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The Collaborative Approach to Major Gift Work  ·  Resource 6 of 11 Awareness — Being Seen Before Being Solicited What awareness is›The Status Check›Reflect Practice the Framework — Resource 6 Awareness — Being Seen Before Being Solicited CDRF Phase 1  ·  Awareness What do you know about your donor as a whole person? Awareness is the foundation. It’s not about research — though research helps. It’s about genuine curiosity: what do you actually know about this donor? What’s missing? What would help you understand what they care about, not just what they can give? Donor outcome: The donor feels seen — recognized as a person, not a prospect.Institutional outcome: You understand this donor as a potential change-maker. What Awareness Requires An MGO in the Awareness phase is asking: What do I know about this donor’s history with the institution — and what might that mean to them? What do I know about who they are outside their giving record? What’s the story underneath the data I have? What would I need to know to show up as a genuine partner in this relationship? The Five Paths in This Phase Critical Thinker Wisdom:Thorough researcher — comes prepared with good questions Watch […]

The Collaborative Approach to Major Gift Work  ·  Resource 7 of 11 Interest — Unlocking Values to Find Shared Ground Field guide Facilitation guide Practice Practice the Framework — Resource 7 Interest — Unlocking Values to Find Shared Ground CDRF Phase 2  ·  Interest Where do our interests genuinely intersect? Awareness tells you what a donor has given. Interest tells you why — and why is the most useful thing you can know. The Interest phase is about the story underneath the label. Donor outcome: The donor feels their personal values are understood and honored.Institutional outcome: You uncover how their values connect to their desire to create a legacy. The Distinction That Matters “Environmental” means something different to every donor. “Student success” means something different to every donor. The label isn’t the value — it’s the door to the value. Your job is to understand what’s behind the door. You’re not trying to find out which initiative to pitch. You’re trying to understand what animates this particular human being — and what they’re hoping their giving will make possible in the world. The Five Paths in This Phase Relator Wisdom:Connects quickly — builds the comfort that makes this conversation possible […]

The Collaborative Approach to Major Gift Work  ·  Resource 8 of 11 Connection — Bringing Values to Life Through the Institution The concept›The scenario›Your portfolio Practice the Framework — Resource 8 Connection — Bringing Values to Life CDRF Phase 3  ·  Connection What are the portals of purpose that bring this donor’s values to life? Connection is where values meet mission — but it’s experiential, not theoretical. The donor needs to experience the connection between their values and the institution’s work. That experience happens through people, through stories, through being brought inside. Donor outcome: The donor feels energized by relationships that allow them to live out their values.Institutional outcome: You identify the specific portals of purpose where this donor’s passions connect to the institution. What a Portal of Purpose Is A portal of purpose is the intersection where a donor’s animating values and the institution’s work genuinely meet. It’s not an initiative you’re trying to fund — it’s the specific place in the institution’s life where this donor’s values become visible. Portals of purpose are discovered, not assigned. They emerge from the Interest phase and usually involve a person — a faculty member, a student, a researcher — not just […]