If you ask Jeff Schreifels, Principal at Veritus Group, the answer is clear: It’s not about wealth ratings or capacity scores alone. It’s about finding the donors who actually want a deeper relationship with your organization.
In this episode of ChatBytes, Jeff shares how his unexpected career journey—from inner-city teaching hopeful to fundraiser to co-founder of Veritus Group—shaped his approach to mid and major gifts. Today, Veritus works with nonprofits around the globe to build thriving programs, and Jeff has the data to prove what works.
One of the most striking insights he offers is that only about one-third of donors who give at a major gift level actually want a deeper relationship with your organization. The other two-thirds are happy supporting the mission, but they don’t want regular calls, meetings, or personalized attention. The challenge—and opportunity—for fundraisers is to identify that one-third and engage them meaningfully.
That’s where the mid-level program comes in. Jeff makes a powerful case for developing robust mid-level donor strategies as a bridge between annual giving and major gifts. The numbers speak for themselves:
- Without a mid-level program, 0.2% to 1.2% of donors move into major gifts on their own.
- With a mid-level program, that jumps to 3% to 4%.
The result? More donors moving into major gift portfolios already qualified, interested, and engaged.
Jeff also shares one of his favorite success stories: how a head of prospect research at Louisiana State University partnered with gift officers to build strategic donor plans, set revenue goals, and meet weekly to align strategy. The result was exponential growth in their program—proof that when researchers act as co-strategic partners, fundraising takes off.
Key takeaway? Stop chasing donors. Start listening. And build systems—like mid-level programs and weekly strategy sessions—that allow fundraisers and researchers to partner for long-term success.
Resources Mentioned
- Connect with Jeff: LinkedIn
- Veritus Group | The consulting firm Jeff co-founded in 2009 that works with nonprofits globally to create, build, and manage mid and major gift programs.
- Veritus Group Academy – An online training center launched in 2016 for fundraisers worldwide to develop skills in mid and major gifts.