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👋 Welcome, Major Gift Officers

You are the relationship builders, the storytellers, and the long-game players. While others may focus on scale, you focus on depth—learning what matters to each donor and helping them see the extraordinary difference their generosity can make. Your work can’t be rushed or automated. It takes patience, curiosity, and a genuine belief in partnership. You know your donors by name—and often by family, milestones, and mission moments. This guide is here to support you in that work: helping you organize your portfolio, plan thoughtful outreach, and keep momentum in every donor journey. Your job is personal. This guide is too. Let’s get started.

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💼 What You Do

As a Major Gift Officer, your work is personal, strategic, and relationship-driven. You’re not managing hundreds of anonymous names—you’re stewarding real people with the capacity and heart to make a transformative impact. You guide donors through meaningful, multi-step journeys—getting to know their values, aligning them with the mission, and asking at the right time and in the right way. Every meeting, note, and follow-up matters, because you’re building long-term trust and helping donors feel deeply connected to the work. You don’t need to send 1,000 emails a week—you need to make the right call to the right person at the right time. This guide is built to help you use Momentum to do just that.

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🎯 Core Goals & Responsibilities

You help drive revenue and relationships by:
  • Managing a focused portfolio of qualified donors.
    &#xNAN;Example: Working from a list of 75–150 donors with capacity and interest.
  • Creating and following individualized donor plans.
    &#xNAN;Example: Using a Marketing Impact Chart (MIC) to guide each donor’s journey.
  • Building relationships through intentional contact.
    &#xNAN;Example: Sending a handwritten note after a donor’s grandchild graduates.
  • Collaborating across teams for deeper engagement.
    &#xNAN;Example: Looping in your ED or program lead for a key cultivation meeting.

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📊 What Success Looks Like

You’re successful when:
  • Donors feel known, not just asked
  • You move prospects toward meaningful asks and renewals
  • You maintain and grow your portfolio’s value over time
Key Metrics to Track:
  • Total dollars raised
  • Proposal volume and close rate
  • Retention rate of top donors
  • % of portfolio with active Next Steps
  • Number of meaningful contacts per donor per year

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🛠 How to Use Momentum for Your Role

Here’s how to customize Momentum for one-to-one major gift work: Tags You Might Use:
  • Top 25
  • Proposal Pending
  • Board Member
  • Event Invite Sent
  • Family Connection
Segments to Build:
  • Unassigned prospects with $10k+ capacity
  • Donors with no contact in 90+ days
  • Upcoming proposal targets
  • Past givers, not yet renewed this year
Pinned Views to Save:
  • “My Portfolio – Active Plans”
  • “No Touch in 60 Days”
  • “Top Prospects by Capacity”
  • “Upcoming Asks – Next 30 Days”
Templates to Start With:
  • Meeting request tailored to a donor’s interest area
  • Personal thank-you note after a site visit
  • Update email referencing a donor’s recent gift or story

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🧬 Donor Style + Fundraiser Voice

You’re a trusted advisor. Donors look to you for insight, authenticity, and vision. You communicate with empathy and strategy—helping donors feel like insiders, not outsiders. Your communication style is:
  • Highly personalized
  • Context-aware (timing, relationship, readiness)
  • Narrative-rich and mission-aligned

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🗓 Relationship Calendar Ideas

Unlike mass campaigns, your calendar is driven by donor readiness and key moments. Suggested rhythm:
  • Quarterly: Touchpoint with every donor (meeting, call, handwritten note)
  • Semi-annually: Formal impact report or storytelling update
  • As needed: Invitations to events, key dates, or updates tied to their interest
  • Pre-ask: Personal cultivation plan leading to a proposal or meeting
Last modified on May 21, 2026