The foundation of any successful charity is a thriving economic engine that allows an organization to fund, invest in, and take its essential mission to extraordinary heights. By dreaming big, assembling a committed team to turn those big dreams into reality, and becoming a master of the three Rs — Retaining, Reaching, and Recruiting — the High Impact Fundraising framework pushes fundraisers to stretch the limits of what they previously thought was possible for their cause.

The Challenges of Fundraising

5-25x

higher cost to acquire a new donor than to retain an existing one.​

25%+

increase in revenue from just a 5% increase in your donor retention rate.​

$593B

in total U.S. charitable giving in 2024, with 66% coming from individuals.​

$6.3T

expected to be directed to charity from American estates as part of a $59T wealth transfer between 2007–2061.​

The Five Pillars of High Impact Fundraising

Dreaming​

The most important thing an organization can have is a dream. A dream unifies your team and reminds everyone why you do what you do. It’s only once you figure out where you’re going that you can figure out how to get there.

Teaming

You need to get the right people on the bus, and you need to get them in the right seats. When you assemble the right mix of personalities and expertise, that’s where fundraising magic happens.

Retaining​

Before you can think about bringing new donors into the fold, you need to focus on the ones you already have. While many organizations think they’re providing their donors with a good experiences, far fewer actually are. By learning to view donors through a relational lens, you’ll create a legion of supporters, champions, and friends.

Reaching

Major donors are a fundraising cheat code. They’re the most efficient way to get you from where you are to where you’re trying to go. They allow you to answer the question you’ve always asked yourself: “What would we do if money weren’t an issue?”

Recruiting

 The donors you have now aren’t going to be the donors you have forever. It’s essential to always be replenishing the pipeline because, as we like to say, the charity with the most friends wins.

Ready to see where your team stands?

The High Impact Fundraising Assessment gives you a clear starting point for evaluating your team's
strengths, gaps, and opportunities for growth. In just a few minutes, you'll gain insight into how
well your team is shaping vision, strengthening strategy, and driving meaningful results.
Take the Free Assessment
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