1. ! Major Gifts: What Are You Waiting For… Seize the Opportunity!
Heather Kelsey, Director of Development, Latham Centers, Inc.
Ian Ives, Sanctuary Director, Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, MA Audubon
Mark Pearson, Executive and Artistic Director, The College Light Opera Company
Philanthropy Day 2018

2. What is a Major Gift? The largest donations an organization receives
Significant impact
Varies by organization - operating budget, existing donor base
Not only about gift size - It is about relationships and mission fulfillment in the future.

3. Successful Fundraising Planning
Strategic Plan
Major Gifts
Restricted
Annual Funds (Operating)
Appeals
Online
(Donation button, Appeal, Event)
White Mail
Grants
(Revenue & Operating)
Unrestricted & Restricted
Events
(Operating)
Bequests/Planned Giving
(Endowment)
Stewardship and Donor Recognition
Development Plan
Case for Support
Funding Priorities

4. Where do we start? Engage leadership Case for support
Prospect screening/mining your database
Cultivate prospects
Train your volunteers
Who makes the ask?

5. Engage Leadership Role of the CEO/ED How can I engage my Board?
What are our specific needs?
Staff

6. Internal Readiness Experience of staff and volunteers
Resources (time and $)
Maturity of fundraising program
Depth and breadth of donor/prospect pool
Lead donor prospects
Database system

7. CASE FOR SUPPORT Ethos – Establishing reputation and credibility
Logos – Making a logical argument supported by reason and data
Pathos – Creating an emotional appeal; convincing and audience of an argument by creating an emotional response

8. Prospect Screening/ Database Mining
Affinity
Ability
Access
“Wealthy” is not enough.

9. Prioritize Your Prospects
Top 20% of donors in previous fiscal year
Gift Capacity & Inclination (rating)
Top 25 lifetime donors
Previously visited donors who need attention
Donors who upgraded/ downgraded last year
Gift of $250+ through direct mail
Pick your top … Prospects to begin moves management
ASK

10. Building Relationships
Opportunity for organization to strengthen
relationship with donors

11. Cultivate Your Prospects
Inform – Illustrate the need.
Educate – Highlight the solution.
Motivate – Encourage to give.
Visit – Solicit face-to-face
How will you cultivate the relationship?

12. Prospect “Touch Points”
Online Donations
Website
Organizational Publications
Annual Appeals
Prospect
Events
Phone calls
Social Media
Newsletters

13. The process of presenting an opportunity to invest
Solicitation
The process of presenting an opportunity to invest

14. The right person asking The right prospect For the right gift
Fundraising is…
The right person asking
The right prospect For the right gift
For the right program At the right time In the right way.

15. Preparing Your Elevator Speech
When was your organization founded?
What makes your organization unique and important?
What is the annual budget?
Total staff? Full-time; Part-time
How many volunteers?
How many acres does your organization own?
How many members? Donors?
What is endowment?
How is the endowment invested?

16. Preparing Your Elevator Speech
Why does your organization NEED annual donations?
What is the IMPACT of their gift?
Who BENEFITS from their gift?
Why should someone donate?

17. Briefcase Case for Support FAQ’s Pledge form Remittance Envelope
Letters of Support

18. Research – Plan –Role Play – Back-up Plan

19. Leveraging the Challenge Match
Timing the announcement
Creating and maintaining urgency
Frequent updates

20. Establish Tangible Results
What are the Perks?
Naming opportunities
Honored at special events
Creative recognition
Phone calls/ s
Sharing new program information
What are the Results?
Communicate results
Let donors see the impact of their gift.

21. Donor Recognition● Honoring Intent● Stewardship

22. Tales from the fundraising trenches…

23. Discussion

24. Questions