Comments on: Major Gifts or Middle Giving http://www.asmallchange.net/major-gifts-or-middle-giving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=major-gifts-or-middle-giving Making Sense of Fundraising Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:58:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leanne http://www.asmallchange.net/major-gifts-or-middle-giving/#comment-777 Leanne Sat, 01 May 2010 07:25:31 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=915#comment-777 I think this is brilliant, Jason. I'd love to see if you can get buy-in on this. I think this is brilliant, Jason. I’d love to see if you can get buy-in on this.

]]> By: David Hutchison http://www.asmallchange.net/major-gifts-or-middle-giving/#comment-776 David Hutchison Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:59:31 +0000 http://www.asmallchange.net/?p=915#comment-776 It's a fascinating question you are posing. If you were starting a fund raising initiative, I think your point holds. Someone new to the game will know far more people who can give smaller gifts. It perhaps reinforces the point that many groups looking to begin fundraising make the mistake of thinking that they should go after foundations and businesses, even though we all know the majority of giving is from individuals. They should get out there and start asking for those smaller gifts. But with an established charitable group the proportion changes. The number of donors we know we can look to for majors gifts will be higher than in this situation. The number giving smaller gifts will also be lower. Through running an annual fund and other programs, your donors self-select. You'll be more likely to know a number of donors capable of more sizeable gifts - in fact some of them would have once been considered on your $1000 list but surprised you with a larger gift - and you also will consider many folks as incapable of making even a small gift because of years of not responding to your appeals. It’s a fascinating question you are posing.

If you were starting a fund raising initiative, I think your point holds. Someone new to the game will know far more people who can give smaller gifts. It perhaps reinforces the point that many groups looking to begin fundraising make the mistake of thinking that they should go after foundations and businesses, even though we all know the majority of giving is from individuals. They should get out there and start asking for those smaller gifts.

But with an established charitable group the proportion changes. The number of donors we know we can look to for majors gifts will be higher than in this situation. The number giving smaller gifts will also be lower. Through running an annual fund and other programs, your donors self-select. You’ll be more likely to know a number of donors capable of more sizeable gifts – in fact some of them would have once been considered on your $1000 list but surprised you with a larger gift – and you also will consider many folks as incapable of making even a small gift because of years of not responding to your appeals.

]]>