Hey Fundraiser!
Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing.
Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a focused portfolio instead of chasing volume.
If you've ever frozen up before an ask, stared at a "wish list" of donors with no idea who to call first, or wondered why the industry keeps telling you a major gift takes 18 months to close, this is your show.
You'll leave every episode with one clear thing to do on Monday morning. Hit follow and start building real momentum.
Hey Fundraiser!
Latest Episodes
Your Donor Isn't the Problem. The Voice in Your Head Is.
What if they get upset? What if I ask for too much? What if they think I only want their money?Oh, for the love, fundraiser! We've got to stop having imaginary conversations with our donors and then making decisions on their behalf.<...
The 2027 Major Gift Plan: What I’d Have in Place Before January 1
Want a stronger major gift year in 2027? Don’t wait until January to build the plan. In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary shares the 11 things she wants fundraisers to put in place before the year begins. You’ll learn how to map yo...
I Looked at Your Major Gift Program. Here Are the 7 Places It’s Leaking Money.
Where is your major gift program quietly leaking money? In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary walks through seven of the most common places she sees organizations leaving major gift revenue on the table, and most of them have nothin...
Your Donor Isn’t Stuck. Your Cultivation Strategy Is.
Is your donor really stuck, or is your cultivation strategy stuck? In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary explains the difference between a touch and a move, and why activity alone does not create major gifts. You’ll learn how to giv...
Stop Selling Programs: How to Position Offers and Outcomes So Donors Understand Them
If your major gift opportunities sound like a menu of programs, you may be unintentionally teaching donors to restrict their giving. In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary goes deeper on Offers & Outcomes and shows how to positio...