 Portfolio Power: How to Prioritize Your Prospects for High-Impact Fundraising When it comes to fundraising, managing a donor portfolio effectively is crucial for success. Your portfolio is more than just a list of names – it's a dynamic strategy for building relationships and maximizing your organization’s impact. Whether you’re new to major gift fundraising or a seasoned pro, understanding how to prioritize and manage your prospects is the key to hitting your fundraising goals. Does size matter? A major gift portfolio is not just about quantity; it’s about quality. As a relationship manager, you may wonder how many prospects one person can effectively handle. The truth is you need to strike the right balance. A full-time relationship manager can usually handle 100 to 120 prospects in their portfolio. But here’s the thing – if they’re also tasked with direct mail, event planning, and other duties, you’ll need to adjust that number to ensure they can focus on nurturing relationships. Setting Realistic ExpectationS It all starts with setting realistic expectations. If your team is stretched thin, don't overload them with too many prospects. You want them to have enough time and energy to engage meaningfully with everyone on their list. If managing a portfolio is their sole focus, 120 prospects may be doable, but if they’re juggling multiple roles, scale it back. This is where your strategic thinking comes into play: make sure you're staffing in a way that allows for the high-touch, personalized engagement that major gifts demand. Cleaning Your Portfolio RegularlY Here’s where the magic happens: regular portfolio clean-ups. It’s easy to get stuck in the “someday” mindset when it comes to following up with non-responsive prospects, but a cluttered portfolio can become a barrier to success. Clean up your portfolio at least twice a year. Document all attempts to reach out (emails, calls, social media), and if someone has been non-responsive for six months or more, it’s time to consider moving them off the list. Now, I know it might seem daunting to remove prospects from your portfolio but think about it like pruning a plant. It’s not about giving up on those individuals; it’s about focusing your energy on prospects who are truly ready to engage with your mission and make a meaningful gift. It’s better to have a smaller, more engaged list than to hold on to names that aren’t moving the needle. How to Execute a Clean-UP When you're cleaning up your portfolio, you don’t have to do it all at once. Instead, approach it in batches. Identify those who are no longer responsive or have indicated that they’re not interested in making a major gift. And here's a key tip: don’t just remove them without bringing in new prospects to replace them. As you remove, you should be adding fresh prospects who have the potential to move through your donor pipeline. This ensures your portfolio remains a living document – always in motion, always focused on those who can have the greatest impact. Stabilizing Your Portfolio Over TimE If you’re just starting in your role or working with an inherited list, the early stages of portfolio management can feel overwhelming. You might find yourself making frequent changes, moving prospects on and off your list several times per year. But don’t worry! That’s a normal part of the process. Give it time, and soon you’ll begin to see a stabilizing effect. Within 18 months to two years, your portfolio will likely stabilize, with only a handful of prospects moving in and out twice a year during your clean-ups. In the beginning, expect to move about 15-20 people out and bring in a similar number, every six months. But after some time, the changes become more manageable. This is the point where your portfolio is functioning like a well-oiled machine, allowing you to focus more on nurturing relationships and less on managing logistics. Focus on Multi-Channel EngagemenT Effective portfolio management doesn’t happen in a vacuum. To be truly successful, your outreach should be multi-channel – phone calls, emails, events, meetings, and even social media. This variety not only keeps your communication dynamic but also ensures that you're meeting your prospects where they are. Don’t just rely on one method of outreach. Embrace the full toolkit to keep your prospects engaged and ensure that no one falls through the cracks. By working smarter, not harder, you can maintain a portfolio that remains focused on those prospects who have the potential to make a significant impact on your organization’s mission. The more you engage across multiple channels, the more likely you are to move prospects along in the pipeline. And whatever you do, don’t automatically remove “your” prospects from other communication channels in the name of maintaining control. This is often a tactic of new major gift officers trying to be the sole contact for the prospect but what this does is practice is isolate those individuals from the organization. Your donors want and need to hear updates about the organization from multiple sources. You just need to be aware of the other info they are getting and how you can be a resource for them if they have questions or concerns. Your outreach should complement the other institutional communication channels, not replace them. The Power of Focused AttentioN At the end of the day, it’s all about focusing your energy where it matters most. When your portfolio is clean, well-maintained, and actively engaged, you're setting yourself and your organization up for success. It’s about prioritizing your time, energy, and resources to ensure that your major gift efforts are as impactful as possible. Remember, managing a portfolio is not a one-and-done task. It requires regular attention, strategic thinking, and a clear understanding of your goals. The beauty of an effective donor portfolio is that it’s not just a list – it’s an evolving tool that reflects the growing relationships you’re cultivating with your donors. Take Action: Build and Maintain a Portfolio That Works for YoU If you’re new to portfolio management or simply looking to improve your system, don’t hesitate to reach out for advice or share your own experiences. I’d love to hear what’s working for you and what challenges you’re facing. Don’t forget to leave a comment or send a message – I’m always here to support you on this fundraising journey! Remember: Your portfolio is powerful, and with the right approach, it can be your secret weapon for achieving fundraising success. So, go ahead – prioritize those prospects and watch your impact grow. Cheers!  PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!
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Jessica Cloud, CFREI've been called the Tasmanian Devil of fundraising and I'm here to talk shop with you. Archives
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