I recently wanted to take a look at if closing speed had an effect on fundraising success. By closing speed, I mean how long between when an ask is made and when the gift is closed. So I analyzed all the proposals on my team that were: approved gifts, declined gifts, and every open “asked” proposals still in play. The results surprised me.
Closing fast does not equal fundraising success.
Fast closers don’t close more gifts, don’t raise more, and don’t land bigger gifts. Why? Because timeline is driven by gift size and how complex the gift is, not the fundraiser.
Small gifts can close in a week. But $50K+ gifts with multiple aspects to them? Those naturally take longer and that’s normal.
The real issue isn’t slow closes. It’s the stale proposals sitting in “Asked” for 6–60 months with no movement. Those are the proposals that drain a portfolio, hide opportunity, and make pipelines look stronger than they really are.
The fundraisers who consistently perform aren’t the fastest, they’re the ones who do the following:
1. Ask More
Fundraisers who ask more… close more. That is why I like to track “asks per visit” on my team.
2. Clean Up Proposals
Closing out stale proposals frees up time to do the real work that will close gifts. Get rid of the dead weight proposals that are not moving!
3. Clear, timely follow-up
The smaller gifts move when we stay on top of them. The major gifts move when we stay committed to them. So move the smaller gifts quickly and stay patient and strategic on the major gifts
In conclusion, it’s not about speed. It’s about the discipline to clean up stale proposals and most importantly MAKING LOTS OF ASKS!!!!!! I would recommend having a “Proposal Purge” week with your team. Send out all the proposals that have been open for over six months and ask your team to either get rid of them or try one last effort to close the gift.
Forward Fundraisers 