| Major donors can provide your nonprofit organization | | | | see if any of your donors show up in their major |
| with a tremendous source of support. By giving a | | | | donor lists. It'll give you a good sense of how much |
| major gift, a donor is physically demonstrating their | | | | your donors are giving to other charities. |
| commitment to your organization. Many large givers | | | | 4. Run your entire donor list through a |
| support their favorite organizations in other ways | | | | wealth-screening service to see which of your |
| too, like becoming an ambassador for the charity, | | | | lower-dollar donors have the potential of giving much |
| securing corporate and foundation gifts, and | | | | more than they currently are. These services can run |
| sometimes sitting on the Board. | | | | a lot of names or just a few hundred and prices |
| How do you find your next major donor? Here are | | | | range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. |
| some ideas for identifying them: | | | | 5. Show your Board of Directors a list of your |
| 1. Watch for people who self-identify. They'll send | | | | current donors and ask if anyone knows any of your |
| you a large gift in response to a direct mail appeal, or | | | | donors. You may get some really beneficial |
| even better, they'll send it out of the blue. They're | | | | information about your donors that you don't know. |
| saying with their donation that they love your | | | | Remember that these donors are people who care |
| organization and they're prime for cultivation! | | | | about your cause. They are not ATM machines that |
| 2. Pay attention to the checks donors give you. | | | | you can go to whenever you need money. Treat |
| Sometimes you'll see a check that's written out of a | | | | them with respect and kindness, keeping them and |
| Trust or a special giving account. This can be an | | | | their interests in mind as you work to build a |
| indication of the donor's capacity to give. | | | | relationship. The benefits will be priceless! |
| 3. Read the annual reports of other organizations to | | | | |