123. Finding Your Real Top 25 Donor Prospects
About this episode
If your “major prospects” list looks impressive on paper but is not turning into real conversations or meaningful gifts, you are not alone. In 2026, with fewer donors giving overall yet dollars holding steady, the pressure on a relatively small group of major donors has never been higher. Add economic uncertainty, new tax rules, rising donor expectations, and AI tools everywhere you turn, and it can feel like you’re supposed to do everything, all at once.
In my experience, the answer is not a bigger list. It is a clearer list.
You do not need more names.
You need the right 25 names.
Why your long list is not the answer
Over nearly 30 years of major gift fundraising, I have found that the teams who grow major gifts most reliably do one thing very well: they identify and focus on donors who show three signals at the same time.
You do not need more “prospects” in your CRM.
You need a sharper lens for evaluating who truly belongs in your major gift portfolio right now.
The three signals that matter
The teams that thrive consistently read three core donor signals:
Capacity is the ability to give at your major gift level or above. It reflects financial ability, not generosity or interest.
Affinity is a real connection to your mission and values, not just to “charity” in general. It shows up in patterns of giving, personal stories, and how closely your work matches what they care about.
Engagement is visible behavior right now, like recent giving, event attendance, email engagement, or visits. It tells you who is leaning in at this moment, not just who cared three years ago.
One approach I have seen work well is to turn these three signals into a simple scoring lens. You do not need predictive modeling to get started. You can assign a 1–5 score for each signal and total it to a 15-point score:
Capacity: 1 is limited ability, 5 is clear ability to give well above your major gift threshold.
Affinity: 1 is weak or unclear connection, 5 is long-term giving, story-based connection, or deep mission alignment.
Engagement: 1 is inactive, 5 is very recent and multi-channel engagement, including personal touchpoints.
In my experience, this simple framework does two important things for you:
It forces you to stop treating wealth as the only signal that matters.
It gives your whole team a shared language for deciding who belongs on your true Top 25 list.
From “anyone wealthy” to your true Top 25
Here is the shift I invite you to make: move from “anyone who looks wealthy” to “the 25 donors where capacity, affinity, and engagement overlap.” When you focus there, you honor donor time, protect your own energy, and give your mission the best chance of securing transformational gifts.
You might be wondering, “Where does AI fit into all of this?” In today’s environment, AI can absolutely help, but it should not replace your judgment or your relationships. I think of AI as a quiet assistant who keeps the data organized so you can stay present with your donors.
AI is especially helpful at:
Surfacing changes in engagement across your file.
Summarizing recent donor activity so you see what changed this week.
Reducing the time you spend clicking through multiple screens just to understand one donor.
What AI cannot do is build trust, listen for nuance, or hold space for a donor’s story. That part will always belong to you.
Four actions you can take in 30–60 minutes
Here are a few focused, 30–60 minute actions you can take this week to move from long lists to your real Top 25:
1. Run a 30-minute signal report
Export a list of donors who:
Gave in the last 12–18 months,
Or attended at least one event,
Or opened or clicked at least two emails this quarter.
Then, very quickly score each person 1–5 for capacity, affinity, and engagement. Do not chase perfection. You are building a decision-making tool, not a scientific model.
2. Identify your provisional Top 25
Sort by total score and circle the top 25 names.
Look at the list and ask yourself:
Do these names actually feel like the donors I should be spending most of my time with right now?
If a donor clearly does not belong in your Top 25 for reasons the data cannot see, adjust. Your experience still matters more than the spreadsheet.
3. Block one hour for intentional next steps
Choose one 60-minute block on your calendar this week and use it only for your Top 25. In that hour:
Pick 5 to 10 donors and decide on the very next relational step: a thank-you call, a coffee invitation, a handwritten note, a small-group briefing invitation.
Capture those actions directly in your CRM, so nothing lives on sticky notes or in your head.
4. Test one light AI or automation workflow
In my experience, this is where AI can quietly increase your capacity:
Schedule a weekly CRM report that emails you everyone whose engagement changed (new gift, new event registration, key email click).
Or test one AI tool that summarizes recent donor activity for a small segment, so you see “what changed this week” at a glance.
You are not handing your portfolio over to AI. You are using AI to surface signals, so you spend more time in conversation and less time clicking through screens.
Want to take a deeper dive?
If you want to go deeper into how to build and maintain your Top 25, I recorded a full episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast called “Finding Your Real Top 25 Donor Prospects.” In that episode, I walk through real-life scoring examples, a simple weekly review ritual, and a few practical ways AI can help you keep your list current while you are out meeting donors.
I would love to hear from you
Connect with me on LinkedIn and tell me: What signal do you personally trust most right now: capacity, affinity, or engagement?
You are carrying a lot. The stakes feel high, the numbers are real, and yet the work is profoundly human. In my experience, when you bring clarity to who you focus on and why, you reduce your stress and increase your impact. Keep orienting your time where donor capacity meets passion and engagement. Your best major gifts, and your best work, live right there.
“Think of AI and automation as an extremely organized assistant who keeps your donor dashboard up to date, so you can spend your energy listening, asking good questions, and building trust.”
Tammy Zonker, Author, Major Gift Expert & Keynote Speaker
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