Finding Major Donors: A Practical Approach

Welcome to this week's LinkedIn-only excerpt of the Donor Participation Project newsletter! The Donor Participation Project is a community of 6,000+ fundraisers where you can network, learn, and advance your career.

Ever notice how certain moments in fundraising make you... glow?

Let me explain.?

I've been thinking a lot about "glow" lately: the warm-fuzzy feeling that happens in fundraising.

Enter the concept of "warm-glow giving" - a fancy economic theory that explains why giving feels so good. Economists discovered that donors experience actual joy from "doing their part." It's not just about the impact - it's about the emotional reward of participating.

(If you were more cynical, you might say that they managed to explain philanthropy through the lens of self-interest.)?

But here's where it gets interesting...

The glow isn't just for donors. As fundraisers, we get to experience multiple types of glow:

1. The reflection of donor joy (when they're excited about giving)
2. The sparkle of positive feedback
3. The radiance of achieving results

Just this week, our Annual Fund Toolkit team experienced all three:

• A $10k gift from a donor in response to a "lapsed" donor sequence (clearly wasn't done giving!)
• A $360k planned gift?from a "Smart Ways to Give" campaign
• 10x increase in email acquisition for a nonprofit by tweaking a simple popup (= hundreds of new community members weekly)

The beauty of glow is that it's contagious.?

When donors feel good about giving, they tell others. When fundraisers see results, they share strategies.?

When communities grow, everyone benefits.

Has your fundraising created any glow moments lately? Hit reply and let me know - I live for these stories.

Keep creating glow!

Louis

P.S. Speaking of glow - last week's session on Giving Circles was great. Review the video recording in our resource library! Susan Benford shared some additional resources with all of us:

• "In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S." by the Johnson Center?
• Philanthropy Together offers free training for individuals, foundations, and nonprofits interested in launching their own giving circles.?
• Global Giving Circle Directory by Philanthropy Together?
• Philanos Giving Circle Directory
• Grapevine provides comprehensive backend support for managing giving circles.

Webinar

Finding Major Donors: A Practical Approach to Prospect Identification and Qualification [WEBINAR $80]

Worried about securing the first meeting with a major donor?

Join us for an intensive 60 min. designed for development professionals who want to master the art of identifying, qualifying, and engaging high-potential donors.

This comprehensive session will equip you with practical strategies and proven methodologies to:

• Define and identify "good" prospects using the three key criteria: Inclination, Capacity, and Affinity
• Develop effective qualification strategies for both traditional and virtual environments
• Master the art of prospect outreach with tested call scripts and email templates
• Navigate common donor objections with confidence and professionalism
• Implement data-driven approaches to prospect pipeline management

Perfect for:

• Development Officers
• Major Gift Officers
• Advancement Professionals
• Nonprofit Leadership
• Development Directors

You'll leave this session with actionable tools including:

• Ready-to-use call scripts and email templates
• Pre-visit qualification checklists
• Strategic approaches to portfolio management
• Key performance metrics for tracking success
• Best practices for virtual donor engagement

Don't miss this opportunity to transform your major donor prospecting approach and maximize your development efforts. Space is limited to ensure an interactive learning experience.

Register now to secure your spot and take the first step toward building a more robust major donor pipeline.

Reserve Your Seat?→

But wait! There's more...

Don't miss out on our:

• fundraising research
• community bulletin board
• peer group meetups
• AI tools
• resource library
• and more!

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Have a great week,

Louis