Hey Fundraiser!

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 ac

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!, M

You Found a Great Major Gift Prospect. Now How the Heck Do You Get in the Door?

You found the perfect major gift prospect. Great capacity, strong giving history, real connection to your mission...and they will not respond. In this episode of Hey Fund

If I Had to Build a Major Gift Program From Scratch, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do

If Mary walked into a nonprofit tomorrow and had one year to build a major gift program from scratch, what would she do first, what would she ignore, and where would she

How to Inspire Unrestricted Major Gifts and Build Donor Trust

Why do donors happily fund programs but hesitate to fund the people, systems, and infrastructure that make those programs possible? In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Ma

5 Questions I Get As a Major Gift Coach

How many times can you follow up with a donor before you become annoying? How do you actually know when it’s time to ask? What happens if you ask for too much? Do you nee

Fundraisers: It’s Time to Make an Ask for Yourself

What if the professional development line in your budget isn’t an expense, but one of the smartest revenue investments your organization can make? In this episode, Mary s

Why Your Best Fundraiser Is About to Quit (And How to Stop It)

Your best gift officer is going to get a recruiter's call this quarter. What happens next was decided by how you led this quarter. This week I'm sharing a sess

Red Flags: How to Spot the Wrong Fundraising Help Before You Pay For It

  Should you hire a fundraising coach or a consultant? Most fundraisers pay for the wrong one. In this episode, Mary breaks down the real difference: a consultant hands

Ask Better Questions. Raise More Money

What should you actually talk about at a Small Table? In this episode, Mary breaks down one of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make when they finally get the right donors

The Four-Hour Major Gift Program: What Busy Executive Directors Should Do and What They Can Ignore

Executive directors are pulled in a thousand directions, but major gifts still need focused attention. In this episode, Mary shares a practical strategy for leaders who h

How to Prep your CEO for a Major Gift Meeting

 CEOs play a crucial role in major gift fundraising, but not all of them are natural fundraisers. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to prepare and coach your CEO for maj

Special Episode: Mary answers YOUR Fundraising Questions

This is a different kind of episode, and it might be one of Mary's favorites yet! No theory, no framework from the top down. Just three real questions sent in by fun

I Just Taught My First Small Table Intensive. Here's What Happened

In this episode, I walk you through what we built together and answer the six questions that came up in the room, because I guarantee you're asking them too. Does th

Ask Once, Thank for 180 Days: The Year-End Strategy Nobody Talks About

Your year-end success is being decided right now. Not by your appeal letter, not by your Giving Tuesday plan, but by what you're doing with your top donors today. In

The Summer Move that Makes Your Year-End Easy

Most fundraisers treat summer like the slow season. That's the mistake. Summer is the single best relationship-building season of the year, and what you do with your

How One AFP Chapter Creatively Supported Its Members

Mary shares highlights from her keynote at the AFP Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Summer Symposium, a full morning with 110 fundraisers built entirely around major gi

How to Activate Your Board for Major Gifts (Without Making Them Hate You)

Mary teaches the board fundraising framework from Small Table Big Philanthropy — the one that works because it doesn't ask board members to do anything that feels li

Summer Cultivation: Your Best Season for Major Gift Development

Mary makes the case for summer as the most strategic cultivation season of the year. She covers the summer small table strategy (the backyard dinner, the outdoor lunch, t

What to Say When Major Donors Say 'I Need to Think About It'

Mary teaches from What to Say and her 25+ years of major gift experience on the single most common response to a major gift ask. This episode breaks down the in-the-momen