Major Gift Fundraising: The Revolutionary “Faster Funnel Process”

In today’s competitive fundraising landscape, nonprofits are looking for new, efficient ways to identify their most generous donors. The Faster Funnel Process, developed at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, automates and optimizes the qualification of major gift prospects. In this article, learn how to apply the Faster Funnel Process to your organization to support major gift fundraising, save time, and ensure that development officers can focus on your most promising leads.

What is Prospect Qualification in Major Gift Fundraising?

Prospect qualification in major gift fundraising is the process of evaluating and determining whether a potential donor (prospect) has the capacity, willingness, and alignment to make a significant financial contribution to an organization. It is a critical step in the fundraising cycle, ensuring that time and resources are directed toward prospects most likely to support the organization’s mission.

The Challenge of Prospect Qualification

Prospect qualification in philanthropy is akin to online dating: it requires patience, involves frequent rejection, and can rely on time-consuming methods like phone calls and emails that detract from engaging with high-potential prospects. The Faster Funnel process addresses these challenges by automating the initial qualification phase, allowing prospects to self-qualify and thus enabling gift officers to concentrate on those most likely to engage.

In today’s fast-paced environment, efficiency is everything. The Faster Funnel Process modernizes traditional qualification methods through the strategic use of automation and data-informed insights, allowing organizations to uncover the most engaged and mission-driven prospects more effectively.

David Ritchie, Assistant Vice President, Information Management and Analytics, Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health

The Four-Step Faster Funnel Process for Major Gift Fundraising

1. Identify Qualified Prospects

The Faster Funnel Process begins with prospect researchers actively identifying unassigned prospects with a high potential to give by analyzing donor data such as giving history, engagement patterns, and wealth screening results. Depending on the organization’s unique goals, a rating system (e.g., 1, 2, 3) could be implemented to prioritize prospects based on engagement levels and potential impact. Researchers consider previous engagement types, including individuals who:

• Have expressed interest in forming a one-on-one relationship with a fundraiser
• Have compelling reasons to give
• Have engaged with the organization previously
• Demonstrate the capacity to contribute

In addition to an assessment of internal data, researchers use tools like DonorSearch to record key indicators such as net worth, philanthropic history, and stock holdings. The data analytics team analyzes donor trends and applies predictive modeling to identify high-potential prospects. These individuals are then grouped together to receive a customized email journey that encourages further self-qualification responses.

2. Configure a Custom Email Journey to Promote Self-Qualification

A series of emails act as the second step of the Faster Funnel Process. These emails feature content tailored to the prospect’s interests in the organization. For instance, a healthcare organization might include updates on research, clinical trials, and philanthropic impact. Organizations can track recipients’ engagement with the emails. Prospects who interact with this content demonstrate alignment with the organization’s mission, and the team adds them to the pool for gift officers to contact.

The fundraising and communication teams then craft emails to feel personal and engaging, using formats such as impact stories, organizational updates, videos, or plain-text messages that resemble direct emails from leadership. Throughout the journey, various formats are tested to identify the most effective content for engaging prospects. Prospects can self-qualify by requesting contact with a major gift officer (MGO) or by making an initial gift substantial enough to warrant a “thank you” call. The gift threshold should be defined during the planning process in collaboration with the prospect research team.

Steps to Create a Custom Email Journey:

• Content Creation: Develop engaging content that resonates with prospects, such as articles, videos, or personalized messages from leadership.
• Personalization: Use dynamic content personalization to tailor emails, referencing prior giving history, funding opportunities, or relevant impact highlights.
• Call to Action (CTA): Include clear CTAs to encourage prospects to self-qualify, such as forms to request contact, email reply options, or “contact me” buttons.
• Email Deployment and Recipient Analysis: Send emails using a marketing platform and track metrics like click-through rates, content engagement, and email replies. Performance should be tracked and monitored within one week of deployment to capture immediate engagement.

3. Follow Up and ANALYZE THE Data

Once a prospect self-qualifies, the prospect researcher receives an alert via the email campaign manager or an automated notification from the self-qualification form. They should then record this as an action item or alert on the donor’s profile within the donor database (e.g. Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce) to ensure timely follow-up from the MGO. Ideally, this follow-up should occur within 48 hours.

We recommend entering data from the email journey and follow-up interactions into your donor database. Keeping the database accurate and current is essential for effective follow-up and ensuring that future campaign improvements are based on reliable information.

4. LeveragE AI for Enhanced Efficiency in Major Gifts Fundraising

Organizations with access to AI tools can significantly enhance the Faster Funnel Process by streamlining fundraising efforts. Predictive AI affinity models identify prospects most likely to respond to outreach. Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, and custom GPTs, create personalized content that aligns with each prospect’s unique interests. By incorporating AI, organizations can ensure meaningful interactions and increase the likelihood of prospects to self-qualify.

AI-driven email marketing platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, HubSpot, and Mailchimp offer features such as email personalization, subject line optimization, and content recommendations based on past behaviors. These tools help tailor messages to prospects’ interests, improving engagement and maximizing campaign success.

Revolutionize Your Prospect Qualification Process for Major Gift Fundraising

The Faster Funnel Process can transform your organization’s major gifts pipeline. Consider the below key action steps from the process:

• Automate the initial qualification phase to enable your team to focus on high-potential leads, saving time and increasing efficiency.
• Build stronger relationships through personalized email journeys centered on your mission.
• Enhance the process with AI to identify prospects most likely to be responsive, generate personalized content, and optimize engagement.
• Review data to adjust campaigns based on prospect behavior.

CCS utilizes AI and machine learning to generate predictive scores specific to a prospect’s affinity and capacity to give to an organization, uncovering not just who can give, but who is most likely to give. When combined with the Faster Funnel Process, your organization can automate the qualification process while targeting high-potential prospects, improve donor engagement, and optimize resource allocation.