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Join Mary Petersen as she shares Inspiring and actionable advice for the busy fundraiser | WWW.HEYFUNDRAISER.COM
35 Episodes
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Interested in Major Gift Momentum? Check it out here! Are you stuck chasing donors who never call back? Wasting your precious time on high-capacity but low-interest "prospects"? This episode is your rescue mission. Mary introduces the ABCDE Method—a powerhouse framework to help you quickly spot which donors deserve your energy (and which should be blessed and released). You'll learn how to focus on donors with true potential and stop burning out on low-likelihood long shots. With witty wisdom...
📅 Episode Summary: Ever wonder what a major gift coach actually does? In this episode, Mary pulls back the curtain on a single Monday filled with coaching sessions, new client strategy, proposal rewrites, and prospect deep dives. You’ll hear what it really takes to help fundraisers grow their confidence, build a major gift pipeline, and start closing six- and seven-figure gifts—no guesswork, no fluff. 💡 Whether you're a solo development officer, a board chair taking on fundraising, or a seas...
Hey fundraiser! In this episode, I’m sharing a major mindset (and strategy) shift that changed everything for me in major gifts: Permission-Based Fundraising. Years ago, I blew a solicitation—not because I asked for the wrong amount, but because I asked without permission. That moment reshaped how I approach every donor conversation, and today, I’m walking you through exactly how you can use this strategy to: Build deeper trust with your donorsCreate donor-led momentum through every stage of ...
Description: Ever feel like you're stuck in your major gift work — second-guessing your proposals, over-preparing for donor meetings, or trying to sound more “professional” than you feel? You’re not alone — and you’re not broken. You’re just operating with some mindsets that a lot of fundraisers are carrying around. In this episode, Mary unpacks the three most common mindset traps holding fundraisers back from raising transformational gifts — and gives you the tools to flip each one into conf...
Fundraiser, this is a BIG one! 🎉 Closing your first six-figure gift is a milestone moment in your career—and today, I’m walking you through exactly how to make it happen. Whether you’re brand new to major gifts or just haven’t hit that $100K mark yet, this episode will give you the step-by-step framework to find the right donor, cultivate the relationship, make a powerful ask, and steward the gift for future giving. And hey—if you’ve already closed a six-figure gift, stick around! You’ll reli...
Episode Summary: Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked out of a donor meeting thinking, “Oh my gosh, I totally messed that up.” 🙋♀️ We've all been there! Asking for a major gift can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I break down the five biggest solicitation mistakes I see fundraisers make every single day—and how to avoid them. Whether you’re struggling with when to ask, what to say, or how to handle donor objections, this episode is packed with real-life strategie...
Welcome to the first podcast of 2025! Starting a new year can feel like both a blank slate and a daunting challenge—especially when your fundraising total resets to zero. But don’t worry, fundraiser, we’ve got you covered. In this episode, we break down how to approach your annual fundraising goals with clarity, strategy, and confidence. You’ll learn: How to divide your big fundraising goal into actionable quarterly milestones.The importance of maintaining a prospect list full of ready-to-clo...
It should not take you more than a year to close a major gift. The days of cultivating for 18+ months is OVER. I hope this story inspires you to: embrace permission-based fundraisingtrim your portfolio so that you have 40-60 qualified prospectsgo deeper with fewer prospects, as opposed to shallow efforts with hundreds of prospectsSend a voicemail to Mary: https://www.speakpipe.com/heyfundraiser Major Donor Meeting Mastery: If you want to lean in to how to set yourself up for getting to ...
What sets the most successful major gift officers (MGOs) apart from the rest? In this episode, we explore the single most important trait that top-performing MGOs share—a quality that helps them thrive in the face of challenges, build meaningful donor relationships, and achieve extraordinary results. We’ll unpack how this trait shows up in daily fundraising work, why it’s so crucial for long-term success, and, most importantly, how you can cultivate it in your own career. Whether you’re just ...
In today’s episode, we tackle one of the most vital elements of major gift fundraising—finding new prospects! Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser looking to sharpen your strategy or a newcomer eager to build your prospect pipeline, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you cultivate meaningful relationships with future major donors. Join Mary as she shares proven tactics for identifying and qualifying high-potential prospects who will truly make a difference in your organiz...
In this episode, Mary dives into the number one challenge faced by her major gift coaching clients—fear of making the ask. Whether it’s the fear of rejection or the fear of damaging a relationship, many fundraisers struggle with taking that final step. Mary shares practical strategies to help you confidently make major gift asks, even when fear kicks in. From mindset shifts to cultivation tactics, and knowing when it’s time to ask, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Mary also disc...
In this episode, Mary dives into transforming board members into effective storytelling fundraisers. She highlights the significance of board members feeling comfortable and skilled in connecting with donors through the organization's stories. Mary categorizes board members into four types: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She offers insights on how board members can craft three vital stories: their involvement story, impact story, and thank you story. Additionally, Mary ou...
In this episode, Mary discusses the importance of fundraising operations and how it can make or break a fundraising program. She outlines six pillars of strong fundraising operations, including strong technology and systems management, enhancing the donor experience, supporting fundraising efforts, data-driven reports and analytics, building collegial partnerships, and standard operating procedures. Mary emphasizes the need for fundraising operations professionals to prioritize supporting fun...
In this podcast episode, Mary Hackett discusses the importance of metrics in annual giving. She emphasizes the need to measure what truly matters and avoid vanity metrics. Mary then dives into specific key performance indicators (KPIs) for annual giving, including retention rate, retention rate for first-time donors, upgrade rate, total raised, donor pool growth, and second gifts in the same fiscal year. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Metrics 03:03 Importance of Annual Giving 07:13 Rete...
In this week's Hey Fundraiser! episode, Mary Hackett discusses the importance of creating an effective fundraising board and how to engage board members based on their unique profiles. She highlights common mistakes organizations make with board members and provides strategies for deploying them strategically. Mary introduces the four board member profiles: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She explains how to engage each profile and offers an audit tool to assess the compos...
Join our host, Mary Hackett, as she bravely shares three impactful stories of fundraising failures, revealing valuable lessons and pitfalls to avoid in this very personal Hey Fundraiser! episode. Link mentioned in today's episode >>> Questions To Ask Valuable Resources From Hey Fundraiser! ↓ → Join The Fundraising Collective → Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn → Join our Private Facebook Group → Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary
In this episode, we are diving into two inspiring and creative cultivation stories from my experience as a major gift officer. Join us as we explore the lessons learned and the power of personalized connections in cultivating lasting donor relationships for maximum impact. Do you have an inspiring creative cultivation story you want to share? We would love to hear from you! Click the link below to submit your story for a chance to be featured on the Hey Fundraiser! podcast. >>> Click...
Director of Development Reports | Free Download http://reports.heyfundraiser.com/http://reports.heyfundraiser.com/ In this episode, I am sharing all my tips and tricks so you can quickly gain visibility, attain early wins, and assess your staffing and resources. Grab my free reports download to see exactly what I request when I start a new position as a director of development so that I can fully understand the lay of the land and easily set myself up for long-term success. Valuable Res...
In today's podcast episode, we're gonna look at how super successful major gift officers spend their time. For the last seven years, I've been studying 32 development departments across the US and the results of this study might shock you! Study Download http://trends.heyfundraiser.com/ Episode 15—Six Ways for Fundraisers to Have the Best Major Gift Portfolio https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2501003/episodes/17139186-6-ways-for-fundraisers-to-have-the-best-major-gift-portfolio Lea...
In this episode, we're unveiling six powerful strategies that will revolutionize the way you curate your major gift portfolio for maximum impact. Learn More → Join The Fundraising Collective → Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn → Join our Private Facebook Group → Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary
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