Strategies For Effective Fundraising

Your donor meetings are backwards. You prepare the presentation. Practice the pitch. Perfect the ask amount. Then wonder why it feels transactional. Here's how the best major gift officers flip it: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 → What originally sparked your interest in [cause]? → What does success look like to you? → What concerns keep you up at night? → Who else should know about this? → What would make this gift meaningful? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 "We're struggling with X. Based on your experience, what would you do?" 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 Not just what donors say. How they say it. What makes them lean in. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 "I want to think about our conversation. Can we meet again in two weeks?" 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 The conversation is about connection. The folder is homework. The counterintuitive truth: The less you pitch, the more you raise. One MGO changed her approach: Started treating donors like consultants, not prospects. Her close rate went from 30% to 75%. Average gift size doubled. Because donors don't want to be sold. They want to be heard. Your next meeting agenda should be 80% questions, 20% answers. What questions do you wish you'd asked?

I tracked all fundraising activity for one year so you didn't have to. Here is what I found: - A substantive, in-person visit with a donor resulted in gifts 5x larger than donors who only corresponded via phone calls or emails. - It took roughly 12 touchpoints to secure a visit with a donor. That is a high number, but pretty characteristic of human services. - Each handwritten card sent produced 1,169x more value than it cost. - Response rate increased dramatically with a voicemail + email combination. - Gifts from DAFs, gifts of stock, and gifts from RMDs became more popular only as donors were informed that those were giving options. Here is what this means: - Meet in person with donors as much as humanly possible - Make as many attempts as possible to schedule visits with donors - Write handwritten cards. Like, right now. - Reach out to donors with a multi-channel approach (DM me if you'd like to see a call, email, +handwritten card cadence) - Donors don't always know how to maximize their generosity unless you tell them. Inform them of their options if they give you permission! Ultimately, provide value to your org's donors and watch as generosity unfolds for the benefit of the people your org serves!

Donors don’t remember what you asked for. They remember how you made them feel. No donor remembers your budget line. They remember the moment they felt seen. Last year, I worked with a mid-sized charity struggling with donor retention. Their appeals were beautiful — but donors weren’t coming back. When we looked closer, it wasn’t the messaging that was broken. It was the feeling. Or more accurately, the lack of feeling. Every email spoke at their donors. None spoke to them. So we rewrote their follow-ups. We started with: “You made this possible.” We ended with: “How did this story make you feel?” Within six months, repeat giving rose by 38%. Fundraising isn’t persuasion!!! It’s connection!!! Donors don’t remember the amount you asked for — they remember the moment you helped them feel part of something bigger than themselves. Before you send your next appeal, pause and ask: → “Where’s the feeling in this message?” → “Would I be moved to respond?” If the answer is no, start again. This is the philosophy that drives all my work: Fundraising is meaning, not money. AI, data, and strategy matter — but they should amplify empathy, not replace it. If you’re rethinking your donor strategy for 2026, start with how you make people feel. That’s where loyalty — and legacy — begin

10 years ago, I thought fundraising was about working harder. I was wrong. It's about working smarter. Here are 10 cheat codes I wish I knew then: 1. The 48-Hour Rule: Thank donors within 48 hours. No excuses. 2. The Calendar Rule: If it's not on your 12-month plan, it's a distraction. Say no with confidence. 3. The Second Ask Timing: Ask first-time donors again at 90 days, not 12 months. The window closes fast. 4. The Specificity Rule: "$5,000 funds one classroom" beats "$50K for our program" every time. 5. The 80/20 Audit: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of donors. Spend your time there. 6. The Phone Call Multiplier: A 3-minute thank-you call = 5x retention vs. email alone. 7. The Question That Closes: "What questions do I need to answer for you to feel good about this?" Then stop talking. 8. The Handwritten Note: One handwritten sentence beats a templated email every time. 9. The Upgrade Path: Move donors up 50% at a time, not double. $100 → $150, not $200. 10. The Board Accountability Hack: Give board members ONE specific action per month. Not vague "help with fundraising." None of these require budget. None of these require permission. All of them work. Which one are you ignoring right now?

Campaigns get so much attention in fundraising, rightfully so. However, many of us fail to understand that rather than a curtain call, campaigns should end with a critical handoff that provides our organizations with an incredible opportunity for follow-up that inspires donors and their giving for years beyond the campaign. As soon as a campaign is complete, the window to thank donors in meaningful ways, share the first signs of impact, and ensure the new connections sparked during the campaign carry forward into the next chapter, begins to close. Across our Innovation Partners, it’s incredible how many organizations seize this exact moment with a natural handoff to a Virtual Engagement Officer. We’ve all seen participation suffer during campaigns as we focus on larger dollar giving. That’s exactly why so many Innovation Partners are bringing in Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs) to recapture lapsed donors. Other Innovation Partners saw major momentum from their campaigns and an influx of donors. These partners are developing new portfolios for their VEOs to focus on retention, sharing impact, and building relationships in ways that lead to the natural outcome of giving. For example, Baylor University's unexpected surge in millennial giving during its recent campaign inspired a new focus for the Virtual Engagement Officer—keeping these donors engaged and building lasting connections that will shape the future major gift pipeline. Meanwhile, as Western Carolina closes its campaign, traditional frontline fundraising staff are focused on dollars in the door. Meanwhile, the VEO is actively widening the overall circle for future growth by rebuilding participation, increasing donor counts, and keeping the new donors close with stewardship and cultivation. The University of Oklahoma Foundation’s VEO is already looking ahead, organizing the new interest the campaign unlocked and aligning prospects to the right portfolios so the next chapter starts with a ready-made pipeline. Each of these teams shows us that trusted digital labor in the form of Autonomous Fundraising represents an opportunity that wasn’t available just a year ago. With Autonomous Fundraising, campaign completion is truly the handoff, not the curtain call. Virtual Engagement Officers empower us to deepen support from these new and re-engaged donors, preparing us for the inevitable next campaign before this one even closes.

If I were starting from scratch today to find major donors on LinkedIn, I’d ignore ‘donor personas’. Instead, I’d look for identity collisions. Because people don’t give out of guilt. They give when your mission mirrors a moment they’ve lived, or a legacy they crave. Here’s the blueprint to unlock donor discovery in places no one is looking: 1. Search for people living in “Chapter 3” Everyone’s trying to pitch “high net worth” individuals. Instead, search for: “New board member” “Exited my company” “Sold startup” “Retired early” “Philanthropy sabbatical” These are people not looking to make more, they’re looking to mean more. You’re not selling impact. You’re offering them a new identity: The Benefactor. 2. Find people in pain… not just people with power Some of the most generous donors are processing grief. • Look for posts about a parent who recently passed • A child who struggled with mental health • A founder who stepped away due to burnout • A former exec who left a toxic industry • Someone publicly sharing a reinvention Grief unlocks generosity. But you have to approach it with reverence, not recruitment. 3. Build a donor’s room, not just a donor list Everyone has a CRM. No one’s building donor environments on LinkedIn. Try this: • Create a private LinkedIn group for “Social Legacy Builders” • Start a monthly 30-min salon around future-of-giving topics • Interview other major donors and tag their peers • Host “under-the-radar” vision calls (no slides, no pitch) Make it cool to be a quiet philanthropist. 4. Don’t just post. Signal status that attracts donors Major donors don’t just want to fund impact. They want to fund winners. Signal that you’re one: • Show traction with unusual collaborations (even unpaid ones) • Highlight your acceptance into a global fellowship or award program • Share quotes from private conversations with policymakers or leaders It’s not about bragging. It’s about answering one donor question: “Will this person multiply my contribution, or waste it?” 5. Use second-degree connections like warm power plays Instead of this: “Who do I know that’s a donor?” Try this: • Pick your top 3 dream donors • Look at who comments on their posts • Build relationships with those commenters first • Position yourself in their proximity over 30 days • Then reach out with a mutual bridge, not a cold ask You need echo in the right rooms. 6. Track donor energy, not just profile data Tools tell you who they are. Comments tell you who they’re becoming. Use this system: • Set alerts on dream donors • Categorize their posts as: • Identity-signaling (who they want to be) • Reinvention-signaling (where they want to go) • Frustration-signaling (what they want to fix) Then show up as a co-author of their next chapter. You’ve heard “LinkedIn is your resume.” But in philanthropy? It’s your resonance. Comment “LinkedIn” and I’ll send you a free custom video audit of your profile. With purpose and impact, Mario

If I'm in charge of revenue at a large nonprofit, I can't ignore these realities 👇 -Donors giving below $100 are down ~9% (and have been trending down) -Donors giving below $500 are down 4% (and have been trending down) -Slower income growth & less disposable income for most -Middle-class households under economic pressure -The rapid decline of religion (that has giving as a core tenet) -Decline in institutional trust -Not only is charitable giving largely stagnant as a % of the GDP, but we also haven't been able to grow share of wallet -Donors giving $5k-$50k are up 1% -Donors giving $50k+ are up ~3% And if I look around at what other nonprofits are doing, I might see 👇 -Marketing getting louder -Frequency cranked to 11 -Tired tactics with little differentiation And if strategy is about how an organization applies strength against the most promising opportunity or the most critical challenge, I need to address the problem head on. Three ideas... 1) Instead of getting louder, get closer to donors. -Jeffersonian dinners -"Jobs To Be Done" interviews -Measuring donor satisfaction -Rating the donor experience -Cross train across the org on how to listen to donors -More thoughtful prioritization and segmentation -Do things that don't scale; you will likely not "scale" anyways (but you'll very likely grow!) 2) Focus more energy on the people who *can* give more. That doesn't mean you should ignore the $100 donor. Two things can be true at the same time: most of your limited human hours are best spent on people who can give >$10,000, AND, you can treat the $100 donor like they're an important part of the team (because they are). -Create tiered caseloads (A, B, C, D donors) -Develop a donor engagement plan for each tier -Treat mid-major donors like true partners: frequent report backs, project proposals, town halls, feedback loops, in-the-moment updates -Focus your work in the 'mass' file to identify the best prospects for a mid-major treatment, and work to move as many OTGs to recurring (monthly) or re-occuring revenue (quarterly, yearly, etc.) 3) Promote giving from assets across the donor file—and make it easy to do so Russell James taught me this. When people give from their assets, the gift is likely to be larger. And they are more likely to give again. Giving from assets (like stocks and shares, tax-savings accounts, retirement accounts, DAFs, gifts of life insurance, etc.) is often the smartest way for donors to give—no matter the size of gift. But many donors simply don't know it's an option. -- We're partnering with growth-minded nonprofits to implement all of these ideas, and more. If you think it's time you create a solid midlevel giving strategy (not just a standard appeal with an open ask), give me a shout.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧… 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬. Surprisingly, too many of us drop the ball post-contribution. Donors are met with silence, waiting weeks for an acknowledgment of their gift — if one comes at all. This delay is not just discourteous—it's detrimental. Every day a donor remains unengaged decreases the likelihood of further contributions, significantly reducing their lifetime value. We all get dazzled by the allure of new prospects. But what about the donors already on board? Prompt and thoughtful engagement can turn a new donor into a lifelong supporter. A donor who feels valued and sees the impact of their contribution is far more likely to deepen their commitment. Effective donor management isn't just good manners; it's a strategic imperative. It builds a community of supporters who aren't just contributors but are true partners in your mission. Our study of 126,000 first-time donors underscores this: Fast, regular, and highly personal acknowledgments, immediately followed by the next ask, radically improve both donor retention and lifetime value. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬?

Most nonprofits thank donors once. Top-retention organizations thank them seven times in seven ways. Donors who feel “seen” renew at two to three times the rate of those who only get a receipt. A simple shift: Replace “thank you for your gift” with “Here’s what you made possible this month.” Personal impact reporting increases second-gift likelihood by up to 80%. A youth mentorship nonprofit I supported started sending “micro-updates” every 30 days—one photo, one sentence, one win. Their donor churn dropped by 21% in a single quarter. Stewardship isn’t fluff; it’s ROI. What’s one small stewardship habit that’s made a big difference for your donors?

I read 170+ pages of new nonprofit fundraising research that studied 15,054 orgs and $5.3B in giving -- so you don't have to. Here's what I learned from my 4 favorite papers: 1. Bank of America Study of Philanthropy 2025 (https://lnkd.in/e_YQXkc4) Your job isn't to ask for money. It's to make donors feel like experts. Affluent donors who consider themselves "experts" in giving donate $28,350 on average. "Novices" give $4,466. That's 6x more. Impact reporting isn't optional. It's what turns a donor into an expert—and an expert into a major gift. 2. M+R Benchmarks 2025 (https://mrbenchmarks.com/) 87% of people who land on your donation page leave without giving. Average completion rate is just 12%. One-time giving was flat in 2024. Monthly giving grew 5% and now makes up 31% of all online revenue. If your donation page defaults to one-time, change it today. And audit your form on mobile. Every extra field is costing you money. 3. Neon One Generosity Report 2025 (https://lnkd.in/et9h7UR7) A $25 donor can become your most valuable supporter. There's no correlation between first gift size and long-term loyalty. Also, donors who gave for 5 consecutive years contributed 1,519% more than single-year donors. They made up less than 12% of donors but accounted for 45% of total revenue. Don't optimize for one-time gifts. Long-term relationships are half of the game. 4. Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2025 (https://lnkd.in/ePvQKfwT) The second gift is everything. First-time donor retention? 11%. Donors who give 7+ times? Retention is 86.2%. Meanwhile, revenue is up 2.9% but donors are down 1.9%. Small donors under $100 dropped 10.5%. We're raising more money from fewer people. If you're not obsessing over converting first-time donors to repeat donors, you're running on a treadmill. -- The research is clear. Fundraising in 2026 isn't going to be about acquiring more donors. It's going to be about keeping the ones you have. -- Let me know if this is useful, I have 3 more studies/research papers that I cut for length. -- More evidence-backed fundraising advice from another post: https://lnkd.in/ex3UNeyY