Best Practices for Major Donor Meetings

Many donor conversations focus on what we want from them. These 5 questions focus on what matters to them: 1. "What first connected you to our mission?" (Reveals their personal story and values alignment) 2. "Of everything we do, what resonates most with you?" (Identifies which aspects of your work they value most) 3. "What impact would you most like to see your support create?" (Uncovers their vision and aspirations) 4. "How would you prefer to stay connected with our work?" (Respects their communication preferences) 5. "Who else in your life might find meaning in this work?" (Opens doors to their network naturally) The magic happens in the follow-up: "Tell me more about that..." Then, you can mirror: "It sounds like you're saying that..." These questions transform transactional interactions into relationship-building conversations. They signal that you value the person, not just their wallet. I've seen these questions uncover major gift opportunities, reveal passionate volunteers, identify board prospects, and most importantly—build authentic relationships that last. What's your go-to question when speaking with donors?

Before it was about getting donors to write checks. Now it’s about involving them in your ecosystem. Here’s 5 steps to get started today: You’re not just fundraising anymore. You’re onboarding stakeholders. If you want repeatable, compounding revenue from donors, partners, and decision-makers, you need to stop treating them like check-writers… …and start treating them like collaborators in a living system. Here’s how. 1. Diagnose your “center of gravity” Most orgs center fundraising around the mission. But the real gravitational pull for donors is their identity. → Ask yourself: What is the identity we help our funders step into? Examples: Systems Disruptor. Local Hero. Climate Investor. Opportunity Builder. Build messaging, experiences, and invites around that identity, not just impact stats. 2. Turn every program into a flywheel for new capital Stop separating “program delivery” from “fundraising.” Your programs are your best sales engine → Examples: • Invite donors to shadow frontline staff for one hour • Allow funders to sponsor a real-time decision and see the outcome • Let supporters “unlock” bonus services for beneficiaries through engagement, not just cash People fund what they help shape. 3. Use feedback as a funding mechanism Most orgs treat surveys as box-checking. But used right, feedback is fundraising foreplay. → Ask donors and partners to co-define what “success” looks like before you report back. Then build dashboards, stories, and events around their metrics. You didn’t just show impact. You made them part of the operating model. 4. Make your “thank you” do heavy lifting Thanking donors isn’t the end of a transaction. It’s the first trust test for future collaboration. → Instead of a generic “thank you,” send: • A 1-minute voice memo with a specific insight you gained from their gift • A sneak peek at a challenge you’re tackling and ask for their perspective • A micro-invite: “Can I get your eyes on something next week?” You’re not closing a loop. You’re opening a door. 5. Build a “Donor OS” (Operating System) Every funder should have a journey, not just a transaction history. → Track things like: • What insight made them first say “I’m in”? • Who do they influence (and who influences them)? • What kind of risk are they comfortable taking? • What internal narrative did your mission fulfill for them? Then tailor comms, invitations, and roles accordingly. Not everyone needs another newsletter but someone does want a seat at the strategy table. With purpose and impact, Mario

If I had to give a brand new Gift Officer the path to success in one Linkedin Post: 📌 Define your portfolio. If it's been assigned to you, great. If not, go assign them yourself. Pick roughly 100 people who have given the largest, most recent gifts. Pick it and stick to it. Don't waste time wondering who you're going to reach out every day. It's not going to be perfect and you'll adjust over time. 📌 Start scheduling visits. Use this script: "Good morning, Bob. Kevin Fitzpatrick with Acme Nonprofit. The reason I'm reaching out to you today specifically is to scheduling a visit regarding our organization. How does next Tuesday at 10:00am look for you?" Be direct. Be clear. Don't waste their time. Use phone calls, text, and email. When someone doesn't respond wait 2 weeks and then follow up. (For context, I had about a 10% success rate with people I didn't know. So if you want to schedule 10 visits you'll probably need to make at least 100 attempts.) 📌 The Visit! Don't make RAISING MONEY be your goal. Have the goal be to serve each donor well. Ask lots of questions and listen. This is your fundraising super power. Here are some examples: "What's caused you to give so generously to Acme Nonprofit?" "What are your top giving priorities?" After you've learned as much as you can about them... "Would it be alright if I told you a little bit about what we're doing today?" Then keep your presentation very short. They'll ask questions if they want to know more about something. If they are ready to help now, ask them for a gift: "Bob and Sue, I'd like you to consider a gift of $10,000 to Acme Nonprofit that you could fulfill at any point this year." They are most likely not going to give you an answer on the spot. Before you leave the visit, ask them... "When would be a good time for me to follow up with you?" If it's not a good time to ask for a gift, make sure you have some clear next step that they can look forward to. That might include an invite to an event, a tour of your facility, or an introduction to another team member that might be of interest to them. 📌 After the Visit Write them a handwritten thank you note! No one does this. Separate yourself from everyone else immediately. When it's time to follow-up, simply call them and ask, "Sue, have you had time to consider a gift to Acme Nonprofit?" This is the basic framework. Success in major gifts comes from scheduling visits every day, being in front of your donors as often as possible so that you can get to know them, and occasionally asking for a gift. It takes a long time to get good at this. Start getting some practice in today! #OneVisitAway #nonprofits #philanthropy #MajorGiftMillions