Close a Major Gift Before Year-End.
Let's Build Your Plan on May 19.
A 90-minute working session for Chicago-area nonprofit leaders — limited to 20 people.
Only 20 seats available. When they're gone, they're gone.
WHO THIS IS FOR
You're in the right place if:
You're a nonprofit Executive Director or development professional who knows you should be going after major gifts — but every week something else takes over and your best prospects are still sitting in a spreadsheet with no plan.
You've got donors in your community who could give at a transformational level. You just haven't had the time, the clarity, or the right conversation yet.
And if you're honest with yourself? You want to close something real before December — you just don't have a clear path to get there.
That's exactly what this session is for.
WHAT WE'LL DO TOGETHER
This is not a lecture. This is a working session.
In 90 minutes, we'll get into the actual work:
Identify your top 10 prospects
We'll go through who belongs on your priority list right now — not the full portfolio, just the 10 people most likely to say yes to a significant gift in the next six months. You'll walk out knowing exactly who deserves your attention this summer and fall.
Build your relationship rhythm
For each prospect, you need a plan — not a vague intention to 'stay in touch,' but a real sequence of touchpoints that moves the relationship forward. We'll map out what that looks like, so you can implement it the week you get home
Work through the ask
The moment most fundraisers dread — and Mary has spent 25 years making it less scary and more effective. We'll talk through exactly what to say, how to say it, and how to handle what comes after. Not theory. Actual language you can use.
If you leave knowing who your top 10 are, what to do with them between now and November, and how
to make the ask — you have everything you need to close gifts before year-end.
PRE-SESSION BONUS
Submit your data before the session — and come in with a head start.
Here's something most workshops don't offer: before you walk in the door on May 19, you'll have the opportunity to submit your prospect data for your Money Map and analytics review.
That means instead of starting from scratch on your prospect list, Mary will have already reviewed your data and can give you personalized, specific feedback on your portfolio from the moment you sit down.
This is a significant value — and it's included with your registration.
When you register, you'll receive a simple form to submit your prospect information. The more you fill in, the more personalized your session experience will be.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
You've probably been to fundraising trainings before. You've taken notes, felt inspired, and then returned to the same calendar, same to-do list, and the same quiet dread about the donors you're not calling.
This session is built differently.
Mary's entire methodology is built around one contrarian idea: major gifts don't have to take 18 months. The industry has convinced fundraisers that cultivation takes forever — and as a result, people are sitting on prospects they could be closing.
With a focused portfolio, a clear relationship rhythm, and the confidence to make the ask, fundraisers can close significant gifts in six months or less.
Mary did it herself — including closing a $1 million gift in just seven months.
With only 20 seats and real working time, this isn't a conference breakout session. It's the closest thing to one-on-one coaching in a group setting.
ABOUT MARY
Mary Petersen has been closing major gifts for 25 years.
She's not a theorist. She's not someone who moved from fundraising into coaching to teach what she used to do. She is an active practitioner who has raised millions for missions she believes in — and built a methodology that works faster than anything the industry will tell you is possible.
She's the author of What to Say: 12 Major Gift Asks to Get a YES — the book that gives fundraisers the exact language for the conversation everyone else is afraid to have. Her second book, Small Table Big Philanthropy, launches this spring.
She coaches nonprofit leaders across the country through Major Gift Momentum, her membership program — and her clients close gifts that change the trajectory of their organizations.
On May 19, she's bringing all of it to Chicago.
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Time: 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Location: Center on Halsted, Chicago, IL
Investment: $250 per person
Seats: Limited to 20
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this session for?
Nonprofit Executive Directors, Directors of Development, Major Gift Officers, and any fundraising professional responsible for closing significant individual gifts. If you're trying to move your major gift program forward before year-end, this session is for you.
What should I bring?
Come with a rough sense of who your current major gift prospects are — even if it's just names in your head. The more you've thought about it before the session, the more you'll get out of it. If you've submitted your Money Map data ahead of time, we'll have even more to work with.
What is the Money Map and analytics submission?
After registering, you'll receive a simple form to submit your prospect data before the session. Mary reviews this ahead of time so your session experience is personalized to your actual portfolio — not just generic examples. It's one of the biggest advantages of showing up to a small, intentional session like this.
Is there a recording or can I attend virtually?
This is a live, in-person working session only. There is no virtual option and no recording. The value comes from the real-time, hands-on work.
What if I can't make it?
Seats are non-refundable but transferable. If you need to send a colleague in your place, that's absolutely fine — just let us know.
Is the $250 per person or per organization?
Per person. If you'd like to bring a colleague, register for two seats.
