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3 Mindsets Holding You Back in Your Major Gift Work (and What to Do About Them)

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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 confidence, connection, and action.

🎯 Mindset #1: “I Have to Be Perfect to Be Taken Seriously”

  • Why donors don’t want a polished pitch — they want you.
  • How to shift from performance to presence.
  • The #1 reframe that turns pressure into connection.

🚀 Mindset #2: “I’ll Send the Proposal Once It’s Perfect”

  • How perfectionism delays gifts (and drains your energy).
  • Why done is better than perfect — especially in proposals.
  • A new way to think about proposals that frees you up to just send it.

💥 Mindset #3: “I Need to Be Someone Else to Connect with Donors”

  • Why being your real, sometimes awkward self is your secret weapon.
  • How “sticky trust” gets built in donor conversations.
  • A story about how humor (yep, even that) can unlock major gifts.

🎉 Wrap-Up:
Pick ONE mindset to shift today. Then check out Major Donor Meeting Mastery — Mary’s game-changing training for fundraisers who are ready to land the meeting, build trust, and close big gifts (without feeling fake or salesy).

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💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

🎯 Ready to Level Up Your Donor Meetings?

If you’re tired of leaving donor meetings with no gift, no timeline, and no follow-up plan, it’s time to learn the strategy that changes everything.
Check out Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my signature course that shows you exactly how to create momentum in the meeting, not after it.

➡️ Learn more