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Major Donor Fundraising (Practitioner Level)

2 November 2026 10:00am - 4:30pm
Online
Training Courses
EVT-10052
Current

This practical course introduces the core principles of successful major donor fundraising. Combining established fundraising techniques with current sector best practice, it explores how to identify, engage and steward major donors through authentic, long-term relationships. Learners will also explore the role of supporter experience and internal collaboration to achieve sustainable fundraising success.

Course Fees

Please note, the discounted individual member rate is a benefit of individual membership not organisational membership. If the attendee does not hold an individual membership, then please select the non-individual member rate. Please click here to see more information about all the different types of membership.

Non-Individual Member Fee

£277.00

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Individual Member Fee

£211.00

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Key Information

Who should attend?

This course is ideal for fundraisers who are new to major donor fundraising, as well as fundraising professionals looking to strengthen their confidence, knowledge and practical skills in this area. It is also well suited to organisations that are beginning to develop or expand a major donor fundraising programme and want to establish strong foundations for long-term success. Charity professionals responsible for building and managing high-value supporter relationships will also benefit from attending.

Benefits for your and your organisation

After attending this course, you will leave with strategies and tools that can be applied straight away. You will strengthen your ability to build strong supporter relationships, work with colleagues to improve the donor experience, and develop a more sustainable approach to major donor fundraising.

Topics covered in this course

Identifying and defining major donors within your organisation
How to build meaningful donor relationships through effective internal collaboration
Effective supporter journeys and stewardship approaches
Preparing for and managing effective donor meetings

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Define major donors and major gifts within your organisation
Apply donor cultivation and internal collaboration techniques to support effective major donor engagement.
Analyse supporter needs to improve donor experiences
Prepare effectively for major donor meetings

About your trainer

Dr Ikhlaq Hussain

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Dr Ikhlaq Hussain

Biography:

Dr Ikhlaq Hussain is philanthropy and marketing specialist who has raised millions of pounds for good causes. He has worked in fundraising since 2010 in a variety of roles for charities from an international children organisation to a local mental health charity. He was included in the list of the 25 most outstanding fundraisers by Fundraising Magazine in 2018 and was awarded a fellowship by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising in 2019 to recognise his services to the fundraising community. 

Dr Ikhlaq is also an academic with a PhD from the University of Hull and he teaches at Bayes Business School as well as at the University of Chichester. He was previously a trustee of Mind in Harrow and a Mosaic Enterprise Mentor at The Prince’s Trust. He regularly writes and speaks for various sector led media outlets.

The live virtual training experience

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising's live virtual training is delivered by trainers who are leading experts in their chosen discipline. Each virtual course has been especially designed to deliver a rich virtual learning experience. Your course will feature:

Zoom platform learning environment
Interactive engagement with the trainer and peers
Group discussions and exercises
Real-life case studies and examples
Ample Q&A opportunities throughout the sessions

Technology requirements

The course is being delivered via the online platform zoom. To enable you to interact with your tutor and your class you will need to have access to a microphone (or access to a landline phone) and ideally have a working video link via a camera. To test compatibility with your system, you can join a test meeting via this link.