When it comes to nonprofit fundraising, moves management is a key part of the major gift strategy. And while performing moves management is a complex skill, understanding the ideas behind donor moves management is not.
To help, we’ve created this short guide to moves management for nonprofits.
What is moves management?
Most simply, moves management is the process by which a nonprofit recognizes potential major donors and then builds relationships with them that may yield a sizable gift in the future. As NonProfit Pro explains, “‘Moves’ are the actions an organization takes to bring in donors, establish relationships and renew contributions.”
What are the stages of moves management in fundraising?
The moves management process consists of several stages–moves–that a major gift officer will utilize in building these major donor relationships.
Identifying Potential Donors
The first stage in moves management is to scour your constituent database looking for potential donors. This process involves researching and segmenting potential donors based on your current relationships with the individuals. This is one reason that using a powerful CRM software is vital. You’ll want quick access to lists of donors who:
- Have made donations in the past
- Have an affinity for your organization
- Are individuals to whom your organization will have enough access to develop a relationship
Qualifying Donors
The next step involves determining a donor’s capacity to give and assessing a donor’s inclination to give. The qualification stage often involves utilizing wealth screening software, giving history, event attendance, occupation, and other touchpoints (which can be recorded in your CRM) to determine if a donor may be:
- Individually wealthy
- Connected to your organization through family or another group
- A fiduciary of a potential corporate sponsor
The central question that drives this stage is “what can we learn about the level of interest the individual might have in a major gift?”
Cultivating Donors
The donor cultivation stage is about building relationships with potential donors. Your major gift officer will work on identifying and leveraging common interests and building authentic and long-lasting relationships. This is a process that can take time, as it must be done thoughtfully and respectfully to ensure a meaningful relationship.
Solicitation and Stewardship of gifts
Finally, after building a meaningful relationship, it’s time for the most nerve-wracking part of the moves management cycle: making the ask and closing the gift. If the other stages of the donor development process have been done correctly, your team should have all of the information they need to ask the potential donor for a gift that:
- Matches their interests
- Is within their means
- Is as meaningful to the donor as it is to the organization
Once the gift has been closed, careful and thoughtful stewardship is crucial. You will want to be thoughtful about reporting how the gift has been used and about maintaining the relationship with the donor into the future.
A great moves management strategy starts with the right software. Giveffect’s 10-in-1 platform puts the data and information you need at your fingertips.
The most successful nonprofits run on Giveffect. Book a demo to learn more today.