major donorsIf your fundraising plan doesn’t include a strategy for finding, cultivating, and asking major donors for a large donation, you’re missing out on transformational gifts for your nonprofit.

Large gifts mean more net revenue—more impact, more lives changed.

It’s the old 80/20 rule in action: over 80% of all funds typically come from just 20% of donors. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, 88% of all funds come from 12% of donors.

So what if you focused most of your time on that top 12%?

You’d raise more money—in less time—and feel less overwhelmed.

Let’s dive into how to make that happen.

There are two big reasons why people don’t work on major gifts:

  1. They aren’t comfortable asking for money in person.
  2. They don’t know who to ask.

If major gift work is new to you, I get it.

I was pretty nervous about asking people for a large donation when I was new to fundraising.

But I learned a few tricks that worked beautifully, and now I want to share them with you so you can get big gifts for your small nonprofit.

Let’s start by taking a look at some surprising benefits of working on your major donor fundraising strategy.

Why Focus on Major Donors? 

It’s not just about the size of the donation—though that certainly helps. Major donor fundraising brings powerful benefits: Major donor strategy should be a foundational piece of your fundraising plan. 

Here’s why:

1. Major donors act fast.

There’s no committee to convene and very little (if any) paperwork. The only person who might need to approve a major gift is a spouse.

Often, just one conversation can result in a gift—sometimes on the spot.

2. Major donors are perfect for funding special projects.

Maybe your food bank is working on a special program to send meals home with students over a holiday break, for children who might not have any other way to get food when school is closed.

A donor who is moved by this particular project might fund the whole thing— yes, that’s happened to me before!

There are no hoops to jump through like with grants or corporate sponsors.

A major donor who believes in your mission is more likely to take a chance without documented proof that your approach will work.

3. Major gifts reduce your reliance on small events.

You could spend hours and hours planning and hosting a fundraising event and make a couple hundred dollars or…

… you could spend a fraction of that time growing a major donor relationship that yields a $10,000 check plus kindles an important relationship for the future.

Where would you rather spend your time? 😉

4. Fundraising gets less stressful.

Knowing you have major gifts coming in can ease the stress of finding money and allow you to get down to work, focusing on your services and programs.

Major donors are also more likely to provide unrestricted funding than grants or other sources of revenue.

What Motivates Major Donors to Give? 

Major donors aren’t just giving money—they’re giving meaning. They give because:

  • They want to make a difference.
  • They care deeply about your cause.
  • Giving feels good—it’s emotionally rewarding.

Some might appreciate recognition (like naming opportunities or special access), but most just want to know they’re funding something important.

What Counts as a Major Gift?

There’s no universal number. For many small nonprofits, a major gift starts at $1,000. Others may set the bar at $500 or raise it over time as their fundraising capacity grows.

Here’s how to determine your organization’s major gift threshold:

  • Review your top 10 individual gifts from the past year.
  • Calculate the average.
  • Use that figure to define a major gift in your context.

It’s not about matching other organizations—it’s about what’s “major” for your nonprofit.

8 Ways to Find Major Donors

fundraising donorsOk, so where do you find major donors, especially if you’re new and you don’t have a big donor base yet?

The bad news is that there’s not a list of rich people somewhere that you can access and just get the names.

In fact, targeting people based on their wealth is just a bad idea.

Even if you did know exactly who the wealthy people are, it doesn’t mean they’re going to give you money.

People have their favorite causes, and if your cause isn’t one of their favorites, you’re not going to get a gift.

It’s not about how much money they have but about how much they care about the work your nonprofit does in changing lives.

They give because they trust that you can make a difference in the world.

They give because they feel connected to your mission.

So, instead of focusing on their ability to give, look for a strong connection.

Your best prospects might be closer than you think.

1. Start with your personal network.

Think: friends, extended family, former colleagues. Especially if you’re a founder or early-stage nonprofit, people give because they trust you.

Even if you’re unsure of their financial capacity, don’t rule anyone out. Start building relationships.

2. Look within your nonprofit’s inner circle.

The most likely prospects for major gifts already have a link to your organization.

Board members, volunteers, staff, and even clients can become major donor prospects. You never know who has both the means and the passion.

3. Ask “who do you know?”

Encourage your Board and close supporters to introduce you to others who might be interested in your work. You’re looking for connection, not just wealth.

A warm introduction is often more powerful than any cold outreach.

4. Look through your current donors.

You might already have potential major donors hiding in plain sight. Look for:

  • Cumulative giving (not just one-time gifts)
  • Consistent donation history
  • Longevity—how long they’ve been giving

These are strong signs of donor loyalty and capacity.

5. Look for major donors who support similar causes.

Many philanthropists give to multiple nonprofits in a similar space.

Don’t worry about competition—just build the relationship and share your mission.

6. Leverage your fundraising events.

A well-done fundraising event can be a great way to raise money AND make new contacts.

Non-fundraising events can be productive, too.

At every event you hold, whether it’s a fundraising event or some other kind of event like a volunteer orientation, program event, etc., make a point to “work the room” to meet as many people as possible.

You never know when you’ll meet your next big donor!

7. Plan a friendraising event.

Plan an event specifically for your Board members, staff, and volunteers to invite potential donors, especially those they think might have the ability to be major donors.

An open house or cocktail party can be a great, low-pressure opportunity to get to know people and find out what their interest is in your nonprofit’s mission.

8. Use a wealth-screening tool.

You may have donors in your current donor family who are capable of making a large gift but haven’t chosen to do that yet for whatever reason.

A wealth-screening tool can tell you who among your donors has the means to make a larger gift.

Some donor management softwares have these wealth-screening tools built in or you can use a service to help you identify diamonds in the rough among your donors.

How to Cultivate Major Donor Relationships 

Identifying major donor prospects is just Step 1.

The next step is to build a relationship and cultivate each prospect to understand what’s important to them so you can match your Ask to their interests.

People give big when they feel passionately about a cause and want to make a difference.

You need to invest time and attention in your top donors to make sure they know they’re making that difference.

Think about it this way: the more money you want a donor to give, the more time and attention you must invest in the donor.

Building relationships with major donors can be fun and rewarding work as you learn more about each donor and what truly matters to them.

If your nonprofit is new or young, you may not have major donors yet.

Or you might have them, but don’t yet know it.

Here’s how to build lasting relationships with major donors:

  • Assign a Major Gifts Officer. This might be you, a board member, or a staffer. Having one person consistently following up with prospective and current major donors helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

    If you appoint yourself to the role of Major Gifts Officer, you would certainly not be the first nonprofit leader to do so. Remind yourself that time spent focusing on major gifts is THE most productive time spent raising money. You won’t see results immediately, but be patient.

    Major gift work is like gardening. It takes time for plants to grow and bear fruit. Every positive interaction with the donor is like watering and weeding the garden. Your patience and consistency should result in a bountiful harvest!

  • Build your prospect list. A major gifts program starts the way so many new initiatives do – with a list. Make a list of everyone you can think of who has demonstrated a genuine love for your organization’s work.

    You can make your list in a spreadsheet, or if you already have a donor tracking software, you can tag or group names so you can easily find them later. You can also track all your interactions with each donor in your software, just to keep everything in one place.

  • Never assume someone’s capacity to give. Until you know differently, treat everyone as if they’re capable of making a game-changing gift. Don’t assume they have no money based on the way they dress or the car they drive.

    There is an old but wonderful and still-relevant book called The Millionaire Next Door (Dr. Thomas J. Stanley) which shows how wealthy people live. Many people with a lot of money live modestly and don’t show the world that they have big bank accounts.

    So don’t assume. Likewise, don’t assume that because someone drives a fancy car or lives in an expensive neighborhood that they have lots of money to give. They may be barely making their car and house payments!

    The point is this: people don’t give based on their wealth. They give based on your nonprofit’s value. So focus on how much they care about your mission, not how much money you think they have.

  • Create personalized engagement plans. What types of activities can you do to find out what the donor cares about? Can you invite the donor to come to your organization and watch a program in action? Can you ask for a meeting over coffee?

    Cultivating a donor is part art and part science. You can always start with a phone call to thank the donor for their past support, then invite them for a tour or meet them for coffee. But once you start the process, pay attention to the little clues the donor gives you and modify your approach to fit their needs.

    For example, if they respond well to your initial call but aren’t comfortable meeting in person for coffee, be ready with a couple of ideas for virtual interactions.

    Remember that every donor is different. Some might be ready to give after 2 or 3 interactions. Others might need 8 to 10 interactions before they’re ready. The more major donors you work with, the better you’ll get at sensing when the time is right to ask for a donation.

  • Match their passion to your need. If they expressed interest in the past about a particular program, think of a way they can further their interest with a larger gift.

    What is something your organization really needs? “We really want to move 2 families off the waiting list into transitional housing, and we need $5,000 to make that happen. Would you be interested in contributing half that amount?”

    When you can match an immediate need with something the donor really cares about, you’ll be more likely to get exactly what you ask for.

  • Consider hiring a fundraising coach. If you’re just not sure how to attract major donors or how to build relationships with them, or if you’re feeling too shy or uncomfortable to talk to major donor prospects, there are consultants who can help you build your skill and your confidence (like us, here at Get Fully Funded!).

    There’s so much potential for a huge return on investment, that spending money hiring the right coach can pay off big in the long run – both in the amount of money you can raise and in growing your skill so you can keep cultivating major donors for years to come.

The Bottom Line

time managementBuilding a strong major donor strategy takes time (and time management is critical)—but the return is worth it.

Commit to spending a few minutes each day nurturing relationships with your top donors. Ask yourself:

Who can I reach out to today?

Who needs a thank-you call?

What upcoming project aligns with a donor’s interest?

Remember: the more major donors you cultivate, the more sustainable your nonprofit becomes.

Focus on relationships. Lead with mission. And trust that when you connect the right donor with the right opportunity, amazing things happen.