Maybe you want to create a strong annual revenue stream from individual major gifts. Or perhaps there’s a capital campaign on the horizon and you know you need to build your board—and identify your major donors. Or you’re ready to launch a campaign, and are looking for campaign consultants accustomed to working with resource-limited, smaller nonprofits. And then there’s the “wealth transfer” you hear so much about that has you wondering how your organization can possibly start a planned giving program. You know you should be out there visiting with potential major donors—but major gift work invariably falls to the bottom of the appeal, grant and event pile. After all, it requires getting to know your donors, in person, and—oh my—asking for a gift! If you have donors, it’s time for MajorDonors.com: Fundraising through a major gift lens for small-to-mid-sized nonprofits.
MajorDonors.com‘s review of our development operation was comprehensive and insightful. We are a complex multi-service agency and their team quickly grasped our programs—and challenges. The quantitative analysis was persuasive. The balance between high-level thinking and detailed drill-down was impressive. Accustomed to nonprofits with limited-resources, they were very precise about the board’s role, staffing requirements and “low-hanging fruit.” Our reaction to their report was, “This is fantastic!”
We didn’t really believe it when Diane told us donors would welcome us into their homes-but they did. In fact, everything about the visit was very much as Diane described. We were totally prepared. Our first “yes” was a thrill. We’re believers.
In my 23 years of leading non-profit organizations, I have experienced countless trainings on major gifts solicitations. Diane’s was by far the best: clear, practical, inspiring, concrete. With her help, we were able to exceed our goal by 10%!
I wasn’t sure if using a structured conversation and a one-pager could really work for my organization. But in fact, that’s a vast over-simplification of Diane’s approach. She transformed our major gift fundraising strategy and significantly increased our revenue.
Diane is a fantastic presenter. The content [Keep Your Donors Workshop] is not to be missed. You’ll think about donor communication in a whole new way. The techniques are very specific and based on research—which Diane knows cold. It’s an interactive session. Do bring one of your organization’s thank you letters—and see what happens.