Cultivating High Net Worth Donors: Moving Beyond Transactions

What HNWI donors want from a philanthropic partnership—and the donor cultivation strategies that build lasting major gifts

Hi there, and welcome to this week’s edition of The Giving Groove. We’re returning to major gifts and examining donor cultivation strategies for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs)—an important donor segment.

The critical thing to understand is that just like with foundations, building professional relationships is key to your success.

Peruvian Ceviche at La Mar SF © Tonya Hennessey

Relationships, Not Transactions

There’s a version of major gift fundraising that is essentially transactional: prospect identified, cultivation scheduled, ask made, gift received, stewardship letter sent, cycle repeated. It can work, to a certain extent. But that’s an older and less effective model.

There’s another version. The one where a donor calls your executive director on a Saturday because they read something that connects to your work. Where they bring a friend to a site visit who becomes your next major donor. Where their estate plan includes a bequest that funds your organization for years.

That version…