Major Gift Officer Development
The Collaborative Approach
to Major Gift Work
A field guide series for gift officers and their teams — built around the Collaborative Donor Relationships Framework and The Five Paths to Leadership®.
Start here
Begin with Resource 1 — a short video and sorting activity that frames the case for a relational approach to donor work.
1
Phase 1
Reframe
Why the traditional fundraising cycle is leaving MGOs and donors behind — and what a different approach looks like.
Resource 1Start here
The Case for a Different Approach
Video · Reflection · Sorting activity
Names the structural problem with transactional fundraising and introduces the premise that this work should be joyful.
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Resource 2
Introducing the Collaborative Donor Relationships Framework
Interactive explainer · Scenario · Matching activity
The five-phase framework through a scenario. Serves as a reference you return to throughout the series.
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2
Phase 2
Know Yourself
Understanding your own leadership style as the foundation for authentic donor work. You can’t read a donor without reading yourself first.
Resource 3
Why Self-Awareness Is a Major Gift Skill
One-pager · Video · Reflection prompts
The bridge between the CDRF and The Five Paths to Leadership®. Introduces the Sage as your operating center.
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Resource 4
Taking and Interpreting Your Five Paths Assessment
Score entry · Personalized interpretation
Enter your scores and get a personalized interpretation — including how each path shows up in donor conversations and under stress.
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Resource 5
Reading Your Donor Through the Five Paths Lens
Branching scenario · Path portraits
Practice reading a donor’s dominant path and choosing the right engagement strategy. Includes portraits for all four paths.
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3
Phase 3
Practice the Framework
One resource per CDRF phase — each with a practical field tool you can apply to a real donor in your portfolio right now.
Resource 6
Awareness — Being Seen Before Being Solicited
Click-through · Status check tool
Assess what you know and don’t know about a donor before any giving conversation.
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Resource 7
Interest — Unlocking Values to Find Shared Ground
Field guide · Facilitation guide
Facilitate a values conversation using the values discovery process and open-ended questions.
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Resource 8
Connection — Bringing Values to Life Through the Institution
Scenario · Action tool
Connect donor values to institutional initiatives and identify the right internal partnerships.
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Resource 9
Partnership — Telling the Story That Brings the Donor In
Storytelling builder
Construct a compelling story that positions the donor as a hero in the institution’s mission.
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Resource 10
Investment — Keeping the Donor in the Story After the Gift
Planning tool · One-pager
Design a post-gift engagement plan that extends the partnership rather than defaulting to transactional stewardship.
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S
Synthesis
Work the Portfolio
Bring it all together across your full donor portfolio, and connect the whole series back to your own work. The tools that turn the framework into a daily practice.
Resource 11
Working the Framework Across Your Portfolio
Portfolio reflection tool · CDRF Status Check
Apply the CDRF Status Check across multiple donors and identify the highest-leverage next action for each one. The tool you’ll return to most.
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Resource 12Coming soon
Connecting This to Your Work
Capstone reflection
Ties the whole series together and helps you connect it back to your own portfolio and next steps.