How to Create Exclusive Opportunities for Major Donors

Most good nonprofits send impact reports to major donors. Great organizations do this instead. They create impact experiences. When you send your major donors another PDF full of statistics and stories think about this… how could I be showing them their impact in action. Could I give a tour? Tell them about the new program they funded. Walk them through it. Let them meet the staff using it. Show them transformation happening in real time. Could I connect them directly to a mission moment? Have a program participant share their story directly on zoom or at a small event. Let your donors hear first-hand how their support changes lives. Could I host a vision sharing sessions instead? Invite donors into future possibilities. Show them what's next. Ask their perspective on emerging opportunities. Your major donors didn't invest in your organization to receive reports. They invested to create change. Next time you're planning donor updates, close your PowerPoint. Open your calendar instead. Because impact isn't something you mail to donors (only). It's something you show them.

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

Pilot Projects to Build Philanthropic Partnerships It makes no sense. We conceive of big initiatives in splendid isolation, then spring them on uninvolved donors and wonder why they don't fall in love with our ideas as quickly as we did. It's because we failed to create a process that builds co-ownership. A better way is create a pilot project for a larger idea. Start with a germ of an idea. Then: Test it with donors If it resonates with some, ask them to provide a modest amount to pilot the project on a small scale Involve them in the pilot as much as possible Share or let them see what worked, what didn't, what was learn Project what would be possible - including who would benefit, how and when - if more were invested in the parts that worked If they don't make an offer first, request a larger investment In this way, organizations can stair step their way to higher levels of investment through co-creation which results in co-ownership of strategic initiatives, leaving donors with a much larger, more lasting stake in your organization. Transactional fundraising is what we do to donors; philanthropic facilitation is what we do with them. The difference - and the results - are striking.