Create your donor cultivation series
Share donor history and cultivation goal. Get a 3-email series to build relationships with major donors.
Create your donor cultivation series
River's Major Donor Cultivation Series Writer creates personalized 3-email sequences for stewarding major donors. You provide the donor's name, giving history, cultivation goal, and recent impact news. The AI generates three strategic emails spaced over time: first email shows gratitude and impact, second email deepens relationship with exclusive information, third email makes a soft invitation toward your cultivation goal. You get a complete donor stewardship series ready to personalize and send.
Unlike generic donor communications, this tool creates strategic cultivation sequences that move donors along the relationship pathway from transactional giver to committed partner. The AI uses proven donor relations principles including authentic gratitude, impact reporting tied to their specific interests, relationship-building without immediate asks, and strategic preparation for future major asks. Strong cultivation makes donors feel valued for who they are, not just what they give. You get emails designed to deepen trust and connection.
This tool is perfect for development staff, major gift officers, and executive directors managing relationships with five-figure donors and prospects. Use it when stewarding donors between asks, preparing for capital campaigns, cultivating planned giving prospects, or moving donors to higher giving levels. It works best when you provide specific details about the donor's history and interests. Major gift fundraising is relationship-driven. Thoughtful cultivation dramatically increases gift size and donor retention.
How Major Donor Cultivation Works
Major donor cultivation is strategic relationship-building between asks. The goal is to move donors from transactional givers to deeply connected partners who view your organization's success as personally important. This happens through personalized attention, impact reporting, exclusive access, genuine relationship-building, and understanding their philanthropic motivations. Weak development programs treat all donors the same and only contact them when asking for money. Strong programs invest in cultivation that makes donors feel valued, informed, and connected year-round.
Effective cultivation sequences follow a pattern: gratitude, impact, involvement, invitation. First, express authentic thanks for past support with specific impact they enabled. Second, share exclusive updates showing current impact and organizational momentum. Third, invite deeper involvement through site visits, meetings with leadership, or input opportunities. Fourth, when trust is established, make strategic asks for increased support. The timeline varies by donor capacity and relationship depth, typically 6-18 months between major asks. Rushing to the ask before trust is built often results in smaller gifts or rejection.
To cultivate major donors successfully, personalize every communication based on their interests, giving history, and stated motivations. Research what programs they care about most and update them specifically on those areas. Offer opportunities matching their preferred involvement level (some want deep engagement, others prefer hands-off support). Involve program staff and beneficiaries when appropriate. Make donors feel like insiders who understand your work deeply. Track all interactions in your CRM. Cultivation is a long-term investment that pays dividends in larger gifts, retained donors, planned giving commitments, and donor advocates who bring others to your mission.
What You Get
3-email major donor cultivation series
Email 1: Gratitude and specific impact update
Email 2: Exclusive news and relationship deepening
Email 3: Soft invitation toward cultivation goal
Personalized to donor's history and interests
Strategic timing recommendations
Warm, personal tone building authentic connection
How It Works
- 1Provide donor detailsEnter donor name, giving history, cultivation goal, and recent impact to share
- 2AI writes 3-email seriesGet complete cultivation sequence with strategic progression in 5 minutes
- 3Personalize each emailAdd personal touches, adjust for donor's communication style and preferences
- 4Send over timeSpace emails 2-4 weeks apart, track engagement, adjust strategy based on response
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart should I send these three emails?
Space them 2-4 weeks apart, adjusting based on donor engagement. If donor responds enthusiastically to email 1, send email 2 sooner. If no response, wait longer before email 2 to avoid overwhelming them. Watch for engagement signals: email opens, replies, questions, website visits. Active engagement suggests readiness for next touch. No engagement suggests either wrong channel (try phone call) or need for more time. Major donor cultivation is responsive, not formulaic. Let donor behavior guide timing.
What if the donor does not respond to any of the emails?
Try different channels. Some major donors prefer calls over email, others prefer in-person meetings. After email series, call to invite them to coffee or a site visit. Non-response to email does not mean lack of interest. It might mean email is not their preferred communication method. Also consider: are you emailing the right address? Is your sender name/organization recognizable? Are subject lines personal and compelling? Test different approaches to find what works for each donor.
Should these come from the executive director or development staff?
Depends on the donor's primary relationship. If they know the executive director personally, emails should come from ED. If development officer is their main contact, send from that person. For board member cultivation, consider having a board peer send. The sender should be whoever has the genuine relationship with this donor. Authenticity matters more than title. Major donors can tell when communication is generic or from someone they do not know. Match sender to relationship.
Can I use this series for planned giving cultivation?
Yes, adjust the cultivation goal input to specify planned giving. The third email will include soft invitation to learn about legacy giving options. Planned giving cultivation typically takes longer (multiple years) and requires even more emphasis on values alignment and mission impact. After this initial series, continue quarterly touches sharing impact stories, invite to special events, introduce to other legacy society members, and eventually invite to meet with planned giving advisor. This series starts the conversation.
What happens after the third email?
Assess donor engagement and next steps. If they responded positively, schedule a personal meeting or call to discuss the invitation from email 3. If they engaged but have not committed, continue cultivation with quarterly updates and invitations to events. If no engagement, try personal phone call or handwritten note. Major gift fundraising is a cycle: cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, repeat. This series is one cultivation cycle. Most major donors need multiple cycles before making significant commitments. Stay patient and persistent.
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