It’s standard practice in transformational gift fundraising to assign a Gift Officer to every prospect. This person is accountable for shepherding a prospect through the entire Strategic Relationship Management Cycle, from Identification through Stewardship.

But when a Gift Officer is the only person doing the work to secure a six or seven-figure transformational gift, there are limitations to this ‘team of one,’ not the least of which is:

• A single individual has to shoulder the entire workload.
• The prospect doesn’t get to establish bonds with other people within your organization.
• If the Gift Officer leaves your organization, the person who takes their place has to rebuild the relationship with the prospect from the ground up.

A better practice is to approach transformational gift fundraising as a team.

With a team approach, the Gift Officer, senior leaders, other staff, volunteers, and even other donors work together to determine prospect strategy and they share the responsibility for carrying out strategic interactions with the prospect. When you approach fundraising this way, you solve for the limitations and position your organization to maximize the potential of the philanthropic partnership.

As a starting place, we recommend a Cultivation Team with specific roles for each prospect. The roles may vary depending on the complexity of your organization and whether the prospect is an individual, corporation, or foundation, but a basic team structure that works for most nonprofits is the one in our featured image.

Cultivation Team Roles

Let’s bring this Cultivation Team structure to life by comparing each role to a film production's key cast and crew.

Relationship Manager | The “Director”

One Individual

The Relationship Manager sits at the center of the Cultivation Team, much like a Director is at the center of a film production. A film Director does more than just shout “action” and “cut.” They set the vision for a film and exert artistic control.

Just as a Director orchestrates every detail of a film to ensure a seamless production and the best audience experience, the Relationship Manager orchestrates every detail of a transformational gift pursuit to ensure the highest outcomes and the best philanthropic experience for the prospect.

Specifically, the Relationship Manager:

• Sets the vision for the philanthropic partnership
• Determines who sits on the Cultivation Team
• Guides the Cultivation Team through their interactions with the prospect
• Keeps the Cultivation Team informed on progress with the prospect
• Is responsible for strategically advancing the relationship
• Is the ultimate decision maker about how to cultivate, solicit the prospect and how to acknowledge, recognize, and steward their gift

Only one person fills this role – a Gift Officer – and it is required for every transformational gift prospect.

Relationship Strategist(s) | The “Executive Producer”

One or more individuals

A Relationship Strategist functions like the Executive Producer of a film. They serve as a strategic advisor who can provide creative sparks and the strategic foresight needed for fundraising success. They make great thought partners and should be regularly consulted for insights.

The Relationship Strategist(s):

• Makes recommendations on Cultivation Team composition
• Advises the Relationship Manager on cultivation strategy, solicitation approach, and stewardship strategy

This role is typically filled by a member(s) of senior leadership. It is a required role for all transformational gift prospects.

Natural Partner / “Lead Actor” 

One or more individuals

It’s one thing to research a transformational gift prospect to learn everything about them that’s “on paper;” it’s another thing to gather “unpublished” insights from people who know them well. A Natural Partner is anyone who has a meaningful relationship with a prospect and can provide insights about the prospect unbeknown to research engines and the internet. Tap them for any and all information that can help inform your cultivation strategy.

Natural Partners are also people who can exert a positive influence over a potential donor. Hence, they are often best positioned to carry out strategic interactions with the prospect. You want to have people in this role who the prospect would be thrilled to connect with and who have the rapport to be able to learn even more about the prospect and help the prospect learn about the impactful work of your organization.

Think of Natural Partners as the Lead Actors in a film. They:

• Provide insights into a prospect’s motivations and aspirations
• Carry out strategic interactions with a prospect

This role is required, over time. Anyone within or connected to your organization can fill this role, including staff, volunteers, and other transformational gift donors.

Program Partner | “Guest Stars”

One or more individuals

Program Partners are your subject matter experts – the staff who hold the deepest knowledge of the programs that align with the prospect’s interests. We’ll liken them to the Guest Stars of a film.

By bringing deep knowledge of your mission-based work, Program Partners get the prospect excited to support your work and they help the prospect see how their motivations and aspirations can be fulfilled through the apparatus of your organization.

Program Partners:

• Serve as the “content experts” by providing programmatic knowledge and expertise

This role is required for transformational gift prospects, over time, as you learn what programs are of interest to the prospect. It is filled by a member of your Program team.

A Few Things To Note

There are a few things to note about this basic Cultivation Team structure:

1. The roles identified are not mutually exclusive; one person may fill multiple roles.
2. The composition of the team may change based on new knowledge of the prospect’s interests, connections, and alignment with your mission, or as a result of internal staffing changes.
3. The team may consist of multiple organizational functions (e.g., Major Gifts, Corporate Partnerships, Programs, Events).
4. For federated organizations, teams may consist of a combination of chapter and headquarters staff.
5. Roles may change over time as your organization’s relationship with the prospect evolves.
6. New roles can be added to the Cultivation Team structure if your organization is large and its structure complex.

Your Turn

Ask yourself…

Who are the people who support the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of your top ten prospects? Do they align with these roles? What roles are missing and who could fill them?

To support you in establishing robust Cultivation Teams for your top prospects, click HERE for a Microsoft Word template. (It will automatically download to your desktop without a preview).

May your philanthropic pursuits be a smashing success!

Lisa, Pam, and Jeremy