Introducing the Major Gift Fundraising MRI

There’s a practice in the recovery world I deeply respect - it shows up two times in the AA 12 Steps:
Step 4: Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
‍Step 10: Continue to take personal inventory and, when we are wrong, promptly admit it.

‍These are bold practices - not something most fundraisers are ever asked to do. But if you’ve been in this work long enough - raising major gifts, building real relationships, and trying to hold your own inner life together along the way - you know just how essential self-awareness is.

That fearless inventory? It’s not a one-time thing. For me, it’s often a daily discipline.

That’s why I’ve created the Major Gift Fundraising MRI. It’s not a score. It’s not a quiz.

It’s a guided reflection designed to help you surface the patterns shaping your work - your instincts, your rhythms, and the tensions that tend to show up in the middle of a campaign, a relationship, or a year.

Not for your annual review - for week-in, week-out clarity.

‍Why take an MRI?

By using magnetic fields and radio waves, a medical MRI provides detailed images of the inside of our bodies, especially soft tissue and organs. It helps us see what’s happening beneath the surface, so we can make a plan before taking action. It allows us to look closely and accurately - without cutting anything open.

The Major Gift Fundraising MRI helps us examine the habits we develop in this work - some healthy, some reactive, some so familiar they’ve become invisible. We’re under pressure, making decisions with incomplete information, constantly adapting to personalities, expectations, and systems that don’t always make sense.

If we never stop to look at the shape of our effort - if we don’t step outside of the fog to see what we’re carrying and how we’re carrying it - we drift. The MGF MRI is a short, focused way to pause and see.

‍What’s inside the assessment

‍There are five sets of questions. Each one presents two statements - not “right” or “wrong”, just different. You choose the one that feels most true to your current approach. Then you add some additional notes about strengths and tensions you have in that area.

The topics covered are:
🤝Relationship rhythm
✍️Messaging approach
📊Systems and structure
🙋Storytelling and invitation
🙏Spiritual grounding and joy

Your answers will begin to paint a picture - one that helps reveal your posture and your patterns.

‍The sacred layer

‍This is more than a strategic tool. It’s a sacred practice.If you’ve worked with the 5 Day Prayer Guide or explored the SToR framework, you’ll recognize the tone. This isn’t about guilt - it’s about being in right relationship: with givers, your message, your team, your purpose, and your Creator.

In this way, the MRI echoes AA’s Step 11 from the recovery journey: We seek through prayer and meditation, to improve our conscious contact with God… praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

‍That’s where we land the plane.That’s the heart of why we do this.

‍Your results - and your next step

‍Upon completing the MRI, you’ll receive a free, short feedback summary.  For some, this may be all you need to move forward with fresh energy and clarity.

Others will prefer to go deeper by requesting more personalized feedback and insight - directly from me.

For this, there are two options:
✍️ In-depth written Major Gift MRI report - $25
🗣️ Written report + live coaching debrief - $99 (45 minute video call)

I’ll walk you through the narrative threads I see, the posture you’re leading from, and the levers you can pull next.

No pressure - but if you’ve ever wondered about getting a clearer mirror in this work, this one might surprise you.

‍Ready?

‍It only takes 10-15 minutes. My hope is that you find it clarifying and grounding.

Here’s the link:
👉 Take the Major Gift Fundraising MRI

‍You don’t have to be fearless. Just honest - and open to what you might discover.

I look forward to partnering with you in the discovery.

* * * * * * * * * *

‍If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

* JappaFry Writer - A freely available AI tool that draws from over 175 pages of original teaching, storytelling, frameworks, and strategy from my 30 year career in major gift fundraising.

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,