Volunteer and Staff Roles in Major Gifts Fundraising
Knowledge Topics
Fundraising & Development
Date
Catalyzing Resources
Successful major gifts fundraising is a partnership between staff and volunteers. The following role descriptions in major gifts fundraising are typical in schools of all ages and stages.
Volunteers
- Review lists of prospects; identify and rate potential donors
- Open doors to prospects with a call or letter
- Accompany staff or other volunteers to meetings
- Take part in the meetings by sharing passion, making the case or making the ask
- Follow up with prospect to close the gift if needed
- Thank donors with personal call or letter
- Participate in recognition events
- Make a personally meaningful, “stretch” gift!
Staff Members
- Prepare lists of prospects for review by volunteers
- Track prospect names, information, and ratings
- Prepare or present prospect research to volunteers
- Make qualifying calls on prospects to determine interest level
- Prepare volunteers and/or Head of School for meetings
- Accompany volunteers and/or Head of School on meetings
- Make calls alone on prospects as appropriate to ask for gifts
- Prepare proposals, letters, and documents needed for solicitation
- Keep lines of communication open with prospect
- Follow up to close gift as needed
- Oversee gift receipt, accounting, and acknowledgement processes
- Thank donor personally, by phone or letter
- Thank volunteer personally
- Implement recognition and stewardship plans
Volunteers and Staff Together
- Prioritize prospects based on capacity and readiness
- Assign dollar level for the solicitation (rating)
- Select team members to call on prospects
- Prepare for meetings by assigning role to each team member
- Conduct calls on prospects
- Agree on follow-up action to close gift
- Communicate any additional contacts with prospects
- Assess results, review roles, adjust as needed
Credit: Julie Ingraham Walker, Major Gifts, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2006.
Prizmah acknowledges Collins Group: a division of Campbell & Company in the development of the material above.