People often ask me, how do you create a better experience for major donors? What first I think it's important to define what you see as a major donation within your organization, and develop protocols to recognize and acknowledge donors who make gifts at that level. And once the donor does make a gift at that level, continue to acknowledge every donation they make your organization as if they've made a major donation. It's also important to create communities around major gifts, that could include the donors to a specific building getting together on regular anniversaries to celebrate the accomplishments of the facility, donors to endowments supporting a specific area getting together to celebrate the recipients of that support, or Donors to unrestricted receiving regular updates on major challenges facing the Institution - some which may or may not be front-page news. This level of intimacy is critical in order for donors feel part of something larger, more than just a ...