Resource 8: Connection

The Collaborative Approach to Major Gift Work  ·  Resource 8 of 11 Connection — Bringing Values to Life Through the Institution
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 a program.

The Five Paths in This Phase

Relator
Wisdom:Strong at building relationships — the foundation of Connection
Watch for:May hesitate to involve others for fear of disrupting the personal bond. Your relationship is the foundation, not the ceiling.
Warrior
Wisdom:Decisive — will identify and pursue the portal efficiently
Watch for:May go it alone rather than involving campus partners. The best Connection moments usually involve someone else.
Visionary
Wisdom:Strong at seeing connections others miss — can identify portals quickly
Watch for:May move too quickly before the donor is ready. Wait for the donor — the connection has to land emotionally, not just make logical sense.
Critical Thinker
Wisdom:May identify the right portal through thorough research
Watch for:Can make the process feel too structured. Trust the organic process — you don’t need it all figured out before the introduction.
The Scenario — Marcus and Dr. Chen

Two approaches. One donor.

Marcus is an alum whose Interest phase revealed that access, potential, and mentorship are his core values. His MGO has two options for the next meeting.

Option A — Presentation
The MGO prepares a deck showing the institution’s access initiatives — scholarship stats, first-gen support, mentorship numbers. She presents it to Marcus at a coffee meeting.
Result: Marcus is polite. He says he’ll think about it.
Option B — Introduction
The MGO arranges lunch with Dr. Chen, who runs a first-gen mentorship program. Marcus hears directly from Dr. Chen — and meets a student who reminds him of himself at that age.
Result: Marcus asks how he can get more involved. He emails the next day.
What makes the difference
Option A tells Marcus about the institution’s work. Option B puts Marcus inside it. Connection isn’t information transfer — it’s an experiential moment where the donor feels what their giving could make possible. The presenter is an institution. The connector is a partner.
Your portfolio

Design a Connection moment

Think of a donor in your portfolio where you’ve completed the Interest phase. You know their top values. Now design their Connection experience.

Donor (initials or name)
Capture the donor’s initials or name in your own notes.
Their top 2–3 values (from your Interest work)
Capture your answer in your own notes — be specific: not ‘student success’ but ‘mentorship for first-generation students.’
The portal of purpose — where do their values become visible in this institution?
Capture your answer in your own notes — name a specific program, initiative, or person, not a general area.
The right internal partner — who should this donor meet?
Capture your answer in your own notes — someone whose work directly embodies what the donor cares about, not someone who is just good at talking to donors.
The Connection experience — how would you design it?
Capture your answer in your own notes — lunch, campus visit, small gathering? Consider this donor’s Five Paths profile.
Resource 8 complete
You’ve designed a Connection moment for a real donor. When you’re ready, use this as your plan for the next step in that relationship.
PreviousInterest NextPartnership