Author: Seize The Weekday

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.

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.

Good intuition is one of the most important (and least talked about) traits of a great major gift fundraiser.

Fundraisers with strong intuition can walk out of a first meeting and immediately sense, “This person is going to be a great partner for our organization.” They know which prospects are worth their time and which ones they should let go.

But when intuition is missing, it shows. These are the fundraisers who work hard, schedule lots of visits, stay “busy”… yet struggle to close meaningful gifts. They’re putting in the effort but not seeing the results.

As a manager, you can help sharpen that intuition by introducing structure into the process.

Step 1: Rate Every Prospect After Each Qualification Visit

After every qualification meeting, have your fundraiser quickly score the prospect on a 1–5 scale across four key factors:

• Affinity: Do they show genuine interest or connection to our organization?
• Capacity: Are there signs of wealth, business success, or a lifestyle that indicates giving potential?
• Access: Do we have a realistic path to build engagement and trust?
• Readiness: Are they in a life stage where giving is feasible now or is this more of a long-term cultivation?

This quick exercise forces pattern recognition. Over time, fundraisers start to notice what real potential looks like.

Step 2: Ask Reflective Questions

After each visit, go deeper with a few simple questions:

• “What signals made you think this person might give?”
• “What signs did you see that they aren’t ready yet?”

These questions teach fundraisers to analyze subtle cues in the conversation and turn intuition into a learned skill.

Step 3: Audit the Current Portfolio

For prospects already in her portfolio, walk through the list together and identify those who:

• Never respond to multiple outreach attempts
• Consistently avoid or deflect giving conversations

Then ask:

“What evidence do you have that this will move forward?”

If the answer is weak, it’s time to move on. Clearing space for real opportunities is one of the most productive habits in major gifts.

Step 4: Use a Documented Checklist

To make this approach stick, create a simple one-page checklist. Over time, it will become second nature, helping them assess prospects with sharper instincts and better focus.

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Fundraising intuition is the product of consistent reflection, smart evaluation, and the willingness to let go of bad prospects. When you help your team build that skill, they stop chasing “maybe” and start closing “yes.”

The most successful fundraising efforts don’t just come from advancement offices, they come from strong partnerships between college leadership and advancement teams. When deans, directors, and academic leaders see philanthropy as part of their role, everything changes.

Here are the best practices we’ve seen from university leaders who consistently help their colleges raise more money, build stronger donor relationships, and create lasting impact.

1. Include Advancement in Leadership Meetings

The advancement officer isn’t just an occasional guest, they’re part of the dean’s leadership team. When advancement is at the table for regular meetings, they stay in the loop on college priorities, emerging initiatives, and key challenges. That awareness translates directly into more strategic donor conversations.

2. Be Willing to Travel and Champion Philanthropy

Top deans understand that philanthropy fuels everything from scholarships to faculty research. They make time to travel with advancement, meet with donors, and share the college’s story firsthand. Their presence signals to donors that giving is essential, not optional.

3. Speak Clearly About Fundraising Priorities

Great academic leaders can articulate their college’s top funding priorities in plain, compelling language. They keep students at the center of the story, showing how philanthropy changes lives, drives innovation, and strengthens the university’s mission.

4. Support Donor Engagement in All Formats

Whether it’s a Zoom call, an in-person visit, or a quick phone conversation, these leaders show up. They understand that every touchpoint matters, and their willingness to participate helps close the gap between interest and commitment.

5. Help Maintain Donor Relationships Between Big Moments

After a big meeting or event, great leaders stay engaged. They collaborate with advancement on personalized follow-up messages, send meaningful email updates, and keep donors connected to the ongoing story of the college.

6. Share New Prospect Leads and Collaborate on Strategy

When they meet someone who might be a good fit, they pass the name along. They don’t just hand it off, they talk through the right engagement strategy, helping advancement build real relationships with new prospects.

7. Use LinkedIn to Highlight the College and Its Impact

Leaders who post about students, faculty, and donor impact are often surprised by what happens next. New donor leads appear in the comments. Authentic storytelling online builds visibility and credibility in ways that traditional outreach can’t.

8. Make the Most of Their Advisory Boards

Advisory Board members are incredible assets when used well. Strong deans lead engaging meetings that encourage participation, spark discussion, and inspire members to use their time, talent, and treasure in meaningful ways.

9. Give Honest Feedback to Help Advancement Improve

When something in advancement isn’t working, effective leaders speak up. They share constructive feedback that helps the team adjust quickly and refine their approach because everyone’s goal is the same: to move the mission forward.

10. Share How Annual Funds Are Used

They don’t let unrestricted or annual support fade into the background. They communicate how those dollars make an immediate difference for students and thus reinforcing the impact of consistent giving and stewardship.

11. Encourage Faculty to Engage with Advancement

Faculty are some of the best ambassadors a college has. Great leaders actively encourage department chairs and faculty to partner with advancement so they meet donors, share their research, and help make the case for support.

12. Celebrate Gifts Publicly and Personally

They never let a gift go unnoticed. Whether it’s a social post or a college event, they celebrate gifts in ways that make donors feel deeply appreciated and inspire others to give.

13. Take Stewardship Seriously

Finally, they follow through. They make sure gifts are used as intended, and they personally thank donors in addition to formal acknowledgments from the advancement office.

When college leadership and advancement work hand in hand, fundraising gets taken o the next level.

We just wrapped a round of board meetings, and I walked away encouraged by what worked and some areas we can improve on Here are the big takeaways:

What Worked Well

Pre-Read Materials
Sending members pre-read materials (and even a few guiding questions) was a game-changer. People showed up ready to dive in and the conversations were more focused and productive.

Student Presentations
Hands down, the highlight of every meeting was the student presentations. Whether they were sharing their research or talking about a organization they lead, the impact on the board members was evident. And when students highlighted projects funded by gifts, it was a great moment of stewardship as members saw their support in action.

SWOT-Style Discussions
When we framed conversations around “what the college needs to do to remain relevant and excel,” members leaned in. These strategic, forward-looking discussions invited members to share insights we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

Advancement Updates with a Call to Action
Updates that paired recent gifts with compelling stories resonated. When we asked for help, like sharing their contacts at target companies, members appreciated having a concrete way to contribute.

Where We Can Improve

Attendance Challenges
Last-minute cancellations hurt. Going forward, we need to identify key members early, secure their commitment well in advance, and think about having these members present at the meeting and anchoring meetings around high-value events on campus (career fairs, student showcases, etc.) to make it worth the trip.

Dean’s Updates
While informative, some updates ran long or covered old information. Members want fresh insights, what’s new, what’s changing, and where they can get involved. It’s a reminder that less is often more.

Conclusion

The most successful council meetings are the ones where members come prepared, hear directly from students, and walk away with specific ways to help. If we keep leaning into those elements, we’ll only strengthen engagement moving forward.