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A 6:45 a.m. call from London. A donor wanted to give $1.5 million to the children's hospital that saved her little brother. Her gift officer was thrilled. Thirty seconds later, she was terrified. Because the donor was a US citizen living in London. Her husband was British. The money was in pounds. Their business had accounts in two countries. Who gets the tax benefit? Which account does the money come from? What if the exchange rate moves? Here's what I love. She didn't pretend to have the answers. She said, "I want to get this right for you. Can I ask a few questions, then bring in our finance team and your advisors?" Two months later, the gift was structured in a way that worked for everyone. Every payment arrived on time. That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast is all about: "Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts." I talk about: Why global giving is showing up at organizations of every sizeThe core questions to ask early, and the pitfalls to avoidHow to build the right support team so you're never figuring it out alone Listen at or wherever you get your podcasts, and share it with a colleague or board member who should hear it too. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Her mother's name was spelled wrong. It was on the plaque. On dedication day. In front of her grandkids. The mistake didn't end the relationship. What came next almost did. The clinic took six weeks to fix it. Nobody called. The apology email said, "We apologize for any inconvenience." The family went silent for a year. Then a new major gift officer picked up the phone. She named what happened. She said she was sorry. She asked to hear about the donor's mom. Forty-five minutes later, the door was open again. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, "Bringing Relationships Back from the Brink," I share: The Four Lenses of Repair for diagnosing what's really going onThree short scripts for silence, missteps, and conflictWhy timing and channel matter more than you thinkHow to know when it's time to step back, and how to document it So let me ask you: What's one apology your organization owes a donor right now? 🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague who's been carrying a donor relationship they're nervous to touch. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

My worst December as a fundraiser? I spent it chasing a stock transfer with no name on it. My plan had been "we'll get serious after the gala." The gala ended in mid-November. You can guess how that year went. Here's what I learned the hard way. December isn't where year-end is won. It's where you find out how well you planned in October. And year-end 2026 raises the stakes. New tax rules. Donors who "bunched" their giving into last year. Complex gifts that need more lead time than ever. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, "Stacking the Deck for Year-End Major Gifts," I walk through: What's changed for donors this year, and the one question to ask about itThe Year-End Countdown, five checkpoints planned backward from December 31A one-page dashboard and a 15-minute Monday huddle that keep your whole team focused Give it a listen this week, then share it with a colleague who's heading into Q4 with a long list and a short runway. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

One page changed everything. A donor said it was the first report she'd ever kept. Two years later, she made the largest gift in the organization's history. It wasn't a glossy annual report. No pie charts. No forty pages. Just one number she cared about, one note from a teacher, and one honest line about what the team was learning. The difference? Her development director asked her what success looked like before she made the gift. That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is all about. I talk about: What donors really want to know (hint: it's not how many workshops you held)How to co-create and right-size impact metrics with your major donorsSimple formats that work in 2026, from brief impact notes to 90-second phone videosWhere AI helps, and where your judgment still matters most Listen to "Impact Reporting That Deepens Commitment" and share it with a colleague who's rethinking donor reporting. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

One question. A lasting legacy. Andrea almost didn't ask it. She was afraid it would muddy her donor's renewal. Her donor, Walter, had given faithfully for eleven years. He was about to renew his major gift. And he kept asking one thing: "Will this program still be here someday?" Andrea realized Walter was already having the legacy conversation. She just hadn't joined it yet. So she asked: "What would you want this program to look like twenty years from now?" That question led to a renewed and increased gift, and a legacy commitment to sustain the program for years to come. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, "Today's Gifts, Tomorrow's Legacy," I share: Why integrating planned giving and major gifts matters so much right nowFive signals a donor is ready, plus conversation starters that feel hopeful, not morbidHow to partner with planned giving specialists and donors' advisors Here's what I'm wondering What's holding you back from raising legacy giving with your major donors? Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague or board member who cares about your mission's future. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

He went quiet for two months. She thought she'd blown the ask. She hadn't. The donor had watched his business take a hit, watched the news every night, and frozen. He wasn't saying no to her $250,000 proposal. He was saying he didn't know how to say yes to anything right now. Here's what she finally did. She sent a note that had nothing to do with the gift. She just asked how he was thinking about the year ahead. He called at 8:15 the next morning and talked for forty minutes. About his company. His kids. How unsure everything felt. She didn't re-pitch. She asked one question near the end: what would make a commitment feel manageable for you right now? Five years instead of three, he said. And a conversation each January. He signed for $300,000. The gift got bigger because the risk got smaller. In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I'm walking you through the emotional layer of giving in 2026, the four conversational moves I use with anxious donors, and five gift structures that help people feel safe saying yes to something big. Here's my question for you. When a donor hesitates, is your first instinct to shrink the number or to shrink the risk? Listen to the episode, then share it with someone on your team who has an anxious donor conversation coming up this week. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

She gave me four minutes. It changed my career. Almost thirty years ago, I had a donor meeting with a man who genuinely intimidated me. My development director stopped by my desk and asked what I planned to ask him. I recited my agenda. She listened, then said, "That's fine. But what do you really want to know about him?" I said I wanted to know why he kept giving to us when he clearly didn't need us. She said, "Ask him that." He talked for twenty minutes about his mother, a scholarship, and a debt he'd been paying back for forty years. He made our largest gift that year. Four minutes at my desk. No budget. No program. No conference. That's the whole thing I want us to understand about developing the next generation of major gift fundraisers. We keep trying to hire our way out of what is really a coaching problem. If someone on your team told a story like that about you ten years from now, what would they say you did? This week on The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, I walk through what's different about the fundraisers coming up now, the four competencies they need, five coaching moves that cost nothing, and what it quietly costs your donors when you skip all of it. Give it a listen, then share it with a manager who's carrying a team and wondering why hiring hasn't fixed it. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

The lobby test. Your website is the lobby of your building. It never closes the gift. But it absolutely sets the tone for everything that happens around it. In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I tell the story of a six-figure donor who tried to give on her phone in December, gave up three screens in, and mailed a check instead. The gift still came. The dashboard still looked healthy. And a loyal donor quietly filed away one piece of information about the organization she loves: this is harder than it should be. We talk about why digital shapes what your largest donors believe about you, even the ones you have lunch with. The four elements that matter most to a donor giving at the top of your file. And the digital behavior signals sitting in your data right now that point toward your next major gift conversation. Then I give you a twenty-minute audit you can run before your next staff meeting. Here's my question for you: if a financial advisor researched your organization tomorrow, what one sentence would they report back to your donor? Give it a listen, and share it with the person on your team who owns your website. This one is better as a conversation than a solo listen. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

"What's our plan if we only raise nine?" A campaign chair asked that in a planning meeting for a $14 million campaign, and the room went completely quiet. She wasn't being negative. She'd run a manufacturing business for thirty years, and she said, "I've never run a three-year plan that came in exactly where the model said it would." So we built an answer. Three of them, honestly. Conservative, moderate, and optimistic, all built around one internal working goal. Eighteen months later, the $4 million lead gift came in at $1.8 million. In most campaigns, that's an emergency board meeting. In this one, it was a Tuesday, because everyone already knew what to do. They finished at $11.4 million, and the board called it a success. In this episode, I walk through what a working goal really is, the three scenarios you build around it, how to write triggers you can see coming, and the five sentences that keep a board steady when the number moves. Give it a listen, then share it with someone on your team who's been waiting for a better moment to launch. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

A donor wall almost cost them their best donor. At the opening of a gorgeous new wall, one of their most generous donors leaned in and said, "I didn't give so my name could be up there. I gave for the kids. I wish the wall told me about them." That one sentence is the whole episode. On this week's Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, Recognition That Feels Right Today, I dig into what donors are signaling about recognition now, fresh mission-centered practices you can borrow, and how to handle sensitive naming questions without walking into a landmine. Recognition, done right, isn't a plaque. It's a window into the change a donor made possible. Is your recognition making donors feel important, or connected? Give it a listen, then share it with someone wrestling with their own donor wall. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

Urgency can steal our future. I’ve watched it happen in nonprofit teams everywhere. We race from grant deadlines to events to year-end goals, doing everything possible to meet today’s needs. But somewhere along the way, the relationship-building work that creates tomorrow’s major gifts gets pushed aside. In my conversation with Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation, I was reminded that fundraising is not just a development department responsibility. It is a team sport. 🤝 When we make room for curiosity, courageous conversations, and long-term planning, we give donors something more meaningful than a transaction. We give them agency to help shape a better future. So here’s my question: What important fundraising work are you protecting this quarter, even when urgency is loud? 🎧 Listen to this episode for practical inspiration on building for what’s next, then share it with a fundraiser, executive leader, or board member who needs this reminder. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Guest: Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

What if the ask isn't for money? What if it's a question? A donor of fifteen years told one of my clients, "Nobody ever asked me what I thought. They just told me what they'd done." He'd made peace with being a checkbook. I keep hearing versions of that story. Loyal donors who'd give more, and stay longer, if we simply asked them what they see. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I make the case that listening is a fundraising strategy, not a courtesy. We get into how to design listening sessions and donor advisory councils, and the one step almost everyone skips: closing the loop so donors see what changed because they spoke up. When's the last time you asked a major donor, "What are we missing?" Listen to this week's episode, then share it with someone who needs the reminder that donors want to be heard, not just thanked. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

If you vanished tomorrow, would anyone else in your building know how to talk about a donor with warmth? I've watched two organizations, same size, same budget, same tactics. One had a major gift officer carrying every donor relationship alone. The other had a program director who told donor stories unprompted, because she'd been invited to sit in on a visit once and it stuck. Same resources. Completely different trajectory. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I dig into what a real culture of philanthropy looks like, why it might be your most important major gifts strategy, and one small internal campaign you can try this month. What would change at your organization if donor relationships weren't yours alone to carry? Listen to this episode and share it with someone on your leadership team. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

He asked to sit in on hiring. She almost said yes to that too. Here's what changed her mind. On this week's episode, I tell the story of a major gift officer whose biggest donor had slowly taken over her evenings, her weekends, and nearly her hiring decisions. We walk through the power dynamics that show up in almost every major gift relationship, the red flags worth naming early, and the reset language that protected both her dignity and the gift. What's one boundary you've had to set with a generous donor? Listen to this episode and share it with anyone on your team navigating a tricky donor dynamic right now. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Book Tammy to Keynote Your Next Event Reserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies

A gift once took eleven months to close. Not because the donor said no. Because one person was carrying five jobs. On this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I tell the story of a major gift that stalled for nearly a year, and what finally unstuck it. Spoiler: it wasn't a better pitch. It was the right people in the room. We talk about: Why cross-functional collaboration is non-negotiable in 2026Who belongs at your major gifts tableHow to run a focused 30-minute coalition meeting that gets real results Who on your team, outside of development, deserves more credit for your last big gift? Listen to this episode and send it to a colleague who's ready to stop carrying major gifts alone. More from Tammy Zonker Author of Calling All Heroes Founder of Fundraising Transformed President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving Learn more about the Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar Subscribe to Tammy Zonker's Scaling Major Gifts newsletter Connect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedIn Resources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode. Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way. Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies