Major Gifts are likely to be some of the largest gifts you receive outside of grants. So what is a Major Gift? And how does major donor cultivation and solicitation differ from smaller individual gifts? Join us as we answer these questions and outline the 5-steps you can take to developing a successful major gifts program.
Related Resources
Prospect Evaluation
Easy to use matrix to help evaluate and prioritize major donors and major donor prospects. The higher your donor or prospect rates on the affinity and capacity scale, the more time valuable they are to you major gifts program.
Major Gift Donor and Prospect Tracking Template
Having a solid list to work from is key to success in major gifts work. This sample of a tracking spreadsheet shows the type of information you want to track in order to know what and when your next move should be and how much you will ask for and plan secure from major donors.
Major Gift Pledge Form
An example of an annual major gift pledge form. You can use a tool like this when soliciting major donors to firm up their commitment and assure mutual understanding of their gift.
Major Gifts Plan Template and Sample
The TREC Major Gifts Plan Template is a useful tool for organizations and fundraising staff to track strategies, goals, action steps, donors, and costs to plan your Major Gifts program.
Board-Donor Stewardship Flow of Communications
Major gift work is a highly personalized form of fundraising that can be difficult to systematize. The success of your major gifts effort is dependent on authentic relationships with your donors, and it’s difficult to script the authentic conversations that make up a real relationships. The following flow chart and corresponding scripts are a great place to start.