From the day a major gift prospect is identified through a verified wealth screening, it can take up to 18 months to close a new, substantial gift. While the definition of a major gift varies from organization to organization, there is no shortcut for that cycle of one and a half years of hard work.

It’s important that fundraisers maintain a balanced, prioritized portfolio of prospects that are in each phase of the cycle:

• Identification: Establish how many leads are required to meet your goal. Typically, we find that more established nonprofit clients require 3-4 times the number of prospects as the gifts they hope to close.
• Cultivation: During this phase, portfolios are balanced realistically.
• Solicitation: Identify which gifts are closest to closing—usually 1-2 quarters out.
• Stewardship: For gifts that have been closed, relationships must still be maintained.

CPR helps our clients verify, accelerate and close.