This training is for advancement leaders and academic leaders who are interested in understanding how to collaborate to develop the big ideas that serve their institutional mission. Specifically, current or aspiring principal gift officers, deans, and heads of academic centers, institutes or initiatives could benefit from this training.

May 11, 2023

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET

Understanding the Importance of Big Ideas and How to Create Them

Knowing the distinction between an interesting fundraising idea and a potential big idea is an important first step in pursuing transformational gifts. Based on examples from past public gifts, big ideas have a particular structure that is replicable in most contexts. Big ideas also present an opportunity to engage the broader campus community because they are inherently collaborative and interdisciplinary. You will learn the characteristics of big ideas and the ways to construct them in your own environment.

Identifying Target Donors and Their Motivations

For the purposes of this training, a big gift is considered $10 million or more for a particular initiative. Using net worth as an indicator makes identifying potential transformational gift donors the easy part of the process—the more difficult part is getting connected to them and finding what motivates them to give. You will come away with an understanding of how to identify potential donors in your own or adjacent communities and how to curate an approach that could be a pathway to their making a gift.

Organizing Institutional Support to Pursue Big Gifts

A plan-focused, organized approach to donors builds their trust and confidence. The process of developing a big idea requires engagement with many of the senior management team, including the president, provost, and CFO, as well as senior managers in facilities, research, and advancement. Along the way, those in each area may be challenged to think differently about how they approach their work to affect the outcome. You will learn about strategies to create internal alignment, including establishing go/no-go thresholds, a reasonable timeframe to pursue an idea, and ways to create momentum in preparation for the desired big gift.