Year-end Major Gifts: Less Frenzy, More Focus

Who Are You Actually Planning to Ask?

You don't need to do everything before December 31. You need to discern which relationships need greater attention right now, and what meaningful progress looks like for each one.

Even if a donor in your major gift portfolio typically gives in December, don't assume that this year's gift is a sure thing.

I've seen this happen with major gift fundraisers: We have donors who give faithfully every year, so we stop "worrying" about them giving again. We turn our attention to new prospects or the donors who need additional cultivation.

And without meaning to, we start taking our most loyal supporters for granted.

We've stopped creating opportunities for connection. We've stopped sharing the impact of their giving. And sometimes, those donors begin to feel disconnected from the very organization they've supported for years.

Just because someone gives every year doesn't mean you ought to stop investing in the relationship.

I would encourage you to set aside a few hours this week to really look at your portfolio. This intentional pause will help you shepherd your energy and attention toward the relationships that need them most.

If your fiscal year begins in January, you may have already closed many of your major gifts. Hooray! But you probably still have that cohort of donors who typically give toward year-end in November and December.

Knowing those gifts usually come in can be a blessing AND a trap.

Let's look at four groups of donors and prospects who need your attention right now

1. The Year-Enders

Start with the donors who typically make their gifts in November and December.

Have you been in conversation with them throughout the year? Or, like many major gift fundraisers, have you had so much on your plate that you've been playing catch-up since Labour Day?

Here are the questions I'd ask as I review each donor.

When do they typically give?

Over my career, I've had many donors who sit down to consider their charitable giving in the second half of the year, or even the final quarter.

But not everyone follows that calendar. Some donors make giving decisions at completely different times, and others don't have a regular giving schedule at all.

Knowing a donor's giving pattern is helpful. Assuming that pattern will never change? Not so much.

When was the last REAL conversation?

And I don't mean the organization's latest email blast.

I'm talking about a meeting, a meaningful exchange of emails or texts, a phone call, or a virtual conversation. If you haven't had a meaningful exchange since before September, I'd encourage you to reach out NOW.

Donors can often sense when months of silence are suddenly followed by a chatty email asking for a meeting. Especially when it's the first personal outreach they've received all year, and they suspect an Ask is coming next.

Instead, reconnect with something meaningful. Share a tangible example of how their previous generosity has gone to work. Perhaps their gift has changed lives, strengthened their community, preserved nature, or made something possible that otherwise wouldn't have happened.

Make it personal. Make it relevant to what they care about. Make it about their partnership.

What's the next Ask? How likely is it to happen this year? This is where I want you to get practical.

What Ask amount are you considering? Does it need to be adjusted based on what you've learned? Is a meeting already scheduled? What still needs to happen?

What is the likelihood of the gift arriving? At this time of year, I've often estimated the likelihood of receiving a gift using four simple percentages: 0%, 25%, 50%, or 75%.

For example:

These aren't scientific predictions. They're a way to be realistic about your opportunities and where you need to focus your attention. They can also help your fundraising team develop a more realistic picture of what may come in before the end of the quarter, and where additional attention might make a difference.

And notice that neither gift is considered 100% certain. Until you've received a commitment, there is still work to do.

2. The Prospects

Now turn your attention to the prospects in your portfolio.

Here's where the A-B-C approach can help you evaluate which relationships have the greatest potential.

• Access: Can you connect with this person? Do you have a relationship, or someone who can help open the door?
• Belief: Do they have a connection to your mission? Do their interests and values align with the work you're doing?
• Capacity: Do they have the demonstrated interest in making charitable gifts? Do they have the financial ability to make a significant gift? 

You need strength in at least two of these areas to begin prioritizing a prospective donor. And I always place greater weight on Affinity (Access + Belief) than on financial capacity.

Every. Single. Time. 

Read more about my thoughts: Affinity Eats Capacity for Breakfast

Hopefully, you've already begun building connections with these prospects. Perhaps you've met through an introduction, an event, a mutual acquaintance, or because they've supported your organization in the past.

What do you actually know about them?

Where do their values intersect with your mission? What have you learned about their interests? Have you or others in your organization invested time in building a genuine connection?

And most importantly, has the relationship progressed to the point where an Ask makes sense?

If you're making your first contact with a prospect in November and hoping to ask them for a major gift in December, I'd encourage you to reconsider.

That sounds a lot more transactional than relational.

Rather than trying to squeeze an Ask into the final weeks of 2026, perhaps this is someone you should be getting to know with an eye toward 2027.

Ask yourself what's missing. Do you need better access? A deeper understanding of their belief in your mission? More information about their capacity?

Then identify a realistic next step.

For example:

Not every prospect needs to be asked before December 31. Building a meaningful connection takes time. But don't automatically assume that someone you've only recently met isn't interested in making a gift this year, either! They may already be considering their year-end giving.

Learn about their affinity for your organization, understand their capacity, and work with the people who can help strengthen that connection.

Let what you learn guide the timing of your Ask.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do at year-end is lay the groundwork for a significant gift next year.

3. The Lapsed and Out-of-Touch

Now let's look at the donors you haven't heard from in a while.

I'm thinking about people who typically give regularly and gave in 2025 or earlier but haven't made their usual gift this year. Or someone whose giving pattern has changed and you aren't clear about why.

• When was your last meaningful contact? Three months ago? Six months? Or has it been more like twelve to twenty-four months? 
• Have you reached out several times without a response? Do you know what's going on in their lives?

Before making assumptions, do a little homework.

• What do you know about their affinity for your organization? Have you had the conversations or were they documented by a colleague or board member? Who has the strongest connection to this person or family?
• What do you know about their situation, either personal or business? Look at your previous conversations. Check for recent news or public updates. Perhaps they've started a new business, retired, moved, or entered a different chapter of life. 
  I've known donors who were caring for a seriously ill family member, navigating big changes at work, or simply overwhelmed with new chapters opening or closing in their lives.

• Sometimes charitable giving moves down the priority list. That doesn't mean the donor has lost interest in your organization. But you won't know until you try to reconnect.

And don't send another email that says, "Just checking in." Your goal is to reopen the conversation, not immediately recover a missed gift.

Give them a reason to wish to reconnect. Remind them of something meaningful from their past support. Share news about a program they care about. Or simply reach out personally to ask how they're doing.

"Are you keeping well?" 

"We missed you at the recent members' opening." 

Or "How has your fall been shaping up? I'd love to share some news about the program you supported two years ago. So much has happened!"

These can be a much warmer openings than a generic "Just checking in," especially when you already have an established relationship.

Remember: a donor who hasn't given recently isn't automatically ready for an Ask just because your year-end goal is approaching.

4. The First Half of 2027 Givers

While you're focused on closing year-end gifts, don't forget about the donors who typically give in the first or second quarter of the year. It can be easy to focus on only the gifts through December 31 and not keep your eyes on who is on the horizon.

In fact, your organization's fiscal year may end on March 31 or June 30, or even September 30 rather than December 31.

These January to June donors and prospects need some of your attention, too. And the last thing you want is to arrive in January and realize you've spent so much time focused on securing December gifts that you've neglected the relationships that will be important in the months ahead.

During this portfolio update, ask yourself:  Who typically gives between January and June? Which prospects might be ready for an Ask during that period?

And then for each person or household:

• When was our last meaningful conversation? Have you been nurturing the relationship, or has your attention shifted entirely to year-end giving?

• What's the most effective next step? Is there an opportunity for a visit, a conversation about their interests, or an introduction to someone in your organization?

• What needs to happen before an Ask? Are there questions you still need to explore? Information to share? People to bring into the conversation?

• Are you able to get something on the calendar now? January and February can fill up quickly for supporters who may be headed to warmer climes or vacations after the year-end holiday season. Why not begin teeing up or scheduling those conversations before January?

I'm not suggesting you add another twenty donor meetings to an already busy November or December. I AM encouraging you to look beyond the immediate year-end deadline.

Perhaps you need to send a thoughtful update to a donor who typically gives in February. Maybe it's time to arrange a January visit with a prospect you've been getting to know. Or perhaps you simply need to make sure your next steps are documented and scheduled.

The relationships that will lead to gifts in March or June need attention before March or June. Your major gift portfolio doesn't operate on a single calendar. Neither should your relationship-building efforts.

And remember, being intentional about your time doesn't mean giving every donor the same amount of attention. It means understanding where each relationship stands and what meaningful progress looks like for that person.

Get Those December Visits Scheduled!

Once you've reviewed those four groups, it's time to take action.

If you want to meet with someone in early December, reach out NOW. Offer a couple of specific dates. I typically offered two options: one the following week and another early the week after.

And here's something that made my life easier: I blocked out two-to-four-hour stretches on my calendar, several times a week, specifically for donor meetings. That way, when someone was available, I already had time set aside for them. I wasn't scrambling to rearrange internal meetings or figure out how to squeeze in another visit.

Make it easy for your donors to say yes to a conversation. And make sure you've created the space to have it.

And don't wait until the week December 1 to discover that your executive director is going to be out of town when you need them for an important donor meeting! Coordinate schedules and activities for key prospects and donors this week. If you're bringing your CEO, a program leader, or a board member into a donor conversation, prepare them in advance.

They should know who the donor is, what matters to them, what you've discussed previously, and what you're hoping to accomplish together. I've seen fundraisers put tremendous effort into securing a donor meeting, only to spend much of the visit getting their own colleagues up to speed.

What a missed opportunity!

Donor-facing time is precious. Use it well.

And here's something else I'd encourage you to consider at this time of year. Can some internal meetings wait?

I know there are reports to write, planning sessions to attend, and a thousand things happening inside your organization. But this is also the time to right-size your efforts.

Focus on your current supporters. Rebuild momentum in relationships that may have stalled. And protect time on your calendar for the conversations that will move your major gifts program forward.

The funds you're raising are what help make your organization's mission possible.

Don't let internal busyness keep you away from the people who make that work possible.

Before Thanksgiving, Say Thank You

For my American readers, while you're arranging those year-end conversations, here's one more thing I'd love you to do.

Thank your donors. Not with another appeal tucked into the bottom of the message. Not with a reminder that December 31 is approaching.

Just thank them.

Call them. Write a personal note. Tell them something specific their generosity helped accomplish.

And if someone has been giving faithfully for ten or fifteen years, acknowledge that loyalty! Don't treat a long-standing relationship as ordinary simply because it's familiar to you.

A thoughtful thank-you doesn't have to be long or elaborate. But it should sound like it came from someone who actually knows the donor.

Your assignment this week, should you choose to accept it...

By Friday, November 13, I encourage you to have three things underway:

1. Review your portfolio. Identify your Year-Enders, Prospects, Lapsed and First Half of 2027 donors. Be realistic about which relationships are ready for an Ask and which need more attention.
2. Get conversations on the calendar. Request or schedule your priority November and December visits, and identify the next meaningful step for each relationship.
3. Reach out with gratitude. Make sure your most important supporters know that their generosity and their relationship with your organization matter.

You may not have every answer. That's fine. But you should know what you need to do next.

December is going to be busy enough. Let's not make it harder by waiting until December to start preparing.

 The Year-End Major Gifts Series | Part 1 of 6

Coming next: Part 2 — Giving Tuesday Is Coming. Don't Let It Derail Your Major Gift Strategy.

How to keep your major gift relationships moving forward when the rest of the organization is focused on a one-day campaign.

Q. How should I prioritize my major gift portfolio before year-end?

A: Start by reviewing four groups: donors who typically give in November and December, prospects you're cultivating toward a major gift, lapsed or out-of-touch donors, and those who usually give in the first half of the following year.

For each relationship, consider when you last had a meaningful conversation, what you know about the donor's interests and motivations, and whether they're ready for an Ask.

I use the ABC evaluation: Access, Belief, and Capacity to help assess major gift prospects. And I always place greater weight on affinity (Access + Belief) than financial capacity alone.

The goal isn't to ask everyone for a gift before December 31. It's to discern which relationships need greater attention now and identify a meaningful next step for each one.

Q. How can major gift fundraisers avoid the year-end fundraising frenzy?

A: Be intentional about how you spend your time, especially in November and December.

Review your portfolio early, assess which gifts may realistically close before year-end, and schedule important donor conversations before holiday calendars fill up.

I encourage fundraisers to block out two-to-four-hour stretches specifically for donor-facing work, several times a week. Coordinate with your CEO, board members, or other colleagues who may be involved in donor meetings, and prepare them in advance.

And don't let your focus on December 31 cause you to neglect donors who typically give in January through June.

Major gift fundraising isn't about squeezing every relationship into the same deadline. It's about making thoughtful decisions that respect each donor's interests, readiness, and giving patterns.