Major Gift Fundraising is Still the Same (COVID or not)!

By Betsy Steward

COVID has turned things upside down. But many fundraising truths remain true! Most notably, major gift fundraising is still a contact sport—though now at an appropriate distance. What I mean is that every major donor—or prospective major donor—needs and deserves a strategy that is thoughtfully and personally customized.

Crowdfunding, email blasts, and Giving Tuesday were never intended for major donors.

Some out-of-the-box thinking that paid off

I’m pleased to share the following story—which proves my point—from one of my clients, whom I’ll call “Jen.” Jen is new to fundraising. Last year, her Executive Director, “Diane”, noticed that whenever donors called the office, they always wanted to talk with Jen, Diane’s longtime administrative assistant. When the organization’s previous development officer moved away, Diane approached me with an out-of-the-box idea: she suspected that Jen had the instincts, organizational skills and personality to succeed in fundraising, even though she had no background or experience in it. I was hired to train and mentor Jen, a job that started in August 2019, and that I’ve enjoyed very much.

A customized ask during the pandemic

Fast forward to COVID time. Like so many nonprofits, Jen’s organization was badly affected by the pandemic. Jen’s town, just north of NYC, has been severely hit, with a high death toll. Diane had to shut down all programs, depriving many people of valuable and needed services, and eliminating the regular earned income the organization usually gets from their clients.

Diane knew the organization would be facing a $15K shortfall by the end of April.

Jen and I had been putting together the organization’s first major gift program. Pre-COVID, our plan was that she would have started soliciting big gifts during the first quarter of 2020. But that plan was derailed when the gala was postponed and all businesses in town were closed for social distancing. Not a great environment to be asking for special gifts.

With a $15K deficit looming, Diane called Jen to ask if she had any idea whom they might approach for a gift this big—a bigger amount than they’ve ever solicited outside of a grant proposal. Jen immediately thought of Dan, a past board member with deep pockets, and with whom Jen has a warm, candid and longtime relationship.

Jen knows Dan very well. She knows he hates meetings, long explanations, long letters—he’s a cut-to-the-chase kind of guy, with a sense of humor similar to Jen’s. And she knows he strongly believes in the work her organization does. So, she sent him the following email:

Subject: Don’t yell at me…please 😊

I hope you and Sally are still bunkered down and staying healthy. I was going to make this a phone call conversation but was afraid you might not answer or hang up on me. LOL

I'm going to cut out all the bull and get straight to the point with you.

I am emailing you to ask for a $15,000 donation.

[3-sentence explanation here, articulating the need and the urgency]

Thank you for taking the time to read my email and if you cannot make this donation (I STILL LOVE YOU) no worries we appreciate everything you do for our organization and for the community.

Jen clicked SEND, helped her kids with their homework, and found the following email from Dan waiting for her when she got back to her desk an hour later:

Subject: Re: Don’t yell at me…please 😊

Charge my card and don’t bother me again. LOL

What a perfect example of a customized strategy! This was the best way for Jen to approach Dan—although probably not the way to approach anyone else, and not the way Diane or anyone else should have approached him.

This worked because it was so personal. I doubt Dan would have responded to an email blast.

Taking the easy way out—sending an email blast to everyone on your list—might seem like a good idea when you’re panicking about your funding. But Covid-19 hasn’t changed the way major gift fundraising must be approached: thoughtfully, respectfully and personally.

Betsy Steward previously served as a Senior Consultant at the Heller Fundraising Group. Betsy is an expert in capital campaigns, board training, nonprofit organization, major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.