88% of nonprofit funding comes from the top 12% of donors. That means your major donors aren’t just important—they are essential to your organization's health and growth. But let’s be clear: major donor cultivation isn’t just about a big gift. It’s about building trust, creating shared visions, and engaging donors meaningfully. With fundraising becoming more competitive than ever, organizations that cultivate personal, long-term relationships with donors are the ones that win big. Let's walk through how to master this process and raise more through major gifts.
1. Start with Data: Identifying Potential Major Donors
Before you can cultivate a major donor, you need to find them. Donor prospecting is your first step. Here’s how to do it right:
a. Use Wealth Screening Tools
Start by using donor management software like WealthEngine or DonorSearch to analyze your current database and identify donors with both the capacity to give and an affinity for your cause. Major donors often hide in plain sight—annual donors with the potential for larger contributions.
b. Look Beyond Wealth
Financial capacity is just one piece of the puzzle. You also need to consider a donor’s engagement level. Are they attending events? Volunteering? Engaged with your leadership? These indicators often point to donors ready to deepen their relationship with your organization.
Tip: Create a portfolio of potential major donors using data from your CRM. Segment them by giving history, wealth potential, and engagement level.
2. Building Relationships: The Heart of Donor Cultivation
Major donor cultivation is about more than just money—it’s about people. Building strong, meaningful relationships is the key to unlocking major gifts.
a. Listen First
It seems obvious, but often, our excitement and nerves get in the way. One of the most powerful tools in donor cultivation is active listening. Before you make an ask, you need to understand what drives your donor. Take the time to meet with them and learn about their personal motivations, passions, and the impact they want to see from their contributions.
b. Tailor Your Approach
No two major donors are the same. Some donors are motivated by recognition, others by legacy or impact. The key is to tailor your approach to meet their specific desires. For example:
Legacy Donors: Offer opportunities like named endowments or capital projects.
Impact-Driven Donors: Provide regular reports that show the tangible outcomes of their donations.
3. Create Meaningful Touchpoints
The term “meaningful touchpoints: or “meaningful engagement actions” might be one of the most talked about ideas in fundraising. How does one measure it? Is it a universal definition? In reality, meaningful engagement is subjective to the organization but what is universal is that it should be used and measured with the same goal in mind– building a relationship takes time. It’s not about one big meeting—it’s about a series of small, meaningful interactions that build trust over time.
a. Personalized Communication
Send personalized thank-you notes after donations. But don’t stop there—keep them informed about the specific projects they are interested in. Share stories of success, progress updates, and even challenges that your organization faces. Be transparent and authentic.
Tip: Use your CRM to track donor touchpoints and plan for regular, personalized interactions with your top prospects.
b. Exclusive Engagement Opportunities
Major donors should feel like insiders. Invite them to exclusive events, give them early access to program updates, or offer private tours of your facilities. These touchpoints build a deeper emotional connection to your mission.
4. Know When and How to Make the Ask
Timing is everything in major donor cultivation. You need to ask when the relationship is strong and when the donor is ready.
a. Recognize the Right Moment
How do you know when a donor is ready to make a major gift? Look for signs of increased engagement, such as attending more events, asking more questions, or expressing enthusiasm about a specific project. When these signals align, it’s time to make the ask.
b. Craft a Personalized Ask
Making the ask isn’t just about throwing out a number. It’s about aligning your request with the donor’s passions and interests. Be specific about what their gift will support and why it matters. For example: “With a leadership gift of $50,000, you can help us fund a new scholarship program that will impact 100 students over the next year.”
5. Stewardship: Keeping Donors Engaged After the Gift
Stewardship is critical to maintaining long-term relationships with major donors. It ensures that after the gift is made, the relationship continues to grow. Stewardship or donor relations, is about stewarding the donor and the gift. So remember to use this time to provide the donor the impact of their gift, but also use this time to build a larger relationship with the donor.
a. Gift Impact Reports
Send regular updates on how their contribution is being used. For example, if a donor funded a specific project, send them quarterly reports detailing the progress and outcomes of the initiative. Include personal stories and data to make the impact real.
b. Ongoing Engagement
Don’t disappear after receiving the gift! Continue to invite them to special events, recognize their contributions publicly (if appropriate), and keep them engaged in your organization’s vision for the future
Tip: Use stewardship as an opportunity to deepen the relationship. Ask for their feedback on projects, invite them to sit on advisory committees, or explore other opportunities for leadership.
6. Legacy Planning: Turning Donors into Lifelong Supporters
As major donor relationships mature, so must your thinking about today’s gifts in order to focus on the future. Legacy giving is a unique opportunity to have donors leave a lasting legacy with your organization through their bequests, trusts, and endowments. The gifts create not only long-term fiscal security for your organization but also an important, lasting legacy for your donors.
a. Introduction to the Topic
Legacy planning can be sensitive, but it’s crucial for securing your organization’s future. It starts with thoughtful conversations with loyal supporters. As donor engagement grows, there often comes a natural time to discuss leaving a legacy gift, highlighting how they can make a lasting impact on causes they care about.
b. Offering Legacy Opportunities
Donors would like to believe that their gifts can create a legacy that may endure long after they have gone. Create opportunities for endowments, scholarships, and named funds in areas of interest to them. The creation of a legacy society is also a useful means of recognizing planned giving donors and encouraging others to follow their example.
Tip: You can show your donors they can leave a legacy through your website and newsletters, but do make sure to have the conversation in a manner that is personal yet respectful.
7. Leveraging Technology to Enhance Donor Cultivation
Technology plays a vital role in effective major donor cultivation. Your CRM is more than just a database—it’s a powerful tool for tracking relationships, touchpoints, and donor preferences.
a. CRM Systems
Use systems like Bloomerang or Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge to track donor history, segment your major donors, and manage communication. Set reminders for follow-up interactions and keep detailed notes on donor preferences and past conversations.
b. Automated Stewardship
Set up automated workflows for donor stewardship. For example, after a donor makes a major gift, your CRM can automatically trigger a series of personalized emails, thank-you notes, and impact reports.
8. Overcoming Common Challenges in Major Donor Cultivation
Not every cultivation effort will go smoothly. Here’s how to overcome common roadblocks:
a. Donor Hesitation
Sometimes, donors hesitate to make a major gift. They might need more time to feel confident in your organization’s ability to use the funds effectively. In these cases, provide additional reports, success stories, and case studies to reassure them of the impact their gift will make.
b. Relationship Fatigue
Over time, some donors may become disengaged or feel like they’re being asked too frequently. Combat this by focusing on stewardship and relationship-building without always being in “ask mode.”
Conclusion
By keeping these key takeaways in mind, you can ensure that your major donor cultivation strategy remains effective, personal, and impactful.
Focus on Relationships, Not Transactions: Major donor cultivation is a long-term investment in building personal relationships. Take the time to listen and understand your donor’s motivations before making the ask.
Personalize Every Touchpoint: From initial engagement to stewardship, ensure that every interaction is meaningful and tailored to the donor's specific interests and needs.
Timing Matters: Don’t rush the process. Make the ask when the relationship is strong, and the donor is ready to contribute in a way that aligns with their values.
Leverage Technology: Use CRM systems to track donor interactions, automate stewardship processes, and keep donor information organized for more effective engagement.
Stewardship is Ongoing: Cultivation doesn’t stop after the gift. Keep donors engaged through personalized updates, exclusive invitations, and continued recognition of their impact.
Ultimately, major donor cultivation is about building relationships based on trust, shared vision, and genuine engagement. By focusing on personalized communication, meaningful touchpoints, and strategic asks, you can unlock the full potential of your major donors and raise more for your mission.
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Shaff Fundraising Group is a consulting firm specializing in fundraising, marketing, and analytics. We take pride in our independent approach, free from technology affiliations with SaaS and other companies. This allows us to provide objective, solutions-oriented support to our client partners and the broader fundraising and engagement community.