Mega Gifts

Want to know what motivates donors to give big gifts? There’s an easy way to find out. Ask them. That’s what Jerold Panas, author of the best-selling Asking, did for his book, Mega Gifts: Who Gives Them, Who Gets Them.

Rather than speculate about what prompted so and so to give $25,000, or $100,000 or $1,000,000, Panas rang them up and said, “Can I come talk with you?” Admittedly, that’s easy for Panas who knew practically everyone save Benedict XVI.

Panas winnowed his questions down to the most revealing: what prompts you to give, what about the person soliciting you is important, what do you look for in an organization, what immediately turns you off, to what extent do the board and CEO matter to you, how does an organization keep you giving, and a handful of others.

The donors are surprisingly candid, which makes Mega Gifts a bit naughty, and what they say will unquestionably alter your approach to major gifts. And don’t despair if you’re aiming to solicit the Pope. Panas once dined with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Table of Contents

1. The Incredible Odyssey
2. Why People Give
3. When They Don’t Believe, They Won’t Give
4. Staff Gives Inspiration and Lights the Way
5. Tax is Little Incentive
6. Are You Dozing Through a Changing Market?
7. The Buck Starts with the Board
8. Go for the Challenge
9. Naming Opportunities are Golden Opportunities
10. The Right Person Should Ask
11. The Spouse Counts
12. Material is Immaterial
13. Seize the Magic Moment
14. The Response is Spontaneous
15. Find a Way to Recognize
16. Those Who Give, Receive
17. Pass It On
18. What Mega Givers Expect in a Fundraiser
19. Your Best Approach
20. The Joy of Giving
21. Tenets for Success

ISBN 978-1-998796-26-7  Emerson & Church 2019

168 pages soft cover | 6 x 9 in | 250 gr