Mary pulls from her book What to Say to teach the full anatomy of a major gift ask conversation. She covers the 5 elements of a strong ask (set-up, ask, silence, donor response, fundraiser response), how donors give from their head, heart, or gut and why matching your ask style to your donor's giving style changes everything, and the exact language of asking for a specific amount.

She also digs into what most fundraisers get wrong — and the one sentence that causes more lost gifts than any other mistake.

Get What to Say and Small Table Big Philanthropy. 

Small Table launches on April 30. Go get your copy.

#fundraising #majorgifts #donorrelationships

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

Mary introduces the no-agenda visit as the cornerstone of the cultivation phase in her 4-step system (Engineer → Culivate → Solicit → Steward). This isn't 'showing up without a plan' — it's showing up with a completely different plan: the plan to listen. In this episode, you'll learn how to prepare for a visit where you're not pitching, the 5 questions that open every real donor conversation, how to read relationship readiness signals, and the follow-up routine that turns every no-agenda visit into meaningful next steps.

Mary also shares the story of a $250,000 gift that came from a visit where nobody asked for anything.

PREORDER: Small Table Big Philanthropy - comes out April 30th!

DOWNLOAD: The No-Agenda Visit Guide

#fundraising #donorrelationships #noagendavisit #cultivation #majorgifts

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

Donor retention is the most under-discussed topic in major gift fundraising — and the most expensive mistake organizations make. In this episode, Mary digs into the real reasons donors go quiet, the exact moment most organizations lose a relationship they didn't know they were losing, and what the organizations with 80%+ retention rates do differently. Spoiler: it's not a better newsletter.

This episode is grounded in a chapter from Small Table Big Philanthropy about what it really means to treat your $1,000 donors like royalty — and how that mindset compounds into major gifts.

Grab Small Table Big Philanthropy at heyfundraiser.com — launching April 30. And if this episode helped you, share it with one fundraiser who needs to hear it.

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

This episode explores the art of follow-up in major gift fundraising, emphasizing a steady, relational, permission-based approach that preserves trust and moves opportunities forward. Learn practical strategies for timing, messaging, handling silence, and maintaining integrity after the ask.

#fundraising #donorfollowup #relationshipmanagement

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Mary Petersen demystifies donor objections, showing fundraisers how to handle them with confidence and trust-building techniques. Learn the seven most common objections, a simple three-step response framework, and tips on tone and preparation to become a calmer, more effective fundraiser.

#fundraising #donorobjections #giftconversations #relationshipbuilding #fundraisingtips

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Mary Petersen talks about a simple yet powerful framework to personalize your fundraising conversations based on donor decision-making styles—head, heart, or gut—and significantly increase your success.

#fundraising #majorgifts #fundraisingstrategies

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Mary Petersen talks about the key difference between describing your organization’s activities and showcasing the real results that inspire donors to give. Explore practical strategies to reframe your messaging around impactful outcomes that resonate emotionally and logically with donors.

#fundraising #nonprofit #fundraisingstrategies #fundraisingsuccess

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Mary Petersen provides a master class on the critical first five minutes of donor meetings, emphasizing their importance in setting the tone, creating depth, and leading the conversation towards meaningful engagement. She outlines common pitfalls to avoid, offers a structured framework for effective donor engagement, and discusses various scenarios that fundraisers may encounter during meetings. The episode concludes with strategies for structuring the remainder of the meeting to ensure progress in donor relationships.

#donormeetings #fundraising #majorgifts #fundraisingstrategies

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this Valentine's Day special episode, Mary Petersen discusses the challenges of fundraising burnout and offers practical advice for rekindling passion for the work. She emphasizes the importance of relationship-building over task-oriented approaches and provides actionable steps to reconnect with donors and protect one's energy while maintaining high goals. The episode serves as a reminder that fundraisers are not alone in their struggles and can find meaning in their work through intentional actions.

#fundraising, #relationshipbuilding, #donorengagement, #Valentine'sDay

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]

In this episode of the Hey Fundraiser podcast, Mary Petersen discusses the critical importance of silence after making a major gift ask. She emphasizes that the moments following the ask are crucial for allowing donors to process their decision. Mary provides practical strategies for fundraisers to effectively use silence, avoid common pitfalls, and respond appropriately to donor reactions. The episode serves as a training session on how to enhance fundraising success through confident communication and understanding donor psychology.

#fundraising #majorgifts #silence #donorengagement #fundraisingstrategies

Stop having “nice meetings” that go nowhere. If you want meetings that end with momentum (next step + timeline + clarity), start here:

🔥 Major Donor Meeting Mastery — my step-by-step system for better donor meetings.
📘 Mary's books — check out the books that will elevate your major gift fundraising.
👩🏻‍💻 Want my complete packaging + ask system? Watch the Momentum Training.

💻 Connect with Mary Petersen

• Website: heyfundraiser.com
• YouTube: @heyfundraisers
• Instagram: @heyfundraiser
• LinkedIn: Mary Petersen
• Email: [email protected]