Major Gifts
Along with campaigns, major gifts represent an essential method of fundraising for most institutions with more established development functions. The vast majority of large gifts to an institution come from individuals already in its donor database.
GG+A understands that successful major gifts programs rely on a number of factors, including genuine relationships among an institution, its leaders, and its donors and prospects; a compelling case for support; and a clear, simple answer to the question, “What difference will my gift make?”
Best Practices for Major Gifts Programs
Large philanthropic gifts take time to cultivate and often evolve from small gifts to the Annual Fund. GG+A's philanthropic management consultants provide knowledgeable counsel on creating and implementing successful major gifts programs and integration with the overall fundraising enterprise. We can assist you with prospect identification, cultivation and solicitation; creating structures of engagement to involve prospects in greater depth in your institution’s mission and priorities; effective engagement of volunteers; the case for support; donor stewardship programs; and other strategies.
GG+A offers you extensive philanthropic management consulting experience in areas such as:
- Major gifts staff and volunteer development
- Interim program management
- Major gift portfolio analysis
Planned and Legacy Gifts
An important component of a successful major gifts program is a robust and sophisticated approach to encouraging planned gifts—those gifts that involve the use of appreciated assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate and other non-liquid assets. Planned gifts also include gifts by will or bequest that oftentimes represent the largest gift of an individual’s lifetime.
GG+A offers advice and counsel in developing and maintaining a program for planned and legacy giving. This includes a review of the "infrastructure" components of a program, including:
- Program marketing
- Collateral materials and newsletters
- Gift accounting for complicated asset transfers, including IRS requirements and restrictions
- Recognition and stewardship programs
- Use of volunteer and expert advisory boards
GG+A also will provide direction to enable your organization to effectively engage your supporters in complex gift conversations, raising their sights and increasing the impact they can have on your mission. Training and ongoing counsel is available for planned giving staff members.
