Hey Fundraiser!

Mary Petersen
  • 5.0 (26)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing. Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a focused portfolio instead of chasing volume. If you've ever frozen up before an ask, stared at a "wish list" of donors with no idea who to call first, or wondered why the industry keeps telling you a major gift takes 18 months to close, this is your show. You'll leave every episode with one clear thing to do on Monday morning. Hit follow and start building real momentum.

  1. 1d ago

    Fundraisers: It’s Time to Make an Ask for Yourself

    What if the professional development line in your budget isn’t an expense, but one of the smartest revenue investments your organization can make? In this episode, Mary shares what happened when 15 Executive Directors and fundraisers gathered at her home in Bend for the VIP Intensive and went deep on their actual major gift work. Mary walks you through how to build the business case for professional development, calculate the ROI, identify the gift that would make the investment pay for itself, approach your ED or board, and respond when you hear “we don’t have the budget,” “can’t you learn this for free?” or “let’s revisit it next year.”  Download the 2027 Professional Development Budget Kit to get the budget request memo, ROI worksheet, objection language, board talking points, and 2027 calendar you need to make your own ask. Learn more about the Major Gift Intensive at heyfundraiser.com/major-gift-intensive and the VIP Intensive in Bend OR here: heyfundraiser.com/vip 🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  2. Aug 21

    Why Your Best Fundraiser Is About to Quit (And How to Stop It)

    Your best gift officer is going to get a recruiter's call this quarter. What happens next was decided by how you led this quarter. This week I'm sharing a session I delivered for nonprofit leaders at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management on the problem nobody budgets for: keeping your most successful development officers. The average frontline fundraiser stays 16 to 18 months. Replacing one costs an estimated $127,650 before you count the real damage, which is the donor relationships that walk out the door. By the numbers, the average MGO closes nearly $2 million a year. That's not a staffing gap when they leave. That's a revenue line. The good news? Almost every reason great officers quit is a leadership choice, which means every one of them is fixable. I walk you through the four pillars that keep top performers: investing in their growth before someone else offers to, real flexibility (not the fake kind with surveillance software), servant leadership that removes obstacles instead of inspecting activity, and my favorite: giving your officers time to go do things, because donors are out seeing plays and trying new restaurants, and an officer with no life outside the office has nothing to talk with them about. I also share the five KPIs I give every organization I coach, including why I cap face-to-face meetings at ten per month instead of setting a floor. None of the four pillars are a raise. All of them cost you almost nothing. And your best officer is already measuring you against every one of them.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  3. Aug 14

    Red Flags: How to Spot the Wrong Fundraising Help Before You Pay For It

    Should you hire a fundraising coach or a consultant? Most fundraisers pay for the wrong one. In this episode, Mary breaks down the real difference: a consultant hands you the plan, but a coach gets in the car with you. You'll hear the story of Anna and her major gift ask, learn exactly when each type of support makes sense, and get the questions to ask (and red flags to watch for) before you hire anyone. If you've ever wondered why the binder on your shelf didn't raise a dollar, this one's for you.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  4. Aug 7

    Ask Better Questions. Raise More Money

    What should you actually talk about at a Small Table? In this episode, Mary breaks down one of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make when they finally get the right donors around the right table: turning an intimate conversation into a miniature fundraising presentation. When leadership wants to talk about budget deficits and board members want to lead with statistics, it is easy to lose sight of what Small Table is really designed to do: build relationships. Mary shares how to turn financial challenges into mission-centered conversations, why statistics should support the discussion instead of dominate it, and how better questions can help donors think, engage, and reveal what they truly care about.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  5. Jul 31

    The Four-Hour Major Gift Program: What Busy Executive Directors Should Do and What They Can Ignore

    Executive directors are pulled in a thousand directions, but major gifts still need focused attention. In this episode, Mary shares a practical strategy for leaders who have only four to eight hours each week to devote to fundraising. You’ll learn how to identify the 15 to 20 donors who deserve your personal attention, structure a simple four-hour major gift schedule, prioritize donor conversations and follow-up, move the right people toward an ask, and ignore the complicated systems, perfect proposals, giant prospect lists, and time-consuming activities that do not lead to gifts. Mary also shares how to involve willing board members, protect fundraising time on your calendar, and build a major gift program that is focused, personal, consistent, and sustainable.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  6. Jul 24

    How to Prep your CEO for a Major Gift Meeting

    CEOs play a crucial role in major gift fundraising, but not all of them are natural fundraisers. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to prepare and coach your CEO for major donor meetings, including messaging, body language, and overcoming objections. Learn how to position them as the ideal storyteller and ambassador for your mission.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  7. Jul 22

    Special Episode: Mary answers YOUR Fundraising Questions

    This is a different kind of episode, and it might be one of Mary's favorites yet! No theory, no framework from the top down. Just three real questions sent in by fundraisers like you, answered live. Mary digs into how to do prospect research in-house with zero fancy tools (hint: your donor database already knows more than you think), how to translate big campaign priorities into asks that actually feel personal to a donor, and how to build a real system for stewardship and donor upgrades so gratitude doesn't rely on one exhausted fundraiser's memory. She closes it out with the story of how she got into fundraising in the first place, and yes, a 22-foot python named Rajiv is involved. Got a question of your own? Send it to mary@heyfundraiser.com or drop a voice memo on Speakpipe. It might be the next episode!  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

  8. Jul 17

    I Just Taught My First Small Table Intensive. Here's What Happened

    In this episode, I walk you through what we built together and answer the six questions that came up in the room, because I guarantee you're asking them too. Does the dinner have to be in someone's home? What do you do with loyal donors who won't return your calls? Can you invite people who have never given? And the big one: do you ask for the gift at the table, or the next morning? (The answer to that last one took me years and a lot of money left on the table to learn.) If you've read Small Table Big Philanthropy and thought "okay Mary, now help me actually build mine," this episode is your preview of exactly what we do in the Small Table Intensive.  🎓 The Professional Development Budget Kit. Free Download! Everything you need to get your organization to say "yes" to funding your growth: templates, talking points, and an ROI calculator. 💸 Major Gift Intensives. We're headed to 6 cities in 2027. Are we headed to yours? Join us for a 3 day deep dive into major gifts! Only 30 seats per city. 🌻 The 2027 Growth Pass. Only 5 seats available. The Growth Pass bundles Mary's three flagship live experiences into one powerful year of learning. One Major Gift Intensive. One Ask Workshop. One Small Table Intensive. 🪑 The Small Table Intensive. Half a day. Build or rebuild your major gift program around fewer donors and deeper relationships, using the methodology from my book Small Table Big Philanthropy. 🎯 The Ask Workshop. Half a day. The exact words to use when it's time to ask for 5 and 6-figure gifts. Walk in nervous about the ask. Walk out with the scripts. 💻 Connect with Mary Petersen Website: heyfundraiser.comYouTube: @...

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5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing. Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a focused portfolio instead of chasing volume. If you've ever frozen up before an ask, stared at a "wish list" of donors with no idea who to call first, or wondered why the industry keeps telling you a major gift takes 18 months to close, this is your show. You'll leave every episode with one clear thing to do on Monday morning. Hit follow and start building real momentum.

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Petersen
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hey Fundraiser!
  • Show Website
    Hey Fundraiser!

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