Start Q3 With This Guiding Question

New quarters come with big goals, but are you taking the first steps to cultivate high-value prospects? Mary Petersen, major gift strategist and author of the book Small Table Big Philanthropy offers one tip to help fundraisers start Q3 off on a focused note. “Before you open your CRM, before you look at your calendar, before you answer that email sitting in your inbox—answer this one question first: Who are the 10 donors most likely to make a major gift in the next 90 days?” she says. “Not the 10 you've been carrying the longest. Not the 10 with the biggest capacity on paper. The 10 who have shown the most recent, specific signals that they're ready to move. That is your Q3 list—everything else is noise.” To get started, she suggests taking 30 minutes to draft this list. “It completely changes how you spend your time this quarter,” she continues. “You'll stop feeling scattered and start feeling like someone with a real plan.” To get started, open a blank document, review your prospect list and narrow it down to 10 key names. “Ask yourself, one by one: ‘What did this person do or say in the last 90 days that tells me something?’” Petersen says. “Let the signals lead you.” Source: Mary Petersen, Major Gift Strategist and Author, Hey Fundraiser, La Pine, OR. Email: [email protected]. Website: heyfundraiser.com