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A Simple Follow-Up Process for Major Gifts with Sarah Olivieri [Episode 458]
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Episode Description
Reaching out to potential major donors can feel premature when you haven't figured out how you will follow up. A written contact list and a plan for the next interaction give you a simple place to start, without mapping out a year of conversations.
Sarah shares this approach using questions from nonprofit leaders starting major gifts programs in the Inspired Philanthropy Circle. She shares her own struggle with following up, the scheduling habit that helps her stay connected, and ways to give people something to look forward to together.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn
What to record in a contact list so relationships don't depend on memory.
How to arrange the next interaction before the current conversation ends.
What to say when scheduling ahead feels uncomfortable or too pushy.
How recurring tours, dinners, or informal gatherings give you something to invite people to.
Why building a community of supporters can bring an emotional return alongside funding.
Who This Episode Is For
Nonprofit leaders who want to start donor conversations without waiting for a complete annual plan.
Fundraisers looking for a simple way to keep track of relationships.
Leaders who want to stay in touch with supporters without feeling pushy.
Links from this episode
Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips, resources, and updates on training opportunities.
About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri
Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human…
Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.
She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results.
Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together.
Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them.
A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life.
Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey.
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