International and Cross-Border Major Gifts
Scaling Major Gifts. Strategies, action steps, and ideas for scaling major gifts by Tammy Zonker, Major Gift Expert & Keynote Speaker.
How Do I Manage International and Cross-Border Major Gifts?
Cross-border major gifts go best when you treat them as a coordination project, not just a relationship. Ask early where the donor lives and files taxes, which vehicle the gift will come from, and who else is part of the decision, then bring in finance, legal, and the right partners before anything is promised. This edition is for major gift officers and development directors who are starting to see donors who live, work, or give across borders and want a calm, practical way to handle it.
This is for major gift officers, development directors, and executive directors at small to mid-sized nonprofits. 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
Use a simple checklist to vet and manage an international major gift with your finance and legal partners
Let’s get into it
Here's something I'm hearing more and more from fundraisers this fall.
"My donor just told me the gift is coming from an account in Switzerland. Is that okay?"
Or, "She lives in London half the year. Does that change anything?"
It might. In 2026, more of our donors hold dual citizenship, retire abroad, or work with family offices that manage wealth across borders. Their generosity hasn't changed. The plumbing behind it has.
The good news? You don't need to become an international tax expert. You need to know which questions to ask, and who to call.
Why are cross-border major gifts becoming more common?
Wealth is more mobile, second homes abroad are more common, and family offices are no longer reserved for billionaires. Many donors with roots in one country and a life in another want their giving to honor both. In my experience, most small and mid-sized shops already have a few of these donors. They just haven't noticed yet.
What should I focus on next week?
Culture. Expectations around recognition, privacy, family involvement, and talking about money vary a lot. Ask, don't assume.
Regulations and tax. Where a donor lives and files taxes shapes whether they get a tax benefit and which country's rules apply. This is advisor territory, so bring advisors in early.
Banking and logistics. International wires can trigger compliance holds, fees, and currency swings, and that matters at year-end.
Reputational risk. Know where the money comes from. Screen against sanctions lists, follow your gift acceptance policy, and make sure leadership is comfortable before you say yes.
What questions should I ask early?
I've found that five questions, asked gently in your early conversations, prevent most of the headaches.
Where do you call home, and where do you file taxes?
How do you usually give? Personal account, family foundation, donor-advised fund, company, or family office.
Who else is part of this decision? Spouse, adult children, advisors, a family council.
Do you already work with organizations or advisors in other countries?
Is there a timeline that matters to you? A tax year, a family milestone, a business event.
Ask with curiosity, not like a customs form.
Who should I bring in from legal, finance, and international partners?
Build a small circle before you need it.
Ask your finance lead how an international wire would be received today. Find outside counsel, even a board member or pro bono attorney, who understands cross-border giving. Get familiar with the intermediary organizations that help donors give from one country to a charity in another.
And treat the donor's own advisors as collaborators, not gatekeepers.
How do I steward a global donor well?
Schedule calls in their time zone, not yours. Learn their travel rhythm so you can visit when they're nearby. If they care about impact in more than one country, show them the connection.
AI can help here. Ask your AI assistant to line up meeting times across time zones, draft an impact update you then personalize, or scan your CRM notes for donors with addresses abroad. Keep sensitive financial details out of public tools, and never treat AI as your tax advisor.
What's a simple checklist for international major gifts?
Confirm where the donor lives and files taxes
Identify the giving vehicle and where the funds originate
Screen the donor and any entities against sanctions lists
Review the gift against your gift acceptance policy
Coordinate with the donor's advisors on the right structure
Agree on currency, timing, and who covers fees
Put it in a written gift agreement
Plan stewardship around time zones, travel, and recognition preferences
A Quick Story
A small arts organization I worked with had a longtime donor who'd retired to Portugal. She pledged a major gift in November and wired it from her Portuguese bank in late December. The transfer was held for a compliance review, arrived in mid-January, and missed both the organization's year-end goal and her own tax plans. Nobody had asked which account the gift would come from. The next year, the gift officer asked in September, and the whole thing closed in a week.
Try this next week
Map 3 to 5 donors with meaningful cross-border elements. Where they live, where they file taxes, how they give.
Book 30 minutes with your finance lead to walk through how an international gift would be received today.
Adapt the checklist above into a one-page protocol that lives next to your gift acceptance policy.
Want to take a deeper dive?
This week on The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, I share the story of a cross-border gift that took real coordination, plus the pitfalls to watch for and how to build your support team.
Listen to the episode: Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts
Listen to the full episode below.
Your donors' lives may cross borders, but their generosity still starts with a relationship. Lead with curiosity, plan with care, and you'll be ready when that call comes.
This newsletter is general information, not legal or tax advice. Always consult qualified advisors about specific gifts.
Keep scaling,
Tammy Zonker
Major Gift Expert + Keynote Speaker
Founder + President of Fundraising Transformed
President of Modern Institute for Charitable Giving
Subscribe to The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast
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Reserve your spot at our upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising Seminar
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 and year-end prep.
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 instead of your whole portfolio, and building one relationship with an advisor you can call when an international gift comes up. 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, donors and advisors sharing details sooner, and fewer surprises when gifts arrive. Over time, you should see this reflected in 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 finding meeting times across time zones, drafting a first version of your international gift checklist, and turning your notes into stewardship updates you then personalize. Keep tax and legal questions with qualified advisors, and keep the human work of listening, cultural respect, and relationship-building firmly in your hands.