Planned Giving & Major Gifts Officer Seraphic Mass Association
Faith-based fundraising is at a crossroads. Donor demographics are shifting, traditional annual fund tactics are losing traction, and fewer individuals are contributing more of the sector’s revenue, often through donor-advised funds and family foundations. Many faith-based organizations are struggling to scale relationship-building efforts with limited staff and resources.
This session explores how faith-based nonprofits can break through these challenges and strategically grow their major and planned giving programs, even without large teams. You’ll hear how Stephanie Pedersen, Major Gifts and Planned Giving Officer at the Seraphic Mass Association, partnered with MarketSmart to transform her program through data-driven outreach, technology-enabled cultivation, and personalized donor engagement.
Learn how to move beyond transactional fundraising into a sustainable, relational model, building trust, aligning with donor values, and scaling meaningful connections through smart use of analytics and automation. The practical tools and strategies shared in this session are replicable and achievable, even for lean teams.
Learning Objectives:
Make the case for reallocating resources toward scalable major and planned giving using industry benchmarks and data
Discover how investments in marketing and technology helped grow a high-value donor pipeline and justify new staff hires
Gain insights from real-world success stories across faith-based organizations to inform your own strategy
.png)
