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A Week in the Life of a Major Gift Coach

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📅 Episode Summary:
Ever wonder what a major gift coach actually does? In this episode, Mary pulls back the curtain on a single Monday filled with coaching sessions, new client strategy, proposal rewrites, and prospect deep dives. You’ll hear what it really takes to help fundraisers grow their confidence, build a major gift pipeline, and start closing six- and seven-figure gifts—no guesswork, no fluff.

💡 Whether you're a solo development officer, a board chair taking on fundraising, or a seasoned MGO needing structure and strategy—this episode is packed with real-life scenarios, coaching advice, and actionable takeaways.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll hear about:

  • Heather’s journey from $0 to $35K and how she’s prepping a $250K ask
  • A theatre’s $3M challenge—and why their $10K/month consultant isn’t cutting it
  • Coaching a one-person development shop through donor meeting language and confidence building
  • Why your 15-page proposal is probably doing more harm than good
  • How to build a prospect strategy map and cultivation touchpoint calendar
  • Welcoming a new Major Gift Momentum member and creating systems from scratch
  • Helping a large nonprofit structure messaging to inspire seven-figure gifts

✨ Links & Resources:

💬 Quotable Moment:
"A major gift coach doesn’t just tell you what to do—we’re in the trenches with you, building your confidence, your materials, and your strategy." – Mary Petersen

💻 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