163. Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts
What Do Fundraisers Need to Know About Cross-Border Major Gifts?
Cross-border major gifts come from donors who live, work, or give in more than one country, and they're becoming common at organizations of every size. The key is to ask early where the donor lives and files taxes, how they give, and who else is involved, then bring in finance, legal counsel, and the donor's advisors before anything is promised. You don't need to be an international tax expert. You need the right questions and the right team.
Who 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.
A gift officer got a call at 6:45 one morning from London. A donor who'd grown up in town wanted to give a million and a half dollars to the children's hospital that had cared for her little brother.
She's a US citizen. Her husband is British. The money was in pounds.
The gift officer didn't pretend to have the answers. She asked good questions, brought in her finance team and the couple's advisors, and two months later the gift was structured in a way that worked for everyone. Every payment arrived on time.
That's the whole lesson in one story.
Why is global giving becoming more relevant?
In 2026, wealth moves, people move, and philanthropy follows. Our donors' generosity hasn't changed. The plumbing behind it has.
Here are the patterns I'm seeing most:
Globally mobile donors. Second homes abroad, overseas job assignments, retirements in Portugal or Mexico.
Family offices. Private teams managing a family's wealth and giving, often across more than one country.
Cross-border structures. Foundations, donor-advised funds, and companies based somewhere other than where the donor lives.
Diaspora giving. Donors with roots in one country and a life in another who want their giving to honor both.
When I helped one community foundation review its top fifty donors, we found seven with a meaningful cross-border element. Nobody had noticed.
What questions should you ask, and what pitfalls should you avoid?
Think through four areas on any cross-border gift: culture, regulations and tax, banking and logistics, and reputational risk.
Then ask five questions early, with curiosity:
Where do you call home, and where do you file taxes?
How do you usually give? Personally, a foundation, a donor-advised fund, a company, or a family office?
Who else is part of this decision?
Do you already work with organizations or advisors in other countries?
Is there a timeline that matters to you?
The pitfalls I see most often are assuming (about deductions, recognition, or where the money sits), promising a tax outcome, waiting until the money is moving to ask how it'll move, and forgetting the decision-makers you can't see.
Who should be on your cross-border support team?
Think of it as a relay race. You run the first and last legs, the relationship and the stewardship. In the middle, you hand the baton to people who know the rules.
Your finance lead, to confirm how international wires and foreign assets are received and recorded.
Legal counsel who understands charitable giving, even on a pro bono or as-needed basis.
Your gift acceptance policy, with a short international section.
Intermediary organizations that help donors give from one country to a charity in another.
The donor's own advisors. They aren't gatekeepers. They're collaborators.
AI can help with the friction. Use it to line up meeting times across time zones, draft your first international gift checklist, or turn notes into impact updates you personalize. Keep tax and legal questions with real advisors.
Try this in the next 30 to 60 minutes
Map 3 to 5 donors with cross-border elements. Where they live, where they file taxes, how they give.
Ask one honest question. If one of them called tomorrow with a major gift, where would we get stuck?
Draft a one-page international gift protocol covering who to call, what to check, and what to document.
I'd love to hear from you
Connect with me on LinkedIn and tell me where your organization would get stuck on a cross-border gift. I read every message.
Your donors' lives may cross borders, but their generosity still starts with a relationship. And that's the part you already know how to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Who is this approach best suited for?
This approach is designed for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors who want to welcome cross-border gifts with confidence without putting their organization at risk. It works especially well if you already have a written gift acceptance policy and a finance partner who can tell you how international gifts are received.
Q2. How much time should I expect this to take each week?
Most fundraisers can get started with about one to two hours per week focused on mapping cross-border donors and building a simple international gift protocol. The more important piece is consistency. Protect this time on your calendar so it doesn't get swallowed by internal noise.
Q3. What if my organization is small and I wear multiple hats?
The principles still apply, but you may need to scale the tactics. Start with a lighter version you can sustain, perhaps mapping your top three cross-border donors and building one relationship with an advisor you can call. Expand as you see results.
Q4. How do I know if it's working?
Look for early signals like clearer CRM notes on where donors live and how they give, advisors sharing details sooner, and fewer surprises when gifts arrive. Over time, you should see more international gifts closing on time, larger and multi-year commitments from global donors, and stronger retention.
Q5. Where does AI fit into this, if at all?
AI is there to reduce friction, not replace your relationships. Use it for scheduling across time zones, drafting checklists, and turning notes into stewardship updates, while keeping the human work of listening, cultural respect, and relationship-building firmly in your hands.
This post is general information, not legal or tax advice.
“Global giving isn't a niche anymore. Donors are more mobile, family offices and cross-border structures are more common, and many of your donors already have a meaningful international element.”
Tammy Zonker, Major Gift Expert, Keynote Speaker, Author
This episode brought to you by
The Intentional Fundraiser podcast has been selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top Fundraising Podcasts on the web.
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news with our community! The Intentional Fundraiser podcast has been selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top Fundraising Podcasts on the web.
This recognition means so much to us, and it wouldn’t be possible without your support, encouragement, and thoughtful engagement. Every listen, share, and conversation has helped us grow and reach more passionate fundraisers like you.
Thank you for being part of our journey! We can’t wait to keep bringing you inspiring stories, practical tips, and meaningful conversations to help you fundraise with intention and impact.
Here’s to making a difference, together!
Rate, review, and follow on Apple Podcasts
“I love Tammy and The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast” 👈 If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This will enable me to reach more fundraisers — just like you — and help them become better fundraisers, faster. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.
Subscribe to this podcast
Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to this podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now!
Connect with Tammy Zonker on social
You can also connect with Tammy on Twitter and Instagram at @tammyzonker, and on LinkedIn.
We can help you take your fundraising results to the next level
To get started, learn more about joining our exclusive Transformers Community.