Who’s in Your Top-10?
Last week, my newsletter was about CEOs having a top 10 list of evergreen donor prospects. That spurred great conversations with some of you about who exactly who should be on your list.
So let’s talk about it.
The good news is this: your top 10 are people you already know, and they already know you. You are not in the business of cold-calling strangers. You are the CEO, after all!
If there is no connection, they do not belong on your list. Strategic fundraising begins with proximity.
Allow me to introduce you to your L.E.A.D. 10 List.
I love a good mnemonic device! And this one will give you instant clarity about the ten people who matter most to your fundraising strategy.
Instead of staring at a random list of names and wondering where to start, the L.E.A.D. 10 helps you segment each relationship intentionally. Because not all ten people are in the same place with you. And that’s the point!
Your 10 prospects belong in one of these 4 groups:
L - Loyal (3) - These three are your deep trust, strong engagement prospects. In many cases, they’re board members, committee members, or highly engaged donors that have more capacity to give. Odds are, you’re already spending a good bit of time with these individuals.
E - Engaged (3) - These three prospects are involved… but they’ve plateaued. They attend. They give. They show up. But their engagement or giving has remained steady for years without any major growth. This group represents hidden opportunity.
A - Advancing (3) - These prospects have expressed interest but haven’t fully stepped in. There have been conversations about “getting coffee” that never quite made it onto the calendar. They are circling your organization, but no one has intentionally moved the relationship forward. With leadership and follow-through, these three can become major players.
D - Defining (1) - This is the one relationship that, if matured intentionally, could shape the future of your organization in a measurable way. If fully engaged, their investment could mark a turning point.
Now pull out your list of ten names. Let’s assign each one a L.E.A.D. letter so you can clearly see where every relationship stands.
Which three are your Loyal group? The ones who already trust you deeply. Which three are Engaged but clearly have room to grow? Which three are ready for Advancing where a little intentional cultivation could move the relationship forward in a meaningful way?
And then…
Who is your Defining prospect?
Your Moby Dick. Your big white whale of a prospect. Not a stranger, but the one person you already know who, if fully engaged, could change the trajectory of your organization.
Like I mentioned last week, one by one, you’ll meet them for coffee. You visit them at their office. You make the advance.
My recommendation is to start with your L’s first. They’re ripe, low-hanging fruit and you can work out any nervousness around donor cultivation with the ones who already love you.
Whether you have a full fundraising team or you’re navigating this work on your own, the LEAD 10 approach gives you clarity.
And when you have clarity, fundraising feels less overwhelming.
You’re not trying to manage everyone. You’re intentionally investing in ten relationships that already exist in your world. They just need dedicated time on your calendar to move the needle forward for the good of your organization.
That’s not pressure. It’s leadership. And ownership.
And one more thing…
If you draft your L.E.A.D. 10 this week and find yourself staring at the page thinking, “Now what?” Send it to me! I love helping CEOs think through who belongs where and what the next move should be. At Jenni Craig & Co., we believe fundraising doesn’t have to feel heavy. It can feel clear, relational, and even energizing. Reply to this email to get the conversation started.
