Sarah Dineen

When people hear the words “major gifts,” it can feel intimidating. You know the gifts are bigger. You know there’s more riding on the relationship. But the actual how-of-it can feel unclear. I remember feeling that way early in my career too. One of the biggest shifts for me was realizing this: Major Gifts is a system, not a mystery. There’s a structure to the work. And once you understand the structure, you stop feeling like you’re guessing all the time. At its core, major gift fundraising...

There is that well-known moment in every fundraiser's year where the pressure to "start asking" becomes very loud. The fiscal year is ticking. Leadership wants results. The pipeline needs to move. And so you have the urge to reach out to donors before, if you are being honest with yourself, you are truly ready to. I say this gently: starting the ask process before the foundation is in place does not speed things up. It often sets you back. At Kittiwake, I talk with clients about their...