8 Major Gift Fundraising Best Practices to Engage and Retain Major Donors

The benefits of major gift fundraising

Major gift fundraising focuses on securing large contributions from a relatively small group of committed donors who often generate the majority of your organization’s fundraising revenue. These high-impact gifts typically support strategic priorities like capital projects, new programs, or multi-year initiatives.

Unlike broad-based appeals, major gift fundraising is relationship-driven. It requires research, personalized outreach, and sustained stewardship to build long-term partnerships that fuel growth and sustainability.

“One major gift can be the difference between a nonprofit meeting its goal and that same organization coming up short. Successful nonprofits understand this fact and know the significance of running a top-tier program.” — DonorSearch Major Gift Officer Survival Guide 

Common misconceptions about major gift fundraising

Major gift fundraising can feel intimidating, but it’s more approachable than many people realize. Let’s clear up a few common myths:

1. “We’re too small an organization to raise major gifts.”
   Even grassroots organizations can identify high-capacity supporters who care deeply about their mission. A major gift fundraising program can grow over time!

2. “If someone wants to make a large donation, they’ll come to us.”
   Major donors almost always need to be cultivated. Relationship-building is key to securing larger gifts.

3. “We don’t have the staff to add a major gift program.”
   Even without a dedicated staff member, you can start by assigning internal ownership and gradually building your program with tools that simplify outreach and tracking.

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s explore the 8 essential best practices that can help you build or grow your major gift fundraising program.

Prepare to fundraise

1. Perform major gift prospect screening

Major gift fundraising starts with knowing your audience—and that means identifying your most promising prospects.

Prospect screening helps you uncover donors with both the capacity and inclination to give at a high level. By analyzing data like giving history, philanthropic activity, business affiliations, real estate holdings, political contributions, and more, you can zero in on those most likely to invest significantly in your mission.

This is especially critical now, as donor acquisition costs rise and competition for attention intensifies. Incorporating data-driven prospecting into your nonprofit development plan ensures your team spends time cultivating relationships with the right individuals—those who not only qualify as major donors but also show signs of readiness to give. Screenings can reveal valuable engagement signals like past donations, event attendance, and volunteer involvement, helping you prioritize outreach to supporters who are most likely to say yes.

Pro tip: Conduct prospect screenings throughout the year to keep your portfolios current and aligned with your major donor goals.

For example, you can identify top major donor prospects instantly through wealth screening and predictive analytics using the DonorPerfect integration with DonorSearch.

2. Hire a major gift officer to lead your program

A dedicated staff member, such as a major gifts officer, can help you take your fundraising to the next level, but it’s also possible to build momentum by appointing an internal lead and providing training.

Even if your team is small, someone needs clear ownership of the major gifts pipeline—from identification and cultivation to solicitation and stewardship.

When hiring a fundraiser, prioritize:

• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Experience managing donor pipelines or the ability to help guide the process
• A strategic mindset, with the ability to interpret and analyze donor data

The return on this investment can be substantial. A strong major gifts officer may raise their salary or more within the first year, and over time—with the right support and donor base—may generate five to ten times their salary in revenue.

Pro tip: Can’t hire right away? Appoint a lead gift officer internally and provide training. It’s better to build momentum now than wait for a perfect hire. 

For example, DonorPerfect allows you to assign and track major gift portfolios with visual dashboards and donor journey mapping tools.

Engage donors intentionally

3. Build a major gift society to engage major donors

A major gift society is a donor recognition tool and a powerful driver of donor retention and upgraded giving.

By establishing a defined threshold (e.g., $10,000+) and offering tiered benefits like exclusive program updates, early access to impact reports, or VIP event invitations, you give donors a reason to stay engaged and potentially upgrade their giving.

Repeat donors often show a stronger commitment to your mission, and over time, they’re more likely to make transformational gifts that support lasting impact. A giving society not only increases loyalty but also improves your stewardship efficiency and supports long-term major donor engagement.

Pro tip: Include your giving society in your annual fundraising plan—build intentional moments of celebration and engagement throughout the year. Think exclusive updates, personalized recognition, or small-group events that reinforce donor impact and deepen connections.

For example, you can use custom donor groups in DonorPerfect to build tiered giving societies with personalized communications and reports, especially for sharing impact and expressing gratitude throughout the year.

4. Engage your board to support major gift fundraising

Your board of directors can be a powerful asset in your major gifts fundraising strategy—if you engage them effectively. Start by educating the board on the return on investment (ROI) of major giving, using real data projections from your donor base. Then ask them to lead by example with a personal major gift. This demonstrates confidence in your organization and sets the tone for other donors.

Next, leverage board member networks. Warm introductions, or joining you on solicitation visits with those they know, dramatically increase your success rate in major donor cultivation.

Pro tip: Host a board workshop focused on major donor storytelling and referral techniques. Empower board members with the language and confidence to champion your mission.

Nonprofits use DonorPerfect’s intuitive features to track board giving, manage key relationships, and identify board connections to potential major donors.

5. Use donor events to strengthen major gift fundraising

While not all major giving happens at events, thoughtful gatherings play an essential role in deepening donor relationships. Events like luncheons, intimate house gatherings, auctions, behind-the-scenes tours, and impact briefings offer donors:

• Direct access to leadership
• Stories of success and impact
• A sense of shared purpose and belonging

They also offer your team the chance to build trust in low-pressure environments, while acknowledging donors’ contributions. Are you looking for practical ways to make the most out of attending events? Check out these 6 Tips for Nonprofit Event Networking.  

Pro tip: Mix cultivation and stewardship within your event calendar. Not every gathering should include a solicitation! You can manage RSVPs, segment invitations, and follow up with ease using DonorPerfect’s built-in event tools.

6. Use volunteering opportunities to engage major donors

Donors give more when they feel connected, and volunteering offers a powerful way to build that bond. Whether it’s a site visit, campaign planning task force, or strategic committee, volunteering creates shared experience and emotional investment in your mission. It’s also an opportunity for donors to see your work up close, building trust in your operations.

Pro tip: Curate volunteer experiences that align with donor interests and skill sets. High-capacity donors often want to offer more than just money—they want meaningful involvement. For capital campaigns or feasibility studies, engaging top donors early as volunteer advisors can significantly increase participation and giving levels.

For example, you can build custom volunteer experiences and manage your volunteers with ease in DonorPerfect to deepen donor engagement and track involvement across channels.

Maximize growth with data

7. Track performance metrics for major gift fundraising

To grow a successful major gifts fundraising program, set up key metrics to measure progress, monitor what’s working, and identify areas for improvement. 

Focus on metrics that reflect both the health of your donor pipeline and your overall fundraising outcomes, such as:

• Asks made – The number of formal, personalized solicitations presented to major donor prospects
• Major gifts secured – The number of major gifts committed as a result of your cultivation and solicitation efforts
• Average major gift size – The average dollar amount of all major gifts received in a given period
• Major donor retention rate – The percentage of major donors who give again within a 12-month or fiscal year period
• Major gift timeline – The average amount of time it takes to move a prospect from initial cultivation to a secured major gift

Use this data to adjust strategies based on progress towards goals, coach team members, and communicate results to stakeholders.

Pro tip: Benchmark your results annually, and share topline results with your board and top donors. Transparency builds trust and helps tell the story of your fundraising progress.

Are you looking for more information on tracking key fundraising metrics? Check out our blog: How to Track Donor Data & Nonprofit Analytics Using a Fundraising Dashboard.

8. Show donors the impact of their giving

Major donors want to know their gifts are making a difference, and specifics matter. Major donors are impact-oriented. They want to understand what their gifts fund and what change they create. That’s why it’s essential to communicate the ROI that their gift delivers in clear, specific terms.

Generic thank-you messages aren’t enough. Use what you know about a donor’s values and interests to tailor your messaging. For example, if a donor is passionate about education equity, don’t just say their gift supported students—show how it helped 200 students access laptops, participate in online classes, and improve academic outcomes.

The more specific you are, the more meaningful the gift becomes, and the more likely the donor is to stay engaged and increase their support over time. Fundraising systems like DonorPerfect allow you to use custom reporting tools to share impact updates and ROI by donor, project, or fund.

Tips to prepare for a major gift solicitation

When you’re ready to make a major gift solicitation, preparation is everything. A clear, confident presentation builds trust and helps donors see the direct impact of their investment.

Before your solicitation meeting, make sure you can communicate:

• How much funding the project needs – Provide a specific dollar amount in your proposal, and explain how it fits into the larger initiative.
• What the donation will fund – Outline the tangible components their gift would support (e.g., scholarships, equipment, staffing, space).
• What the expected outcome will be – Share the results you aim to achieve and why they matter, using real data or stories when possible.

Being transparent about your goals—and how the donor fits into them—creates a compelling case for support and sets the stage for a strong, long-term partnership.

Build the future of your mission through major gift fundraising

The most successful major gifts programs build lifelong partnerships rooted in trust, alignment, and shared vision. It takes time, discipline, and strategy to grow a transformational giving program as part of your broader nonprofit development efforts. But with these best practices in place—and the right fundraising tools to support them—you’ll be well on your way to securing the long-term funding your mission needs to thrive.

Want to grow your major gift program with expert tools and support? DonorPerfect’s integrated tools and expert support can help you identify, cultivate, and retain major donors more effectively. Learn more about DonorPerfect fundraising software today.