Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are seven data insights that can help strengthen nonprofit organizations' major gifts programs.

• How can you communicate openly with nonprofit organizations that you support about major donations? What are the signs of a successful major gift program? 

• Read how major individual givers can best support nonprofits. 

There’s been much talk in the philanthropy world about major giving programs. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a steady trend point to a slowdown in giving at the annual level and an increasing reliance on a smaller pool of major donors. So, should nonprofits be worried? Not if you can get the most out of your major gifts program. We sat down with our Vice President of Client Strategy and resident major giving guru Kristin Priest for some insights.

If you are seeing these changes in giving behavior at your nonprofit, what are some steps you can take to get ahead of them? The following is what Kristin had to say about overcoming common barriers to success with major giving programs, how to identify rockstar major gift officers (MGOs), and how to leverage data to make your programs better.

Here are Kristin’s top tips for maximizing your major gift program:

  1. Think about the Infrastructure
  2. Implement the Right Tools
  3. Build a Major Gifts Band (Don’t Just Look for the Solo Artists)
  4. Remember Metrics Matter
  5. Understand Your Major Gifts Opportunity
  6. Understand the Major Donor Why
  7. Maximize YOUR Data

Read the full article about how data can help a major gifts program by Doug Cogswell at Pursuant.