What if the answer to fundraiser hesitancy isn’t more data—but better partnership?
Major gift consultant Derry Deringer has spent 13 years helping nonprofits raise transformative dollars. His journey to fundraising began in an unlikely place: a rugged 25-hour trek through the Andean mountains of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in 2001. The struggle and strength of the indigenous people he met sparked a commitment to leave corporate sales behind and serve the nonprofit sector.
Breaking through fundraiser fear
Many fundraisers feel uncomfortable reaching out to donors. Derry doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of what it takes to succeed with major gifts, but he’s gentle and adaptive in meeting people where they are.
His advice? Get the reps in. Fear subsides with practice.
And here’s a practical tip that changes everything: be transparent with donors. If you’re new to asking for five-figure or six-figure gifts, tell them that.
“I’m excited we finally have a chance to meet in person, but you should know I’m new at this, and I may show some nerves. Let’s work our way through this together, shall we?”
A new partnership model for researchers
Derry believes frontline fundraisers drastically underutilize prospect researchers. His advice? Less is more at the beginning of a researcher-fundraiser relationship.
Start by asking: “What’s your top current challenge with your five hardest-to-reach major gift prospects?” Then zero in on two or three profile elements that solve that one big problem.
If you are just implementing portfolio strategy meetings or building a portfolio for a new development officer, this is the perfect way to start that relationship!
Derry sees researchers as partners across the entire relationship cycle—from priority mapping to getting meetings, from meeting preparation to follow-up. Research can find facts about people, but fundraisers need to discover passion and interest in person.
When researchers and fundraisers truly partner together, major gifts become less about data and more about dreams realized.
Listen to the full episode to hear Derry’s four-part model for research-fundraiser collaboration.