Blog

Sharing insights, strategies and inspiration you can use right now.

This is where I share strategies, action steps, and ideas for scaling major gifts, and answers to questions that matter most right now. 

Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

165. Staying Whole While Raising Big Gifts

After reading, you'll be able to name the hidden pressures draining your energy, use three mindset tools to stay courageous, and start one resilience practice this week.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

Managing Your Own Energy, Mindset, and Resilience

How Do Major Gift Fundraisers Stay Resilient Without Burning Out? In this edition of Scaling Major Gifts, I'm sharing: the three kinds of weight fundraisers are carrying in 2026, three mindset tools for staying courageous and grounded, simple energy rituals for before and after big donor meetings, and the Whole Fundraiser Plan, a one-page personal resilience template.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

Human-Centered Fundraising for Greater Impact: Shared Power Models

This is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors who want deeper donor trust and stronger community legitimacy at the same time. After reading, you'll be able to:

  • Explain what "fundraising with, not for" looks like in a major gifts program

  • Choose a shared-power model that fits your size and culture

  • Invite donors into shared decision-making without saviorism or tokenism

  • Pilot one simple shared-power experiment this quarter

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

164. Human-Centered Major Gifts

This is for major gift officers, development directors, executive directors, and board members at small to mid-sized nonprofits. After reading, you'll understand why the human-centered model is rising, which shared-power practices work in major gifts, and how to frame this work with donors, communities, and your board.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

International and Cross-Border Major Gifts

After reading, you'll be able to: Spot the cross-border elements already sitting in your portfolio, ask five early questions that prevent most surprises, and use a simple checklist to vet and manage an international major gift with your finance and legal partners.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

163. Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts

This is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors at small- to mid-sized nonprofits. After reading, you'll know why global giving is growing, which questions and pitfalls matter most, and how to build a simple support team and protocol for international gifts.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

161. Stacking the Deck for Year-End Major Gifts

This is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors at small to mid-sized nonprofits. After reading, you'll understand what changed for year-end giving this year, have a five-checkpoint calendar you can use right away, and know how to keep your team focused with a one-page dashboard.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

160. Impact Reporting That Deepens Commitment

This episode is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors at small and mid-sized nonprofits. You'll walk away knowing what donors want from impact reporting, how to agree on metrics together, and which formats and tools make it manageable for a busy team.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

159. Today’s Gifts, Tomorrow’s Legacy

This is for major gift officers, development directors, executive directors, and board members at small and mid-sized nonprofits. You'll walk away knowing which donors to talk with about legacy, what to say, and who to bring to the table.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

158. Calming the Waters: Supporting Anxious Donors

This is for major gift officers, development directors, and nonprofit CEOs who are watching good donors slow down. After reading, you will be able to spot the behavioral signals of donor anxiety, use four conversational moves that lower the emotional temperature, and offer five gift structures that make a large commitment feel safer.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

157. Growing the Next Wave of Major Gift Talent

This is for development directors, chief development officers, and senior major gift officers who want to grow the people on their team instead of replacing them every eighteen months. By the end, you'll be able to name what the fundraisers coming up now need, coach inside work you're already doing, and build a development plan in about thirty minutes.

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Trent Thompson Trent Thompson

Major Gifts and Digital Giving Experiences

This is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors who want their digital presence to support high-touch relationships instead of quietly undermining them.

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