When You Need a Portfolio Yesterday: How to Identify and Grow a Robust Major Gift Pipeline

Maybe you support an organization without alumni and grateful patients. Maybe you’re building your organization’s first real development program. Maybe you’re rebuilding after disruption. Or maybe your usual stream of constituents isn’t sufficient to meet the goals and needs of your organization. Whatever the reason, this session is designed for fundraisers who are looking for where to find robust major gift activity to start building relationships—and need practical, realistic strategies to identify and engage new major gift prospects without relying on inherited portfolios, perfect systems, or unrealistic timelines.

Drawing on experience building philanthropy programs in higher education, biomedical research, and community health, this presentation reframes major gift prospecting as a deliberate, relationship‑centered process rather than a panicked hunt for wealth. Participants will explore how to recognize early signals of major gift potential, create multiple entry points for engagement, and move prospects forward with intention—even when starting with limited resources.

Importantly, this presentation acknowledges the emotional and organizational realities of building from scratch. It offers guidance on how to set realistic expectations with leadership, avoid burnout, and measure progress beyond dollars raised.