Top 10 "Major Donor" Lessons from Christian Nonprofits

Mike Buwalda, CSA Stewardship Connections Editor

When I asked in a survey, “What is one thing you learned about major donors last year?” I was absolutely amazed by the honest sharing of joys and frustrations. Below, you'll find 10 ministry-tested lessons for effective major donor ministry, followed by a compilation of the actual responses received from other ministries in this CSA e-mail survey.

      1. Build Personal Relationships Apart from Money
There were many comments about developing genuine friendships with donors. Keep in touch in a variety of ways, not just when you want to talk about your ministry or its financial needs. Strong relationships produce loyal donors.

      2. Appreciate Them
Thank your major donors many times and in many ways. Send a personal note (without your ministry logo) or invite them to lunch. Call or visit them just to say thanks. Ask for their opinions and show an interest in their interests.

      3. Understand Why They Give
God has given some people a heart for your ministry. Some will give to your overall vision rather than specific needs. Some are motivated by the results of your ministry. Others respond to a sense that ministry is happening, evidenced by stories of life change.

      4. Uncover Emerging Major Donors
Most big givers began as small givers. Many ministries report that a very effective use of time is to identify and cultivate potential major donors from your current base of supporters. This can happen through personal conversations and database research.

      5. Involve Them
Many donors became major donors because they felt a sense of personal ownership in the ministry. They were invited to speak, attend events, join the board, write letters to friends, meet with the ministry leadership, give a tour of their business, or participate directly on the frontline of the ministry.

      6. Understand Your Role
Your job is to provide a way for individuals to express what God has already put in their hearts. You are a minister in the good times and the bad. You are an educator, helping people understand that their assets belong to God no matter what the stock market is doing. You are a resource, aware of potentially helpful financial services and major tax updates.

      7. Hold Effective Meetings
You need to be faithful in initiating regular face-to-face meetings, which is not always easy because people are busy. Include a spouse if possible to make meetings even more productive and to help build the personal relationship. Arrange for the top leadership of your ministry to meet with your top donors.

      8. Ask!
Ministries have found that even the most compelling projects don't sell themselves. If you don't ask, you won’t receive. It's critical that your need and the program to address that need are crystal clear. Some ministries advise asking for a specific amount. Others prefer to present a specific need and let the donor decide the dollar amount.

      9. Report Regularly
Many major donors require higher levels of accountability from the ministries to which they give. They appreciate learning about the specific results of their gift and are motivated to give again when they know how their gift is used.

      10. Tailor Your Communications
Not all major donors want to be treated as major donors. Some give on a schedule (no matter how many appeals you send them) and others prefer to give large, undesignated gifts rather than to specific projects or after urgent appeals.

From Your Peers
Presented here are the actual responses CSA received in a recent survey that asked, “What is one thing you learned about major donors last year?”

Major donors will give you large, undesignated gifts if they truly understand and believe in what you do.
Rob Parker
Crown Financial Ministries

Major donors usually do their giving on a schedule. There is not much sense in sending 14 letters asking for money when they have a giving habit of one or two times a year. That extra mail might very well be more of a hindrance than a help. They also like a personal note—even a short one to show appreciation—and fewer form letters. They want (and deserve) to be treated a little bit special.

Karl Knudsen
Moody Bible Institute

Always try and include a spouse during the ask. Leave it up to the donor if the spouse does not want to attend. And regardless if a donor casually says “we don't need to meet,” follow through and either try to meet or make sure you ask for a specific amount.

Russ Nixon
Delaware County Christian School

Major donors are really just regular people who have a capacity to make large gifts. They still want to feel appreciated, thanked, and are probably more interested in how things are going at your organization because they have invested in your mission. One very important point I have discovered is that major donors (this can be said for all donors) want you to call them, come by for a visit, and update them on things happening at your organization on a regular basis. Don’t just go by to see them when you are asking for something. One donor of ours made the comment, “People only come by to see me when they want something.” This makes me very sad that he is feeling this way, so I have made even more effort to communicate with him and not ask for anything. Also, when someone tells you they have put you in their will, this is huge! In effect, they have elevated your organization to the level of family. We need to treat them like family! Remember, wills can always be changed—and it happens more often than you think when organizations don’t realize the importance of this.

Susie Akers
Director of Development
Ceta Canyon Camp & Retreat Center

We found that those whom we consider major donors (and we do so by longevity and faithfulness, not just by dollar amount) are very generous and faithful and generally know and understand the vision and mission of our ministry. They are knowledgeable, and they demonstrate an ongoing interest in the work we do and the ways in which that work is accomplished.

John Hart
Arab World Ministries

Major donors can be fickle. Some people like to give gifts with strings attached or like to give to the most current “fad,” for lack of a better word—tsunami or hurricane relief, support for Rwanda after the release of Hotel Rwanda, etc. Rather than putting their money to work for something long-term, they like to jump around. Yes, we have a role in keeping them tied in, but if we aren’t offering the latest and greatest, they’re fickle and will head elsewhere.

Craig Falwell
International Cooperating Ministries

It’s a great deal of hard work and prayer to get just 20K–30K even when a project is compelling, matches all the criteria of the foundation, and the relationship is strong!

Sylvia Koltzenburg
Executive Director
Leadership Development International

The one main thing I've learned about major donors in the past year (which I suspect all of us in our profession have learned) is that major donors are becoming even more cautious and placing charitable interests under even closer scrutiny than they have in the past. This applies even to those who have been friends for years.

Scott Long
Winebrenner Theological Seminary

They want to be recognized for who they are, not what they give. Being a friend to them is very important. They can really tell if you are genuine or just after their money.

Suzanne Leak
TEAM of Canada

Most major donors are bombarded with support requests, so it's critically important to present the vision and purpose of your organization clearly and succinctly. Once this is done, it's much easier to discuss requests for support. The basic principle that undergirds this is “mission and ministry precede money!”

Nate Vander Stelt
Director of Development
Calvin Theological Seminary

The most important thing to remember is to say "thank you" to major donors many times and in many ways. Say it in a letter, in a hand-written card, in person, through an appreciation luncheon, in your newsletter, with a small gift, etc. This lets your donors know that they are appreciated, keeps you in their memory throughout the year, and lets them know that you will not be asking for money every time they call.

Jeffrey J. Rodman, MEd LPC MAC
Executive Director
Here-4-You Consulting, LLC

I have learned that major donors have a loyalty factor that other donors do not possess. While they may give to the hottest item on CNN, they are always there for the organizations that have taken the time to build the relationship. The “Rs” work: research, good romance (so they really buy into what you are attempting to accomplish), and the request, which is important and introduces the loyalty factor. A “plugged in” major donor is not going to say we are tapped out because we gave to other causes. They have been and will be there for you when you have a need and make a request. Major donor loyalty takes time to build, but once you have it protect it and use it to help your organization take bold steps of ministry advancement and growth. It works. I have helped many organizations make it work.

Pat McLaughlin
President
The Timothy Group

Major donors want to be appreciated and valued for more than just their money. They also want us to value the other contributions they have to offer, such as their time, their opinions, and their shared enthusiasm for our organization’s mission. They expect to be asked to become more involved in other ways beyond their financial support, and they are disappointed (or disillusioned) when we don’t ask for more than just their money. Even if they say no, they still appreciate being asked. In most cases, a major gift is a reflection of an emotional bond. As development officers, we need to be careful to nurture that relationship on a deeper level than just their continued financial support.

Dave Disch
Director of Development
Greenville College

Getting the major donor involved in ministry events (e.g., speaking, attending), asking them to write letters to their peers on our behalf, having them meet with our top executives on regular basis—in other words, getting them engaged—is the best thing we did last year.

Tad Mahan
Urban Family Council

One major gift does not necessarily mean that they will give you another. Cultivation and stewardship are an ongoing need.

Carrie Hutton-Zeffiro
Director of Development
Niagara Christian Collegiate

I think the thing that I see in major donor work is that the amount of wealth continues to increase. The number of major donors is increasing dramatically among boomers. That said, the number of new charities is making this a very competitive arena. Your relational skills and a crystal clear, well defined program are essential for success.

Larry Yonker
The Elevation Group

The one thing I learned from major donors last year is that they are concerned about the operation of the college and its maintenance of the Christian World View that has set it apart for these years. They give more to vision than to need.

Wayne Gardner
Toccoa Falls College

It was confirmed once again that major donors care deeply about their stewardship. They understand “to whom much is given, much is required.” It is a great privilege to work with donors who excel in the grace of giving.


John R. Frank, MA CFRE
President
John R. Frank Consulting Group, Inc.

I’ve learned that major donors have a heart for our ministry. Any little thing we do for them is greatly appreciated. We recently took about 15 of our students out to a major donor’s place of business and surprised him with flags and donuts. He gave them a personal tour, grinning from ear to ear.

Cathy Singer
Vacaville Christian Schools

Defining major donors and where they are in your circle of influence is always the challenge. For example, there are the self-identified “big hitters” already on your radar screen, and you continue to create communication strategies for these good folks; however, what about those who are beneath the surface, just outside the usual screening techniques and typical surfacing strategies? It’s my belief and experience that every major donor my organization needs is somewhere within my Acres of Diamonds. Therefore, the more I learn from my current donor base, the better are my chances of uncovering these new major donors. Hence, my response to your inquiry is simply that year after year, no matter what search techniques I may have at my disposal, the best and most productive energy is spent in conversations and one-on-one meetings with those I already know—asking questions, probing, and developing authentic relationships built on trust and credibility—to uncover and discover those lower-end donors who can move up the pyramid, as well as new friends. Discovery, in my opinion, should at minimum be 25% of an effective development officer’s time.

Harold P. Hazen
Vice President for University Advancement
Taylor University

We can affirm the recent CSA newsletter article that an analysis by Blackbaud Analytics this past school year was helpful for us as a foundational piece to the major donor program that we hope to build on next year. We knew from our experiences last year that personal contact is very important, but we didn't have the people or time resources necessary to visit or call all of the donors we wanted to contact individually. The customized database model Blackbaud created gave us scores that will be useful to segment and personalize mailings better and set up a series of trackable actions ("touches") with a more limited and targeted group. The "action steps" will be added to our database donor history so we can follow up in a systematic way. However, our challenge is that the scores must be balanced (as Blackbaud recommends) by a review in which personal knowledge of each statistically targeted major donor is shared and evaluated. That way, the resulting final major donor list will be streamlined and well honed for the critical personal contacts we want to pursue this year. It will make the work more efficient and effective for the development office staff as well as the board and community supporters who will serve as contacts first and solicitors later.

Gail Beverly
Assistant Development Director
Eastern Christian School

A lot of things are tried and true, but this particular thing was reinforced in a big way this last year. I began sending donors thank you and appreciation cards that were not marked with the Mount Hermon logo. I purchased a couple of boxes of attractive cards and just started writing a note of appreciation to our wonderful major donor group and have received many comments from folks. Most people know the time it takes to hand write something and are impressed by that gesture. My goal is to make our donors feel very appreciated and let them know they bless and inspire us by their commitment to Mount Hermon.

Kerry L. Mancarella
Manager of Donor Relations
Mount Hermon Association, Inc.

One thing we did learn is that they don't all like to be treated as major donors We don't have many major donors, but one example is a lady who gives very generously and made it clear that she doesn’t want to be treated as a major donor and thereby get special treatment and appeals for special needs. We need simply to send her our news and rely on her goodwill as to what she wants to do and when.

Malcolm Graham
Executive Director
African Enterprise

Some of the products available in the financial services industry offer interesting opportunities. Life Settlements, which I understand has been approved by the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) is reported to be on schedule to do 12 billion dollars of sales this year. People need to be made aware of this opportunity for significant charitable gifts. Also, some of the newer universal life insurance products with no lapse guarantees are extremely attractive. This strategy has important advantages over specific bequests.

A. Duer Pierce, Jr., CLU ChFC AEP CAP
Financial House

I am not sure that my input will be relevant for you as I am not with a "ministry." However, our firm provides investment services to both high net-worth individuals and ministries. Many of our individual clients are Christ followers and support Christian causes around the world. As we work with these people, as well as our ministry clientele, we certainly have the opportunity to see some of the developing trends with major donors. Although we have learned more than one thing this past year, I would say that the most important and impactful thing that we have learned is that major donors are requiring much higher levels of accountability and transparency from the organizations that they support. Whether it is the manner in which the organization manages their investments or the projects they execute around the globe, major donors want to see the same level of excellence and best practices that they implement in the businesses that they themselves own or manage. If the organization is open and honest with the donor, we see that result in the release of more assets to their mission. If they choose not to be transparent and accountable for their results, we see the donors either reduce their giving or remove their support entirely. At the end of the day, today's major donors want to know that their favorite ministries are well led, well managed, and achieving a real impact for the Kingdom.

Stephen Caton
Vice President, Business Development
CapTrust Asset Management

The lesson I learned is don't underestimate the ability of a donor. A simple request resulted in a $250,000 check!

Don Reynolds
Consultant

A donor recently made another major gift of several thousand dollars to our organization. In a discussion, the couple said it is because they had been encouraged and actively participate in the mission, not just financially. A major gift is an investment, and a donor has many choices to invest philanthropic dollars. I believe the motivation is the result they see from the accomplishment their gift helped to achieve.

Diana M. Watt, CFRE
Vice President, Advancement
Brethren Village

This last year has reinforced for me the principle that God is doing work in the heart of the individual, and the organization's role is to provide an effective and high-integrity way for the individual to express, or vicariously participate in, that which God is doing in their heart.

Randal Dick
Worldwide Church of God

They respond best to personal visits.

Ben Goldsmith
Campus Crusade for Christ International

The major point about major donors is relationship. We must earn the right to ask, and building the relationship takes time. Relationship is getting the donor to immerse in the ministry we are involved in. It's true—a picture is worth a thousand words. Relationship means that you show the donor you care about them. You minister to them during difficult times and rejoice with them during good times. Relationship means open and honest communication, listening to the donor’s concerns, and reporting the progress of the project to which they have given.

Steve Sellers
Development Officer
Alabama Baptist Children's Homes

Watch for people who have emerging capability to give large gifts and then cultivate the relationship. Cultivating relationships with these people may take time, but it can pay off years down the road. In one example, a donor gave faithfully for 20 years to a ministry at an average monthly gift of about $40. But when a major project came along and they were properly asked, their gift jumped to $50,000. In the 20 years of supporting the ministry, they had gained substantial wealth but had never been asked to give at higher levels along the way. In another situation, the donor had been giving at lower levels but had recently seen his business triple. This rapid growth increased his giving capability significantly beyond what his past giving would indicate. When this type of thing happens, there may be pent up desire in the donor’s heart to give a consequential gift to an organization. They may have dreamed of doing something of significance for an organization but lacked the capability. Now that they have the capability, the development officer should offer them the opportunity and begin to treat them as a major donor. There are many other examples of people who give for many years to an organization while slowly building their business. Watch these people closely. They are the major donors of the future.

Ron Frey
Development Consultant and Coach
McConkey-Johnston International

My major donors teach me a great deal on every call. One lesson that I have learned and have made a part of my life is to provide specific opportunities for them to give without specifying a dollar amount. I am not the Holy Spirit—let them be led in their giving and focus on the relationship they desire, not the “big” gift.

Cary Griffke
In Touch Foundation

I’ve learned that, especially in new efforts, it’s not wise to truncate major donor work until there is a process for bringing in “minor” donors. In the long run, both the broad base of donors who make a “not-major” gift and the major gift donors must be asked effectively.

Becky Carter, CFRE

On vacation this year, I was called by two of our major donors asking if I would like to join them during their vacation time. Even though I was on our vacation, I did respond and we worked at getting together. I was honored that they would consider asking me to be a part of their vacation time. It reinforced to me that these individuals are looking for friends who are genuine and accept them for who they are—a unique person. They are interested in a friend they can trust. They get plenty of people who are temporary friends looking for funding that will advance their own ministry. While I know I have a responsibility to the organization I represent, I must first be a friend that can earn the right to share my passions for ministry after I have listened to theirs.

Paul Freitag
North Central University

I have found that it is important to work with major donors to get them to think differently concerning cash gifts and stock gifts. For example, one donor who I knew well told me, “I lost a million dollars in the stock market last year!” When I asked the simple question, “How much did you make in the previous 5 years?” he at first gave me a puzzled look, then smiled and said, “5 million.” Often, major donors’ prospects deal with the “here and now” of the stock market and they don’t think to take into account their long-term gain or the fact that increases and decreases in the market rarely affect their lifestyle or ability to give. It may affect what they give and the timing of the gift, but our ministry to them is to show them how they can still make major investments in the lives of others using the assets with which God has entrusted them.

Clark Dickerson
President
Dickerson & Associates

We have a unique ministry as it is focused on givers who can't give—children! Uncle Charlie has a wonderful thing he does at children's meetings. He asks all the children between the ages of 6 and 13 to stand, and hundreds do. Then, after they are seated, he asks those children who are putting $100 in the offering plate to stand. Not a one comes to his feet! It's a great example of how it is in raising funds for children's ministry! We have learned this past year that the economy in our area is suffering. Many of our larger donors have scaled back. Since we're a national and international ministry, we have other areas of the country to draw from, which is wonderful. Our general fund-giving is down about 29% from last year—not debilitating, but putting a real crunch on any new programs we may want to begin. The strange thing is that our sales have risen about that same percentage over this last year. Amazing!

Terre K. Ritchie
Executive Director
CBH Ministries

Major donors seem to be incredibly busy and it’s difficult to get an appointment with them.

Harry Enns
Biblical Literature Fellowship

One of our largest clients shared with us that, contrary to popular opinion, he would prefer that his gifts to a particular institution not be publicly recognized by that institution—no buildings named in his honor, no honor roll affiliations, etc. We found this comment interesting because most nonprofits really seek to honor large donors. Perhaps many of those donors whose hearts are in the right place are not seeking broader recognition at all. An awareness of this principle may serve you well in not alienating a large donor who would like to do big things for your organization but would prefer to remain out of the limelight while doing them.

Bryan Taylor, CFA
Cornerstone Management, Inc.

Make sure your top people in the organization (CEO, etc.) are meeting with them. You can not take these key relationships for granted, and they need to be nurtured like any other relationship. One of the keys is finding the right way (their passion) to engage them in your ministry.

Anonymous by request

If you do not ask, you will not get. Major donors have been so happy to contribute to an institution that has been well managed and is helping change lives. They like success stories.

Bob Flournoy
Louisiana Methodist Children's Home

One of the lessons that I learned last year was that there are some donors who really want to be my friend. Go figure—I'm a development professional! You would think that after 17 years of doing this kind of work I would have figured that out sooner. But, last year taught me some lessons. Here they are:

• Don't be so busy pursuing relationships with donors and prospects that you miss their signals that they would like you as a friend.
• Don't let the fact that you are a solicitor make you believe that donors and prospects don't want you to call on them. Remember, if God is calling them to give and they love the work of your ministry, you can be the conduit for helping them realize and fulfill that calling.
• Don't be afraid of taking some major donor relationships to the next level. For years I envied some of my colleagues who would be invited to Thanksgiving dinner by their major donors. I used to think, "Sure, they were probably friends before he/she became a donor." Boy, was I wrong! Looking back now, I was missing many of the signals that some major donors wanted to be a part of my life outside of fundraising.

I finally realized that all donor relationships don't have to be "professional" relationships. They can be personal. As a development professional and friend, you may be asked to be a child's godfather, attend the wedding of a son or daughter, or even deliver a eulogy at a donor's funeral. These are relationships that will outlast any position you may have in ministry. They may have started with the desire to get them to give, but they are now far beyond the raising of money. Most people are pretty close to their money. When you can win their trust and financial support, it should be no surprise that they just might want to get closer to you, too. "Dear Friend" doesn't have to be limited to the salutations on your appeal letters, and it doesn't only have to be said by you. Listen closely and you will hear some of your donors saying to you, "Dear Friend."

Kevin Feldman
WorldVenture

I've learned several things. The main thing is to not be afraid to solicit over the telephone. If a solicitor has any degree of relationship with a donor who is difficult to travel to, the phone is a pretty good alternative to face-to-face visits. I'm referring to solicitations in a capital campaign context.

Jay Craig
Shiloh Christian Children's Ranch

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