One of the biggest barriers to starting major donor fundraising is knowing where to begin and where to find the right potential high value donors.

How do you build a prospect list when it feels like your organisation doesn’t know any wealthy donors? And where do you find prospects when you don’t have a database, well-connected trustees, or budget for expensive screening tools?

In this practical Finding Major Donors MASTERCLASS, we will uncover how to identify, qualify and prioritise the donors most likely to give transformational gifts. This MASTERCLASS will explore how to build a pipeline from the resources you already have, without breaking your budget.

Our expert trainer Michelle Stein will share the practical process she uses to identify and prioritise major donor prospects with insights you can put into action straight away and help your organisation diversify your fundraising.

What to expect?

This Finding Major Donors MASTERCLASS will help you gain a deeper understanding of what actually makes someone a major donor prospect, the different avenues worth exploring to identify major donors and how to turn a long list of names into a shortlist worth your time.

This 1-hour MASTERCLASS will include:

Establishing a definition of your “major donor” that actually supports your major gift fundraising
Discover practical, low-cost ways to research potential major donor prospects
Explore how to start and build a major donor pipeline for your organisation
Prioritising a long list of potential donors into a workable pipeline with genuine potential you can start on immediately

Who is this session for?

Whether you’re building your first major donor pipeline or want to sharpen an existing one, this session will help you strengthen how you find, qualify and prioritise donors.

This MASTERCLASS is ideal for charity fundraisers, small teams without a dedicated prospect researcher, and anyone responsible for growing major or individual giving income.

Why attend?

When looking at major donor fundraising, most fundraisers build their prospect list from guesswork, uncertainty and a long collection of names.

This MASTERCLASS offers a chance to learn a repeatable process instead.

You will leave this masterclass with a practical way to identify prospects, a method for prioritising them, and the confidence to stop wasting time on donors who were never going to give at that level. This session will help you take a fresh look at your prospect list and start building a pipeline with real potential.

This 1-hour webinar-style session will be delivered online via Zoom.

All attendees of the live Masterclass will receive a copy of the session recording. We will also make the recording available to purchase on-demand via our website after the session.

Upcoming Dates

When: Thursday 28th January 2027, 10am – 11am
Cost: £15
Book your place today through Eventbrite.

Upon registering for a Get Grants Training Course please check spam, promotional, and junk email folders for Get Grants communications – thank you!

Alternatively, contact us to request a booking form.

About the Trainer

Michelle Stein, founder of Handmade Fundraising, specialises in high-value relationship fundraising.

Michelle is the Author of our popular AI for Fundraisers and Canva for Fundraisers MASTERCLASSES and delivers Storytelling and Major Donors Training Courses.

For over ten years she has worked with charities and some of the biggest philanthropic families in the UK and US.

She has trained fundraisers in the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa and knows from first-hand experience that with the right training, any fundraiser can go from mediocre to extraordinary!