Hey Fundraiser!
Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing.
Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a focused portfolio instead of chasing volume.
If you've ever frozen up before an ask, stared at a "wish list" of donors with no idea who to call first, or wondered why the industry keeps telling you a major gift takes 18 months to close, this is your show.
You'll leave every episode with one clear thing to do on Monday morning. Hit follow and start building real momentum.
Hey Fundraiser!
How To Set Your Board Members Up for Fundraising Success
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In this week's Hey Fundraiser! episode, Mary Hackett discusses the importance of creating an effective fundraising board and how to engage board members based on their unique profiles. She highlights common mistakes organizations make with board members and provides strategies for deploying them strategically.
Mary introduces the four board member profiles: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She explains how to engage each profile and offers an audit tool to assess the composition of your board. By understanding and leveraging the strengths of board members, organizations can maximize their fundraising efforts.
Episode Takeaways
- Board members should be strategically deployed based on their unique profiles and strengths.
- Common mistakes organizations make with board members include assuming they know how to raise money and expecting them to be full-time major gift officers.
- The four board member profiles are connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers.
- Engaging board members based on their profiles can lead to more effective fundraising efforts.
- Assessing the composition of your board and recruiting the right personas can strengthen your fundraising board.
Downloads and Resources Mentioned In This Episode
→ Download Board Member Audit
→ Join The Fundraising Collective
→ Connect with Mary Petersen on LinkedIn
→ Join our Private Facebook Group
→ Schedule Your Free Gameplan Call with Mary
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction: The Importance of an Effective Fundraising Board
02:26 Strategically Deploying Board Members
03:25 Common Mistakes Organizations Make with Board Members
08:41 Effective Strategies for Engaging Board Members
11:30 The Four Board Member Profiles
19:23 Engaging Board Members Based on Their Profiles
26:34 Conclusion: Deploying Board Members for Success
🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy.
🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the script.
More from Mary:
📘 Mary's books. What to Say and Small Table Big Philanthropy. The books behind the methodology.
🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery. My step-by-step system for donor meetings that move the relationship forward.
👩🏻💻 Momentum Training. My complete packaging + ask system, all in one place.
💻 Connect with Mary Petersen
- Website: heyfundraiser.com
- YouTube: @heyfundraisers
- Instagram: @heyfundraiser
- LinkedIn: ...