Is your donor really ghosting you, or have you simply given them nothing worth responding to? In this episode, Mary shares how to ditch the dreaded "just checking in" email, create meaningful connections, and become someone your donors actually look forward to hearing from.

🎓 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.com
• YouTube: @...

What if they get upset? What if I ask for too much? What if they think I only want their money?

Oh, for the love, fundraiser! We've got to stop having imaginary conversations with our donors and then making decisions on their behalf.

In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary tackles the fears, assumptions, and negative self-talk that keep fundraisers thinking small, acting small, and raising smaller gifts.

We're talking about showing up authentically, being unapologetic about being a fundraiser, asking for permission to ask, and trusting donors to make their own philanthropic decisions.

Because here's the thing: Your job isn't to decide what a donor will give. Your job is to give them the opportunity.

Stop letting fear do your fundraising. Your mission deserves better!

🎓 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.com
• YouTube: @...

Want a stronger major gift year in 2027? Don’t wait until January to build the plan. In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary shares the 11 things she wants fundraisers to put in place before the year begins. You’ll learn how to map your revenue goal to real prospects, identify your top 50 and top 20 donors, build stronger Offers & Outcomes, decide who needs to be seen in Q1, and determine who could realistically be asked in the first six months. Mary also covers cultivation, stewardship, the role of your executive director and board, professional development, and one of the most important planning questions of all: what are you going to stop doing so there is actually time for major gifts? The goal is simple: enter 2027 with clarity, focus, and a plan built around the right people, the right opportunities, and the right next moves, so January is about execution instead of starting from scratch.

🎓 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.com
• YouTube: @...