Hey Fundraiser!

How to Close Your First $100,000 Gift

‱ Mary Petersen

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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 relive the glory of your first “YES” and pick up tips to help you land your next one even faster. 🚀

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

✅ How to find the right donor—no more chasing whales!
✅ Why high affinity + high capacity = your ideal six-figure prospect
✅ The #1 mistake that keeps fundraisers from making big asks
✅ How to cultivate with purpose (so you’re always moving toward the ask)
✅ The permission-based fundraising strategy that guarantees you’re asking at the right time
✅ What to do after the donor says YES to keep them engaged for future gifts

Key Takeaways:

🛠 Step 1: Find the Right Prospect

  • No more guessing! You need both high affinity & high capacity
  • Look at past giving trends—who is already engaged and increasing their gifts?

⏳ Step 2: Make Time to Fundraise

  • Major gifts don’t happen by accident! Protect your time & focus on deep relationships
  • What you focus on = what gets results

📣 Step 3: Have a Strong Case for Support

  • What are your fundable impact areas? Don’t just build new programs—fund what’s already making a difference
  • Create clear, compelling cases for why this gift matters

💡 Step 4: Cultivate with Purpose

  • Every interaction should move the donor closer to the ask
  • Use personalized, high-touch engagement (events, site tours, board meetings, peer-to-peer connections)

đŸ€ Step 5: Get Permission to Ask

  • Before you end any donor meeting, secure the next step
  • Example: “Next time we meet, I’d love to talk to you about a significant financial commitment. Would that be okay?”

💰 Step 6: Make the Ask

  • Be specific: “Would you consider a leadership gift of $100,000 to make X program possible?”
  • Then, STOP TALKING. Let the donor think & respond—don’t rush to fill the silence!

🎉 Step 7: Steward the Gift Like a Pro

  • Call the donor the next day to celebrate their commitment
  • Keep them updated as their gift makes an impact (this sets up their next big gift!)

Resources & Links:

📌 FREE 7-Figure Fundraising Success Method Webinar – Take the 30-minute audit & see if you’re ready for six-figure gifts Watch it HERE
📌 Major Donor Meeting Mastery Course – Learn how to land meetings & move donors toward a YES: Get The Masterclass HERE
📌 Connect with Me on LinkedIn – Let’s talk fundraising! 

đŸȘ‘ The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy.

🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the script.

More from Mary:

📘 Mary's books. What to Say and Small Table Big Philanthropy. The books behind the methodology.

đŸ”„ Major Donor Meeting Mastery. My step-by-step system for donor meetings that move the relationship forward.

đŸ‘©đŸ»â€đŸ’» Momentum Training. My complete packaging + ask system, all in one place.

đŸ’» Connect with Mary Petersen