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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

Chart trend

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

#14
all-time peak
163
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

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
19 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
21 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
25 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
20 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
38 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
20 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
20 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

Beyond Cash: Unlocking Asset-Based Major Gifts

$5k a year. For 12 years. Then she sold her business. The fundraiser said, "congratulations," and changed the subject. Sixty days later, with one different question,

Jun 9
22 min

Leading from the Major Gifts Seat

Your CEO is not your critic. They might be your scariest internal customer. Once I understood that, everything changed. For years I walked into meetings with my ED re

Jun 2
18 min

Story and Data: What Major Donors Really Need

$150,000 gift. One question. 90 seconds. "Who is this changing for?" A development director walked into a meeting with a fund-of-funds founder and a 12-page impact re

May 26
19 min

Designing Impact Together with Donors

"You brought me a brochure, not a conversation." A donor said that to one of my clients. It changed how we prep every donor visit now. In this week's episode of The In

May 19
16 min

Peer Power: Ambassadors and Giving Circles

A $100,000 gift, made in a kitchen. The major gift officer wasn't there. Another donor was. ☕ She invited three friends over for coffee. She told them why she gave. Sh

May 12
19 min

Rethinking Major Gifts Metrics in 2026

Bad metrics ruin good fundraisers. Slowly. Quietly. Cycle after cycle. And almost nobody on the team is allowed to say it out loud. In this week's episode of The Inten

May 5
20 min

Pruning Your Portfolio to Grow Your Results

Pruning isn't loss. It's care. For years, fundraisers have been told that a bigger portfolio means a healthier pipeline. In my experience, the opposite is usually true.

Apr 28
20 min

Chart positions

Where The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 7, 2026).

#35 ▲ 15 Non-Profit US

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