Moves management guide for nonprofits

Moves management helps nonprofits build intentional, long-term relationships with donors. It replaces guesswork and one-off outreach with a clear path for your team to follow. When used well, it turns potential into predictable fundraising success.

What is moves management?

Moves management is the step-by-step process of turning a prospect into a long-term, committed donor. It guides how your team identifies, engages, and builds relationships with potential supporters. Every “move,” from an email to a meeting, is a deliberate action that brings the donor closer to giving to your nonprofit.

Moves vs stages

Stages refer to where a prospect is in the donor journey. Moves are the specific, intentional actions your team takes to advance your prospects to the next stage in the moves management process.

For example, let’s say a prospect is in the cultivation stage. A move would be sending a personalized email, inviting them on a tour, or scheduling a one-on-one call. Each move should build connection, trust, and momentum toward a gift.

Using a leading nonprofit fundraising CRM helps your team track every prospect’s stage and suggest the next best move. This gives your team a clear view of where donors are in the donor cycle and how to keep them moving forward.

Benefits of moves management in fundraising

Moves management gives nonprofits a reliable system to build stronger donor relationships and improve fundraising outcomes.

• Improves donor retention rate. Moves management requires a formal plan for ongoing relationship-building. This structure helps nonprofits sustain support long-term.
• Boosts retention through personalization. Personalized touches like thank-you letters, milestone recognitions, and tailored impact reports help with donor retention.
• Increases donation size and frequency. Systematic moves management encourages donors to give more often and at higher levels.
• Maximizes resource ROI. It helps nonprofits focus only on the most important next step with each donor. This saves time, reduces wasted effort, and keeps teams on track. The result is a greater fundraising impact per staff hour.
• Creates strategic momentum. Every interaction is timed and purposeful as opposed to making random appeals. This leads to stronger relationships and more meaningful gifts.

The moves management cycle (a.k.a. donor life cycle)

The moves management cycle is a step-by-step framework for turning a prospect into a long-term supporter. Each stage builds on the last one to deepen the connection and move the relationship forward.

Identification

The first step in moves management is finding new donors. Use sources like peer referrals and wealth screening of event attendees to uncover potential donors who have not yet given to your cause. These can be individuals, companies, or foundations that align with your mission and have the ability to give.

Prospect research software helps you generate targeted donor lists. Some fundraising intelligence platforms offer live profiles that segment and score prospects using real-time data. This helps your team prioritize outreach and focus on the most promising leads.

Qualification

Qualification is the process of evaluating which prospects are worth pursuing. It includes reviewing their giving history, philanthropic interests, and financial capacity to determine if they’re a good fit for your organization.

Top-ranking prospect research tools use custom scoring systems based on key indicators like propensity, affinity, and capacity. This type of scoring helps your team focus outreach where it will be most impactful.

Discovery

Discovery is the stage where you begin direct engagement with a qualified prospect. The goal is to learn more about their interests, motivations, and giving potential.

Start by building a detailed profile using both internal giving history and external prospect research data. Then, make initial contact through an email, phone call, or in-person meeting. Use the conversation to ask thoughtful questions, listen closely, and pick up on cues that reveal what really matters most to the donor.

Cultivation

Cultivation is about deepening the connection between your nonprofit and the prospect. This stage builds trust, aligns values, and prepares the donor for a future ask.

Your goal is to understand what matters most to them and ensure they understand the heart of your mission. AI for nonprofits helps tremendously in this stage by personalizing messages based on donor behavior, interests, and past interactions. Use this time to listen, learn, and build a relationship that is authentic and meaningful.

Solicitation

Solicitation is the moment you make the ask. Everything you’ve learned about the donor should shape how, when, and what you request.

Use data to inform your strategy. Match the ask to the donor’s capacity and interests. A well-timed, personalized appeal is more likely to result in a meaningful gift.

Stewardship

Donor stewardship is the stage where you retain and grow donor relationships after a gift is made. It’s about showing appreciation, demonstrating impact, and laying the foundation for long-term support.

Existing donors

Check in regularly with existing donors and watch for changes in their business, giving patterns, or financial status. Using a fundraising CRM will keep your team organized by tracking every donor touchpoint and suggesting the next steps to take. Staying informed helps you remain relevant and builds trust with each prospect.

First-time donors

First-time donors are at high risk of falling away. In 2024, nearly 40 percent of all donors were new, yet only 8.3 percent of total donors were retained from their first gift in 2023. That sharp drop-off highlights the urgent need for better early engagement, follow-up, and stewardship.

Strengthen the process

As you complete the donor cycle with each individual, revisit what worked and what didn’t. Apply those lessons to improve targeting, timing, and messaging with new prospects. Over time, your moves management process becomes faster, more focused, and more effective.

To keep everything aligned, some of the most successful nonprofits hold regular development meetings. Involve your executive director, board, and development team. Use these meetings to review donor stages, assign next steps, and set clear follow-ups.

Want to see how the moves management cycle mirrors a marketing funnel? Check out our Moves Management Cheat Sheet for a comparison.

Moves management cycle template

“Moves” to use in the moves management process

Moves are the touchpoints that build relationships and move donors forward. Each action should align with a stage in the donor cycle and serve a clear purpose.

A fundraising CRM helps track these interactions and prompts your team when it’s time to act. This keeps momentum going and ensures high-value prospective donors stay engaged with your mission.

Thank-you call

Make a quick call to express gratitude after an event, donation, or introduction. This move builds early rapport and reinforces your organization’s appreciation for the prospect. Use this during the discovery and stewardship stages.

Personalized email

Send a tailored message that reflects the donor’s interests, like a program update, event invite, or impact story. Generative AI tools for nonprofits use donor data to help you draft these emails quickly and accurately. It’s a low-pressure way to stay in touch during the cultivation and stewardship stages.

Event invitation

Invite prospects or donors to a relevant virtual or in-person event. Events create shared experiences and deepen emotional connection. Use during the cultivation and stewardship stages.

One-on-one meeting

Set up an in-person coffee meeting or a video call to learn more about a donor’s motivations. Spending this time allows you to listen, build trust, and gather insights. This move is often used during the discovery and cultivation stages.

Impact update

Share a brief story or data point that shows how a donor’s gift made a difference. This reinforces value and sets the stage for future gifts. An update is ideal to use during the stewardship stage or just before a new ask.

Birthday or milestone acknowledgment

Recognize birthdays, anniversaries, or life events to show you value the donor as a person, not just a supporter. For example, send a handwritten birthday card, a note on their giving anniversary, or a congratulatory email for a new job. Use this move during the cultivation and stewardship stages to deepen connection and trust.

Gift proposal

Present a personalized gift ask tailored to the donor’s interests, readiness, and previous interactions. Always connect the proposal to a clear, specific impact to motivate giving. This move is key during the solicitation stage.

For example, “Based on your passion for expanding educational access, would you consider a $10,000 gift to fund scholarships for underprivileged students this year? Your support will directly cover tuition for 15 students.”

Thank-you note from leadership

A handwritten note or personal email from a board member or executive can leave a lasting impression on your donor. This move is used for stewarding major donors and for first-time givers.

Volunteer opportunity invitation

Invite donors to participate in volunteer activities aligned with your mission. This deepens engagement by involving them personally. Works well during the cultivation or stewardship stages.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes access

Offer donors special tours or previews of your programs or events. This creates a sense of insider status and strengthens emotional connection. This is ideal to use during the cultivation or stewardship stages.

Impact survey or feedback request

Ask donors for their input on programs or communications. This shows you value their opinion and encourages a two-way relationship. This move is best used during the cultivation and stewardship stages.

Recognition in publications or events

Acknowledge donors publicly in newsletters, annual reports, or events if your donor has no objection to this type of recognition. This encourages motivation to give and builds social proof. Use this move strategically post-solicitation (right after the gift is received) or during the stewardship stage.

Moves management KPIs to track

Tracking the right KPIs helps you measure whether your moves management strategy is actually moving donors forward or not. You should focus on the following metrics that reflect both donor activity and the relationship-building process.

Donor retention rate

This measures how many donors continue giving to your nonprofit year over year (YoY). A high retention rate shows effective stewardship and sustained engagement with your donors.

Average gift size

You’ll need to track how your average donation amount changes over time. If you have growth here, it often reflects stronger donor relationships and successful upgrades.

Moves per donor

Monitor how many touchpoints it takes to secure a gift from a donor. This KPI metric helps you assess the efficiency of your outreach. It also helps you spot opportunities where you can streamline your donor engagement.

Stage conversion rate

This metric measures how many prospects move from one stage to the next. This helps identify drop-off points so you can refine your strategy.

Time in each stage

Ensure you track how long donors spend in each stage of the cycle before moving on. For example, if donors are stuck in cultivation and not progressing, it’s time to reevaluate your touchpoints.

If you pair these metrics with your fundraising CRM, you’ll be able to visualize progress, spot trends, and keep your team up-to-date with what’s working.

Must-have moves management tools

Great moves management relies on two things: Better data and proactive strategies.

Fundraising CRM system

A good fundraising CRM system helps your team track every donor touchpoint, visualize the donor journey, and know exactly what action to take next. It keeps the process organized, scalable, and aligned with your strategic goals.

Prospect research software

You’ll also need prospect research software to identify high-capacity donors based on wealth indicators, philanthropic history, and shared mission interests. With this level of deep donor insights, your outreach becomes more focused and effective.

AI for nonprofits

AI for nonprofits helps to streamline personalized communications. It tailors your email content and campaign messaging to each donor segment. This helps you stay relevant without adding manual work to your team’s current workload.

Together, the must-have tools give your team the clarity, speed, and precision needed to build stronger donor relationships at every stage of the donor cycle.

Why moves management matters now more than ever

Moves management gives nonprofits a clear process for turning prospects into long-term supporters. Each stage builds stronger relationships through intentional, well-timed actions. With the right strategy, it becomes easier to increase giving and keep donors engaged over the long term. It also helps teams work smarter.

Tools like fundraising CRMs, prospect research software, and AI for nonprofits simplify outreach and make every move more targeted. The result is better retention, bigger gifts, and a more sustainable fundraising future.

Jill Mccarville

Jill Mccarville is a marketing leader and content creator. She's been working with nonprofits, healthcare and higher education for 10 years, helping to share their stories and tactics for more effective and efficient fundraising.

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