Plan w/ Individual Gift Strategies

Major gift fundraising (immediate and deferred) is undoubtedly the most effective method of fundraising. In addition to accounting for unbelievable gifts year after year, major gifts rarely account for large percentages of an organization’s fundraising expenses. Major gifts are not only effective, they are especially efficient.

The effective and efficient nature of major gift fundraising owes much credit to the solicitation process. This process is usually very high-touch, very personal, and undoubtedly face-to-face. Comparatively speaking, these interactions are relatively inexpensive, especially for the local or regionally based organization with constituents in close proximity to the organization. Even when major gift fundraising requires a plane ticket and a hotel room, the cost per dollar raised never comes anywhere close to that of special events and direct mail.

Major gift fundraisers rely on individual gift strategies to strategically plan the fundraising experience. These individual gift strategies are intentional timelines that detail every step along the way; they establish who, what, when, where, and for what reason a solicitation is made. Internally, individual gift strategies allow each member of the organization to contribute to the fundraising experience. For the solicitor, the individual gift strategy sets a pace, establishes goals, and ensures accountability. For the individual donor, the strategies ensure that organizations are carefully thinking through the entire fundraising experience rather than on impulse or simply when and where the budget demands it.