If your nonprofit has ever fundraised for major or planned gifts, you likely know that developing donor relationships is essential for successfully securing these types of donations. Most donors are only willing to commit a significant amount of money to organizations where they feel valued as an integral part of furthering their missions. 

You may have also conducted prospect research to gather data that helped you identify potential high-impact donors. This information can provide useful insights for reaching out to and building relationships with prospects! 

In this guide, we’ll discuss some of the best strategies for incorporating prospect research into your efforts to cultivate donors. No matter what cause or campaign you’re fundraising for, these tips can help you make tailored donation requests, boost donor lifetime values, and increase supporters’ loyalty to your organization. Let’s get started!

According to 360MatchPro, nonprofits raise an average of $287 per monthly donor each year. When comparing that figure to the average annual revenue per one-time donor of $192, it’s clear that recurring donors can significantly boost your donation revenue. 

However, major and recurring donors don't just show up out of the blue (most of the time). The most successful nonprofits don’t just solicit donations and then forget about their donors. Instead, they build long-lasting relationships with donors through dedicated donor stewardship plans. 

In this guide, we’ll review three communication tips you can implement to improve your existing endowment and major donor stewardship strategy. As a result, you’ll fine-tune your approach and form even stronger bonds with your supporters.

Are hidden friction points in your donor journey causing you to lose valuable supporters? 

In today’s fast-paced world, people are constantly bombarded with distractions and have little patience for complicated processes. Any friction in your donor journey—whether it’s before, during, or after making a donation—could deter potential donors from completing their contributions, leading to missed opportunities for your nonprofit. 

That’s where donor journey optimization comes in. This strategy involves analyzing and improving each step of the donor's journey, from initial awareness to post-donation follow-up.

Why do 57% of donors decide not to donate after their first contribution?

As somebody who worked in fundraising, this statistic stopped me in my tracks.

I remember how hard it was to attract and convert new donors. All the time creating content, crafting appeals, developing relationships, going to lunches, presenting to new audiences - just for them to give once and then ghost your organization? It makes me cringe!

In the world of fundraising, it can be disheartening to see once-dedicated contributors slip away. But fear not, because there is hope! With the right strategies and a well-executed plan, you can transform those lost donors into enthusiastic advocates for your cause.

In this article, we will explore proven techniques for rekindling the relationship with lapsed donors and getting them back on board. From personalized communication to compelling storytelling, we will uncover the secrets to reignite their passion and commitment.

Do you struggle to stand out on Giving Tuesday?  
Are you worried about donor fatigue at year-end?  
Are limited resources and technology hurdles holding your campaign back? 

As the Nonprofit Development Specialist at Carnegie Investment Counsel, I often hear these concerns. So when NXUnite reached out to me to be a panelist on their webinar, "The Final Push: Preparing for Giving Tuesday," I jumped at the opportunity!  

It was a great event where we shared strategies, trends, and innovative approaches that can help set your Giving Tuesday efforts up for success. I was joined by some seasoned development professionals who have been around the Giving Tuesday block many times: Laurie Hochman, Marketing Director from Auctria, and Kel Haney, Senior Consultant at Donorly. Along with our moderator, Colleen Carol from Nexus Marketing, we shared insights and ideas you can adapt to fit your campaign, including: 

• Effective Giving Tuesday campaign strategies. 
• Tech and tools to support your Giving Tuesday efforts. 
• How to measure impact and success after the day. 

But don’t worry if you missed it. You can watch the recording here or read on. In this article, I’ll share our insights so you can be ready for Giving Tuesday! 

In our last post, we discussed what the great wealth transfer is and why your nonprofit should start preparing now. Here are five ways to prepare for the great wealth transfer so you can maximize your potential donations.

In the upcoming decades, older generations are expected to pass on the largest amount of wealth in history. This wealth will be left to younger generations, taxes and nonprofits, changing the landscape of philanthropy in more ways than one. If your nonprofit isn’t prepared for this shift in paradigm, you will find it more difficult to raise the funds you need. In this article, we discuss what the great wealth transfer is and why you should begin preparing now.

Last updated: February 6, 2026 with the most current data available.

Growing your nonprofit endowment is important for the long-term success of your organization. By providing sustainable funding, an endowment allows you to spend less time worrying about finances and more time accomplishing your mission.

Many organizations make the mistake of not utilizing their current fundraising campaigns to increase their nonprofit investment. Every special event, giving day, and year-end appeal should be used as a chance to increase the impact of your endowment.

Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to educate and inspire your donors. They need to know they have the opportunity to give a gift now that will live on into perpetuity. No need to do all the work of a special endowment campaign! Here are a few tactics you can use to leverage Giving Tuesday to promote your nonprofit endowment.

This article was originally published in June 2022 and has been updated in March 2026 to reflect current information.

You invest a lot of resources in acquiring new major donors: 

• Hosting events
• Implementing marketing campaigns and ads
• Spending immense amounts of time building relationships, meeting with donors, following up with them and engaging with them
• Creating and printing informative materials, such as brochures, website content, email nurture campaigns, success stories and so on
• Attending outreach events and community presentations

And the list goes on.

But once your hard work pays off and a person makes a donation, what happens next? Most organizations will send a form thank you letter on letterhead, or maybe a handwritten thank you card. However, once that thank you is sent, most organizations immediately direct their energy back on acquiring new donors. This results in the newly converted donor being left in the shadows, forgotten about and never engaged with again.

Your stewardship plan can consist of any engagement that fits your organization, donors and mission. Here are 12 ideas to add to your major donor stewardship plan.