Your Major Donor Chose Another Nonprofit—What Did You Miss?

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when one of your best donors gives far more to another nonprofit? These major donor stewardship strategies can help your organization move beyond frustration, learn what influenced the gift, and build stronger opportunities for future investment.On this Fundraisers Friday conversation, Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall confront a painful fundraising reality: a donor may care about your mission, possess considerable giving capacity, and still make their transformational or legacy gift somewhere else!The wrong response is indignation. The stronger business response is curiosity, gratitude, and an honest review of the donor relationship.Tony advises nonprofit leaders to look beyond their internal database and understand a donor’s broader philanthropic activity. “Invest some time in really understanding the full profile of your donor, not just the profile that exists within your organization.”That knowledge can reveal why another organization received the larger commitment. Perhaps there was a matching opportunity, a clearly defined project, a compelling future vision, or simply a direct invitation your nonprofit never extended.The conversation also addresses a common fundraising weakness: under-asking. Rather than surprising a donor with an oversized request, Tony recommends testing the opportunity through language such as, “How would you feel if I asked you to double your investment?” This creates room for an honest response while connecting the proposed gift to measurable community impact.Julia reinforces the importance of giving donors something meaningful to fund: “If we can get your investment, we can do this.” The discussion moves fundraising away from building organizational coffers and toward financing visible results.The co-hosts also examine legacy gifts, balancing immediate fundraising needs with long-term sustainability, and handling donors who expect board influence in exchange for financial support. Key Takeaways:Study donors’ broader philanthropic activity, not only their history with your organization.Celebrate gifts to peer nonprofits before asking what motivated the decision.Connect larger requests to specific programs, outcomes, and people served.Test donor readiness before presenting a formal major-gift request.Discuss legacy giving with donors across a wider range of ages.Use a written gift policy to prevent donations from becoming board-level pay-to-play arrangements.00:00:00 When Your Best Donor Gives Somewhere Else00:02:59 Looking Beyond Your Internal Donor Data00:04:05 Celebrate the Other Gift—and Learn From It00:06:38 Moving a Loyal Donor Toward a Major Gift00:08:00 Share the Strategic Plan and Future Vision00:09:42 How to Test a Larger Ask Without Making It00:12:27 When Another Nonprofit Receives the Legacy Gift00:15:05 Under-Asking and Missed Planned-Giving Opportunities00:17:20 Funding Today’s Crisis While Building Tomorrow00:18:50 The Five-Minute Call That Changed a Donor00:20:10 When a Donor Wants Influence Over the Board00:22:17 Why Every Nonprofit Needs a Gift Policy#NonprofitFundraising #MajorGifts #TheNonprofitShowFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] us on the web:The Nonprofit Show