Math for fundraisers

You Can’t Rush Commitment (Even If You Need the Gift)

There’s a moment I see often with major gift fundraisers and nonprofit leaders. 

A campaign is underway. Goals are ambitious. There’s pressure — internal, external, sometimes both — to move gifts forward more quickly. And the question, spoken or unspoken, is this:

“How do we get this donor to the next level?”

It’s a fair question. But it’s often the wrong starting point.

Years ago, during my time working on a large campaign at a university, a colleague shared a simple framework that has stayed with me ever since. It was their way of helping non-fundraising staff understand how major gifts actually come together.

It looked like this:

(Knowledge + Engagement) × Time = Commitment
Commitment + Capacity = Gift

At the time, I appreciated it.

Now, after years of working closely with major gift fundraisers and donors, I understand just how true it is.

What builds a donor’s commitment

Let’s start with the first equation.

Knowledge is what a donor comes to understand about your work—your mission, your impact, the difference you’re making in the world. 

Not in a surface-level way. But in a way that feels real, relevant, and meaningful to them.

Engagement is how we, as fundraisers and leaders, invite the donor into relationship with that work. It’s the conversations we have. The stories we share. The moments where a donor feels seen, included, and connected. 

This is where connection-based fundraising lives.

And then there is Time.

Time is the part we are most tempted to compress.

But time is what allows knowledge to deepen and engagement to become meaningful. It’s what allows a donor to move from interest… to belief… to ownership.

When you put these together, you begin to see something important:

Commitment isn’t created in a single meeting. It’s built over time, through consistent, thoughtful connection.

Why some donors stall

When a donor isn’t moving forward, it’s rarely random. It’s usually one of these:

• They don’t yet have enough knowledge to fully understand the opportunity
• They haven’t experienced meaningful engagement that connects them to the work
• Or there simply hasn’t been enough time for the relationship to develop

And sometimes, it’s a combination of all three.

This is why the “quick transaction” approach so often falls short, especially in major gifts.

You might secure a gift. But you won’t build lasting commitment.

The second equation (and where we often jump too fast)

The second equation is straightforward:

Commitment + Capacity = Gift

Most organizations are very focused on capacity.

We run wealth screenings. We analyze data. We try to determine who can give.

But capacity without commitment rarely leads to a meaningful gift.

And yet, this is where many teams jump too quickly—moving toward the ask before the foundation of commitment is truly in place.

When commitment is strong, the gift conversation feels natural. When it’s not, the ask can feel forced — for both the fundraiser and the donor.

A simple check for your own work

As you think about your current portfolio or campaign, it may be helpful to pause and ask:

• Have I helped this donor gain meaningful knowledge about our work — not just information, but understanding that matters to them?
• Have I created opportunities for engagement that feel personal and relevant?
• Have I allowed enough time for this relationship to grow?

These are not always easy questions—especially when there is pressure to produce results.

But they are honest ones.

The takeaway

Donor behavior isn’t haphazard. Gifts don’t appear out of nowhere. There is a rhythm to how commitment is built—and when we understand that rhythm, we can work with it rather than against it.

You can’t rush commitment.

But you can be intentional about how you build it.

And when knowledge, engagement, and time come together in the right way, the resulting gift often feels less like a transaction—and more like a natural next step in a meaningful relationship.