As we step into the busy nonprofit event season, you're likely gearing up for some of your most crucial fundraising moments. How are you feeling about it?
A lot of us are are probably banking on top donors to really come through for your mission. Whether they're board members, major donors, or long-time supporters, these are the people you're counting on to make their most meaningful gift.
But what does "meaningful" really mean when it comes to your donors? We'll tell you!
We've turned our 50+ years of experience in fundraising (and all the failed attempts along the way) into a powerful system we call Values-Based Major Giving, where major donors aren't just people who give big bucks. We've redefined "major" to reflect the kind of partnership our nonprofits ACTUALLY need to center community and raise money.
Major donors are people who invest time, enter into authentic relationships with your organization, and are fully committed to driving change alongside you. Whether they give $100 or $1,000,000, these are the folks you need right now to make a significant impact.
And, we see that they're the folks (when you give them some one-on-one love), who often give about 25% more as a group in the first year of direct asks. Here's an example of what we mean: if your best donors were giving a total of $100,000 via your appeal letters, emails, group asks and events, after our method we're seeing more than 25% growth -- $125,000-- in just a few months. And that's because you're asking them, one-on-one, to give their largest and most meaningful gift. And those numbers keep growing over time... to the tune of 3-5x in years 2-5. 😲 What would you do with $400,000 in new revenue from individual donors?
However, with events, appeals, and campaigns piling up, figuring out the right way to ask for that meaningful gift can feel overwhelming. Early on, we just didn't do it. Plain and simple. We let those donors who loved the mission the most give at the event or when they got the appeal or maybe after a little gentle group prodding at the board meeting. These are the donors you can always count on to make a gift at the fundraiser and to the appeal, so what more do they need? You're busy and why change it if it's not broken, right?
Wrong. We did it wrong for years and left A LOT of money for our missions on the table. 😢
A Secret to Increasing Major Gifts
After more than five combined decades of nonprofit fundraising experience, we’ve learned a vital lesson: major donors, those people who are deeply with you on the change you seek, will likely give when asked through less direct methods —but they are often not giving their largest and most meaningful gift.
We’ve seen time and again that donors will not give their greatest gift if you're not directly asking them about what that meaningful contribution looks like for them. Applying some positive pressure and tying in their values with your ask makes a big difference. When we started doing this as staff, we increased individual giving by an average of 11% per year for ten years.
That got our attention. 🧐
Here’s How You Can Increase Gifts from Major Donors This Event Season
Identify Your Top (Major) Donors: Are some of your most dedicated supporters attending your upcoming event? Is this their usual way of giving? Before the event, reach out to them personally to discuss their gift intentions.
Ask for a Meeting: Use this proven script from Values-Based Major Giving Academy:
"Hi [Donor's Name], I hope you're excited for our event coming up in just X days! Thanks for your steadfast support. This year, we're trying something new, and I'd love to have a short call or meeting with you before the event. I want to discuss how you're thinking about your gift this year and share that a number of donors have already pledged a combined amount to inspire others to give. Would it be okay to connect briefly before the event?"
Present a Range: When you meet, have a range ready that feels appropriate for the donor. For example, if their last gift was $5,000, you might say something like, "Thanks for meeting with me to discuss your gift this year. I’m wondering if you’d consider a gift in the $6,000 to $10,000 range to help us achieve our mission."
Listen and Wait: After making your ask, just listen. Don’t rush to fill the silence. Give your donor the space to reflect and respond.
We're betting that your biggest fans will step up with an increased gift, all because you had this short exchange (which sometimes happens over email!). This approach has helped us bring more money and deeper relationships with major donors to our own organizations in the past and now dozens of orgs that use this practice. We love, love, love teaching these tactics by focusing on the ease and joy of that direct connection.
This is the tip of the Values-Based Major Giving iceberg and we'd love to invite you alongside dozens of folks practicing the VBMG and seeing the success (often 25% growth!) from this kind of feel good fundraising.
Kevin reported back to us recently about how it was going, and we've got to admit, sometimes we get it wrong. 😊
"I was looking at the numbers of the 1:1 portfolio folks after our meeting, and I feel like the year over year growth might be even higher than 25%... if you just compare people in the 1:1 portfolio who gave both of the past two (fiscal years), the growth is about 48% I think. I thought it was cool to see!” -Kevin, ComMUSICation
Yes! We love when clients get to feel the ease and joy of making small shifts to move big money.
If you want to learn the full strategy, get support and get to work with others building their new or refreshed one-to-one individual giving program, now’s the time to sign up for the Values-Based Major Giving Academy Waitlist!
Why sign up?Those on the waitlist will receive the deepest early-bird discounts we offer to highly limited group—our biggest savings for the Academy when we open it up later this year. This is your opportunity to get a great deal to secure the tools, scripts, strategies and hands-on support that could change your nonprofit’s fundraising outcomes for years to come.
Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your major giving approach.
Then give those donors a call or an email about their gift before your event or appeal, and watch your major gifts soar this giving season. Let us know how it goes—we’re rooting for your success!
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