The Major Gift Proposal Template That Gets a YES (And How to Use It)

A proposal should move a conversation forward

You know the donor is interested. You have a meaningful opportunity to share. Then the proposal sits in your drafts while you wonder: Is it too long? Is the ask too direct? Have I included enough proof?

A template can help you get unstuck. But no document guarantees a yes. A major gift proposal works best as a clear, personalized aid to a conversation, not a substitute for one.

Keep it focused: show the donor you heard them, explain what their gift could make possible, and invite them to consider a specific next step.

Start with the conversation, not the document

Before you write, review what the donor has actually told you. What matters to them? What questions have they raised? What kind of impact do they want to have? If you don't know yet, schedule a conversation before drafting a formal proposal.

You can use these 15 discovery questions for major donor meetings to help guide that conversation. Listen for the donor's own language. Use it accurately in the proposal.

A proposal written before you understand the donor's interests is usually a brochure with a name added. That's not personalization.

Use this field-by-field major gift proposal template

Adapt the prompts below to your organization and donor. The sample language is a starting point, not a script to paste without checking the details.

1. Title and donor

Name the opportunity and make the proposal feel intended for its recipient.

A proposal for [Donor Name]: Advancing [shared priority or outcome]

Add your organization's name, the date, and a staff contact. Keep the title clear and specific; avoid inflated promises.

2. The opportunity

Open with what the donor cares about and why you're bringing this forward. Don't begin with a long history of your organization.

Because you shared that [donor's stated interest] matters to you, we'd like to invite you to explore an opportunity to [shared outcome].

3. The need and why now

Describe the community need or opportunity in plain language. Use only information you can stand behind: a relevant local fact, a short example shared with appropriate permission, or a clear explanation of what's changing.

Keep this section focused. One meaningful detail is more useful than a page of statistics.

4. The proposed response

Explain what the organization will do, who it will serve, and over what period. Make the path from funding to activity easy to understand.

With your partnership, [organization] will [specific activities] for [people or community] during [time period], helping to [intended outcome].

Be precise about what you know. Don't promise that one gift alone will produce an outcome you can't control.

5. Why your organization

Offer two or three relevant reasons you're prepared to do this work: experience, results, partnerships, leadership, or another form of evidence the donor will care about. Keep supporting detail in an appendix if it's useful but not essential to the decision.

Your donor doesn't need your entire organizational history. They need to know why this opportunity makes sense with you.

6. The specific gift invitation

State the amount, purpose, and timing directly. Don't leave the donor guessing what you're asking for.

Would you consider a gift of $[amount], paid [once or over a stated period], to support [specific purpose] by [date]?

Choose an amount you can explain based on what you know about the donor, the opportunity, and your conversations. If a different structure could work, discuss it as a genuine alternative, not as a pressure tactic.

If you need help thinking through a request amount, start with the Target Ask Calculator. The final request should still reflect your knowledge of the donor and the relationship.

7. Use of funds

Show how the gift would be used. A short, readable breakdown may be enough.

Your proposed gift of $[amount] would support: $[amount] for [activity or cost], $[amount] for [activity or cost], and $[amount] for [activity or cost].

If the proposal is for flexible support, say so and explain what that flexibility enables. If the donor is considering a restricted gift, be clear about what the restriction covers and how you'll handle material changes to the plan.

8. Outcomes and reporting

Identify two or three realistic signs of progress, and explain how you'll report back. Include a measure and time frame where you have one.

By [date], we expect to [measurable result]. We'll share an update with you [agreed reporting schedule], including progress, challenges, and what we're learning.

Offer reporting you can deliver. Credibility comes from honest follow-through, not from making every outcome sound certain.

9. Recognition and the donor's preferences

Ask how the donor prefers to be acknowledged and kept informed. Offer appropriate choices, including anonymity. Recognition may matter to a donor, but it shouldn't replace a clear account of the work and the gift's intended purpose.

10. The next step

End with a specific invitation to continue the conversation.

May we meet on [date] to talk through this proposal and answer your questions?

That is easier to respond to than "Let us know what you think." It also gives you a clear follow-up to plan.

Use the proposal as a tool, not a mail merge

Before sending it, read the document as if you were the donor. Can you tell what matters, what you're being invited to do, what your gift would support, and what happens next?

Then check these five things:

• The proposal reflects a real conversation. The donor's priorities appear in your words, and in the opportunity you chose.
• The ask is specific. It names an amount, purpose, and timing.
• The evidence is accurate. Stories, figures, and promises are current, supportable, and shared with permission where required.
• The gift terms are clear. Restrictions, payment timing, recognition, reporting, and any relevant contingencies are addressed.
• You know who will follow up. Agree on who leads the discussion, who answers questions, and when you'll reconnect.

Keep the main proposal concise enough to discuss together. Add relevant supporting materials separately rather than packing every detail into the core document.

The moment after the ask matters

When you've made the invitation, pause. Don't rush to fill the silence with a discount, a second ask amount, or a speech explaining why you deserve the gift.

Listen. If the donor has a concern, find out what's underneath it. They may need more information, time to talk with family, or a different gift structure. Agree on a useful next step and follow through when you said you would.

A "not yet" with a clear next conversation is information, not a reason to send the same proposal again and again.

Put your words to work

A polished proposal won't rescue an ask that doesn't fit. But a clear, donor-centered proposal can help both of you see the opportunity, understand the invitation, and decide what comes next.

Mary Petersen has spent more than 25 years doing major gift work, including closing a $100 million gift in seven months. The practical lesson: get specific about the donor, the opportunity, and the words you'll use. Explore What to Say: 12 Major Gift Asks to Get a YES for more language you can bring into your next donor conversation.

If you're ready to work through the full major gift process, from identifying the right prospects to making the ask, see the Major Gift Intensive.