Shows / Hey Fundraiser!
Hey Fundraiser!
Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing.
Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a…
Episodes
- Hey Fundraiser!
You're Not Being Ghosted. You're Being Forgotten.
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…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Your Donor Isn't the Problem. The Voice in Your Head Is.
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…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The 2027 Major Gift Plan: What I’d Have in Place Before January 1
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…
- Hey Fundraiser!
I Looked at Your Major Gift Program. Here Are the 7 Places It’s Leaking Money.
Where is your major gift program quietly leaking money? In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary walks through seven of the most common places she sees…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Your Donor Isn’t Stuck. Your Cultivation Strategy Is.
Is your donor really stuck, or is your cultivation strategy stuck? In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary explains the difference between a touch and a move…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Stop Selling Programs: How to Position Offers and Outcomes So Donors Understand Them
If your major gift opportunities sound like a menu of programs, you may be unintentionally teaching donors to restrict their giving. In this episode of Hey…
- Hey Fundraiser!
You Found a Great Major Gift Prospect. Now How the Heck Do You Get in the Door?
You found the perfect major gift prospect. Great capacity, strong giving history, real connection to your mission...and they will not respond. In this episode…
- Hey Fundraiser!
If I Had to Build a Major Gift Program From Scratch, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do
If Mary walked into a nonprofit tomorrow and had one year to build a major gift program from scratch, what would she do first, what would she ignore, and where…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Inspire Unrestricted Major Gifts and Build Donor Trust
Why do donors happily fund programs but hesitate to fund the people, systems, and infrastructure that make those programs possible? In this episode of Hey…
- Hey Fundraiser!
5 Questions I Get As a Major Gift Coach
How many times can you follow up with a donor before you become annoying? How do you actually know when it’s time to ask? What happens if you ask for too much?…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Fundraisers: It’s Time to Make an Ask for Yourself
What if the professional development line in your budget isn’t an expense, but one of the smartest revenue investments your organization can make? In this…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Why Your Best Fundraiser Is About to Quit (And How to Stop It)
Your best gift officer is going to get a recruiter's call this quarter. What happens next was decided by how you led this quarter. This week I'm sharing a…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Red Flags: How to Spot the Wrong Fundraising Help Before You Pay For It
Should you hire a fundraising coach or a consultant? Most fundraisers pay for the wrong one. In this episode, Mary breaks down the real difference: a…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Ask Better Questions. Raise More Money
What should you actually talk about at a Small Table? In this episode, Mary breaks down one of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make when they finally get the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Four-Hour Major Gift Program: What Busy Executive Directors Should Do and What They Can Ignore
Executive directors are pulled in a thousand directions, but major gifts still need focused attention. In this episode, Mary shares a practical strategy for…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Prep your CEO for a Major Gift Meeting
CEOs play a crucial role in major gift fundraising, but not all of them are natural fundraisers. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to prepare and coach your…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Special Episode: Mary answers YOUR Fundraising Questions
This is a different kind of episode, and it might be one of Mary's favorites yet! No theory, no framework from the top down. Just three real questions sent in…
- Hey Fundraiser!
I Just Taught My First Small Table Intensive. Here's What Happened
In this episode, I walk you through what we built together and answer the six questions that came up in the room, because I guarantee you're asking them too…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Ask Once, Thank for 180 Days: The Year-End Strategy Nobody Talks About
Your year-end success is being decided right now. Not by your appeal letter, not by your Giving Tuesday plan, but by what you're doing with your top donors…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Summer Move that Makes Your Year-End Easy
Most fundraisers treat summer like the slow season. That's the mistake. Summer is the single best relationship-building season of the year, and what you do…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How One AFP Chapter Creatively Supported Its Members
Mary shares highlights from her keynote at the AFP Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Summer Symposium, a full morning with 110 fundraisers built entirely…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Activate Your Board for Major Gifts (Without Making Them Hate You)
Mary teaches the board fundraising framework from Small Table Big Philanthropy — the one that works because it doesn't ask board members to do anything that…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Summer Cultivation: Your Best Season for Major Gift Development
Mary makes the case for summer as the most strategic cultivation season of the year. She covers the summer small table strategy (the backyard dinner, the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
What to Say When Major Donors Say 'I Need to Think About It'
Mary teaches from What to Say and her 25+ years of major gift experience on the single most common response to a major gift ask. This episode breaks down the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Your Next Major Donor Is Already in Your Database
Mary teaches the 4 hidden major gift prospect profiles that live in almost every donor database — and the conversations that unlock them. She covers the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Mid-Year Check-In: Are You Actually on Track?
Mary walks through the full mid-year major gift program evaluation. This episode is built on the Engineer step of her 4-step system: the phase where you get…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Stewardship Multiplier: How Great Thank-Yous Build Bigger Next Gifts
Mary teaches the stewardship system from Small Table Big Philanthropy — the one that turns $1,000 donors into $10,000 donors and $10,000 donors into $100,000…
- Hey Fundraiser!
From Reading the Book to Doing
In this episode, I will share how shifting from large galas to small, intimate dinners can exponentially increase major gift fundraising. Discover her…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Small Table Big Philanthropy is Available TODAY!
Order Small Table Big Philanthropy at https://stbp.heyfundraiser.com/. This is the book your entire development team need. If you want to go beyond the book…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Small Table Big Philanthropy: A Sneak Peek Inside the Book
A week before the April 30 launch, Mary does a live teaching from the heart of the book. She covers the small table philosophy (why intimacy beats scale in…
- Hey Fundraiser!
What to Say When You're Ready to Ask
Mary pulls from her book What to Say to teach the full anatomy of a major gift ask conversation. She covers the 5 elements of a strong ask (set-up, ask…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The No-Agenda Visit: Your Most Powerful Cultivation Tool
Mary introduces the no-agenda visit as the cornerstone of the cultivation phase in her 4-step system (Engineer → Culivate → Solicit → Steward). This isn't…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Why Donors Really Leave (And It's Not What You Think)
Donor retention is the most under-discussed topic in major gift fundraising — and the most expensive mistake organizations make. In this episode, Mary digs…
- Hey Fundraiser!
After the Ask: The Follow-Up Rhythm That Protects the Relationship (and Moves It Forward)
This episode explores the art of follow-up in major gift fundraising, emphasizing a steady, relational, permission-based approach that preserves trust and…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Objections Clinic: The 7 Objections + The 3-Step Response Framework
In this episode, Mary Petersen demystifies donor objections, showing fundraisers how to handle them with confidence and trust-building techniques. Learn the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Three Donor Types: Head / Heart / Gut (And How to Adjust Your Approach)
In this episode, Mary Petersen talks about a simple yet powerful framework to personalize your fundraising conversations based on donor decision-making…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Offers & Outcomes: Why Donors Fund Outcomes (Not Programs) + How to Package Yours
In this episode, Mary Petersen talks about the key difference between describing your organization’s activities and showcasing the real results that inspire…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The First 5 Minutes of a Donor Meeting
In this episode, Mary Petersen provides a master class on the critical first five minutes of donor meetings, emphasizing their importance in setting the tone…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Valentine’s Day special: Fall Back in Love With Fundraising
In this Valentine's Day special episode, Mary Petersen discusses the challenges of fundraising burnout and offers practical advice for rekindling passion for…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Silence After the Ask: How to Use It Without Being Weird (And What To Do Right After)
In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen discusses the critical importance of silence after making a major gift ask. She emphasizes that…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Why Donors Say No: The 5 Real Reasons (And the Fix for Each)
In this episode, Mary Petersen discusses the common experience of receiving 'no' from donors in fundraising. She emphasizes that a 'no' often signifies a need…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Permission-Based “Runway” to the Major Gift Ask (5 Questions That Make the Ask Easy)
In this episode, Mary Petersen discusses the concept of permission-based fundraising, emphasizing the importance of clarity and collaboration in donor…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Know When Someone Is Ready to Be Asked for a Major Gift
In this podcast episode, Mary Petersen discusses the critical signals that indicate when a donor is ready to be asked for a major gift. She emphasizes the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Your Major Gift Portfolio: How to Decide Who Gets Your Time This Week
In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen discusses the importance of portfolio triage in fundraising. She emphasizes that the scarce…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The Momentum Method: How to Run Major Gifts Like a System (Not a Mood)
If your major gifts work is running on vibes—if you only do outreach when you feel confident, or you avoid the ask until you feel “100% ready”—this episode is…
- Hey Fundraiser!
What to Say: 12 Gift Asks to Get a YES
I wrote a short, punchy field guide with word-for-word major gift ask scripts so you can make confident, collaborative solicitations (without the anxiety). In…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How Heather Closed $280,000 in 6 Weeks
In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen interviews Heather Withrow, a member of the Major Gift Momentum program. Heather shares her…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Mastering the Major Gift Ask: 5 Solicitation Scripts To Set You Up for Success
In this episode, Mary Petersen tackles one of the most-asked questions in fundraising: “What exact words do I use to close a major gift?” Mary breaks down the…
- Hey Fundraiser!
The 5 Habits and Mindsets of High-Performing Major Gift Officers
In this episode, Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on the habits, mindsets, and metrics that consistently drive 5-, 6-, and 7-figure gifts. Whether you’re…
- Hey Fundraiser!
What to Do When a Major Donor Gives Before You Ask
Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary Petersen…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Stop Low-balling Your Donors: How to Confidently Ask for the Right Amount
Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Today we’re tackling one of the most common (and…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Break Through Donor Silence (Without Feeling Desperate)
Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Welcome back, fundraiser! In this episode, we're…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Close Major Gifts Faster—Without Rushing the Donor
Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Do you really need to spend 18 months cultivating…
- Hey Fundraiser!
How to Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Major Gift Prospects
Interested in Major Gift Momentum? Check it out here! Are you stuck chasing donors who never call back? Wasting your precious time on high-capacity but…
- Hey Fundraiser!
A Week in the Life of a Major Gift Coach
📅 Episode Summary: Ever wonder what a major gift coach actually does? In this episode, Mary pulls back the curtain on a single Monday filled with coaching…
- Hey Fundraiser!
Permission-Based Fundraising: The Secret to Better Donor Relationships and Bigger Gifts
Hey fundraiser! In this episode, I’m sharing a major mindset (and strategy) shift that changed everything for me in major gifts: Permission-Based Fundraising…
- Hey Fundraiser!
3 Mindsets Holding You Back in Your Major Gift Work (and What to Do About Them)
Description: Ever feel like you're stuck in your major gift work — second-guessing your proposals, over-preparing for donor meetings, or trying to sound more…
Hey Fundraiser!How to Close Your First $100,000 Gift
Fundraiser, this is a BIG one! 🎉 Closing your first six-figure gift is a milestone moment in your career—and today, I’m walking you through exactly how to make…
Hey Fundraiser!5 Biggest Mistakes Fundraisers Make During Solicitation
Episode Summary: Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked out of a donor meeting thinking, “Oh my gosh, I totally messed that up.” 🙋♀️ We've all been there!…
Hey Fundraiser!Building Your Major Gift Plan for a New Fiscal Year
Welcome to the first podcast of 2025! Starting a new year can feel like both a blank slate and a daunting challenge—especially when your fundraising total…