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Hey Fundraiser!

Mary Petersen

42 episodes

4 days ago

In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen interviews Heather Withrow, a member of the Major Gift Momentum program. Heather shares her transformative journey in fundraising, detailing her impressive successes, including securing a $245,000 gift. The conversation explores the mindset shifts and strategies that have empowered Heather to approach fundraising with confidence and clarity, emphasizing the importance of community support and permission-based fundraising. The episod...

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Self-Improvement,

All content for Hey Fundraiser! is the property of Mary Petersen and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen interviews Heather Withrow, a member of the Major Gift Momentum program. Heather shares her transformative journey in fundraising, detailing her impressive successes, including securing a $245,000 gift. The conversation explores the mindset shifts and strategies that have empowered Heather to approach fundraising with confidence and clarity, emphasizing the importance of community support and permission-based fundraising. The episod...

Show more...

Self-Improvement,

Episodes (20/42)

Hey Fundraiser!

How Heather Closed $280,000 in 6 Weeks

In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen interviews Heather Withrow, a member of the Major Gift Momentum program. Heather shares her transformative journey in fundraising, detailing her impressive successes, including securing a $245,000 gift. The conversation explores the mindset shifts and strategies that have empowered Heather to approach fundraising with confidence and clarity, emphasizing the importance of community support and permission-based fundraising. The episod...

3 weeks ago

39 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

Mastering the Major Gift Ask: 5 Solicitation Scripts To Set You Up for Success

In this episode, Mary Petersen tackles one of the most-asked questions in fundraising: “What exact words do I use to close a major gift?” Mary breaks down the anatomy of an effective ask—clarity, confidence, and connection—and shares five solicitation styles with real-world language, when to use each, and why they work. You’ll learn how to time the ask using permission-based fundraising, avoid common pitfalls (like being vague or asking too soon), and tailor your approach to each donor’s styl...

4 weeks ago

29 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

The 5 Habits and Mindsets of High-Performing Major Gift Officers

In this episode, Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on the habits, mindsets, and metrics that consistently drive 5-, 6-, and 7-figure gifts. Whether you’re new to major gifts or ready to elevate your game, this episode breaks down what the best MGOs do differently — and how you can model their success starting today. You’ll learn: ✨ The five daily habits every top MGO swears by 📆 Why time-blocking and prioritizing the right donors changes everything 📊 The key metrics high perfo...

1 month ago

16 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

What to Do When a Major Donor Gives Before You Ask

Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! In this episode of Hey Fundraiser!, Mary Petersen dives into a surprisingly common (and often confusing) fundraising moment — when a donor sends in an unsolicited major gift that’s much smaller than what you were preparing to ask for. Should you celebrate it, be worried, or assume your cultivation failed? Mary breaks down exactly what to do next, why it happens, and how to respond str...

1 month ago

16 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

Stop Low-balling Your Donors: How to Confidently Ask for the Right Amount

Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Today we’re tackling one of the most common (and costly) mistakes I see major gift officers make: lowballing the ask. If you’ve ever walked out of a donor meeting wondering if you should’ve asked for more—or felt afraid to offend a donor by going too big—this episode is your wake-up call. Because here’s the truth: donors aren’t offended by bold asks… they’re confused by vague ones. We...

1 month ago

18 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Break Through Donor Silence (Without Feeling Desperate)

Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Welcome back, fundraiser! In this episode, we're tackling one of the most head-scratching (and heart-sinking) experiences in major gift fundraising: donor silence. Ever had a warm, engaged prospect suddenly vanish into the abyss of unread emails and unreturned voicemails? You're not alone—and you're definitely not doing anything wrong. In this episode, you'll learn: Why donors really ...

1 month ago

15 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Close Major Gifts Faster—Without Rushing the Donor

Ready to pour rocket fuel on your major gift efforts? Major Gift Momentum is the solution. Check it out here! Do you really need to spend 18 months cultivating a donor before making an ask? 😅 (Spoiler alert: Absolutely not.) In this firecracker episode, Mary calls BS on the outdated “18-month cultivation” rule and walks you through how to build authentic, strategic donor relationships that lead to major gifts faster — without feeling rushed, pushy, or awkward. What You'll Learn: Why loo...

2 months ago

22 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Major Gift Prospects

Interested in Major Gift Momentum? Check it out here! Are you stuck chasing donors who never call back? Wasting your precious time on high-capacity but low-interest "prospects"? This episode is your rescue mission. Mary introduces the ABCDE Method—a powerhouse framework to help you quickly spot which donors deserve your energy (and which should be blessed and released). You'll learn how to focus on donors with true potential and stop burning out on low-likelihood long shots. With witty wisdom...

2 months ago

14 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

A Week in the Life of a Major Gift Coach

📅 Episode Summary: Ever wonder what a major gift coach actually does? In this episode, Mary pulls back the curtain on a single Monday filled with coaching sessions, new client strategy, proposal rewrites, and prospect deep dives. You’ll hear what it really takes to help fundraisers grow their confidence, build a major gift pipeline, and start closing six- and seven-figure gifts—no guesswork, no fluff. 💡 Whether you're a solo development officer, a board chair taking on fundraising, or a seas...

4 months ago

28 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

Permission-Based Fundraising: The Secret to Better Donor Relationships and Bigger Gifts

Hey fundraiser! In this episode, I’m sharing a major mindset (and strategy) shift that changed everything for me in major gifts: Permission-Based Fundraising. Years ago, I blew a solicitation—not because I asked for the wrong amount, but because I asked without permission. That moment reshaped how I approach every donor conversation, and today, I’m walking you through exactly how you can use this strategy to: Build deeper trust with your donorsCreate donor-led momentum through every stage of ...

5 months ago

22 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

3 Mindsets Holding You Back in Your Major Gift Work (and What to Do About Them)

Description: Ever feel like you're stuck in your major gift work — second-guessing your proposals, over-preparing for donor meetings, or trying to sound more “professional” than you feel? You’re not alone — and you’re not broken. You’re just operating with some mindsets that a lot of fundraisers are carrying around. In this episode, Mary unpacks the three most common mindset traps holding fundraisers back from raising transformational gifts — and gives you the tools to flip each one into conf...

6 months ago

19 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Close Your First $100,000 Gift

Fundraiser, this is a BIG one! 🎉 Closing your first six-figure gift is a milestone moment in your career—and today, I’m walking you through exactly how to make it happen. Whether you’re brand new to major gifts or just haven’t hit that $100K mark yet, this episode will give you the step-by-step framework to find the right donor, cultivate the relationship, make a powerful ask, and steward the gift for future giving. And hey—if you’ve already closed a six-figure gift, stick around! You...

9 months ago

32 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

5 Biggest Mistakes Fundraisers Make During Solicitation

Episode Summary: Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked out of a donor meeting thinking, “Oh my gosh, I totally messed that up.” 🙋‍♀️ We've all been there! Asking for a major gift can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I break down the five biggest solicitation mistakes I see fundraisers make every single day—and how to avoid them. Whether you’re struggling with when to ask, what to say, or how to handle donor objections, this episode is packed with real-life s...

9 months ago

24 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

Building Your Major Gift Plan for a New Fiscal Year

Welcome to the first podcast of 2025! Starting a new year can feel like both a blank slate and a daunting challenge—especially when your fundraising total resets to zero. But don’t worry, fundraiser, we’ve got you covered. In this episode, we break down how to approach your annual fundraising goals with clarity, strategy, and confidence. You’ll learn: How to divide your big fundraising goal into actionable quarterly milestones.The importance of maintaining a prospect list full of read...

10 months ago

15 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How I Closed a $100 Million Gift

It should not take you more than a year to close a major gift. The days of cultivating for 18+ months is OVER. I hope this story inspires you to: embrace permission-based fundraisingtrim your portfolio so that you have 40-60 qualified prospectsgo deeper with fewer prospects, as opposed to shallow efforts with hundreds of prospectsSend a voicemail to Mary: https://www.speakpipe.com/heyfundraiser Major Donor Meeting Mastery: If you want to lean in to how to set yourself up fo...

11 months ago

22 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

The #1 Trait That Sets Top MGOs Apart (And How You Can Develop It)

What sets the most successful major gift officers (MGOs) apart from the rest? In this episode, we explore the single most important trait that top-performing MGOs share—a quality that helps them thrive in the face of challenges, build meaningful donor relationships, and achieve extraordinary results. We’ll unpack how this trait shows up in daily fundraising work, why it’s so crucial for long-term success, and, most importantly, how you can cultivate it in your own career. Whether you’...

1 year ago

15 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Find New Major Gift Prospects

In today’s episode, we tackle one of the most vital elements of major gift fundraising—finding new prospects! Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser looking to sharpen your strategy or a newcomer eager to build your prospect pipeline, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you cultivate meaningful relationships with future major donors. Join Mary as she shares proven tactics for identifying and qualifying high-potential prospects who will truly make a difference in your...

1 year ago

28 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How to Overcome The Fear of Making a Major Gift Ask

In this episode, Mary dives into the number one challenge faced by her major gift coaching clients—fear of making the ask. Whether it’s the fear of rejection or the fear of damaging a relationship, many fundraisers struggle with taking that final step. Mary shares practical strategies to help you confidently make major gift asks, even when fear kicks in. From mindset shifts to cultivation tactics, and knowing when it’s time to ask, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Mary a...

1 year ago

16 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

Transform Your Board Into Storytelling Fundraisers

In this episode, Mary dives into transforming board members into effective storytelling fundraisers. She highlights the significance of board members feeling comfortable and skilled in connecting with donors through the organization's stories. Mary categorizes board members into four types: connectors, storytellers, visionaries, and closers. She offers insights on how board members can craft three vital stories: their involvement story, impact story, and thank you story. Additionally,...

1 year ago

43 minutes

Hey Fundraiser!

How Your Infrastructure Can Make or Break Your Fundraising Efforts

In this episode, Mary discusses the importance of fundraising operations and how it can make or break a fundraising program. She outlines six pillars of strong fundraising operations, including strong technology and systems management, enhancing the donor experience, supporting fundraising efforts, data-driven reports and analytics, building collegial partnerships, and standard operating procedures. Mary emphasizes the need for fundraising operations professionals to prioritize suppor...

1 year ago

26 minutes