Donor Relations & Fundraising Flashcards

In major gift solicitation, a discovery call is primarily designed to:

Answer: Assess a prospect's interests, capacity, and connection to the organization

A discovery call is an early-stage cultivation conversation aimed at understanding the prospect's philanthropic priorities, financial capacity, and relationship to the organization—not to make an ask.

The concept of philanthropic intent in the CAP framework refers to:

Answer: A donor's underlying motivations, values, and vision for the impact they wish to achieve through giving

Philanthropic intent captures the personal values, motivations, and desired impact that drive a donor's giving decisions—it goes beyond the mechanics of how to give.

Which of the following is the primary purpose of a gift acceptance policy for a nonprofit organization?

Answer: Establishing criteria for evaluating, accepting, or declining gifts to protect the organization from liabilities and conflicts of interest

A gift acceptance policy protects the nonprofit by defining what types of gifts it will accept, under what conditions, and how they will be managed—preventing acceptance of gifts that create legal, financial, or reputational risk.

Which donor communication strategy is most effective for strengthening long-term retention?

Answer: Personalized impact reporting showing how the donor's specific gift was used

Personalized impact reporting—showing donors specifically how their gift was used and what results it achieved—is the most effective retention strategy because it validates the donor's decision and reinforces emotional connection.

In planned giving, a bequest intention is best characterized as:

Answer: A revocable expression of a donor's plan to include an organization in their will or estate plan

A bequest intention is typically a non-binding, revocable statement that a donor plans to include a charity in their will—it creates a relationship but not a legal obligation.

What is the primary role of a development audit in a nonprofit's fundraising program?

Answer: Assessing the strength, efficiency, and strategic alignment of the organization's fundraising infrastructure and practices

A development audit evaluates the overall health of a nonprofit's fundraising program—staffing, systems, donor pipeline, board engagement, and strategy—to identify strengths and areas for improvement.