1. Some of What’s Inside…
Work planned giving into visits........p. 2
Analyze donor relations work...........p. 3
Practice making the blended ask......p. 4
Create guidelines for naming gifts....p. 5
Post-campaign assessment necessary?.p. 6
Who heads up a committee matters..p. 7
Make use of a solicitation profile.....p. 8
STEWARDSHIP CONSIDERATIONS
Creative Ways to Share the Impact of a Donor’s Gift
Donor appreciation is an important aspect of the cultivation process for nonprofit
institutions, especially when recognizing major gifts. In addition, finding innovative
ways to communicate the impact of a donor’s gift can lead to greatly increased
involvement of other donors and prospective donors.
“The challenge for many nonprofits is to find ways to express heartfelt gratitude
to major donors in a way that is time- and cost-effective and has communitywide
impact,” says Judith Smith, regional senior philanthropic advisor for the
Arizona Community Foundation (Phoenix, AZ). “This is where social
media can come into play in so many ways that are creative, cost-effective
and timely.”
Smith suggests the following impactful ways to use social media to
thank donors and entice other stakeholders to consider a major gift
contribution:
Give a shout-out on Twitter. Twitter is meant to be quick, short and off-
the-cuff, and nonprofit organizations can use this outlet to publish fun
and friendly shout-outs to donors and prospective donors in real time.
When major gifts donors make a contribution, they can be asked to
provide their Twitter handle, and if they are not on Twitter, they can still
choose to tweet their name on the micro-blogging platform.
Make a YouTube video. If the nonprofit institution is active on a video
sharing platform like YouTube or Vimeo, a great opportunity exists to
thank and recognize donors in one well-produced and heartfelt video.
Micro-blogging video platforms, such as Vine, are also available for
individualized recognition. In addition, footage from fundraising events,
interviews with donors and volunteers and visual images depicting the
mission of the organization can be produced into a montage video.
Create a custom graphic for Instagram. The photo-sharing platform
Instagram is a great place to turn candid photos into impactful and high-
quality messages. Nonprofits can utilize its capabilities for image
enhancing and easy connection to other social sites.
Consider a donor recognition wall or digital graphic. Many donors
appreciate and expect public recognition as a means of recruiting other
major gift contributors, and a physical or virtual donor recognition wall
will make donors feel special and encourage others to follow their lead.
E-newsletters are also an effective way to recognize and profile donors on
a weekly or monthly basis.
“Social media is changing our society, and nonprofit institutions can
greatly benefit from the very immediate and broad-based communication
and information sharing that is made possible today from social media that
15 years ago was unimaginable,” says Smith.
Source: Judith Smith, Regional Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Arizona Community
Foundation, Phoenix, AZ. Phone (602) 381-1400. E-mail: info@azfoundation.org.
Website: www.azfoundation.org
DOI: 10.1002/MGR VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015
October 2015 / Vol. 17, No. 10
Don’t Let Your Agenda
Upstage a Prospect’s Interests
Picture this: One East Coast museum has a
donor who has been contributing $3,000
yearly to begin a named endowment fund.
Because the endowment won’t kick in until
it has reached the $25,000 mark, the donor
has yet to decide how she wants annual
interest from the fund to be used. She’s
considered having it fund an exhibit or
possibly underwrite a position at the
museum, but she still has time to consider
the options.
When the museum’s development officer
visits her, he presents her with a list of three
ways in which the endowment funds could
be used — none of them in line with what
she has been considering. She mentions her
ideas to the development officer, but he
virtually ignores what she says and brings
the conversation back to his list of ideas.
Although you may not represent a
museum, this scenario could be applicable to
any nonprofit organization. Clearly, the
donor is not being heard. It’s so important
to key in on the interests and wishes of
donors. It makes good stewardship sense,
and it’s necessary if you want the donor to
assume ownership of his/her philanthropic
actions.
Listen to your donors’ interests and
wishes. Don’t push your own agenda at their
expense. If you do, it may be the last gift
they make.
IDENTIFY DONORS’ PRIORITIES

2. 2 THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM DOI: 10.1002/MGR
PLANNED GIVING
Tips for Introducing Planned Giving Into Conversations
By Daniel Lindley
Broaching the topic of planned gifts can be tough. Donors seldom like to be
reminded of their mortality, and for development officers, the subject matter can
seem “technical and scary,” notes Pamela Jones Davidson, president, Davidson Gift
Design (Bloomington, IN). But emphasizing what you can do for the potential
donor — rather than what he or she can do for your nonprofit — can help introduce
a conversation that can yield long-term results, she says.
Rather than burying prospects in technical jargon or coming forward with an
outstretched hand and describing how worthy your nonprofit is, show prospective
donors how they can benefit from a gift plan that helps them meet philanthropic
goals while also providing them tax savings and income.
“Focus on assets and the donor far more than the charity’s objectives,”
Davidson says. Development officers need to change the paradigm from “it’s all
about us,” she says, to helping donors think about their assets, present and future
life situations and how a planned gift can help them at different stages by sheltering
disposal of appreciated assets from capital gains taxes and providing revenue for
loved ones’ and their needs.
“The goal is if and when,” she says. “If and when you don’t want to drive to
Arizona anymore, if and when you don’t want to manage your business anymore or
farm anymore, if and when you’re looking for diversified sources of income for your
spouse or your children. … My job is to make sure it’s the smartest gift you can
make.”
Take a Long-Term Approach
Gift officers also need to convince their organizations to take a long-term
approach. “The goal is really a gift conversation, not a gift,” says Davidson. “That
takes the pressure off the fundraiser.”
Davidson suggests using open-ended questions to initiate discussions about
planned gifts. For instance: “May we talk to you about ways that we can create a
significant gift here or for other charities that will work for you but which will also
make you a philanthropist you never thought possible?”
“When you treat people right and do the ethical thing, they will come back and
take your advice to heart,” she says.
Davidson recommends planned gift officers join their local planned giving
councils to learn as much as they can about planned gifts. But don’t obsess about
the technical aspects when talking with donors, she adds. Too many planned giving
officers “are terrified they’ll be asked something they don’t know the answer to.”
Ninety percent of planned gifts are simple, adds Davidson. And a question you
can’t answer just provides an excuse for another visit with the donor. Tell the donor
you don’t know, but will find someone who does. Then return with an answer and
continue the conversation.
Source: Pamela Jones Davidson, President, Davidson Gift Design, Bloomington, IN.
Phone (812) 876-8646. E-mail: pjdavidson@giftplanners.com. Website: www.giftplanners.com
PUBLICIZING MAJOR GIFTS
Feature Monthly Gift Profiles on Your Website
Whether you provide your constituents with a regular e-newsletter or simply
encourage them to visit your website, consider featuring a monthly or quarterly
online story about a recent major gift. Not only does this provide an additional way
to recognize top donors, it plants seeds in the minds of those who read about the
gift’s positive impact. It opens others up to the possibilities of philanthropy.
In addition to covering both the donor and the impact of the donor’s gift, your
feature might include links to additional information pertaining to some aspect of
your story.
Explore Approaching
Extended Family Members
Whenever you have an individual
making a named gift in honor or in
memory of a loved one, address the
topic of approaching other family
members for additional contributions.
Bring up the topic after the initial
pledge has been made to avoid getting
less from the original donor.
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3. DOI: 10.1002/MGR VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 3
PLANNED GIVING
Six Ways to Land More Bequests
For many nonprofits, bequests are the most significant source of
planned giving revenue, and learning to market and solicit
bequests from the organization’s donor base is crucial to
maximizing bequest revenue.
“The common misconception is that planned giving bequests
are only for the wealthy,” says Jeffrey Lydenberg, vice president of
consulting for PG Calc (Cambridge, MA). “The truth is that even
people of modest means can make a real difference through a
planned gift bequest in their wills or living trusts.”
Lydenberg says bequests are typically made from assets in a
donor’s estate rather than disposable income and come to fruition
upon the donor’s death. Planned giving bequests provide donors
with many attractive benefits:
circumstances.
deduction for charitable purposes.
“Bequests provide at least two-thirds of the deferred gifts to
most charitable organizations,” says Lydenberg. He offers the
following strategies for maximizing bequest revenue:
1. Encourage the outright gift of donors’ assets. Whether cash,
appreciated securities, real estate or life insurance policies,
these assets can be structured into a planned giving bequest to
a charitable organization.
2. Consider developing a Planned Giving Recognition Society. A
formalized recognition society for planned giving donors
within a nonprofit institution provides the vehicle to honor
and recognize donors and also to encourage other supporters
of the organization to make bequests.
3. Regularly communicate the need for planned giving and
bequests. By encouraging supporters, contributors, board
members and others to remember the organization in their
estate planning, the institution will keep the need for planned
giving at the forefront.
4. Develop an easy tool for life insurance contributions. This often
overlooked strategy allows for the charity to be selected for all
or a portion of the policy’s proceeds, and a donor can give the
organization a policy to be either cashed in or held until a
later date.
5. Don’t forget retirement plans. Individual supporters of the
nonprofit organization with retirement plans, either through
an employer or their own 401(k) or 403(b), as well as pension
plans, can select the charity as the beneficiary of the balance
upon death.
6. Boost the donation of financial service products. Certificates of
deposit or other accounts at a bank or financial institution
can be selected by a donor to benefit a charitable organization
through a payable-on-death provision.
Source: Jeffrey Lydenberg, Vice President for Consulting, PG Calc,
Cambridge, MA. Phone (617) 497-4970. E-mail: jlydenberg@pgcalc.com.
Website: www.pgcalc.com
The Value of Measuring
Donor Relations Work
Measuring donor relations’ impact isn’t easy, but it
highlights donor relations professionals’ contributions
and improves fundraising results, say Roberta O’Hara,
senior director of donor relations, Rutgers University
Foundation (New Brunswick, NJ), and Amanda
Jarman, principal, Fundraising Nerd (Portland, OR).
Nonprofits that responded to a survey by O’Hara
and Jarman reported 37 ways of tracking their work,
but only seven measured outcomes. Those quantified
donor retention, just as a survey at Princeton, where
O’Hara previously worked, found that sending thank-
you notes from end users boosted donor retention by
about 40 percent — “a clear example of donor relations
working to help with the bottom line,” she says.
Donor satisfaction “can be really hard to figure
out,” Jarman adds, and “a lot of donor relations
teams will default to talking about activities. We tend
to count x number of endowment reports and y
number of events and z number of people who came
to them. It’s absolutely a good thing to understand
where your time has been spent, but I’m not sure
anyone has quite cracked the nut of how do we move
this into some sort of ROI and say, ‘Yes, we raised
more money because we were doing this.’”
Measuring results, O’Hara says, gives donor
relations professionals credit for the gifts they help
raise, much as hockey players get an assist for passing
the puck to a player who scores a goal. Also, measuring
results helps donor relations offices learn what works
— and what doesn’t — beyond anecdotal evidence.
Donor relations pros aren’t tracked as frontline
fundraisers are — yet they could be, O’Hara says.
Customer satisfaction surveys like those used by
businesses may be one solution, O’Hara and Jarman
say. These could help donor relations professionals
refine events and services to give donors what they
want. At Rutgers, for instance, a survey after one
event led to changes at the next gathering that boosted
attendance by 40 percent.
Simple survey questions — such as how likely a
respondent is to give again — can help nonprofits
focus on particular groups, Jarman says, and develop
specific fundraising tactics for each.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to know which donors not to
focus very much time and money on and which ones
are going to become long-lasting relationships and
really spend on?” she says.
Sources: Amanda Jarman, Principal, Fundraising Nerd,
Portland, OR. Phone (503) 703-1630. E-mail: amanda@
fundraisingnerd.com. Website: http://fundraisingnerd.com
Roberta O’Hara, Senior Director of Donor Relations, Rutgers
University Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ. Phone (732)
932-8514, ext. 6000. E-mail: rohara@winants.rutgers.edu.
Website: www.support.rutgers.edu
DONOR RELATIONS

4. 4 THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM DOI: 10.1002/MGR
SOLICITATION PROCEDURES
Practice Making the Blended Ask
To increase donations, get everyone — those in annual giving, major gifts and
planned giving — to work together as a team to make a blended ask, advises
Shannon Woodward, executive director of development, office of gift planning at
Tulane University (New Orleans, LA).
Competition among these offices can lead to turf wars and information
hoarding, Woodward notes. “You have to figure out how to tear down the walls and
tear down the silos so you can all work together. We don’t look at gift planning as a
separate entity anymore.”
Three years ago Tulane embarked on a team approach, starting with managers
and then working with frontline fundraisers and gift planning officers. A
relationship manager headed each team and added members based on who could
work best with the donor. To encourage everyone to work as a team, every member
received credit for gifts.
Intensive cross-training helps major gift officers become conversant with gift
planning terms and gift planning officers learn about concepts such as cultivation
and pipelines. This helps everyone understand the big picture and work as a team on
three-part asks: for an annual gift, an endowment gift and a planned gift. This
blended approach has teams work with donors long term to show how a blended
gift can benefit them and their families personally while achieving their
philanthropic goals.
Tulane also created a website that serves as “a toolbox of incentives” officers
can use for solicitations. The site provides information on planned giving concepts
ranging from basic explanations of planned giving vehicles for donors to technical
tax citations for their advisors. Tulane’s officers can show donors examples on their
iPhones while meeting with them, and donors can e-mail examples to family and
advisors for feedback.
The university also developed simplified marketing materials that frontline
fundraisers bring with them to help donors understand the potential tax and other
benefits of planned giving vehicles for gifts such as appreciated stock or IRAs, helping
to change the operation “from a reactive shop to a proactive shop,” Woodward says.
Year-to-date April figures for blended gifts — captured bequest intentions over
$25,000, planned gifts with major gift asks and annual fund asks with realized
bequests — increased from $19.5 million in 2014 to $20.3 million in 2015, according
to Woodward.
Source: Shannon Woodward, Executive Director of Development, Office of Gift Planning, Tulane
University, New Orleans, LA. Phone (504) 314-7272. E-mail: Shannon.woodward@tulane.edu.
Website: http://giving.tulane.edu/s/1586/Giving/index.aspx?sid=1586&gid=2&pgid=844
PROSPECT IDENTIFICATION
Encourage Current Donors to Help Identify Prospects
Current donors are among your best sources for identifying — even cultivating —
new major gift prospects. That’s why you should exploit every means possible to
help them do that, including:
1. Asking donors, immediately following their own gifts, who might be capable of
making a similar gift.
2. Periodically asking board members to share the names of five or more
individuals or businesses capable of making five-figure or above gifts.
3. Inviting corporate decision makers to share the names of colleagues or other
business associates — even vendors — with whom they have a relationship.
4. Sending a mailing to a targeted group of donors specifically asking for referrals.
5. Approaching select donors to host a dinner or reception on behalf of your
organization for friends who may be major gift candidates.
6. Asking all employee contributors to share names of would-be donors.
Select Rating/Screening
Methods That Work Best
As you work with willing individuals to
rate and screen potential donors, select a
rating and screening method, from
among those listed here, that you believe
will produce the best results.
One-on-one screening — In this instance,
the development officer meets one-on-
one with individuals to get their
impressions regarding prospects’ ability
to make a major gift. The individual
being questioned may feel more at ease
in sharing perceptions in this setting.
Open screening — A group of
participants are invited to a session in
which they openly but confidentially
discuss a list of prospects’ capability and
proclivity to make a major gift.
Closed screening — Again, participants
are invited to a prospect rating and
screening session; however, instead of
discussing names, they individually
complete a questionnaire regarding their
perceptions of prospects’ gift capability
and inclination to give. No open
discussion takes place.
Special interest screening — Rating and
screening participants are invited based
on particular criteria — their profession,
their community or region of residence
and their affiliation with the charity
such as being a board member or
employee. These sessions may be
conducted in an open or closed format.
Make the Most
Of a Corporate Gift
About to receive a corporate gift? Before
popping the final question, consider
including this caveat: “Would it be
possible to set up your corporate gift as
a challenge that will match all of your
employees’, board members’ and
vendors’ gifts to our campaign?”
Options for Bequest Donors
Do you know of donors who intend to
make a bequest to your charity?
Consider suggesting a gift annuity to
these individuals. By moving up the start
date, they gain both current income tax
savings and a favorably taxed lifetime
income.

5. DOI: 10.1002/MGR VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 5
GIFT AND ESTATE PLANNING
Non-Tax Issues for Gift Planning
By Thomas Schroeder
When a donor decides to make a planned gift to a charity from
his or her assets or estate, many non-tax issues must be
considered that will impact the relationship between the donor
and the institution.
“Understanding and advising donors on tax-related issues
is of course important, but of much greater import is the
relationship building and cultivation of donors and prospective
donors,” says Kristine Nelson Howland, director of planned
giving at Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas). “The goal for
any nonprofit organization should be to build a lasting
relationship with a donor in order to secure the best and last
gift.”
Howland describes the meaning of the best and last gift:
institution from the donor.
financial stability and success of the charity and also to
provide benefit to the people served.
“It is crucial for nonprofit leaders to remember the cost to
acquire a new planned gift donor is often 20 to 30 cents on the
dollar, but the cost to retain an existing planned gift donor is
just 5 cents on the dollar, quite a difference,” says Howland.
Cultivating a productive and long-term relationship with
donors, according to Howland, is a multistep process that
involves a personal and honest approach:
1. Cultivation begins with personal visits (several over the
course of many weeks) to establish a connection with the
prospective donor and understand his or her values and
priorities.
2. Follow-up telephone calls, letters and cards are meaningful
to the donor, not just for obvious events like birthdays but
also when children or grandchildren visit or are publicly
recognized for their milestones and at times of sorrow such
as the loss of a family member or friend.
3. The charity must be kept forefront in a donor’s set of
financial and value-based priorities; this can be done by
sharing the organization’s purpose and mission — and both
the good and bad news — through e-mails, newsletters,
visits and Web-based communication.
4. Donors must be asked for advice and considered insiders in
order to help them truly feel a part of a noble cause. Share
all of the charity’s financial results, including status of the
operating budget, spending policies and endowment
investment information.
5. In addition to stewarding a strong and personal relationship
with the donor’s children and family, it is essential to build
credibility with the donor’s financial and legal advisors.
Source: Kristine Nelson Howland, Director of Planned Giving and
Interim Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development,
Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Phone (210) 999-7697.
E-mail: khowland@trinity.edu. Website: www.trinity.edu
Establish Guidelines for Naming Gifts
Naming gifts provide the opportunity for nonprofits to
appropriately recognize their most generous donors,
distinguished community leaders and founders.
“A naming gift must be accomplished with great care
and extreme sensitivity to the needs and goals of both
the donor and the institution,” says Duff Ridgeway,
executive director of development for the University of
Iowa Foundation (Iowa City, Iowa). The University of
Iowa has developed an exceptional document to guide
the process of establishing naming rights throughout the
university. (See http://president.uiowa.edu/files/president.
uiowa.edu/files/NGRGuidelinesoftheUIandUIF.pdf.)
The recognition through naming rights may involve
many options and possibilities, according to Ridgeway,
including:
funds that benefit students, faculty, research or
program initiatives.
positions, scholarships, buildings, facilities or
programs.
“It’s vital that an institution develop guidelines
related to naming rights in order to provide appropriate
rationale for recognizing a donor, and also to promote
consistency in naming procedures to ensure the gift will
be sufficient to fully support the desired purposes,” says
Ridgeway.
Some of the major tenets of the guidelines for
naming gifts at the University of Iowa include:
1. A gift recognized with the naming of a college,
school, center, institute, laboratory or major
academic program should be one that fundamentally
changes the program in positive and significant ways.
2. The gift should always be large enough to
substantially and measurably lift a program to a new
level and standard of excellence.
“The naming of a facility or program is not
something that is done lightly,” says Ridgeway. “It is
reserved for distinguished and honorable contributions
to the university, our community, state, nation or the
academic world in a specific field of study.”
According to Ridgeway, those eligible for naming
rights at the university include alumni with close ties to
the institution, distinguished citizens, persons who have
made an outstanding contribution to a field of study or
discipline, donors who have made a significant
contribution and notable former employees (no earlier
than two years following the end of employment or
upon death).
Source: Duff Ridgeway, Executive Director of Development,
University of Iowa Foundation, Iowa City, Iowa.
Phone (319) 467-3486. E-mail: duffridgeway@uiowa.edu.
Website: www.uifoundation.org
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

6. 6 THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM DOI: 10.1002/MGR
POST-CAMPAIGN ACTIONS
Is a Post-Campaign Assessment Really Necessary?
All nonprofit fundraising campaigns demand endless time, energy and
effort from staff members and volunteers, and campaigns often leave
all involved exhausted and ready to return to more normal routines.
But the attention paid to a post-campaign assessment is necessary to
build long-term financial viability and success.
“The mindset of nonprofit development staff members, and
especially volunteers, who are involved in a stress-filled and lengthy
fundraising campaign is to ‘pack up the tents’ and retreat back into
their regular habits and schedules,” says Gene Brandt, senior partner
with Ter Molen, Watkins and Brandt, LLC, a fundraising consultancy
in Chicago. “But in today’s competitive fundraising environment,
analysis and afterthought are required to learn from the campaign and
create a long-term impact.”
According to Brandt, a post-campaign assessment will accomplish
the following:
terms of monetary goals and recruitment and securement of donors
for the campaign — both longtime supporters and new donors.
should focus on to keep them engaged and involved and the most
effective strategies to do so.
members, volunteers, donors and community leaders — to
ascertain next steps.
capitalize on the successes of the campaign and maximize
productivity in future months and years.
volunteer involvement.
“By engaging the services of an outside consultant, the nonprofit
institution will be provided a very detailed and comprehensive report
from an objective perspective with findings, observations and
recommendations, along with a strategic step-by-step action plan,”
says Brandt.
The post-campaign assessment and action plan will also transition
the nonprofit organization into the next phase of fundraising activity,
according to Brandt, by:
1. Encouraging staff, board members and key volunteers to recognize
how best to capitalize on the campaign’s financial commitments
and cultivate relationships with donors and community leaders.
2. Allowing the staff members and key campaign volunteers to
steward the continued engagement of both individual and
corporate donors.
3. Extending the fundraising effort to uncover new and untapped
sources of philanthropic income for the organization.
“The time frame associated with a post-campaign assessment
varies based on the circumstances of each organization,” says Brandt.
“But eight to 10 weeks is ample time in most situations to analyze the
data, conduct interviews and create an effective action plan for
continued success.”
Source: Gene S. Brandt, Senior Partner, Ter Molen, Watkins and Brandt, LLC,
Chicago, IL. Phone (312) 222-0560. E-mail: gbrandt@twbfundraising.com.
Website: www.twbfundraising.com
When the Donor
Holds Stock Certificates
What if a donor chooses to make a gift of stock,
transferring certificates held by him or her? Do
you have a clear procedure in place for those
occasions?
Equities owned by individuals are generally
held by a bank, a broker or the individual making
the gift. When the individual holds the stock
certificate, ask that it be sent to you by certified
mail if it cannot be conveyed in person, along
with a completed stock power form (see the
example below) and a note indicating how the gift
is to be used.
Also, if the stock is registered in more than
one name, each person must sign the stock power
form, signing their names as they appear on the
stock certificate(s).
The charity can then guarantee the signature
when the stock certificate is being sent.
Irrevocable Stock or Bond Power
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned does
(do) hereby sell, assign and transfer to:
— Gifts of Stock, Complete this Portion —
shares of
represented by Certificate(s) No.(s)
inclusive, standing in the name of the undersigned
on the books of said Company.
— Gifts of Bonds, Complete this Portion —
bonds of
in the principal amount of $ ,
No.(s) inclusive, standing in
the name of the undersigned on the book of said
Company.
The undersigned does (do) hereby irrevocably
constitute and appoint
attorney to transfer the said stock or bond(s), as
the case may be, on the books of said Company,
with full power of substitution in the premises.
Date:
Person(s) executing this power sign here
SIGNATURE GUARANTEED
GIFTS OF STOCK

7. DOI: 10.1002/MGR VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 7
VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP
Who Heads Up a Top Committee Matters
The thought and planning that goes into the recruitment
and selection of key volunteers to serve as members of the
executive leadership committee for a major campaign can
be critical to a campaign’s success. Here Susan McSherry,
vice president of development for the Baylor Health Care
System Foundation (Dallas, Texas), offers valuable insight
and perspective on this issue.
How important is it to develop a process to recruit and select
the executive committee for a fundraising campaign?
“Finding the right people to serve on the executive
committee in key leadership roles is not only important —
it is the difference maker. The executive committee
members will drive the campaign, identify donors and
potential donors, guide the planning and execution and
provide valuable energy and personal perspective.”
What is involved in the selection process?
“In our case, the foundation’s board chair and other
leaders met with key staff members to brainstorm and
plan. We were interested in identifying people with strong
corporate ties, people who care about our cause, people
capable of making significant gifts to the campaign, people
with outstanding community involvement and connections
and people who would do the work and put in the time
needed for the effort to be successful. We put together a
rating system and prioritized the individuals to determine
an order in which they would be recruited.”
How were the committee members recruited, and how did
you go about getting them to serve?
“I think it is important to start with the individual you
have in mind to chair the committee, and the recruitment
involves a face-to-face meeting with a member of the
board who has a personal or professional relationship with
that person. It is much easier to get volunteers to serve
when they are approached and asked by friends or
colleagues. Once one or two of the top prospects have been
successfully recruited, it becomes a snowball effect with
key leadership volunteers recruiting other volunteers.”
What are some of the other critical elements involved in
putting together the executive committee?
“In any fundraising initiative, it is vital for leadership
volunteers to also be donors. Some of the committed and
hard-working members may make small gifts of a few
hundred dollars, and others may be major donors to the
campaign. In every campaign, there will be a lull or slow
period, and gifts from the executive committee can create
new momentum and inspire increased giving. Also,
leadership giving from the volunteers sends a strong
message to the community and corporate partners about
the commitment level of the organization.”
Source: Susan McSherry, Vice President of Development, Baylor
Health Care System Foundation, Dallas, Texas.
Phone (214) 820-3136. E-mail: susan.mcsherry@baylorhealth.edu.
Website: www.baylorhealth.edu
Keep Expanding Your Research Knowledge
Although the Internet has made prospect research easier and
readily available to even small nonprofits, good prospect
research takes more than just a simple Web search, says
Kathleen Foley, principal, Foley Prospecting Solutions
(Northfield, MN).
“I’ve come across some not-so-small nonprofits where
the fundraisers say, ‘We don’t need to do prospect research.
We just Google the person,’” Foley says. “There’s so much
more to prospect research than that. It’s something people
need to be trained to do.”
Fundraisers should understand the basics of prospect
research, Foley says. Some information — such as home
values and insider stock ownership — are freely obtainable
online, and simply knowing the value of prospects’ homes
can be an effective way to extrapolate to estimates of total
assets and giving capacity.
More detailed information has to be purchased from
vendors, but access to these specialized databases can be
inexpensive. Foley recently paid just over a dollar per name to
run a client’s list of 1,447 names through a database, for
instance, to sift out 25 top prospects.
“Good prospect research is worth every penny you
spend,” she says, “because you can find that one gift from
someone in your donor base that’s been giving $5 or hasn’t
given in a number of years, and you find they have a much
larger capacity than you knew about.”
Besides putting prospects in buckets based on their
estimated giving capacity, good prospect research also helps
identify business and social connections, networks and family
situations.
Foley offers three tips regarding prospect research for
fundraisers:
1. “Focus on what you need to know — not what’s
interesting. Don’t over-research.” That saves time, and
“what you need to know for identifying, cultivating and
soliciting a prospect will differ,” she adds.
2. Find websites that offer multiple links to helpful sources,
such as the Association of Professional Researchers for
Advancement (www.aprahome.org/p/cm/ld/fid=99).
3. Although fundraisers can do basic prospect research, if
pressed for time, consider using a specialized prospect
researcher on a limited-term, contractual basis, working
with a consultant or getting help from an intern.
“Doing research either with a specialist or by the
fundraisers themselves is well worth the investment you
spend,” Foley says, “because not all prospects are created
equal. The more we can focus on the best prospects, the more
we can focus on being good stewards of the limited resources
our donors have entrusted to us to do what our organizations
set out to do.”
Source: Kathleen Foley, Principal, Foley Prospecting Solutions,
Northfield, MN. Phone (952) 905-9923.
E-mail: kathleen@foleyprospecting.com.
Website: http://foleyprospecting.com
PROSPECT PRIMER

8. 8 THE MAJOR GIFTS REPORT © 2015 VIEW THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE AT WILEYONLINELIBRARY.COM DOI: 10.1002/MGR
SOLICITATION RESOURCES
Make Use of the Solicitation Profile
When nonprofit institutions are planning a campaign — whether a capital
campaign, an annual gift drive or an endowment-only effort — it’s vital to identify
the best prospects both within and outside of the current donor base.
“To prepare a nonprofit organization’s leadership to cultivate prospects and
devise effective solicitation strategies, a very effective tactic involves the use of
solicitation profiles of donors and prospective donors,” says Jennifer Filla, president
and founder of Aspire Research Group (Seminole, FL). “A carefully crafted
solicitation profile will go a long way in qualifying a prospect, determining the
amount to be solicited from the prospect and developing the most effective strategy
in order to make the perfect ask.”
Filla says a well-structured solicitation profile will consist of the following:
1. Capacity ratings of the donor and the donor’s family, based on wealth indicators
and not necessarily an affinity for the nonprofit institution and its services. This
also includes a range and description of prospective major gifts, annual gifts
and planned giving.
2. Wealth statistics of the donor, which include the largest charitable gift given by
the donor or family, real estate valuation, income estimates, stockholdings and
other assets.
3. A narrative summary of the donor and family, which includes background
information on education, military service, career milestones, publications
authored, community activity, the geographic location of companies and
properties owned, religious affiliation, interests and hobbies, political affiliation
and other relevant information.
4. Applicable donor study findings, including a ranking of the donor based on
household net worth, comparable information of giving by donors with like
capacity and family profiles and research conducted on high-capacity donors by
philanthropic organizations or universities.
5. A philanthropic giving history of the donor and family, including the giving
range, gift type and recipient organization.
6. A more thorough occupational history of the donor, the donor’s spouse and other
key members of the donor’s family, including corporations they’ve been
employed by and companies affiliated with the donor and family; companies
founded by or owned by the donor; corporate and private assets; real estate
holdings, both corporate and private; and other wealth indicators.
7. A listing of sources used to prepare the solicitation profile, including social media
such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, Who’s Who publications, tax assessor
and incorporation databases, Google and foundation service engines.
“When a solicitation profile is carefully and thoroughly prepared, nonprofit
leaders will be much more comfortable in establishing a solicitation amount and
conducting the solicitation of both existing and prospective donors,” says Filla.
Source: Jennifer Filla, President and Founder, Aspire Research Group LLC, Seminole, FL.
Phone (727) 202-3405. E-mail: jen@aspireresearchgroup.com.
Website: www.aspireresearchgroup.com
GIFT POTENTIAL FORMULA
One Guideline for Setting the Ask Amount
While no one formula should be relied on solely, they can serve as a guide in
determining an appropriate ask amount. One such formula states:
A donor should be able to make a gift over a five-year period equal to 10
percent of his/her annual compensation. For example, if a married couple has a
combined income of $150,000 they should be able to make a $15,000 commitment
to be paid over five years ($3,000 per year).
Distinguish the Two Key
Types of Strategic Plans
A well-thought-out strategic plan serves
as the foundation for the capital
campaign that follows. The strategic
plan model you develop, however, may
impact the nature of your subsequent
campaign.
The key types of strategic plans are:
Goal-oriented. This is the most common
model with goal setting that addresses
an organization’s mission followed by
strategies, action plans and a timetable
of who does what and by what date.
Issues-based. An issues-based strategic
plan begins with an examination of key
issues facing an organization and results
in strategies and action plans that
address those key issues.
Regardless of the model your
organization uses, it’s critical that board
members and probable major gift
donors be involved — at least in some
capacity — in the planning process. By
engaging them early on, they will be
more likely to assume ownership in the
campaign that later evolves.
Simple Volunteer Tasks
Do you have volunteers who are willing
to help behind the scenes with major
gifts development?
Here are a few easy ways they can
support your efforts:
about donors and would-be donors.
from other nonprofits that list their
major donors.
major donor functions — sending
invitations, greeting, staffing the
registration table, cleaning up, etc.
and screening forms, etc.).
development officers.
potential prospects.
Visit www.wiley.com.