Recently, I connected with a new gift officer who had just been assigned a portfolio of 350 donor relationships. He told me:

“Jon, I’ve spent a good deal of time on fundraising theory. Right now, what I need most is to get in the reps.”

This stuck with me. Many fundraisers come into the role with strong conceptual knowledge, but what they really need is a clear, actionable plan that helps them build momentum through consistent effort.

So I shared some practical advice on leading indicators and relationship management strategies. Whether you’re new to fundraising or refining your approach for 2025, this plan will help you drive meaningful engagement across your portfolio. Plus, it’ll help you focus your time on the donors most likely to deepen their commitment to your mission.

1. Make Quarterly Outreach a Priority

Outbound communication is a leading indicator of relationship strength.

Create a plan that ensures you attempt to reach out to 100% of your assigned donor relationships at least once per quarter. This could be through personalized emails, phone calls, handwritten notes, or social media messages. Use whatever channels make sense based on your donor base.

The goal isn’t perfection. Instead, it’s consistency.

Pro tip: Use a simple CRM dashboard or spreadsheet to log touchpoints by quarter.

2. Track Cumulative Engagement

Once you start making those regular outreach attempts, the next step is to track who responds.

Aim to engage 90% or more of your portfolio over a full 12-month cycle. This doesn’t mean everyone will reply right away, but you’re watching for any signal of connection, whether that’s a returned email, a quick call back, or a donor reaching out to you proactively.

Why this matters: Engagement is a precursor to giving. Tracking these touchpoints gives you a clearer picture of which relationships are warm, which are cooling off, and which might need to be let go.

3. Prune Your Portfolio Strategically

If you’re consistently reaching out to someone over the course of a year and they never respond, it might be time to move on.

Consider trimming 5-10% of your portfolio annually. This keeps your workload manageable and helps you reinvest your time in donors who are showing signs of interest or growth.

Even if a donor is still giving at a baseline level, their continued support may not be the result of active relationship management. By letting go of non-responsive donors, you create space to bring in new prospects with higher potential.

4. Be Ready With a Case for Support and Value-Add Resources

Your case for support shouldn’t just live in your strategic plan. It should be something you can articulate clearly and quickly when a donor asks: “Why should I continue giving?”

Have a concise, compelling version of your case ready at all times.

Also, look for ways to stay in front of donors by sharing free resources every few months. This could include:

• Organizational reports or impact stories
• Articles relevant to your donor demographic
• Thought leadership from your sector

If your organization doesn’t produce a lot of content, curate high-quality resources from outside sources that still align with your mission and the interests of your supporters.

5. Deepen Relationships with the Top 20%

In every portfolio, there are a handful of donors who make up the bulk of your revenue. These are your anchor relationships, or the 20% who give 80% of the dollars.

Prioritize in-person visits with these donors once or twice per year (when feasible). Nothing beats face-to-face connection when it comes to deepening trust and understanding their motivations.

If your portfolio is more evenly distributed today, that’s okay. Start paying attention to who:

• Replies quickly
• Requests meetings
• Increases their giving

Those are your future anchors. Treat them as such now.

Create a Plan You Can Stick To

This isn’t about overhauling your entire approach. Instead, it’s about having a simple, repeatable plan that prioritizes real relationships and helps you focus your energy where it matters most.

At Strategic Fundraising Plan, we believe a well-structured portfolio strategy is one of the most powerful tools a fundraiser can have. By consistently reaching out, tracking engagement, and focusing on your highest-potential relationships, you’ll not only raise more, you’ll build longer-lasting support for your organization’s mission.

A Portland-based client created a portfolio for the Executive Director and increased giving from those relationships from $275k to $764k in just one year. 

We’ve partnered with dozens of fundraising leaders to sharpen their outreach, secure meaningful donors, and follow up in ways that foster long-term generosity. If you’d like help with your strategy, let’s chat here.