Hey Fundraiser!

How to Close Your First $100,000 Gift

‱ Mary Petersen

Share episode

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!)

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

đŸ”„ Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's book — grab the framework and major gift ask scripts.
đŸŽ„ Momentum Webinar — learn the core strategy in one sitting.

đŸ’» Connect with Mary Petersen