The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast artwork

Non-Profit · Tammy Zonker

The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

by Tammy Zonker

Welcome to The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast. I'm your host, Tammy Zonker, and I'm thrilled you're here. I've spent nearly three decades specializing in major gifts. I’ve seen how major gifts often form the backbone of an organization’s financial stability, and yet, I know many of us find this area particularly challenging. Time and again, I’ve been approached by fundraisers and nonprofit leaders eager to establish or supercharge their major gift programs. It’s become crystal clear that there’s a growing hunger for training and expertise in this area. I’ve had the incredible privilege of working with nonprofits from all around the world helping organizations collectively raise nearly one billion dollars. During this time, I’ve developed strategies and tools that have consistently helped organizations transition their mid-level donors into major donors through meaningful engagement. It’s a process that, when done consistently, can truly catapult an organization’s major gift fundraising to the next level. Whether you’re a seasoned major gift officer looking to refine your approach, a development director aiming to build a powerhouse program, an executive director looking to scale your organization’s capacity for transformational giving, or a board member seeking to understand the transformative potential of major gifts, The Intentional Fundraiser podcast is your source for growth and excellence in major gift fundraising. So, buckle up! We're about to embark on a journey to take your major gift program to the next level – and beyond. Let's get intentional about major gift fundraising! Keep transforming, Tammy Zonker Major Gift Expert & Keynote Speaker Fundraising Transformed #ScaleRaiseDo

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Human-Centered Major Gifts

#24 trending · Non-Profit

A donor rode a city bus at 6:15 a.m. He hadn't been on one since college. The woman next to him had lived in that neighborhood for forty years. She was about to change h

Oct 20
20 min

Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts

A 6:45 a.m. call from London. A donor wanted to give $1.5 million to the children's hospital that saved her little brother. Her gift officer was thrilled. Thirty seconds

Oct 13
22 min

Bringing Relationships Back from the Brink

Her mother's name was spelled wrong. It was on the plaque. On dedication day. In front of her grandkids. The mistake didn't end the relationship. What came next almost

Oct 6
20 min

Stacking the Deck for Year-End Major Gifts

My worst December as a fundraiser? I spent it chasing a stock transfer with no name on it. My plan had been "we'll get serious after the gala." The gala ended in mid-N

Sep 29
22 min

Impact Reporting That Deepens Commitment

One page changed everything. A donor said it was the first report she'd ever kept. Two years later, she made the largest gift in the organization's history. It wasn't

Sep 22
20 min

Today’s Gifts, Tomorrow’s Legacy

One question. A lasting legacy. Andrea almost didn't ask it. She was afraid it would muddy her donor's renewal. Her donor, Walter, had given faithfully for eleven years

Sep 15
22 min

Calming the Waters: Supporting Anxious Donors

He went quiet for two months. She thought she'd blown the ask. She hadn't. The donor had watched his business take a hit, watched the news every night, and frozen. He

Sep 8
19 min

Growing the Next Wave of Major Gift Talent

She gave me four minutes. It changed my career. Almost thirty years ago, I had a donor meeting with a man who genuinely intimidated me. My development director stopped b

Sep 1
17 min

When Clicks Meet Conversations: Digital and Major Gifts

The lobby test. Your website is the lobby of your building. It never closes the gift. But it absolutely sets the tone for everything that happens around it. In this we

Aug 25
19 min

Campaign Planning When the Future Is Fuzzy

"What's our plan if we only raise nine?" A campaign chair asked that in a planning meeting for a $14 million campaign, and the room went completely quiet. She wasn't be

Aug 18
23 min

Recognition That Feels Right Today

A donor wall almost cost them their best donor. At the opening of a gorgeous new wall, one of their most generous donors leaned in and said, "I didn't give so my name co

Aug 13
18 min

Build for What's Next

Urgency can steal our future. I’ve watched it happen in nonprofit teams everywhere. We race from grant deadlines to events to year-end goals, doing everything possible

Aug 11
37 min

Donor Listening That Leads to Action

What if the ask isn't for money? What if it's a question? A donor of fifteen years told one of my clients, "Nobody ever asked me what I thought. They just told me what t

Aug 4
17 min

Culture as Your Ultimate Major Gifts Strategy

If you vanished tomorrow, would anyone else in your building know how to talk about a donor with warmth? I've watched two organizations, same size, same budget, same t

Jul 28
18 min

Healthy Boundaries with Major Donors

He asked to sit in on hiring. She almost said yes to that too. Here's what changed her mind. On this week's episode, I tell the story of a major gift officer whose bigg

Jul 21
18 min

It Takes a Village: Internal Partners in Major Gifts

A gift once took eleven months to close. Not because the donor said no. Because one person was carrying five jobs. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser

Jul 14
18 min

Events that Actually Move Major Gifts

Her gala cost $40K. Her dinner cost $200. Guess which one got a bigger gift. On this week's episode, I tell the story of two events that happened the same spring, one a

Jul 7
19 min

Working Smarter: Automation for Major Gift Officers

6:30 a.m. Calendar chaos already. By 10 a.m., she hadn't talked to a single donor yet. Six months later, same alarm, same portfolio. Totally different morning. On this

Jun 30
18 min

Inclusive Major Gifts in Practice

A gala put them on stage. Then ghosted them for good. Three community leaders invited up front, never contacted again. Zero gifts. One hurt feeling that traveled fast.

Jun 23
21 min

Building Predictable Major Gifts Revenue

What if your major donors wanted to commit longer? Most of them already do. They just haven't been asked. In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser podcast,

Jun 16
15 min

Chart trend

Position in the Non-Profit chart (US), last 90 days.

#14
all-time peak
173
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 21, 2026).

#63 ▲ 95 Non-Profit US

More podcasts like The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

Popular shows in Non-Profit, for your next listen.

Browse charts by category

Daily updated Apple Podcasts rankings for the United States.

About The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

Contact

Questions or issues? Reach us at hello@reason.fm

0:000:00