In Nonprofit Fundraising, the right tools can help you land a $250K gift

Image of a nonprofit leader showing a potential donor a gift chart on their laptop and having a conversation about their financial needs

The other day I saw a post that read something like...“A glossy deck or gift chart doesn't get major donors to give more money.” Do I agree with that statement?
 

Ummm…only, somewhat. Here’s why:

 

In the nonprofit world, so many fundraisers kinda found themselves in fundraising.

 

You know, they came up through the program side, moved over from corporate, or were really good at writing grants and found themselves leading the department. That’s cool.

 

This is actually why I suggest many of my fundraisers use decks and gift charts. 

 

And, to be honest, my clients who use them CORRECTLY to facilitate a warm, relational conversation 10X their gifts. They simply have better results.

 

Proof here:

Image of a nonprofit leader's email to Sherry Quam Taylor showing success in asking a donor for a gift using a gift chart

Why?

✅Well, often leaders are experts at something other than fundraising. 

✅So, despite knowing everything about the mission, they need help smoothly transitioning into the solicitation.

✅ In essence, they need a crutch leading donors through investment-level conversations.

✅ When my fundraisers learn how to use tools as simple prompts in donor conversations, they build their confidence (and the relationship).

✅ With confidence they naturally pivot into wealth conversations and stop leaving money on the table using my customized gift charts.

✅ Then 5-figure donors become 6-figure . . . and 6- become 7-figure donors.

 

So, glossy graphics get major donors to give more money? NO.

 

Do confidence-building tools that assist fundraisers through investment-level conversations and concrete solicitations lead to more money? YES.

 

How about you? What's a tool you use every week that makes you more confident?


Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:

👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share insider info daily — the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and diversifying revenue. 

🍎 Grab FREE Guides + White Papersdownload robust resources you can use to push against the sector’s misconceptions, equip your board, and shift your team into High-ROI fundraising.

📈 Work with me to diversify revenue & secure the gen-ops gifts you need to grow. If you’re a business-minded nonprofit CEO with big growth plans but need to make charitable revenue from investment-level donors a bigger part of your budget, you can apply to work with me here.

Sherry Quam Taylor

Sherry Quam Taylor works with business-minded Nonprofit CEOs whose Strategic Plans require expansive budgets and larger amounts of general-operating revenue for growth. To become investment-level ready, Sherry helps leaders see their revenue potential and helps them see what may be blocking donors from giving in this way. Sherry’s clients know how to attract larger donors by solving the funding challenges at the root of the issue.

As a result of learning her methodology, Sherry’s clients become sustainable, diversify revenue, and know how to add significant amounts gen-ops revenue to their budgets. But mostly, their development departments and board have transformed into high-ROI revenue generators – aligning their hours with relational dollars and set free from the limitations of transactional fundraising.

Sherry attributes the success of her business to her passion for modeling radical confidence to the future CEOs in her house - her two college-aged daughters.

https://www.QuamTaylor.com
Next
Next

Co-Host Spot on The Nonprofit Show Podcast: Sherry’s Top Trends for 2025