Major donor fundraising strategy + tips

Major donor fundraising ensures your mission thrives beyond one-time gifts. Major donors are individuals whose contributions exceed your nonprofit’s average gift and have the power to significantly advance your mission. A major gift is the donation these donors make that transforms your programs, campaigns, and initiatives.

Major donor fundraising is the process of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding these high-impact supporters. The goal is to build lasting relationships that deepen engagement and sustain long-term support for your organization.

What makes major donor fundraising unique

Major donor fundraising differs from general appeals because it centers on building deep, personal relationships. Each major donor has unique motivations and financial capacity, so your engagement must be customized, thoughtful, and trust-driven.

The cultivation process has a longer lifecycle than typical mass appeals. Developing and stewarding major donors often takes months or years. It requires consistent, meaningful interactions that demonstrate the impact of their contributions.

Tools like a modern fundraising CRM streamline this process by organizing donor profiles, tracking engagement activities, and helping your fundraising team plan timely, personalized outreach. When used strategically, a CRM enhances donor relationship management while keeping the personal connection intact.

Effective major donor fundraising also requires dedicated resources and careful planning. Many nonprofits create a major gifts program, assign a major gifts officer, and maintain a portfolio of current and prospective donors. This structured approach ensures you nurture existing donors while uncovering new opportunities for securing major gifts.

Elements of a major donor fundraising strategy

These are the essential steps to identify, engage, and retain major donors, whose contributions propel your mission forward.

1. Identify and qualify your major donors

Start by identifying donors with the greatest potential to impact your mission. Focus on three key factors: capacity (ability to give), affinity (connection to your cause), and history or “propensity” (past giving and engagement).

Wealth screening tools and scoring models reveal major donor prospects ready for cultivation, while a fundraising CRM tracks giving history and engagement to focus your teams’ efforts. 

Tip: Don’t overlook mid-level donors, dedicated volunteers, or community leaders who show strong philanthropic interest.

2. Research and understand donor motivations and interests

Build stronger relationships by uncovering what drives each donor—their philanthropic priorities, community involvement, and personal passions. Go beyond donation history to understand the ‘why’ behind their giving. Donor prospect research tools reveal patterns in gift giving, event participation, and public involvement, helping you match donors with the initiatives that resonate most.

3. Cultivate strong personal relationships

Cultivation is where the long-term donor relationship begins. Research shows that 92% of nonprofit leaders view ongoing major donor support as essential, yet only 59% say most donors actually provide it (p. 15). Building strong, trust-based relationships closes that gap.

Engage donors through one-on-one meetings, phone calls, small gatherings, mission experiences, or virtual events. Combine professional updates with authentic personal interactions to show donors they’re recognized and valued. Using a fundraising CRM will track every interaction with a donor to ensure each touchpoint is timely, relevant, and personalized.

Tip: Vary the engagement types to keep interactions fresh, but always honor each donor’s preferred communication channels.

4. Personalize your solicitation

Major donors expect proposals tailored to their priorities and your mission’s needs. Frame your ask around vision, impact, and a specific request. Example: “Your support of $10,000 will fully fund our Providing Clean Water program, bringing clean water to 2,000 families in need.”

5. Stewardship and ongoing engagement

Major donors decide whether to give again based on how you recognize and engage them. Donor stewardship goes beyond receipts—it’s timely, heartfelt gratitude and personalized updates showing how their support advances the causes they care about most. Handwritten notes, calls, and tailored impact reports make this recognition feel authentic.

6. Evaluate and evolve your strategy

After each campaign, assess which relationships grew, which stalled, and which cultivation efforts had the greatest impact. A fundraising CRM is invaluable here, centralizing data, revealing trends, and helping you refine strategies to strengthen future donor engagement.

Effective major donor fundraising strategies and tips

Effective major donor fundraising relies on a series of intentional strategies designed to cultivate donor relationships, showcase impact, and inspire generous, sustained support.

Donor recognition wall

A donor recognition wall celebrates the supporters who make your mission possible. Place it prominently at your headquarters to give visitors an immediate sense of community and impact. Including plaques, digital displays, or creative visuals makes each donor feel recognized and valued.

Highlight tiers of giving or milestones to show progression and encourage continued support. Incorporating donor stories, quotes, or photos alongside names personalizes the recognition and deepens donor engagement.

Virtual donor wall

Extend recognition online with a virtual wall on your website. Display names, tiers, and impact stories to reach donors and prospects who can’t visit in person.

Link each donor profile to the projects or programs they’ve supported to show tangible results and inspire others to contribute. Using dynamic features, like scrolling lists, interactive maps, or filters by project area, engages your visitors.

Tip: Regularly update both the physical and virtual walls with new donors and achievements to maintain excitement and encourage ongoing giving.

Planned giving program

Planned giving allows donors to leave a lasting legacy through wills, trusts, or estate plans. Unlike annual donations, these gifts arrive at an unknown future date, yet they’re often among the largest contributions a nonprofit receives.

Because planned giving involves legal and financial details, work with experienced advisors to guide your program. Approach your donors with empathy and respect, recognizing that you’re helping them make meaningful end-of-life decisions.

When managed thoughtfully, planned giving expands your pool of major donors. It empowers supporters of all wealth levels to make transformational contributions that fuel your mission for generations. By helping donors leave a lasting legacy, it strengthens long-term loyalty while reinforcing the meaningful impact of their support.

For a more in-depth look at planned giving, take a look at our Planned Giving 101 ebook, or our Planned Giving cheat sheet.

Major donor society

A major donor society formalizes recognition for your most generous supporters while inspiring others to rise into its ranks. By offering tiered perks at different giving levels, you create a clear pathway that motivates mid-level donors to step up to major donor status.

Benefits often include exclusive events, private updates, or special recognition that reinforces a sense of belonging. A dedicated mailing list or communication channel makes your donor stewardship easier and ensures members feel consistently appreciated.

When done well, a donor society strengthens loyalty, drives higher giving, and builds a community of champions invested in your mission’s long-term success.

Major donor acquisition events

Major donor events bring high-level supporters together, creating community while strengthening commitment to your cause. Whether hosted in person or online, these gatherings spark connections that often lead to lasting relationships and future major gifts.

To ensure success, plan for:

• Registration and RSVPs to keep attendance organized
• Vendors and venues that elevate the experience
• Marketing materials to build anticipation and credibility
• Speakers who connect emotionally and reinforce your mission
• Data tracking and reports to capture insights for future outreach
• Follow-up communications that leave donors feeling valued

Beyond fundraising, these events deepen your knowledge of attendees. You learn who is most engaged, who networks with other top supporters, and who is primed for your next major donor cultivation step.

More inclusive campaigns

Balance exclusive donor events with inclusive campaigns that welcome broader participation. Fundraising efforts like text-to-give or social media campaigns often generate more funding than a single gala while also expanding your reach.

If your past events felt too exclusive, diversify your strategies to engage mid-level and entry-level donors. Text giving is especially effective because supporters are able to donate instantly and share links with friends, multiplying your reach with little extra effort. A well-marketed inclusive campaign raises funds and grows a pipeline of future major donors.

Board connections

Your board is one of your strongest assets for major donor acquisition. Leverage their networks by asking for introductions to individuals with both the capacity and interest to give. A warm referral from a trusted board member instantly builds credibility and opens the door to deeper relationships.

Encourage board members to go beyond introductions by staying engaged throughout the cultivation process. When they partner with your team in stewarding prospects, the result is stronger connections and a higher likelihood of securing major gifts.

Share results

Donors want to see the impact of their giving, and sharing concrete results makes their contributions feel meaningful. When you regularly communicate successes, you strengthen your donor relationships and inspire future giving.

Use newsletters, emails, and social media updates to highlight:

• Testimonials from those benefiting from your programs
• Data and statistics showing measurable progress
• Specific initiatives made possible by major gifts
• Visual content—videos, images, infographics—for greater engagement

Consider adding major donor spotlights. Show how individual contributions drive impact, while also motivating mid-level donors to step up. Recognition and appreciation make supporters feel valued and more committed to your cause.

Volunteering opportunities

Inviting major donors to volunteer deepens their connection to your mission. Nothing communicates impact more powerfully than experiencing the work firsthand.

When donors volunteer, they:

• See your programs in action and the people they benefit.
• Gain a stronger, more personal understanding of your mission.
• Build relationships with staff and other supporters.
• Witness how their funding fuels change at the ground level.

Offer both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities. For example, invite major donors to lead workshops, mentor program participants, or provide strategic guidance in their area of expertise.

Returns on investment

Show donors the tangible impact of their contributions. Meet with past supporters to highlight exactly what their gifts have accomplished and how they’ve advanced your mission.

Provide prospects with clear, detailed insights into what each donation enables, the outcomes it drives, and the difference their support makes. This transparency guides them toward meaningful major gifts and strengthens long-term engagement.

Matching gifts

Matching gifts occur when a donor’s employer pledges to match their contribution, often doubling or even tripling the impact of a single gift. Every year, an estimated $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed—money that would directly fuel nonprofit missions. If you haven’t tapped into this opportunity, you’re leaving substantial funding on the table.

To maximize results:

• Create a clear explainer page on your website about how matching gifts work.
• Include a matching gift search tool on your donation page so donors are able to easily check if their employer offers a matching gift.
• Highlight matching gifts in emails, social campaigns, and donor follow-ups.
• Train staff to flag eligible donors and guide them through the process.

Every reminder counts—donors often don’t realize they’re eligible or forget to complete the final steps. Even partial matches significantly boost mid-level and major gifts, turning them into game-changing funding for your mission.

Accurate prospect data

Building strong donor relationships starts with knowing your supporters. Prospect research tools gather key information, such as professional background, corporate connections, past giving, and personal interests. These insights feed live donor profiles in your fundraising CRM to guide each donor interaction and ensure all engagement aligns with donor motivations.

Reevaluate your fundraising team

Your team is a key driver of major donor success. Regularly assessing roles and responsibilities ensures every effort strengthens donor relationships and drives effective fundraising.

• Evaluate staff strengths and gaps to support major donor initiatives.
• Consider specialized roles, such as a major gift officer or a dedicated donor team.
• Assign clear responsibilities: prospect research, donor engagement, solicitation, and recordkeeping.
• Align team size and structure with available resources, consolidating or adjusting roles as needed.

Performance metrics

Tracking performance metrics gives your major donor team the clarity it needs to strengthen fundraising efforts and refine strategy. Focus on data that reveals both progress and gaps, such as:

• Gift asks made
• Gifts secured
• Average donation size
• Major donor retention rate

Use these numbers to adjust your strategy in real time and keep your nonprofit on track.

Turn major donor relationships into results

Major donor fundraising is about cultivating meaningful relationships that drive impact for your organization. By understanding donor motivations, personalizing engagement, and maintaining consistent stewardship, nonprofits build trust and demonstrate the value of contributions. These practices foster long-term support and lasting connections with every major donor.

Implementing a structured strategy and leveraging the right tools ensures each major donor feels recognized and connected. Intentional cultivation techniques guide outreach and engagement. Thoughtful planning and ongoing evaluation allow your organization to achieve lasting impact while maximizing the contributions of every major supporter.

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