Every fundraiser knows this prospect. They love your mission, they love your university, and they genuinely want to make a big gift. But then they tell you “When my company sells or goes public, that’s when I’ll make the big gift.”
Great. But what do you do in the meantime?
You play the long game and you play it smart.
1. Help Their Company Win
Universities have massive value to offer growing companies, and most founders have no idea how much is available to them.
Internships and co-ops. Recruiting pipelines. Faculty expertise. Joint research. Student projects. Labs. Product testing. Entrepreneurship centers.
Figure out what their company needs and plug them into the right people. When you help their company succeed, you’re building real goodwill that founders remember when their big liquidation happens.
2. Celebrate Their Milestones
Track the journey of their company: funding rounds, hires, product launches, awards. Reach out when something good happens. Celebrate without making it about yourself or the gift.
One of my prospects hit the coveted billion-dollar unicorn valuation. I mailed him a giant stuffed unicorn.
3. Get Them in the Annual Fund
Just because they’re waiting on the big liquidity moment doesn’t mean they can’t give now.
Invite them into your annual leadership giving society. Get them in the rhythm of giving. Show them what great stewardship looks like and that your institution does good things with their dollars.
4. Start the Big-Gift Conversation Early
Start talking to them about the big gift as soon as possible.
Ask questions like:
“When the company sells, what kind of impact would you want to have here?”
“What would be meaningful for you to invest in?”
You can not wait until their liquidy event to talk about the big gift. By that time, they will have already committed the money elsewhere.
You may even be able to quietly document a future pledge. They might not want anything public until the sale or IPO and that’s fine, but at least you’re aligned.
5. Be Ready When the Moment Comes
Here’s the truth: once their company sells, every wealth manager, nonprofit, advisor, board member, and distant cousin comes out of the woodwork.
The fundraiser who wins is the fundraiser who was there all along. Have the proper proposal and gift agreement ready to go.
Your job is to stay close. Be helpful. Be consistent. Be the person they already trust when the big moment comes. Because if you’ve done this right, when liquidity day hits, you’re not chasing them.
Forward Fundraisers 