Looking Under the Rock. That’s Major Gifts

When you are in a familiar place – or with someone you know – or your holiday tradition – you are comfortable – right? And that’s good. We need habits, routines, and people in our lives we can count to be the same.

I’ll tell you true – someone is on my treadmill at the gym – throws me off. Now I can get past it pretty quickly, but it is comfortable. Perhaps you and a friend meet up at the same coffee shop, or Thursday is movie night.  Maybe Culvers for food after the swim meet. Check out Facebook or email about the same time.

It’s comfortable. It makes you feel connected. Safe even, and you look forward to the stability of the routine. These routines create habits you WANT!

You have your donor who you can count on to give $5000 every year, in September with the annual scholarship appeal letter.  We have whole systems working to build monthly donors, annual support we can count on.

Today I want you to consider how you might change this up to benefit your major giving success.

 

It’s about curiosity replacing comfort.

On our recent weekly coaching call, my client Heidi and I were talking about a donor who provides $5000 every summer for their Share the Dream Scholarship program…a larger gift for her small school. Often they add more at year-end.

Maybe you have a donor like that.

You know them. They know you.

The gift arrives.  You send a thank-you.

Maybe you have lunch.  Repeat.

Year after year

You’ve become so comfortable with the relationship that you stop asking new questions.

You’ve been tripping over the same rock.

 

Now in the middle of a $25M building campaign, I say a lot, “We will do this. We just need to look under more rocks!”  Heidi said, “I feel like I am tripping over the rock and not looking under it.”  Pure gold mindset shift!

 

 What Happens When You Stop Tripping Over the Rock?

Pick it up.

Instead of saying: “Thank you again.”

Say…

“I’ve always appreciated your support of scholarships. Can I ask…what is it about scholarships that first captured your heart?”

 

Or…

“As you think about the future of our school, are you excited about this new building or what excites you most?”

 

Or…

“If resources weren’t the issue, what would you love to see us accomplish?”

 

Those aren’t cultivation questions. Those are curiosity questions.

 

 

The greatest opportunity in major gifts is often hiding inside the relationships you think you already know.

From now on….before every donor visit ask yourself:

What rock have I been stepping over?

• Have I assumed I know what they care about?
• Have I only talked about one program?
• Have I never asked about legacy?
• Have I never explored family interests?
• Have I forgotten to dream with them?
• Have I limited the size of the conversation because of the size of last year’s gift?

Beautiful.

I am so often asked to help my clients find NEW donors.  Consider this:

The next transformational gift you REALLY need right now may not require finding a new donor. It may require seeing a familiar donor with fresh eyes.

So will you please…

Slow down. Get curious. And pick up a few rocks!

(and this just might also bring some new “riches” to your personal relationships too!)

 

Invest in Joy!™