4 ways to find major donors

One of the most common major-donor acquisition strategies: “Let’s get a meeting with that rich family in town. I’ve heard they donate a lot to local charities.”

Sounds like a smart move.

It probably isn’t.

Trying to make connections with random people who know are wealthy and you hope care about your cause rarely works. It’s a waste of time you could be spending much more profitably.

How? Here’s a guide from the Veritus Group Blog: Where Do I Find New Major Donor Prospects?

The first thing to keep in mind: The large majority of all major donors you’ll ever have are already donating to you. They just haven’t (yet) risen to the high level they’re capable of giving.

Random strangers? Not a good bet at all for giving to you ever, no matter how much you try to cultivate them.

So here’s how to build your major donor group:

1. Start with Who You Already Have. Look at donors at the high end of your general donors. They have already shown you they care enough to donate. Also look for those who have been giving for a few years. Or at those who give monthly. Not all of them have the capacity to give major gifts. But some do. You just haven’t approached them about it yet.
2. Ask Around and Do Some Homework. Find out what you can about your list of potential major donors. Ask staff, board members, anyone who might know them. Research them on Google, LinkedIn, and public records. Do a wealth screen. Learn everything you can about them so you can approach them with confidence, and be relevant to them.
3. Then You Can Look Outside. You may find you never need to take this step, because you are doing well enough with people who are already giving. But the way to reach prospective major donors who aren’t giving to you is to ask around: Ask your current major donors to introduce you to their friends or host a small event. Ask board members to open doors. Speak at local events where you can share your mission authentically. That’s how genuine relationships start.
4. The Often-Overlooked Secret: Mid-Level Donors. People who are giving below your category of major donors, but above the general donors are a very important prospect pool. They are already connected. But maybe you’ve given them the kind of personal attention that could inspire them to give more.