97. The Power of a Team-First Culture in Major Gift Success
About this episode
Have you ever felt the frustration of competing with your own colleagues for donor attention? Or watched as uncoordinated outreach left donors confused and disengaged? If so, you’re not alone—and you’re not stuck. I’ve been there, and I know how disheartening it can be to see silos and competition undermine what should be a unified effort.
But here’s the promise: By fostering a team-first culture, you can transform your fundraising outcomes, deepen donor relationships, and create a workplace that inspires collaboration and trust. In this post, I’ll share lessons from my own nonprofit journey, practical strategies to break down silos, and a real-world success story that proves the power of teamwork. Let’s dive in!
Breaking Down Silos: The Cost of Competition
Early in my career, I witnessed firsthand how competition within teams could derail even the best fundraising efforts. I’ll never forget the day two gift officers unknowingly approached the same donor with conflicting proposals. The result? Not only did we lose the donation, but we also lost the donor’s trust—a painful reminder that siloed approaches harm more than just revenue; they jeopardize relationships.
Silos breed inefficiency:
Missed opportunities to share ideas and strategies.
Donor fatigue from overlapping outreach.
Burnout among fundraisers who feel isolated rather than supported.
It was clear something had to change. Over time, I discovered that collaboration wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was essential for success.
Strategies That Foster Collaboration
Through trial and error, I developed strategies that transformed competitive environments into cohesive teams. Here are some of the most impactful approaches:
Shared Goals and Metrics: When we introduced team goals alongside individual targets, everything shifted. Fundraisers began rooting for each other because collective success meant everyone won. This simple change fostered camaraderie and mutual support.
Regular Team Strategy Sessions: Weekly meetings became our secret weapon for brainstorming tough cases together. The diversity of perspectives sparked creative solutions we couldn’t have achieved alone.
Mentorship Programs: Pairing seasoned fundraisers with newer team members created a ripple effect of skill-building and trust—not just in techniques but in relationships.
Collaborative Donor Visits: By teaming up for donor meetings, fundraisers learned from each other while ensuring continuity in donor relationships if someone left the organization.
Celebrating Team Wins: Recognizing collective achievements—whether securing a major gift or hitting an annual goal—reinforced the value of teamwork over individual competition.
These strategies aren’t theoretical—they work! One mid-sized arts organization I coached saw major gift revenue increase by 35%, employee retention rates rise to 92%, and donors commit to multi-year gifts at unprecedented levels—all thanks to their collaborative approach.
Looking back, I can confidently say that embracing a team-first culture has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career—not just for the results but for how it transformed our workplace into something truly special. Collaboration doesn’t happen overnight; it requires vulnerability, consistency, and intentional leadership. But when teams come together, the impact is extraordinary—for donors, organizations, and fundraisers alike.
Now it’s your turn! What does collaboration look like on your team? What strategies have worked—or fallen short? Let’s keep this conversation going—drop me a comment below or share this post with colleagues who might benefit from these insights. Together, we can build stronger teams and achieve greater impact!
With boundless gratitude,
Tammy Zonker
Major Gift Expert & Keynote Speaker
“Shared goals encourage fundraisers to support each other because collective success means everyone wins.”
Tammy Zonker, Major Gifts Expert & Keynote Speaker & President, Fundraising Transformed
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