Meeting With Major Donors: The Basics

America's biggest donors gave away more than $7.8 billion in 2018, according to the Chronicle's annual "Philanthropy 50" ranking of the most generous U.S. donors. But securing large gifts isn't easy. Building strong ties takes time; each donor has different preferences and priorities, and there are few hard-and-fast rules for a successful meeting. How can you ensure your meetings with wealthy donors lead to lasting connections? Join us for an online session to learn from two veteran major-gift fundraisers. They'll share tips for landing a first meeting and cover the nuts and bolts of four types of encounters that can lead to a big gift: qualification, engagement, negotiation, and solicitation. Lavinia Boxill, vice chancellor for advancement at Rutgers University, will share dos and don'ts for interactions with potential supporters and offer questions to ask to help discern a donor's motivations for charitable giving. Laura Frye, director of fundraising at the Merrimack Repertory Theatr