When it comes to major gift fundraising, relationships are everything. That’s where Moves Management comes in. It’s not just a method for asking for donations—it’s a process for building and nurturing long-term relationships with donors.
Moves Management helps nonprofits strategically guide supporters from identifying to stewardship, ensuring that each interaction strengthens the connection. By carefully tracking these steps, often in a CRM, organizations can maximize their fundraising efforts while fostering deeper relationships.
In this blog, we’ll explore how Moves Management works, its importance in major gift fundraising, and tips for refining your approach to keep donors engaged.
Table of Contents
- What is Moves Management?
- The Moves Management Process
- Common challenges and simple solutions
- Moves Management best practices
- Conclusion
What is Moves Management?
In nonprofit fundraising, particularly when it comes to major donors, success is often about building strong, meaningful relationships. To build those relationships, nonprofits often use moves management. Moves Management is a systematic approach to cultivating relationships.
Moves management is a systematic approach to cultivating relationships.
At its core, moves management is about managing the journey of a potential donor, or "prospect”, by strategically planning and executing a series of interactions or "moves”. These moves often include personalized emails, event invites, one-on-one meetings, or thoughtful phone calls—each designed to deepen the prospect's connection to the organization, align their philanthropic goals with the nonprofit's mission, and ultimately lead to a significant, often transformational, donation.
Why does it matter?
The main goal of Moves Management is to form meaningful, lasting relationships with individuals who are both passionate about your mission and capable of making major gifts. It’s about showing value, highlighting the real impact of your work, and deeply involving donors in your cause. When donors feel personally connected and appreciated, they’re more likely to give transformational gifts that support your mission in a meaningful way.
All donors, whether they realize it or not, are silently asking these questions before making a gift to a nonprofit. With moves management, you can help guide them to the answers.
3 Key Questions Donors are Silently Asking:
- Can I trust you?
Trust is everything in a donor relationship. They need to feel confident that their gift will be used responsibly and that your organization is transparent, honest, and capable of delivering on its promises. - Do you care about me, or just my money?
Donors want to feel like partners, not just ATM machines. They need to see that you value them as people and care about their passions and interests—not just their financial contributions. - Am I making a real impact?
Donors want to know that their gifts are making a difference. They ask themselves, "Is my support truly helping? Why does this cause need me?" It’s important to show them how their contribution is creating tangible change and why it aligns with their personal values.
How is Moves Management different from other fundraising strategies?
Unlike broad fundraising appeals aimed at many people at once, Moves Management is a highly personalized approach. Nonprofits focus on a smaller group of high-potential donors. While mass appeals seek many small gifts, Moves Management is all about cultivating fewer, larger donations through customized engagement and relationship-building.
The Moves Management Process
The moves management process typically involves several key stages:
Identify potential major donors
The first step in Moves Management is figuring out who has both the financial ability and a genuine passion for your cause. This means doing some research, taking a closer look at your current donors, and exploring new connections in your community.
What is prospect research and why it’s important
Prospect research is the process of gathering and analyzing information about potential donors to determine their ability and likelihood to give to your organization. Look into factors like a person's wealth, property ownership, past charitable giving, personal connections, and interests.
Prospect research is key because it doesn’t just help you find potential major donors—it gives you a better understanding of who they are. This research helps you identify major donor prospects and tailor your approach to each specific donor. By understanding a donor’s background, nonprofits can make more informed asks and build stronger, long-term relationships with supporters.
How to identify potential major donors
To identify major donors, start by checking your donor database for people who have donated larger amounts or consistently supported your organization with recurring gifts.
Use wealth screening and prospecting tools to find donors who’ve given to similar causes, and learn more about their wealth, and connections.
Also, don’t forget the power of networking within your community. Keep an eye on social media, community events, and partnerships, which can introduce you to new donor opportunities. It’s a great way to find new prospects who align with your mission.
Qualify major donor potential
While identifying is about spotting people who might be able to give, qualifying is about figuring out if they’re really a good fit for your major gift program. To put it simply, not everyone you identify will turn into a major donor, so qualifying helps you zero in on the right ones.
What does qualifying mean?
Qualifying is all about taking a closer look at the donors you’ve identified. It’s not just about their financial ability, but also about their interest in your cause, their involvement with your organization, and how likely they are to make a big donation. Basically, it helps you focus your energy on the donors who are most likely to give at a major level.
What to look for when qualifying donors
When you're qualifying donors, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Financial capacity: Do they have the resources to make a big gift?
- Philanthropic interests: Are they passionate about causes like yours?
- Engagement: How connected are they to your organization? Have they come to events, volunteered, or donated in the past?
- Readiness: Are they in a position to give now, or do they need more time and nurturing?
By checking these boxes, you can make sure you're focusing your efforts on the people most likely to make a significant contribution.
Cultivate relationships with prospects
After identifying and qualifying potential major donors, the next key step is cultivation. This is all about building a genuine relationship with your prospects and helping them feel connected to your organization’s mission and values. It’s about personalized communication and engagement to earn their trust and show them the impact their future support could have.
To build deep, lasting, and impactful relationships with your donors, your answers to the three questions from before need to be genuine:
- Can I trust you?
- Do you care about me, or just my money?
- Am I making a real impact?
Imagine meeting with a donor solely to build a deeper connection. You spend time getting to know each other and share stories about yourself and your nonprofit. You intentionally avoid making an ask during the meeting. But afterward, if you follow up in a way that feels insincere—suddenly turning the conversation into a pitch—you risk breaking trust.
The role of cultivation in Moves Management
During my time fundraising, I saw this happen too often. Fundraisers would have a great initial meeting with potential donors, but their follow-up would be a phone call or a second meeting focused solely on making an ask. This approach feels misleading. It's crucial to be transparent that fundraising is part of your role from the start.
Cultivation is all about laying the foundation for a long-term partnership. It’s a time to listen to what the prospect values and understand what motivates them. It’s also a time to help them know who you are and what you stand for. This step is essential because it builds the trust and connection needed for a successful major gift ask down the road.
Making a connection with your donors
But by investing time in cultivation, you're doing more than just moving prospects closer to making a major gift—you’re creating lasting relationships. These relationships can lead to ongoing support, positioning donors as part of your organization’s inner circle, where they feel valued, informed, and inspired to give.
I remember meeting with someone who was well-known for his generosity and had supported similar causes in the past. I was honest with him—I was in the middle of a big fundraising effort. We spent time talking, connecting over shared passions, and exchanging stories.
By the end of our meeting, it didn’t feel like the right time to make an ask, but I made it clear that I’d follow up in the future if something I was working on aligned with his interests. We stayed in touch, and a few months later, a specific part of our project perfectly matched what we had discussed.
At that point, I made the ask. And, he decided to give! But the ask was about more than just financial giving. Because he had experience and was passionate about this specific cause, I was able to get his thoughts and perspective. He ended up weighing in on decisions and helping us make better choices for the organization.
This is the goal of cultivation - it’s building relationships, knowing your potential donors, and helping them see how they are an important piece of the puzzle that is your organization’s success.
Cultivation strategies
To effectively cultivate major donors, you need to create personalized, meaningful interactions.
Here are a few strategies to help build strong relationships:
- Personalized communications: Send tailored emails, text messages, handwritten notes, or make phone calls that acknowledge their past support or involvement. Keep them in the loop with updates on your latest successes or projects they might be interested in.
- Special invitations: Invite prospects to exclusive events like galas, behind-the-scenes tours, or small gatherings where they can see the impact of your work up close and meet your leadership or the people you serve.
- One-on-one meetings: Set up personal meetings with your organization's leaders or program staff to talk about your future goals and how their support can help you reach them.
- Impact stories: Share stories that show the real-world difference your organization is making, especially ones that align with the donor’s interests. This helps them feel personally connected to your mission.
- Volunteer or leadership roles: Offer them opportunities to get involved, either through volunteering or taking on an advisory role. This makes them feel like an active partner in your success.
Solicit - Making the personalized ask
After building a strong relationship with your prospect, the next step is asking for a donation. This is a big moment in Moves Management, and it should be carefully planned to match the donor's interests, past giving, and ability to contribute.
How to make a personalized ask
A successful ask is all about making it personal and meaningful to the donor. Think about everything you’ve learned during the cultivation stage—what causes they’re passionate about, what impact matters to them, and how much they’re likely to give. Your ask should reflect that understanding, so it feels genuine and customized just for them.
For example, if the donor has shown interest in a specific program, make sure your ask focuses on that. Highlight how their contribution will make a direct impact and share specific results their gift can help achieve.
Timing and approach for solicitation
Timing is everything when it comes to making the ask. You want to approach the donor when they’re fully engaged and connected to your mission. If you ask too soon, it can feel rushed, but if you wait too long, you might lose momentum. Use what you know about their engagement to pick the right time. If you’re tracking your activities with your donors in a CRM, you’ll have a 360 degree picture to work from.
When making the ask, here are a few approaches you can consider:
- Face-to-face meeting: For major gifts, having a personal, face-to-face conversation is often the best route. It gives you the chance to have an open, meaningful dialogue where you can answer any questions they might have. Be prepared to negotiate the gift. Depending on the donor's response, there may be some discussion or negotiation around the amount or structure of the gift. This might involve working with the donor to determine the best way for them to give, whether it’s a one-time donation, a multi-year pledge, or a planned gift.
- Written proposal: For larger donations, a formal, well-written proposal can be helpful. It allows the donor to review everything and think through their commitment.
- Follow-up: Whether the donor agrees to the gift or needs more time, following up respectfully keeps the relationship moving forward.
Why solicitation needs care
Solicitation is often the trickiest part of Moves Management. It requires thoughtful planning because it’s not just about asking for money—it’s about inviting the donor to make a meaningful impact. A well-timed, personalized ask makes the donor feel valued and excited to contribute to your cause.
Once you’ve secured a donation, the donor moves into the “Close” stage.
Stewardship of your donors
Once a donation is made, it’s not the end of the journey—it’s just the beginning!
Stewardship is all about continuing to nurture that relationship with your donors, making sure they feel appreciated and stay engaged with your mission.
Why stewardship is important
Good stewardship is key to developing meaningful and ongoing partnerships with your donors. With strong stewardship practices, you can build a strong, lasting bond where donors feel that their support really matters and has a tangible impact. You communicate to them that they are more than just an ATM, and that you value them beyond their donations.
Good stewardship practices
Here are some ways to make sure your donors feel valued and stay connected:
- Immediate acknowledgment: Always thank your donors right away. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a personalized email, or even a quick phone call, immediate recognition shows them you appreciate their generosity and keeps the positive vibes going.
- Show impact: Keep your donors updated on how their gift is being used. Share stories, data, or success stories that show the real difference they’re making. The more they see their contribution in action, the stronger their connection will be. Regular communication helps them feel like a valued part of your mission.
- Stay engaged: Stay in touch with your donors, even (or especially!) when you’re not asking for another gift. Send regular updates, invite them to events, and send personal touches like holiday greetings or anniversary cards. This ongoing relationship can lead to long-term support.
- Offer more involvement: Give your donors chances to get even more involved, whether through volunteering, attending special events, or taking on leadership roles. The more they invest their time and energy in your mission, the deeper their connection.
- Personalized communication: Keep tailoring your messages to each donor based on their interests and history with your organization. This personal touch ensures they feel valued and keeps the relationship strong.
- Continue to show appreciation: If possible, host donor appreciation events. Otherwise, a thank-you note along with your impact report or a shout-out in your newsletter can go a long way in making them feel recognized and valued.
Stewardship and long-term giving
An added bonus - a strong stewardship plan doesn’t just help you keep donors—it can also lead to bigger gifts down the road. When donors feel appreciated and connected to your work, they’re more likely to increase their support, whether through larger donations or even planned gifts. Great stewardship can turn a one-time donor into a lifelong supporter.
Great stewardship can turn a one-time donor into a lifelong supporter.
Common challenges in Moves Management and how to overcome them
While Moves Management is a strategic approach to managing donor relationships, it comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some typical obstacles and strategies to address them:
1. Lack of donor data and insights
Challenge: Without comprehensive data, it's difficult to understand donor behavior, preferences, and giving capacity.
Solution: Invest in a robust CRM system that can track and analyze donor interactions. Regularly update and clean your database to ensure accuracy. Use data analytics to gain insights into donor trends and tailor your engagement strategies accordingly.
2. Inconsistent communication
Challenge: Inconsistent or impersonal communication can lead to donor disengagement.
Solutions:
- Develop a communication plan that outlines regular touchpoints through nurture emails or texts with donors.
- Personalize communications by segmenting your donor base and tailoring messages to specific interests and giving histories.
- Use automation tools to maintain consistency without losing the personal touch.
3. Resource constraints
Challenge: Limited staff and budget is the bain of almost every nonprofit. It hinders your ability to effectively manage donor relationships.
Solution: Prioritize high-potential donors and focus resources on building those relationships. Leverage volunteers and board members to extend your reach. Consider outsourcing certain tasks, like data entry or event planning, to free up internal resources for strategic activities.
4. Difficulty in measuring success
Challenge: It can be challenging to measure the effectiveness of Moves Management strategies.
Solution: Establish clear metrics and goals to evaluate success, such as donor retention rates, average gift size, and the number of new major donors, etc. Regularly review these metrics and adjust strategies as needed. Use donor feedback to refine your approach and demonstrate impact.
5. Resistance to Change
Challenge: Staff may be resistant to adopting new processes or technologies.
Solution: Provide training and support to help staff understand the benefits of Moves Management. Involve them in the decision-making process to increase buy-in. Highlight success stories and quick wins to demonstrate the value of new approaches.
By addressing these challenges with strategic solutions, organizations can enhance their moves management processes, leading to stronger donor relationships and increased fundraising success.
Best practices for Moves Management
To maximize the effectiveness of Moves Management, nonprofits should consider the following best practices:
- Use a CRM System Managing the moves management process can be complex, especially as the number of prospects grows. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, like DonorDock, can help track interactions, set reminders for next steps, automate communication, and provide insights into the effectiveness of your moves.
Create a Moves Plan
Design a journey map that outlines how you’ll engage each major donor at every step of their relationship with your nonprofit. This should outline specific actions you plan to take, who will be responsible for them, and the timeline. Regularly review and adjust the plan based on how the relationship is developing.
Personalize your approach
Personalization is key in Moves Management. Each major donor is unique, with different motivations, interests, and communication preferences. Use your CRM to track these details and segment your donors accordingly. Every interaction should feel tailored to the individual donor, reflecting their interests, values, and past engagement with your organization. Personalizing your outreach can significantly increase retention rates.
Personalizing your outreach can significantly increase retention rates.
This can include welcome emails for new donors, appreciation messages and impact reports for recurring donors, re-engagement campaigns for lapsed donors, and educational content for potential donors to inform them about your cause and the impact of their contributions.
Invest in tools and training
Remember, Moves Management is a team effort! Be sure that your fundraising team is well-trained in the principles of Moves Management and understands the importance of each stage in the process. Regularly update the team on the progress of each prospect and adjust strategies as needed.
Additionally, it’s important to make sure you have the necessary tools for your team to do their job. A donor management system like DonorDock helps you manage donor relationships, segment your audience, and automate personalized outreach.
Focus on long-term relationships
Moves management isn’t just about landing a single major gift—it’s about fostering long-term relationships. Every interaction should work towards strengthening the partnership between you and your donor.
The key is to focus on building genuine connections, not just transactional exchanges. Make time to personally reach out to your major donors through phone calls, texts, emails, or face-to-face meetings. Share stories that align with their passions and reasons for supporting your mission, and show a true interest in their lives.
By focusing on long-term relationships, you’re building a partnership that can lead to sustained, meaningful support for years to come.
Measure and Adjust
To ensure the success of your moves management efforts, it's important to measure and adjust your strategies regularly. Track key metrics like the number of moves completed, the conversion rate of prospects to donors, and the average size of gifts. Use this data to refine your strategies and improve outcomes.
Regularly review the effectiveness of your cultivation plan to identify opportunities for improvement or new strategies to implement. Stay flexible and adapt your plan based on what works best for each donor. Cultivation is an ongoing process that evolves with your nonprofit and its supporters.
Conclusion
Moves management is a powerful tool for nonprofits aiming to cultivate major donors and build lasting relationships. By following a structured process and focusing on personalized, strategic interactions, organizations can maximize their fundraising potential and ensure long-term support for their mission.
Moves Management isn't just a method—it's a mindset shift from transactional fundraising to relationship-based stewardship. By focusing on personalized interactions and nurturing donor trust, you can forge deeper, lasting connections that inspire meaningful contributions.
With the right strategies in place, including effective prospect research, cultivation, and stewardship, nonprofits can turn major gift prospects into lifelong supporters who feel valued and connected to the cause. The result is not just financial support, but true partnerships that drive your mission forward.
Moves Management is not just about financial support, but true partnerships that drive your mission forward.
By tracking each step in the donor journey, nonprofits can ensure they’re cultivating meaningful connections that lead to sustained support.
To maximize success, it’s important to implement best practices—such as using a CRM for tracking Moves—and regularly evaluate and adjust strategies based on donor responses. Continuous improvement will help your efforts align with donors’ needs and interests.
Now is the time to take action! Start by assessing your current Moves Management process, identifying gaps, and refining your approach.
If you need a system for tracking donor interactions and building stronger, lasting relationships with your supporters, DonorDock offers an all-in-one CRM solution that’s simple, affordable, and designed to help nonprofits focus on what matters most: making an impact.
