How can your team build a successful major gift program?

1 Identify your prospects

The first step in building a major gift program is to identify who are your potential major donors and what are their interests, motivations, and capacities. You can use your existing donor database, as well as research tools and social media, to segment your donors based on their giving history, affinity, and involvement with your organization. You can also ask your team members to suggest names of people they know who might be interested in supporting your cause. Once you have a list of prospects, you can assign them to different team members based on their relationships, roles, and expertise.

4 Steward your donors

The final step is to steward your donors, by thanking them sincerely and promptly, and by providing them with regular and relevant updates on how their gifts are making a difference. You can use various methods, such as thank-you cards, phone calls, reports, newsletters, videos, and recognition events, to show your gratitude and accountability. You can also involve your team members in the stewardship process, by asking them to sign thank-you notes, make thank-you calls, share impact stories, or invite donors to events. The aim is to retain and upgrade your donors, and to inspire them to become advocates and ambassadors for your cause.

By following these steps, you can build a successful major gift program that taps into the strengths, connections, and passions of your team members. A major gift program is not only a way to raise funds, but also a way to build a community of supporters who share your vision and mission.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?