Building a Bold Relationship Fundraising Culture: Advice from an expert

By Mark L. Duncan, CEO, The Fund Coach, LLC

People drive philanthropy. In 2024, almost 70 percent of the $592.5 billion given to charities in the United States came from individuals, according to Giving USA.

However, many organizations focus on the three G’s that don’t promise financial success – golf, galas, and grants. The time spent planning events could be eclipsed in net gains if it were devoted to building relationships with high-capacity donors.

In a strong culture of philanthropy, everybody plays a role in fundraising, from the receptionist to service providers to board members – not necessarily asking directly for money but treating everyone who connects with the organization like a millionaire.

Creating trust and clarity

Building a bold relationship fundraising culture with the ability to seek mission-impacting donations from high-capacity givers begins with understanding what donors today want:

• A connection with the organization and the people it represents. That connection should be more critical than the ask itself.
• Trust and transparency.
• Clear impact and outcomes.
• Human stories that demonstrate the mission.
• Consistency in communications, and not just for the transactional year-end appeal or annual campaign.

Donors stop giving due to a lack of meaningful follow-up, feeling like “just a checkbook,” unclear results from their giving, lack of relationships with organizational leadership, and feeling as if their gifts don’t matter.

Some high-capacity donors will send “teaser gifts,” giving, for example, $200 to community causes. Then, they wait for a response, such as a thank-you phone call from a board member. They hope to learn more about the organization and its services. Still, too often, the organization misses the chance to connect because the transaction ends with an automated thank-you and follow-up emails asking for more.

Addressing challenges with solutions

In a bold fundraising culture, the objective is to convert transactional givers into relational donors who ultimately make transformational gifts toward the mission.

Sustainable development is built on five pillars:

1. Vision clarity
2. Donor trust and stewardship
3. Leadership engagement
4. Compelling messaging and storytelling
5. Consistent and tenacious – but not pestering -- follow-through

Establishing the level of “major gift” and wealth-screening donor lists for potential high-capacity givers helps focus. From there, nonprofits can pursue a four-part challenges/solutions framework that instills a culture of philanthropy throughout the entity.

Overcoming 4 fundraising challenges

Challenge #1: Grant reductions and economic shifts heighten reliance on individual gifts, and inflation can impact donor psychology.

Solution: Prioritize high-return donor relationships.

• Focus on having the top 20 percent of donors driving 80 percent of revenue.
• Increase personal touchpoints.
• Ask donors what impact means to them.
• Treat major donors as partners, not ATMs.

Challenge #2: Competition for donor attention. Endless solicitations and competing messages diminish emotional connections to the mission.

Solution: Be a standout storyteller.

• Share transformational stories, not transactional updates.
• Use “you” language. Center on the donor and invite them to be part of the mission. And know their language. Some expect their giving to be a successful investment and want to know how sustainable the organization is.
• Lift up beneficiaries and organizational impact. Spotlight testimonials from recipients, or introduce major donors to service recipients.

Challenge #3: Weak Culture of Philanthropy. Board members don’t like to ask for money, and staff feel that fundraising isn’t part of their job. However, donors pick up on internal hesitation.

Solution: Build a bold culture.

• Model fundraising enthusiasm at the leadership level.
• Make donor relations a team sport. Remind board members and staff that they are connecting with people and that they represent a welcoming organization eager to tell its story.
• Normalize asking for money. Remember that each individual has different memories of money. Askers and donors don’t always share the same fears or hesitation.
• Provide board micro-training in inviting someone to achieve impact. Board members should be door openers willing to leverage relationships, not solicitors.

Challenge #4: Overworked leaders and limited development staff. When resources are stretched thin, development can be deprioritized.

Solution: Hone the fundraising focus.

• Carve out six to eight hours a week for fundraising.
• Create a simple, top-down plan.
• Automate, delegate, or sunset non-relational tasks. Executive directors should stick to what only they can do.
• Use a 90-day engagement calendar to organize donor contact.

How to make the ask? Leading statements include “I’d love to share an opportunity with you,” “I believe this aligns perfectly with what you’re passionate about,” and “Would you consider partnering with us at the $____ level?”

Bottom line

Your nonprofit already has what it needs to secure larger gifts. You have a powerful mission and passionate leadership. All you have to do is get out there and tell your story to the right people, and watch your philanthropic support grow.

Mark L. Duncan is CEO of The Fund Coach, LLC. He was a guest presenter at the Boyer & Ritter nonprofit seminar in December 2025, and this article is adapted from his presentation. Mark’s newly released resource guide, The Board Member’s Guide to Fundraising (Without the Ask), offers practical guidance for executive directors and boards and is available on his website.