The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

A salary is certain. A gift is a gamble. That's what one CFO told his development director.

She left his office sure she'd lost.

Her program director was worried a big donor would hijack the mission.

A board member said, "Our donors just don't give like that."

Three skeptics. Three different fears.

So she stopped pushing and started asking one question:

"What would need to be true for you to feel good about this?"

The answers led to a 90-day pilot. No new hire. Twenty donor visits. The program director came along on a few. The CFO helped decide how to measure success.

Three gifts over $25,000. One multi-year pledge.

And the CFO asked, "What would it take to do this full-time?"

That's the story behind this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser: "Overcoming Internal Barriers to Major Gifts."

We talk about:

• Why internal resistance makes sense, especially in 2026
• The Resistance Map for leadership, programs, finance, and board
• How to design a pilot that turns doubters into champions
• One challenge to try with a skeptic this week

So let me ask you.

What if your biggest skeptic is one good conversation away from becoming your biggest champion?

🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a fundraiser who keeps hitting the same internal wall.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Practivated: Fundraising is challenging, but practicing doesn’t have to be. Sign up for a demo.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Mentioned in this episode:

Practivated Launchpad

You just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

Ever sat in your car after a donor visit just to catch your breath?

Me too. And I think we need to talk about it.

Raising big gifts is emotional work.

In one week, you might hold a donor's grief, a board member's impatience, and your ED's worries about cash flow. Then you walk into the next meeting and show up warm and curious anyway.

A major gift officer I'll call Alisha did that for months. Then she stopped calling her top donors. Every call felt like it needed more than she had left.

She didn't need a new strategy. She needed a way to stay whole.

Two minutes in the car before every visit. A kinder sentence after hard meetings. A Friday call with a peer.

That spring, she closed the largest gift in her organization's history.

That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is about: "Staying Whole While Raising Big Gifts."

We talk about:

• The pressures fundraisers are carrying in 2026, named honestly
• Mindset and self-compassion tools that help you stay courageous
• Simple practices that protect your energy before and after big meetings
• A 30-day resilience challenge

So let me ask you.

What would change in your donor conversations if you walked in at full battery instead of twelve percent?

🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a fundraiser you know who's carrying a lot right now.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Mentioned in this episode:

Practivated Launchpad

You just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

A donor rode a city bus at 6:15 a.m. He hadn't been on one since college.

The woman next to him had lived in that neighborhood for forty years. She was about to change his $250,000 gift.

They were riding the route families take to the local food pantry.

One hour and ten minutes. One transfer. And when they arrived, the doors didn't open until ten.

He looked at his watch and said, "Nobody who works a morning shift can do this."

She smiled. "That's what we've been trying to tell you."

He and his wife had offered a gift to expand the warehouse. Instead of saying yes on the spot, the executive director invited them to sit at a table with other donors and five paid neighborhood residents to decide together.

The table chose a mobile market along bus routes and evening hours.

The donors? They turned their gift into a multi-year commitment.

That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is about: "Human-Centered Major Gifts."

We talk about:

• Why the human-centered model is rising in 2026
• Four practical ways to share power in major gifts, plus my Power Dial
• How to frame this with donors, communities, and your board

🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague, an ED, or a board member who's ready to fundraise with, not for.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

A 6:45 a.m. call from London. A donor wanted to give $1.5 million to the children's hospital that saved her little brother.

Her gift officer was thrilled. Thirty seconds later, she was terrified.

Because the donor was a US citizen living in London. Her husband was British. The money was in pounds. Their business had accounts in two countries.

Who gets the tax benefit? Which account does the money come from? What if the exchange rate moves?

Here's what I love. She didn't pretend to have the answers. She said, "I want to get this right for you. Can I ask a few questions, then bring in our finance team and your advisors?"

Two months later, the gift was structured in a way that worked for everyone. Every payment arrived on time.

That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast is all about: "Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts."

I talk about:

• Why global giving is showing up at organizations of every size
• The core questions to ask early, and the pitfalls to avoid
• How to build the right support team so you're never figuring it out alone

Listen at or wherever you get your podcasts, and share it with a colleague or board member who should hear it too.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Her mother's name was spelled wrong.

It was on the plaque. On dedication day. In front of her grandkids.

The mistake didn't end the relationship. What came next almost did.

The clinic took six weeks to fix it. Nobody called. The apology email said, "We apologize for any inconvenience."

The family went silent for a year.

Then a new major gift officer picked up the phone. She named what happened. She said she was sorry. She asked to hear about the donor's mom.

Forty-five minutes later, the door was open again.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, "Bringing Relationships Back from the Brink," I share:

• The Four Lenses of Repair for diagnosing what's really going on
• Three short scripts for silence, missteps, and conflict
• Why timing and channel matter more than you think
• How to know when it's time to step back, and how to document it

So let me ask you:

What's one apology your organization owes a donor right now?

🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague who's been carrying a donor relationship they're nervous to touch.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

My worst December as a fundraiser?

I spent it chasing a stock transfer with no name on it.

My plan had been "we'll get serious after the gala."

The gala ended in mid-November. You can guess how that year went.

Here's what I learned the hard way. December isn't where year-end is won. It's where you find out how well you planned in October.

And year-end 2026 raises the stakes. New tax rules. Donors who "bunched" their giving into last year. Complex gifts that need more lead time than ever.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, "Stacking the Deck for Year-End Major Gifts," I walk through:

• What's changed for donors this year, and the one question to ask about it
• The Year-End Countdown, five checkpoints planned backward from December 31
• A one-page dashboard and a 15-minute Monday huddle that keep your whole team focused

Give it a listen this week, then share it with a colleague who's heading into Q4 with a long list and a short runway.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

One page changed everything.

A donor said it was the first report she'd ever kept.

Two years later, she made the largest gift in the organization's history.

It wasn't a glossy annual report. No pie charts. No forty pages.

Just one number she cared about, one note from a teacher, and one honest line about what the team was learning.

The difference? Her development director asked her what success looked like before she made the gift.

That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is all about.

I talk about:

• What donors really want to know (hint: it's not how many workshops you held)
• How to co-create and right-size impact metrics with your major donors
• Simple formats that work in 2026, from brief impact notes to 90-second phone videos
• Where AI helps, and where your judgment still matters most

Listen to "Impact Reporting That Deepens Commitment" and share it with a colleague who's rethinking donor reporting.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

One question. A lasting legacy. Andrea almost didn't ask it.

She was afraid it would muddy her donor's renewal.

Her donor, Walter, had given faithfully for eleven years.

He was about to renew his major gift. And he kept asking one thing: "Will this program still be here someday?"

Andrea realized Walter was already having the legacy conversation. She just hadn't joined it yet.

So she asked: "What would you want this program to look like twenty years from now?"

That question led to a renewed and increased gift, and a legacy commitment to sustain the program for years to come.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, "Today's Gifts, Tomorrow's Legacy," I share:

• Why integrating planned giving and major gifts matters so much right now
• Five signals a donor is ready, plus conversation starters that feel hopeful, not morbid
• How to partner with planned giving specialists and donors' advisors

Here's what I'm wondering

What's holding you back from raising legacy giving with your major donors?

Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague or board member who cares about your mission's future.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

He went quiet for two months.

She thought she'd blown the ask.

She hadn't.

The donor had watched his business take a hit, watched the news every night, and frozen. He wasn't saying no to her $250,000 proposal. He was saying he didn't know how to say yes to anything right now.

Here's what she finally did.

She sent a note that had nothing to do with the gift. She just asked how he was thinking about the year ahead.

He called at 8:15 the next morning and talked for forty minutes. About his company. His kids. How unsure everything felt.

She didn't re-pitch. She asked one question near the end: what would make a commitment feel manageable for you right now?

Five years instead of three, he said. And a conversation each January.

He signed for $300,000.

The gift got bigger because the risk got smaller.

In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I'm walking you through the emotional layer of giving in 2026, the four conversational moves I use with anxious donors, and five gift structures that help people feel safe saying yes to something big.

Here's my question for you. When a donor hesitates, is your first instinct to shrink the number or to shrink the risk?

Listen to the episode, then share it with someone on your team who has an anxious donor conversation coming up this week.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

She gave me four minutes. It changed my career.

Almost thirty years ago, I had a donor meeting with a man who genuinely intimidated me. My development director stopped by my desk and asked what I planned to ask him.

I recited my agenda. She listened, then said, "That's fine. But what do you really want to know about him?"

I said I wanted to know why he kept giving to us when he clearly didn't need us.

She said, "Ask him that."

He talked for twenty minutes about his mother, a scholarship, and a debt he'd been paying back for forty years. He made our largest gift that year.

Four minutes at my desk. No budget. No program. No conference.

That's the whole thing I want us to understand about developing the next generation of major gift fundraisers. We keep trying to hire our way out of what is really a coaching problem.

If someone on your team told a story like that about you ten years from now, what would they say you did?

This week on The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, I walk through what's different about the fundraisers coming up now, the four competencies they need, five coaching moves that cost nothing, and what it quietly costs your donors when you skip all of it.

Give it a listen, then share it with a manager who's carrying a team and wondering why hiring hasn't fixed it.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

The lobby test.

Your website is the lobby of your building.

It never closes the gift. But it absolutely sets the tone for everything that happens around it.

In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I tell the story of a six-figure donor who tried to give on her phone in December, gave up three screens in, and mailed a check instead.

The gift still came. The dashboard still looked healthy.

And a loyal donor quietly filed away one piece of information about the organization she loves: this is harder than it should be.

We talk about why digital shapes what your largest donors believe about you, even the ones you have lunch with.

The four elements that matter most to a donor giving at the top of your file.

And the digital behavior signals sitting in your data right now that point toward your next major gift conversation.

Then I give you a twenty-minute audit you can run before your next staff meeting.

Here's my question for you: if a financial advisor researched your organization tomorrow, what one sentence would they report back to your donor?

Give it a listen, and share it with the person on your team who owns your website. This one is better as a conversation than a solo listen.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

"What's our plan if we only raise nine?"

A campaign chair asked that in a planning meeting for a $14 million campaign, and the room went completely quiet.

She wasn't being negative. She'd run a manufacturing business for thirty years, and she said, "I've never run a three-year plan that came in exactly where the model said it would."

So we built an answer. Three of them, honestly. Conservative, moderate, and optimistic, all built around one internal working goal.

Eighteen months later, the $4 million lead gift came in at $1.8 million.

In most campaigns, that's an emergency board meeting. In this one, it was a Tuesday, because everyone already knew what to do.

They finished at $11.4 million, and the board called it a success.

In this episode, I walk through what a working goal really is, the three scenarios you build around it, how to write triggers you can see coming, and the five sentences that keep a board steady when the number moves.

Give it a listen, then share it with someone on your team who's been waiting for a better moment to launch.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

A donor wall almost cost them their best donor.

At the opening of a gorgeous new wall, one of their most generous donors leaned in and said, "I didn't give so my name could be up there. I gave for the kids. I wish the wall told me about them."

That one sentence is the whole episode.

On this week's Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, Recognition That Feels Right Today, I dig into what donors are signaling about recognition now, fresh mission-centered practices you can borrow, and how to handle sensitive naming questions without walking into a landmine.

Recognition, done right, isn't a plaque. It's a window into the change a donor made possible.

Is your recognition making donors feel important, or connected?

Give it a listen, then share it with someone wrestling with their own donor wall.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Urgency can steal our future.

I’ve watched it happen in nonprofit teams everywhere.

We race from grant deadlines to events to year-end goals, doing everything possible to meet today’s needs.

But somewhere along the way, the relationship-building work that creates tomorrow’s major gifts gets pushed aside.

In my conversation with Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation, I was reminded that fundraising is not just a development department responsibility.

It is a team sport. 🤝

When we make room for curiosity, courageous conversations, and long-term planning, we give donors something more meaningful than a transaction.

We give them agency to help shape a better future.

So here’s my question:

What important fundraising work are you protecting this quarter, even when urgency is loud?

🎧 Listen to this episode for practical inspiration on building for what’s next, then share it with a fundraiser, executive leader, or board member who needs this reminder.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Guest: Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

What if the ask isn't for money? What if it's a question?

A donor of fifteen years told one of my clients, "Nobody ever asked me what I thought. They just told me what they'd done." He'd made peace with being a checkbook.

I keep hearing versions of that story. Loyal donors who'd give more, and stay longer, if we simply asked them what they see.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I make the case that listening is a fundraising strategy, not a courtesy. We get into how to design listening sessions and donor advisory councils, and the one step almost everyone skips: closing the loop so donors see what changed because they spoke up.

When's the last time you asked a major donor, "What are we missing?"

Listen to this week's episode, then share it with someone who needs the reminder that donors want to be heard, not just thanked.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

If you vanished tomorrow, would anyone else in your building

know how to talk about a donor with warmth?

I've watched two organizations, same size, same budget, same tactics. One had a major gift officer carrying every donor relationship alone. The other had a program director who told donor stories unprompted, because she'd been invited to sit in on a visit once and it stuck.

Same resources. Completely different trajectory.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I dig into what a real culture of philanthropy looks like, why it might be your most important major gifts strategy, and one small internal campaign you can try this month.

What would change at your organization if donor relationships weren't yours alone to carry?

Listen to this episode and share it with someone on your leadership team.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

He asked to sit in on hiring. She almost said yes to that too.

Here's what changed her mind.

On this week's episode, I tell the story of a major gift officer whose biggest donor had slowly taken over her evenings, her weekends, and nearly her hiring decisions.

We walk through the power dynamics that show up in almost every major gift relationship, the red flags worth naming early, and the reset language that protected both her dignity and the gift.

What's one boundary you've had to set with a generous donor?

Listen to this episode and share it with anyone on your team navigating a tricky donor dynamic right now.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event

Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

A gift once took eleven months to close. Not because the donor said no.

Because one person was carrying five jobs.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I tell the story of a major gift that stalled for nearly a year, and what finally unstuck it. Spoiler: it wasn't a better pitch. It was the right people in the room.

We talk about:

• Why cross-functional collaboration is non-negotiable in 2026
• Who belongs at your major gifts table
• How to run a focused 30-minute coalition meeting that gets real results

Who on your team, outside of development, deserves more credit for your last big gift?

Listen to this episode and send it to a colleague who's ready to stop carrying major gifts alone.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Learn more about the Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to Tammy Zonker's Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Her gala cost $40K. Her dinner cost $200.

Guess which one got a bigger gift.

On this week's episode, I tell the story of two events that happened the same spring, one an eleven-month gala, one a Wednesday dinner for eight people.

Only one of them led to real major gift conversations. It wasn't the expensive one.

We walk through the 3P framework I now use with clients: purpose, people, program, plus the follow-up system that turns a good event into an actual gift instead of a nice memory.

What's one event on your calendar right now that could use a smaller, more focused redesign?

Listen to this episode and share it with anyone on your team planning a donor event this year.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Learn more about the Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to Tammy Zonker's Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

6:30 a.m. Calendar chaos already.

By 10 a.m., she hadn't talked to a single donor yet.

Six months later, same alarm, same portfolio. Totally different morning.

On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I walk through what changed for a major gift officer named Renee, and exactly which categories of work she handed off to AI and automation, and which she never will.

In this episode, Working Smarter: Automation for Major Gift Officers, I cover:

→ The real numbers behind a 45-hour week, and where they were really going

→ Three categories of tasks that are safe to delegate to AI and automation

→ Two workflows you can set up this week, no technical background required

What's one task on your calendar right now that drains you and barely touches a donor?

Listen to the episode and share it with a teammate who's ready to get their week back.

More from Tammy Zonker

Author of Calling All Heroes

Founder of Fundraising Transformed

President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving

Learn more about the Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar

Subscribe to Tammy Zonker's Scaling Major Gifts newsletter

Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn

Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.

Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.

Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies