{"id":74940,"date":"2026-04-15T11:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/?p=74940"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T15:00:49","slug":"how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising to Close Major Gifts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over my lengthy career, I had opportunities to solicit prospects for six- or seven-figure gifts. When going for this type of gift, you need the CEO at your side.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One time, on a solicitation call without the CEO, the prospect stated clearly, &#8220;Do you know what day this is?&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I responded, &#8220;Friday.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He said, &#8220;That is correct. From Monday until today, I had four different CEOs in my office asking for significant gifts. Where is your CEO?&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I felt embarrassed and ashamed as I attempted numerous times to get my CEO to go on calls with me, without success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When CEOs Don&#8217;t Show Up &#8212; and When They Do<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In fact, when working at four different universities, only one CEO was willing to go on calls with me. He understood the case for support and engaged in the process &#8212; but ultimately struggled with the solicitation and stopped participating after several attempts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At two major hospital systems, I saw similar challenges. One CEO focused his fundraising efforts elsewhere due to personal interests, while another joined a call but seemed more like a witness than the organizational leader. In that case, the executive vice president advised me not to involve the CEO in donor calls anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My early history with CEOs going on calls was dismal at best. They were too busy with other priorities. But when CEOs are willing to learn, the results can change dramatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The most success I had came with a CEO who admitted he had no experience asking for money but was willing to learn. I worked with him on sharing an emotional impact story relating to our top fundraising priority &#8212; what I call &#8220;subliminal fundraising asks.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we rehearsed with another operational leader, that story &#8212; the urgency, the impact, and the connection to the donor &#8212; became the foundation of the ask. When the three of us went on a call to ask for a seven-figure gift, it was secured, and the confidence of the CEO to go on calls grew over time. He began to understood his role in the relationship-building process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That same dynamic is playing out in my current role. At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salvationarmyusa.org\/usa-central-territory\/indiana\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Salvation Army Indiana Division<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, my divisional commander understands the role of nonprofit fundraising and truly supports the development team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because of that leadership, he is fully engaged as we work to secure $7 million for Hidden Falls Camp &#8212; a program that relies on philanthropic support to serve children facing challenging circumstances. He is actively engaged in donor calls, and his presence reinforces both leadership commitment and organizational credibility. He understands his role in the fundraising process, and prospects and donors alike admire him. His presence is powerful and needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Why the CEO&#8217;s Role in Fundraising Matters\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These experiences point to a larger truth: fundraising success is not just about the development team &#8212; it depends on leadership. Successful fundraising is a team responsibility &#8212; but it must be led by the CEO.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Each member of the team &#8212; whether it is the organizational leader, administration, board member, donor, volunteer, or staff &#8212; must identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is critical that the CEO understand the significant role of fundraising for organizational revenue development. The CEO is a networker-in-chief, as well as the organization&#8217;s promoter and cheerleader. They must be willing to go on calls with development professionals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Development staff must understand the CEO&#8217;s personality and how best they can contribute to the success of the prospect or donor call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the nonprofit, the CEO and chief development officer&#8217;s relationship must be strong. The CEO must respect the chief development officer and place an important value on their partnership. They must be aligned on strategic plans, programming, and fundraising priorities from year to year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A nonprofit&#8217;s ability to fulfill its mission and grow its impact often comes down to fundraising &#8212; and the CEO has a unique ability to inspire donor confidence and influence major gifts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How to Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You need to empower your CEO to be the chief fundraising officer. If the CEO understands that responsibility, they will be more likely to go on development-related calls. They need to look forward to the opportunity to generate impact and return on investment &#8212; not view it as a dreaded item on their overflowing to-do list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CEOs are more likely to engage &#8212; and succeed &#8212; in fundraising when they are directly involved in strategy and donor relationships, as noted earlier according to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/councils\/forbesnonprofitcouncil\/2024\/04\/17\/the-role-of-the-ceo-in-nonprofit-fundraising\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Forbes Nonprofit Council<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Development professionals must constantly work with their CEOs &#8212; showing them the value of stewardship, helping them articulate the organization&#8217;s vision, and modeling a culture that prioritizes philanthropy and impact, according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/missionadvancement.com\/empowering-leadership-to-drive-fundraising-success\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mission Advancement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To get CEOs to go on calls with you, engage them in the process of fundraising. Many leaders say they do not have the time or desire to work with the development team &#8212; but that mindset must change. Do not be afraid to utilize your CEO in the development process. They must own it and share that responsibility with others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sector examples show that CEOs can play a strategic role in donor conversations, especially when their presence signals leadership commitment and organizational credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Preparing CEOs for Donor Visits<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regarding visits, work with your organizational leader to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Build trust.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Establish a routine.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Develop confidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organize time effectively.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Introduce them to moves management.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rehearse and prepare the CEO in depth for each visit so they can understand their role. Over time and through success, the CEO will gain confidence and understand the difference in cultivation and solicitation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, experiment with mid-level donor prospects before presenting the CEO with a large ask with a principal donor or prospect. After your first visit together, provide honest, constructive feedback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A visit requires a team approach &#8212; and a few early easy wins for the CEO. With practice, confidence grows, and greater revenue follows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the CEO, like mine, says &#8220;Let&#8217;s go on major calls,&#8221; a special sense of momentum and confidence follows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sadly, that does not happen in every organization. But when it does, take advantage. Treat your CEO as a strategic partner and treat every call as a relationship-building opportunity. Ultimate success will come with practice, confidence, and time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">NonProfit PRO<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">NonProfit PRO<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many CEOs avoid donor meetings \u2014 but their presence can make or break a major gift. Here\u2019s how to engage your CEO in fundraising and turn reluctant leaders into confident partners on high-stakes donor calls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4653,"featured_media":68323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"coauthors":[92382],"class_list":["post-74940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-executive-issues","category-face-to-face-fundraising","category-major-gifts","tag-donor-communication","tag-donor-meetings","tag-leadership-alignment","editorial_type-tips-and-tools","collection-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising - NonProfit PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how CEO involvement in fundraising helps nonprofits close major gifts and strengthen donor relationships.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why CEOs Must Join Donor Meetings to Close Gifts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how CEO involvement in fundraising helps nonprofits close major gifts and strengthen donor relationships.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NonProfit PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nonprofitpromag\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-15T15:00:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/02\/1148864127-Getty-Images-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Duke Haddad, Ed.D.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why CEOs Must Join Donor Meetings to Close Gifts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@non_profit_pro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@non_profit_pro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Duke Haddad, Ed.D.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/\",\"name\":\"Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising - 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He also has been honored with the Outstanding West Virginian Award, the Kentucky Colonel Award, and theSagamore of the Wabash Award from the governors of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana, respectively, for his many career contributions to the field of philanthropy. He has been an AFP member for more than 40 years and has held the Certified Fund Executive (CFRE) designation for more than 30 years.\u00a0 This year, Duke was named to Marquis Who\u2019s Who in America for 2026-2027 and as an International CFRE Ambassador. He also recently published the book, \\\"Prescriptions Rx for Nonprofit Success,\\\" which features more than 30 previously published articles, including several from NonProfit PRO.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/author\/f-duke-haddad\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising - NonProfit PRO","description":"Learn how CEO involvement in fundraising helps nonprofits close major gifts and strengthen donor relationships.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why CEOs Must Join Donor Meetings to Close Gifts","og_description":"Learn how CEO involvement in fundraising helps nonprofits close major gifts and strengthen donor relationships.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/","og_site_name":"NonProfit PRO","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nonprofitpromag\/","article_published_time":"2026-04-15T15:00:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1709,"url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/02\/1148864127-Getty-Images-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Duke Haddad, Ed.D.","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why CEOs Must Join Donor Meetings to Close Gifts","twitter_creator":"@non_profit_pro","twitter_site":"@non_profit_pro","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Duke Haddad, Ed.D.","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/","name":"Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising - NonProfit PRO","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/02\/1148864127-Getty-Images-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-15T15:00:49+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4f86d36e39e8b959aa5d4384718ca6bf"},"description":"Learn how CEO involvement in fundraising helps nonprofits close major gifts and strengthen donor relationships.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/02\/1148864127-Getty-Images-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/02\/1148864127-Getty-Images-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1709,"caption":"Moving Up or Moving Out: A Donor-Centric Approach to Portfolio Management and Handoffs"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/post\/how-to-get-your-ceo-involved-in-fundraising-to-close-major-gifts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Get Your CEO Involved in Fundraising to Close Major Gifts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/","name":"NonProfit PRO","description":"Tactical Leadership &amp; 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He specializes in corporate development and capital campaigns. When time allows, he serves as president of Duke Haddad and Associates LLC and as a freelance educator for various educational entities. He has contributed more than 600 articles to NonProfit PRO since 2008.\u00a0\u00a0 He earned his doctorate degree from West Virginia University, with an emphasis in education administration and a dissertation on donor characteristics. He also holds a master\u2019s degree from Marshall University, with an emphasis on public administration and a thesis on annual fund program analysis. He received his bachelor\u2019s degree, cum laude, in marketing and management from West Virginia University. Duke has received the Fundraising Executive of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter. He also has been honored with the Outstanding West Virginian Award, the Kentucky Colonel Award, and theSagamore of the Wabash Award from the governors of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana, respectively, for his many career contributions to the field of philanthropy. He has been an AFP member for more than 40 years and has held the Certified Fund Executive (CFRE) designation for more than 30 years.\u00a0 This year, Duke was named to Marquis Who\u2019s Who in America for 2026-2027 and as an International CFRE Ambassador. He also recently published the book, \"Prescriptions Rx for Nonprofit Success,\" which features more than 30 previously published articles, including several from NonProfit PRO.","url":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/author\/f-duke-haddad\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nonprofitpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=74940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}