It\u2019s time to start paying attention to these donors! Focusing on building a mid-level donor program will help you raise more money in the short term and set up future major gifts opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One great way to make this happen is to start a special group for mid-level donors. For example, the World Wildlife Fund welcomes donations of all sizes, but gifts of $1,000 and up (or monthly gifts of $100+) get donors into the \u201cPartners in Conservation\u201d group. They get special content and resources, receive a special quarterly magazine, and are invited to webinars and other events. They don\u2019t receive the specialized attention the WWF gives to major donors (the WWF couldn\u2019t hire that many staff!), but they do <\/em>get something a little more than someone who donates $50 one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By focusing on building relationships with mid-level donors, you start building a valuable, highly-engaged donor base of people with a large capacity to give. They\u2019re great candidates for future upgrades and are more likely to become major donors! Want to know where to start? Check out this webinar for ideas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have a donor that has loyally given to you every month? Their individual transaction sizes might not set off your (figurative) Potential Major Donor Alarms, but their overall giving history might. For example, take a look at an $80\/month recurring donor. Over the course of a year, they\u2019ll donate $900 \u2014 that\u2019s solidly in mid-level territory! And, if that donor has given for a couple of years, they\u2019ve given you thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That kind of loyal support is invaluable, and it\u2019s a good indicator they\u2019ll be open to more engagement. Recurring donors, especially if their total gifts amount to a major-gift level, definitely deserve extra attention and cultivation. They\u2019ve already supported your organization at a high level for an extended period of time. Who knows? Maybe they\u2019ll become major gifts donors or legacy donors. Even if they opt to maintain their current giving level, they\u2019re an invaluable supporter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to drive recurring giving and (hopefully!) inspire some people to upgrade their gift? We wrote some articles about how to make that happen with Qgiv\u2019s tools. Give them a read! Here\u2019s one on how to use Qgiv\u2019s recurring donor tools<\/a> and another on how to communicate with them effectively<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your board members and major gifts team should be best friends. We go into 3 reasons they should work together in this blog article<\/a>, but one big reason is that they have fantastic networks. Think about it: your board members, on the whole, are well-connected community members who have a passion for the work you do. What are the odds that they, too, have friends that are well-connected community members who are also passionate about making a difference in the world? We think those odds are pretty high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting your board members involved with fundraising isn\u2019t always easy (although we do have a great webinar<\/a> you can watch that shows you how to make it happen). But getting them involved in major gifts fundraising keeps them engaged, builds your donor prospect list, and may even inspire them to make their own <\/em>major gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A long (long long) time ago, I worked at an elder law attorney\u2019s office. I also briefly shared office space with a CPA\u2019s office. Want to know a common topic that came up with clients at both businesses? They were interested in which local charities would be good candidates for large annual or legacy gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Major donors are motivated by a lot of things. The desire to do good in the world, wanting to leave a legacy for their families, and, yes, the desire to save some money on taxes are all motivators. CPAs and attorneys are often involved in that decision-making process. Building a good relationship with strategic partners in your community is an under-utilized strategy! You\u2019ll never be able to guarantee that a CPA or attorney will recommend your nonprofit organization for a major annual gift. But you can <\/em>take time to get to know those partners, share your mission, give them some valuable metrics that will prove your efficacy, and ask them to keep you in mind if any of their clients ever ask for recommendations. Worst case scenario, they\u2019ll say no. Best case scenario, you\u2019ll build new relationships with donors who want to help your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all want to bring in major gifts. But we don\u2019t always know exactly where to find potential major donors! Try checking these 4 places \u2014 your mid-level donor group, your recurring donor group, your board and their network, and local partners \u2014 and look for telltale signs that those groups may include future major donors. The prospects you identify are almost certainly not going to sit down and immediately write you a check for thousands of dollars. But they are <\/em>potential major donors and are a perfect group of people with whom to start building relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want more information on identifying potential major donors? You\u2019ll love this webinar from Claire Axelrad on\u00a0identifying major gifts prospects<\/a>. Once you\u2019re ready to make an ask, read over this article to\u00a0overcome the pre-ask jitters!<\/p>\n\n\nDouble-check your monthly donors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Work with your board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Build relationships with local CPAs and attorneys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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