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Welcome to Hey Fundraiser, the podcast for nonprofit Executive Directors and major gift officers who are done guessing.
Each week, host Mary Petersen pulls back the curtain on what actually works in major gifts. Not theory. Not whiteboard frameworks. Real scripts, real strategy, and the exact moves you can use in your next donor meeting. Mary spent 25+ years as a working major gift officer and built a methodology that closes 5 and 6-figure gifts in months, not years, by going deep with a focused portfolio instead of chasing volume.
If you've ever frozen up before an ask, stared at a "wish list" of donors with no idea who to call first, or wondered why the industry keeps telling you a major gift takes 18 months to close, this is your show.
You'll leave every episode with one clear thing to do on Monday morning. Hit follow and start building real momentum.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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The Summer Move that Makes Your Year-End Easy
|
Jun 26, 2026 |
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How One AFP Chapter Creatively Supported Its Members
|
Jun 19, 2026 |
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How to Activate Your Board for Major Gifts (Without Making Them Hate You)
|
Jun 12, 2026 |
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Summer Cultivation: Your Best Season for Major Gift Development
|
Jun 05, 2026 |
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What to Say When Major Donors Say 'I Need to Think About It'
|
May 29, 2026 |
|
Your Next Major Donor Is Already in Your Database
|
May 22, 2026 |
|
The Mid-Year Check-In: Are You Actually on Track?
|
May 15, 2026 |
|
The Stewardship Multiplier: How Great Thank-Yous Build Bigger Next Gifts
|
May 08, 2026 |
|
From Reading the Book to Doing
|
May 01, 2026 |
|
Small Table Big Philanthropy is Available TODAY!
|
Apr 30, 2026 |
|
Small Table Big Philanthropy: A Sneak Peek Inside the Book
|
Apr 24, 2026 |
|
What to Say When You're Ready to Ask
|
Apr 17, 2026 |
|
The No-Agenda Visit: Your Most Powerful Cultivation Tool
|
Apr 10, 2026 |
|
Why Donors Really Leave (And It's Not What You Think)
|
Apr 03, 2026 |
|
After the Ask: The Follow-Up Rhythm That Protects the Relationship (and Moves It Forward)
|
Mar 27, 2026 |
|
Objections Clinic: The 7 Objections + The 3-Step Response Framework
|
Mar 20, 2026 |
|
The Three Donor Types: Head / Heart / Gut (And How to Adjust Your Approach)
|
Mar 13, 2026 |
|
Offers & Outcomes: Why Donors Fund Outcomes (Not Programs) + How to Package Yours
|
Mar 12, 2026 |
|
The First 5 Minutes of a Donor Meeting
|
Feb 23, 2026 |
|
Valentine’s Day special: Fall Back in Love With Fundraising
|
Feb 13, 2026 |
|
Silence After the Ask: How to Use It Without Being Weird (And What To Do Right After)
|
Feb 09, 2026 |
|
Why Donors Say No: The 5 Real Reasons (And the Fix for Each)
|
Jan 30, 2026 |
|
The Permission-Based “Runway” to the Major Gift Ask (5 Questions That Make the Ask Easy)
|
Jan 23, 2026 |
|
How to Know When Someone Is Ready to Be Asked for a Major Gift
|
Jan 16, 2026 |
|
Your Major Gift Portfolio: How to Decide Who Gets Your Time This Week
|
Jan 10, 2026 |
|
The Momentum Method: How to Run Major Gifts Like a System (Not a Mood)
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
What to Say: 12 Gift Asks to Get a YES
|
Dec 19, 2025 |
|
How Heather Closed $280,000 in 6 Weeks
|
Nov 03, 2025 |
|
Mastering the Major Gift Ask: 5 Solicitation Scripts To Set You Up for Success
|
Oct 27, 2025 |
|
The 5 Habits and Mindsets of High-Performing Major Gift Officers
|
Oct 18, 2025 |
|
What to Do When a Major Donor Gives Before You Ask
|
Oct 11, 2025 |
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Stop Low-balling Your Donors: How to Confidently Ask for the Right Amount
|
Oct 04, 2025 |
|
How to Break Through Donor Silence (Without Feeling Desperate)
|
Sep 26, 2025 |
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How to Close Major Gifts Faster—Without Rushing the Donor
|
Sep 19, 2025 |
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How to Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Major Gift Prospects
|
Sep 12, 2025 |
|
A Week in the Life of a Major Gift Coach
|
Jul 21, 2025 |
|
Permission-Based Fundraising: The Secret to Better Donor Relationships and Bigger Gifts
|
Jun 05, 2025 |
|
3 Mindsets Holding You Back in Your Major Gift Work (and What to Do About Them)
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
How to Close Your First $100,000 Gift
|
Feb 21, 2025 |
|
5 Biggest Mistakes Fundraisers Make During Solicitation
|
Feb 14, 2025 |
|
Building Your Major Gift Plan for a New Fiscal Year
|
Jan 01, 2025 |
|
How I Closed a $100 Million Gift
|
Dec 06, 2024 |
|
The #1 Trait That Sets Top MGOs Apart (And How You Can Develop It)
|
Nov 23, 2024 |
|
How to Find New Major Gift Prospects
|
Nov 03, 2024 |
|
How to Overcome The Fear of Making a Major Gift Ask
|
Aug 27, 2024 |
|
Transform Your Board Into Storytelling Fundraisers
|
Aug 02, 2024 |
|
How Your Infrastructure Can Make or Break Your Fundraising Efforts
|
Feb 09, 2024 |
|
KPIs For Annual Giving
|
Feb 02, 2024 |
|
How To Set Your Board Members Up for Fundraising Success
|
Jan 26, 2024 |
|
Fundraising Failures: Don't Make These Three Mistakes
|
Jan 19, 2024 |
|
Creative Cultivation Techniques: Stories from the Field
|
Jul 07, 2023 |
|
Master Your New Director of Development Role with These Reports
|
Jun 30, 2023 |
|
Trends of Super Successful Major Gift Officers
|
Jun 16, 2023 |
|
6 ways for Fundraisers to Have the BEST Major Gift Portfolio
|
Jun 09, 2023 |
|
Maximizing Impact with One Ask and 364 Days of Gratitude
|
Apr 28, 2023 |
|
Beyond the Ask: Mastering Moves Management
|
Apr 21, 2023 |
|
Breaking Tradition: Why It's Time to Ditch the Board Minimum
|
Apr 14, 2023 |
|
Unlock the Power of Happy Fundraisers
|
Apr 07, 2023 |
|
Jerry Panas: 3 questions to ask a major donor is teetering on making their gift
|
Mar 31, 2023 |
|
Engaging Leadership and Program Staff
|
Mar 24, 2023 |
|
Respectfully Engage Clients Served
|
Mar 17, 2023 |
|
How to Use Events to Springboard Your Cultivation Efforts
|
Mar 10, 2023 |
|
How to Prepare for the First Meeting with a Prospect
|
Mar 03, 2023 |
|
Turning Things Around: How to Handle Upset Donors
|
Feb 24, 2023 |
|
Donor Cultivation: 8 Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
|
Feb 17, 2023 |
|
5 KPIs for Major Gift Officers
|
Feb 10, 2023 |
|
Fundraising Reports: The Do's and Don'ts
|
Feb 03, 2023 |
|
My Story
|
Jan 27, 2023 |
|
Hey Fundraiser Trailer
|
Jan 12, 2023 |