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# Major Gift Solutions

Helping Your Nonprofit Locate and Land Major Gifts

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## Posts

- [Comportment as Openness](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/comportment-as-openness/) - I recently participated in a discovery call that was pretty awkward. And the awkwardness of the meeting stemmed from a general sense of something like competition between the participants. Like, who knew more about the industry we were discussing. And I just want to reflect on it. ~~~ To do so, I want to center
- [The importance of your first thought](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-importance-of-your-first-thought/) - I’m thinking today about the importance of first thought. What I mean by that is a person’s natural reaction to a crossroads moment – something that could go in one of two directions, like success or failure. And I’m reflecting on the moment of decision that a person has when confronted by that crossroads –
- [How a "no" turned into a $100,000 "yes."](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/how-a-no-turned-into-a-100000-yes/) - Her name was Diane. She was a retired anatomy professor. And a secret multi-millionaire. To meet her, you certainly wouldn't know it. Diane lived in an unassuming house, in an unassuming neighborhood, in an unassuming midwest town. She was kind, paid her taxes, was a widow, had kids and grandkids. And she had been a
- [When the donations feel accidental](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/when-the-donations-feel-accidental/) - This week, I helped facilitate two 5-figure gifts. They both felt accidental. Neither was given in response to a direct ask - at least not the type of asks we had planned. But neither was really an accident. They were both the result of many years of good habits, carried out at a well-run organization.
- [That time I closed a million-dollar gift over Zoom](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/that-time-i-closed-a-million-dollar-gift-over-zoom/) - I once closed a million-dollar gift over Zoom, after just two visits and a phone call, held over a six-month period. Here is the story… Let’s call the donor Bob. Bob was in his 80s. He was a previous board member, business owner, grandfather, and dedicated husband. He was also a longtime donor. He had
- [How a Spilled Glass of Wine turned into a $300,000 donation](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/how-a-spilled-glass-of-wine-turned-into-a-300000-donation/) - Donors are people. And people want to be seen. Sometimes, simply being present for donors can return major dividends. That was the case with Jimmy. Let me tell you about him. And fair warning here: this blog post is vulnerably honest. Jimmy and I met randomly at a gala after I was just a few
- [Are you ready for the end-of-year fundraising push?](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/are-you-ready-for-the-end-of-year-fundraising-push/) - Back when I was a kid in the 1980s, around bedtime most nights, we'd be finishing up our evening television ritual - consuming classics like The A-Team, Cheers, Knight Rider, or The Greatest American Hero (look it up; it's amazing) - and a foreboding, resonant voice could be heard over the network TV airwaves: “It’s
- [How do I raise money through a gala?](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/how-do-i-raise-money-through-a-gala/) - “The money’s made; now we’re just going to party.”That’s the way a client of Major Gift Solutions started our event-planning meeting today. It was a fun moment - the culmination of many months of work - and in many ways, the result of years of solid organizational habits that have paved the way for a
- [A $2 million gift: reflections on a transformational moment](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/a-2-million-gift-reflections-on-a-transformational-moment/) - Earlier this week, one of our clients closed a $2 million dollar gift. Toward an annual budget of about $5.5 million. It was a transformational moment – one that was the result of many factors, occurring over the course of several decades. I took some time today to reflect on those factors – partly because
- [My dog broke my finger](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/my-dog-broke-my-finger/) - My dog broke my finger. And it’s been an absolute pain in the butt. Y’all remember Lucy, right? My four-legged ball and chain? Well, a couple weeks ago, Lucy and I had a little “disagreement” about where she needed to be. She was being especially ornery, and when I reached down to direct her away
- ["A long obedience in the same direction": What Friedrich Nietzsche can teach us about fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/a-long-obedience-in-the-same-direction-what-friedrich-nietzsche-can-teach-us-about-fundraising/) - "The essential thing 'in heaven and in earth' is, apparently … that there should be long obedience in the same direction, that thereby results, and has always resulted - in the long run - something which has made life worth living.”This is a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil. I really like Nietzsche.
- [Want to unlock a million-dollar gift? Try a Mission Feasibility Study](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/want-to-unlock-a-million-dollar-gift-try-a-mission-feasibility-study/) - Do you know your donors' opinions? Especially your top donors? Do they know you care? How many of your donors have you spoken to over the last twelve months? Finding it hard to engage everyone you know you should be talking to? Allow me to introduce the concept of a Mission Feasibility Study. This is
- [A Post-Christian Reading of Henri Nouwen’s A Spirituality of Fundraising: Seeking the Center of Things](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/a-post-christian-reading-of-henri-nouwens-a-spirituality-of-fundraising-seeking-the-center-of-things/) - I grew up religious. And it was a good experience for me. Church was fun. Youth group was fun. Friends were made. Socializing was accomplished. It was good for me in many ways.And I followed the good experiences that made up my religious identity through college and graduate school into my 20s, when I served
- [The Dialectical Genius of a Great Fundraiser](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-dialectical-genius-of-a-great-fundraiser-part-philosopher-part-pal/) - In a previous life, I was a theologian. I grew up in a household of faith, and my faith led me to graduate school - and a bunch of degrees in things like Bible, religion, and theological studies. Sometimes the things I learned as a theologian inform my reflections on fundraising.Today, the idea that comes
- [Raising Major Gifts Takes Time: A Lesson in Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/raising-major-gifts-takes-time-a-lesson-in-fundraising/) - Raising money through major gifts takes time. Let me give you two examples. PART 1 OF 2Both of these examples are taken from an organization I’ve worked with for four years. Their annual budget hovers around $350,000. (When I started it was about $120,000.) They have four full-time staff and a handful of part-timers, including
- [How do I raise money?](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/how-do-i-raise-money/) - Sometimes I get so caught up in the details of my day to day work that I forget this question. It is the most important question for the nonprofit leader. And if it's not now, it's just a matter of time before it will be. Because if you're not raising money, the funds that drive
- [A Pickup Truck, a Horse, and Uncle Dan: A Lesson in Fearless Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/a-pickup-truck-a-horse-and-uncle-dan-a-lesson-in-fearless-fundraising/) - My fun uncle passed away last week. Uncle Dan. And I need to tell you a story about him.Uncle Dan was a veterinarian in Tennessee. He came from a long line of medical professionals. His granddad was a country doctor who made house calls and delivered babies. His dad was a dentist who served in
- [Why Your Organization May Need an Ultrasound](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/why-your-organization-may-need-an-ultrasound/) - I once got an ultrasound on my feet. I’d been having some foot pain, so I went to the podiatrist. He listened to my complaints, analyzed the situation, and sent me to the guy who usually examines pregnant women. Turns out, the tendons that connected my calves to my feet got disconnected somewhere between high
- [Why You Should Start with a Fundraising Feasibility Study](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/why-you-should-start-with-a-fundraising-feasibility-study/) - One of the most valuable—but often overlooked—steps in launching a fundraising campaign is the feasibility study. It’s not flashy. It does not usually raise funds directly. But a feasibility study can lay the groundwork for a campaign’s most significant gifts. It gives you the chance to connect with your most important philanthropic partners. It plants
- [Edmund Wasn't the Problem: A Lesson in Leadership](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/edmund-wasnt-the-problem-a-lesson-in-leadership/) - I thought my Roomba Edmund was slacking off. Turns out, the poor guy was just clogged. Every morning, I trust Edmund to cruise around the house picking up dog hair while I get to work. He hums along in the background—bumping into chair legs, dodging shoes, navigating cords—and it sounds like he’s getting the job done. But the other day, after 2.5 hours of hard labor, I opened the bin. Empty. Not a single tuft of hair. Not even a dust bunny. I was shocked. Offended. How dare he? I gave Edmund a day off and vented to some friends (and my parents, who were just trying to enjoy lunch). The next day: same thing. All action, no output. So I took matters into my own hands and looked under the hood. Turns out, there was a massive clog just inside the intake. Edmund *wanted* to do his job. He *thought* he was doing his job. But he couldn’t deliver because something internal was jammed. And you know what? I find that to be a pretty good metaphor for fundraising teams. As a fundraiser, I think a lot about team productivity—calls made, donors engaged, dollars raised. And like most leaders, I’ve had moments where I feel like things aren’t moving fast enough. The temptation is to blame the person: a team member didn’t follow through, a volunteer dropped the ball, a client stalled. But sometimes the issue isn’t people—it’s systems. It’s internal clogs. A missing piece. A broken tool. Workflow confusion. Unnecessary processes. When that’s the case, blaming individuals doesn’t fix the problem—it just exacerbates frustration. So before you assume someone isn’t pulling their weight, take a look under the hood. Edmund will appreciate it. And your team will too.
- [The Art of Asking for a Pledge](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-art-of-asking-for-a-pledge/) - One way to move donors down the donor pipeline is to speak with them about making a pledge. Pledges are a great way to create sustained and predictable revenue for your organization. It allows you to turn a $1,000 annual gift to a $5,000 booked pledge. You then steward that pledge well over the next
- [Want to find major gift donors? Look at total giving - but with caution.](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/want-to-find-major-gift-donors-look-at-total-giving-but-with-caution/) - Total giving can be a sign of sustained support, and you may indeed find a major gift donor by attending to it, but as with the other criteria in this list, cumulative giving should be considered a complement to other criteria. Attend first and foremost to donors who have given you the most, the most
- [Want to find major gift donors? Follow the money.](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/want-to-find-major-gift-donors-follow-the-money/) - When I work with gift officers to find the donors who will be most responsive to our outreach, I encourage them to look first at recent cash giving. You will often hear fundraising consultants use the acronym “RFM” to reference an important quality of donors. This acronym stands for recency, frequency, and monetary amount. How
- [Want to find major gift donors? Look for planned giving donors.](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/want-to-find-major-gift-donors-look-for-planned-giving-donors/) - There are plenty of studies, backed up by plenty of anecdotes, about the correspondence between donors who have made estate gifts and donors who can make a major gift. A planned gift is simply a gift that will be made in the future. This may be a bequest intention, a life insurance policy, a charitable
- [Want to land a major gift? Start by finding good major gift prospects.](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/want-to-land-a-major-gift-start-by-finding-good-major-gift-prospects/) - Peter Wylie in Data Mining for Fundraisers (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, 2004; 90pp.), argues that “Statistics — yes, statistics — can help you: Save money on mail and phone costs, Improve participation in your annual fund and Generated more revenue from annual fund appeals.” Your goal, Wylie says, should be to
- [How to Secure Visits With Major Gift Prospects](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/how-to-secure-visits-with-major-gift-prospects/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! If you want to generate a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic revenue, it is essential that you periodically close what is called a “major gift.” The exact size of
- [A Case Study: Blessed Mother Teresa](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/a-case-study-blessed-mother-teresa/) - Blessed Mother Teresa dedicated her life to touching the untouchables. She served the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. She held the dying and cared for the abandoned. Mother Teresa was radically inclusive. But she also built a successful, multi-national organization. She maintained a legendary tension between humility and savvy. Mother Teresa
- [Book Review: Josh Birkholz, Fundraising Analytics: Using Data to Guide Strategy (AFP, 2008)](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/book-review-josh-birkholz-fundraising-analytics-using-data-to-guide-strategy-afp-2008/) - About twelve years ago, Josh Birkholz wrote an important work, entitled Fundraising Analytics: Using Data to Guide Strategy (AFP, 2008). In it, Josh gives a timely and helpful overview of how nonprofits can integrate appropriately structured data analysis into their fundraising programs. “Like the emergence of volunteer-driven fundraising and the creation of voluntary associations,” Josh
- [The Importance of the Face](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-importance-of-the-face/) - *Warning: Deep Content* If you happened to attend a liberal arts college as an undergraduate, then you probably sat - suffered? - through a course called “Introduction to Philosophy.” And if you did indeed sit through an introduction to philosophy, then you likely also sat through a lecture or two on metaphysics. Historically, the idea
- [Enhancing Diversity in the Nonprofit Sector](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/enhancing-diversity-in-the-nonprofit-sector/) - We in the fundraising world must be careful not to participate in the same problematic and exclusive systems that continue to exclude historically marginalized people groups. According to a study by the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy, over 73% of fundraising professionals are women, and “despite various diversity initiatives in the nonprofit sector, fundraisers
- [The Basics of Major Gift Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-basics-of-major-gift-fundraising/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! In order to create sustainable revenue at your nonprofit, you've got to supplement mid- to small-sized annual donations with leadership-level gifts. These are the handful of large donations that
- [Five ways you can find donors who will support your organization](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/blog-series-raising-money-at-a-small-nonprofit/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! If you are the leader of a small nonprofit, you’ve probably experienced this before: You are weeks away from your next board meeting, and your chair has asked
- [Six Tips for Finding the Major Gift Donors You Already Have](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/six-tips-for-finding-the-major-gift-donors-you-already-have/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! If you hope to advance your organization’s mission, you will want to pursue the right people the right way. Your goal should be to find individuals who can give
- [Four Tips for Creating a Successful Mailed Appeal](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/is-direct-mail-dead/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! Contrary to what you may hear from some sectors of the fundraising world, direct mail is not dead. A good fundraising shop does not live by mailed solicitations alone.
- [Five Tips for Writing Successful Donor Thank You Letters](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/five-tips-for-writing-successful-donor-thank-you-letters/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! Thus far in our mini-series on fundraising at a small nonprofit, we’ve focused on how to attain gifts. Solicitation. It’s time to talk about stewardship. Not to get too
- [Three Tips for Making Successful Phone Calls](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/three-tips-for-making-successful-phone-calls/) - If you want to be a successful fundraiser, you’ve got to get on the phone. There’s no way around it. Especially as we find more and more automated systems flooding the marketplace of fundraising technologies, it is vital that fundraisers have the ability to pick up the phone and make personal contact with the donors
- [The anatomy of a successful appeal letter](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-anatomy-of-a-successful-appeal-letter/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! You’ve got a brilliant mission statement. You’ve got a compelling vision. Your organization is top-notch. So why don’t your appeals work? In this intentionally practical post, I’m going to
- [Virtues of a Small Nonprofit Fundraiser](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/virtues-of-a-small-nonprofit-fundraiser/) - In this multi-post blog series, we will outline basic ways you can build a successful fundraising strategy at your nonprofit. Be sure to check back in! The ancient philosopher Aristotle said that virtues were those things that made us the most happy. They are the ways of living that create an internal consistency - a
- [Be Ambitious.](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/be-ambitious/) - The best major gift fundraisers are people who can balance authenticity with ambition. Be authentic. Don’t take a job at an organization whose mission you don’t care about. Don’t approach relationships with donors for the sole purpose of making money. Don’t see people as dollar signs. And don’t see your organization as merely a means
- [The Importance of Individual Outreach](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-importance-of-individual-outreach/) - I’ve always been surprised at how hard fundraisers will work to avoid making actual contact with donors. It’s human nature: we don’t want to bother people; we’re afraid to ask for help, much less money; we’re certain the donor will see right through our niceties. So we fill our time with administrative responsibilities. We plan

## Pages

- [Home](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/) - Major Gift Solutions We help with the fundraising, so you can get to work. Major Gift Solutions We help with the fundraising, so you can get to work. Major Gift Solutions is a fundraising firm located in Chicago. We help nonprofits raise money, so they can advance their missions and make the world a better
- [THE YEAR-END MAJOR GIFT SPRINT](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/the-ultimate-major-gift-accelerator/) - Discover how the Major Gifts accelerator helps nonprofits identify top prospects, engage donors, and implement a practical major gifts plan within 12 weeks.
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- [Our Clients](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/clients/) - Our Clients Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center Open Story Studios Public Law Center of Orange County Tree House Humane Society Chicago Cultural Alliance The Signet Society at Harvard University Harmony, Hope & Healing The Goldie Initiative Moral Compass Federation Stop Foodborne Illness Reform for Illinois Biodiversity for a Livable Climate Urban Rivers
- [About](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/about-us/) - About Us Bill Myatt Owner and CEO William “Bill” Myatt is the founder and principal of Major Gift Solutions, a Chicago-based fundraising consultancy that helps nonprofits build sustainable major gift programs and secure transformational philanthropic support. Since launching the firm in 2020, Bill and his team have partnered with more than twenty-five nonprofits across the
- [Home Draft](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/home-draft/) - Major Gift Solutions We help with the fundraising, so you can get to work. Major Gift Solutions We help with the fundraising, so you can get to work. Major Gift Solutions is a consulting firm that helps nonprofits raise money. We handle the fundraising, so you can get to work. Schedule A Consultation “ We
- [Blog](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/blog/) - Blog Comportment as Openness Philosophical Reflections Comportment as Openness I recently participated in a discovery call that was pretty awkward. And the awkwardness of…MajorGiftSolutionsNovember 19, 2025 The importance of your first thought Fundraising Tips and TricksMajor Gift FundraisingPhilosophical ReflectionsRaising Money at a Small Nonprofit The importance of your first thought I’m thinking today about the
- [Testimonials](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/testimonials/) - Testimonials ”We are a small non-profit (currently ten staff), and when we hired Major Gift Solutions in the summer of 2021 we had an underutilized database of around 3,200 followers and donors. Bill Myatt helped us begin to optimize our use of that database, and even though we still have a lot of work to
- [Making Ends Meet](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/making-ends-meet/) - Making Ends Meet: Surviving Fundraising at a Small Nonprofit Play VideoPlay Video How many times have you been there? It’s the week before a board meeting, the next fiscal year is just around the corner, and your chairperson asks you to present a fundraising plan that will meet your revenue needs. What do you do?
- [Consultation](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/consultation/) - Schedule a Consultation Our founder is William Myatt, a theologian-turned-fundraiser who has found his niche in the world of major gift fundraising. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with Bill by contacting us today. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name (required) *Email (required) *Phone Number (optional)Tell us about your organization (optional)Submit A
- [Sample Page](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger
- [Nonprofit News](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/news/) - Comportment as Openness Philosophical Reflections Comportment as Openness I recently participated in a discovery call that was pretty awkward. And the awkwardness of…MajorGiftSolutionsNovember 19, 2025 The importance of your first thought Fundraising Tips and TricksMajor Gift FundraisingPhilosophical ReflectionsRaising Money at a Small Nonprofit The importance of your first thought I’m thinking today about the importance

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Raising Money at a Small Nonprofit](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/raising-money-at-a-small-nonprofit/)
- [Major Gift Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/major-gift-fundraising/)
- [Philosophical Reflections](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/philosophical-reflections/)
- [Fundraising Tips and Tricks](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/fundraising-tips-and-tricks/)
- [Book Reviews](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/book-reviews/)
- [Finding Major Gift Donors](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/finding-major-gift-donors/)
- [Campaign Feasibility Study](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/campaign-feasibility-study/)
- [Event Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/category/event-fundraising/)

## Tags

- [Feasibility Study](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/feasibility-study/)
- [Major Gifts](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/major-gifts/)
- [Fundraising](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/fundraising/)
- [Campaigns](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/campaigns/)
- [Nonprofits](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/nonprofits/)
- [Leadership](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/leadership/)
- [Nonprofit](https://majorgiftsolutions.com/tag/nonprofit/)