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!
3 Mindsets Holding You Back in Your Major Gift Work (and What to Do About Them)
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Description:
Ever feel like you're stuck in your major gift work — second-guessing your proposals, over-preparing for donor meetings, or trying to sound more “professional” than you feel?
You’re not alone — and you’re not broken. You’re just operating with some mindsets that a lot of fundraisers are carrying around.
In this episode, Mary unpacks the three most common mindset traps holding fundraisers back from raising transformational gifts — and gives you the tools to flip each one into confidence, connection, and action.
🎯 Mindset #1: “I Have to Be Perfect to Be Taken Seriously”
- Why donors don’t want a polished pitch — they want you.
- How to shift from performance to presence.
- The #1 reframe that turns pressure into connection.
🚀 Mindset #2: “I’ll Send the Proposal Once It’s Perfect”
- How perfectionism delays gifts (and drains your energy).
- Why done is better than perfect — especially in proposals.
- A new way to think about proposals that frees you up to just send it.
💥 Mindset #3: “I Need to Be Someone Else to Connect with Donors”
- Why being your real, sometimes awkward self is your secret weapon.
- How “sticky trust” gets built in donor conversations.
- A story about how humor (yep, even that) can unlock major gifts.
🎉 Wrap-Up:
Pick ONE mindset to shift today. Then check out Major Donor Meeting Mastery — Mary’s game-changing training for fundraisers who are ready to land the meeting, build trust, and close big gifts (without feeling fake or salesy).
Links & Resources:
Let’s Stay Connected:
- Instagram: @heyfundraiser
- LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
🪑 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: ...