Encouraging Major Gifts

You might think of the initial meeting as a “first date.” Each is trying to find out about the other to determine if the relationship will go further.

When development directors meet with donors, they want to find out more about the donors’ life situations, interests and connections to the University.

They create a development plan of steps to advance a relationship, moving toward a point when it is time to ask for a gift.

Through conversations with potential donors, the development directors identify givers’ passions. They discover whether givers are interested in visiting campus, being invited to events, serving on a University board or meeting with faculty, staff and administrators.

Relationships are created through phone calls, letters, emails, visits, events and publications.