Major gifts are the lifeblood of any fundraising operation—90% of all donations come from just 10% of donors. Yet, too many nonprofits struggle to take a donor-first approach in establishing and maintaining a solid major gifts program. From my perspective, it's not a lack of prospects that’s the problem—it’s the lack of discipline, accountability and a donor-first approach.

Over the years, I’ve worked with numerous nonprofits eager to build stronger major gifts programs, taking a donor-first approach. What I’ve seen time and again are organizations caught in the same traps: failing to build internal systems that keep major gifts front and center, chasing wealthy individuals who have no real connection to their mission and putting all their eggs in one gift officer’s basket.

The good news? When nonprofits shift their approach with structured, disciplined strategies, they can unlock an exponential increase in major gifts that can change their entire trajectory.

The Discipline and Accountability Gap

One of the biggest hurdles nonprofits face in taking a donor-first approach is the absence of a structured, disciplined approach to major gifts. Fundraising teams start the year with ambitious goals, but as urgent day-to-day priorities demand immediate attention, major donor outreach often falls by the wayside. I’ve seen organizations with strong donor lists go months without meaningful follow-ups simply because they didn’t have a clear system in place.

The solution? Embed discipline into the process. Organizations that commit to a discipline of bringing attention to major gifts—such as structured strategy sessions every four to six weeks—create the momentum needed to move donor relationships forward.

These meetings should highlight recent interactions, new insights and concrete next steps. When teams treat major gifts as an ongoing, nonnegotiable priority rather than a reactive task, they are much more likely to see real results.

Rethinking Donor Research: Looking Beyond Wealth Indicators to Take a Donor-First Approach

Many organizations make the mistake of assuming wealth indicators equal a willingness to give. They don’t.

While wealth screening tools have their place, they can create a false sense of opportunity. Just because someone appears to have wealth doesn’t mean they care about your mission. Major gifts require both capacity and inclination.

Read the full article about nonprofits' major gifts programs by Karen Cochran at Forbes.