know where to start. Even the name, “Major…
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Should a board of directors do fundraising?
Should your board of directors be doing fundraising? If you are a non-profit ministry with 501 (c) 3 status, you have a board of directors. What role, if any, should…
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What is prospect research?
When you are trying to raise a large amount of money, either through a capital campaign or major gifts program, knowing “who to ask” might be the most important information…
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How do I find new major gift donors?
No matter where you are in setting up a major gifts program – just starting out, getting things rolling, or a complete master – you constantly need to be on…
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Are you using the right fundraising tools?
What kind of tool is THAT? Look at that picture. Do you know what that is? I didn’t either until about a week ago. When I decided that I was…
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