Human-Centered Major Gifts

A donor rode a city bus at 6:15 a.m. He hadn't been on one since college. The woman next to him had lived in that neighborhood for forty years. She was about to change his $250,000 gift. They were riding the route families take to the local food pantry. One hour and ten minutes. One transfer. And when they arrived, the doors didn't open until ten. He looked at his watch and said, "Nobody who works a morning shift can do this." She smiled. "That's what we've been trying to tell you." He and his wife had offered a gift to expand the warehouse. Instead of saying yes on the spot, the executive director invited them to sit at a table with other donors and five paid neighborhood residents to decide together. The table chose a mobile market along bus routes and evening hours. The donors? They turned their gift into a multi-year commitment. That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is about: "Human-Centered Major Gifts." We talk about: Why the human-centered model is rising in 2026 Four practical ways to share power in major gifts, plus my Power Dial How to frame this with donors, communities, and your board 🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague, an ED, or a board member who's ready to fundraise with, not for. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies Mentioned in this episode: Practivated Launchpad You just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.