The Future of Fundraising
The Future of Fundraising

The Future of Fundraising

Welcome to the Future of Fundraising.

As we work to build the world’s most experienced fundraiser, our team tackles a key question: What are the milestones for autonomous fundraising’s success?

We broke this journey into smaller, measurable steps to track success, adjust and refine the Virtual Engagement Officer’s (VEO) artificial general intelligence (AGI) in real time. This milestone-driven approach helps our team stay focused and ensures we deliver meaningful results for our innovation partners.

Below are the milestones that we’re working towards as we research, develop and accelerate the deployment of the world’s first fully autonomous frontline fundraiser:

Autonomous Fundraising: Five Milestones of Autonomous Fundraising Success
Five Milestones of Autonomous Fundraising Success

Milestone 1: Secure Early Gifts

Our first milestone is all about momentum—demonstrating that Version2’s autonomous Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) can engage with donors and secure early gifts. These early successes build trust and lay the foundation for future efforts. In June, we achieved this milestone with our first gifts from the College of Charleston and William & Mary. As we continue to fine-tune the VEO’s processes, securing these initial gifts ensures that we're on the right track. We’re continuing to train the VEO using proven fundraising practices and organization-specific strategies so it can close gifts with empathy and responsiveness, maintaining a personal touch.

Milestone 2: Self Sustainability

The next milestone is to prove that the VEO can be self-sustaining. For organizations to invest confidently in autonomous fundraising, the VEO must generate enough revenue to cover its operational costs. Achieving this shows that the VEO is practical, engaging donors without adding financial strain. This milestone truly represents the beginning of scale for autonomous fundraising as a service where organizations can buy fundraising capacity.

Milestone 3: Exceed Last Year’s Portfolio Performance

After covering its costs, the VEO must demonstrate that it can outperform the results of its portfolio from the previous year, when it was being managed through annual fund marketing and one-to-many communications. This milestone proves autonomous fundraising develops more personal engagements lead to the natural outcome of new and increased gifts. At this milestone, the VEO has secured its position as an asset that elevates the fundraising potential of the organization.

Milestone 4: Match and Exceed Expectations for a Traditional Fundraiser

This milestone involves the VEO matching—and surpassing—the performance of a traditional fundraiser, such as a DXO or LAG Officer, especially in engagement and dollars raised. While traditional gift officers typically manage hundreds of prospects, VEOs handle portfolios of over 1,000. With AI’s speed, data-driven insights, and scalable outreach, VEOs will eventually outperform traditional approaches, helping organizations raise more funds, faster and more efficiently.

Milestone 5: Generate Major Gift Pipeline and Close Multi-Year Gifts

The final and most ambitious milestone is for the VEO to actively build a major gift pipeline and close multi-year gifts. While securing smaller, annual gifts is important, the real power of autonomous fundraising lies in the ability to identify, cultivate, secure multi-year gifts, and build a pipeline of potential major donors. Once the VEO can close multi-year gifts, it will prove its ability to not only enhance short-term fundraising efforts but also drive long-term, transformational support for organizations.

The Path Forward

As we pursue these milestones, we recognize the challenge nonprofits face: limited human resources to build relationships. This is where autonomous fundraising is vital. By pushing toward surpassing traditional DXO results and securing major gifts, the VEO will transform fundraising by driving both immediate and long-term donor engagement. This journey is just beginning with our first Cohort of Innovation Partners, and with each milestone, we’re proving together that autonomous fundraising is the future of philanthropic success.

I hope you have a great week.


Autonomous Fundraising's unique opportunity with the 80% of donors you can't manage.
[LIVE Webinar] The Unique Opportunity with the 80% of Donors You Can’t Manage

[LIVE Webinar] The Unique Opportunity with the 80% of Donors You Can’t Manage

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 AT 2:00 PM ETFor all the attention that we put into building unique relationships with donors, it’s humbling to realize that 75-80% of a nonprofit’s donor base is never directly managed by a fundraiser. This leaves a significant untapped opportunity, especially for organizations seeking to engage more donors meaningfully.

Where mass marketing, direct mail, and other broad-based appeals were once the norm, the rise of fully autonomous fundraising is transforming this reality. By leveraging advanced AI technologies, including Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs), nonprofits can now build unique relationships that lead to increased giving from previously unmanaged donors.

We'll also examine why nonprofits of all sizes are recognizing the unprecedented opportunity to move the needle on donor engagement and revenue through autonomous fundraising, closing the gap between fundraising capacity and donor potential.

(SAVE YOUR SEAT)



This FREE GUIDE is written from the perspective of a lapsed donor – a SYBUNT who understands why his annual gift isn't automatic every year. It offers both analysis of the donor retention challenge and donor-centric suggestions to change the dynamic.
[DONOR RETENTION]: The Power of Multi-Year Pledges

[DONOR RETENTION]: The Power of Multi-Year Pledges

This FREE GUIDE is written from the perspective of a lapsed donor – a SYBUNT who understands why his annual gift isn't automatic every year. It offers both analysis of the donor retention challenge and donor-centric suggestions to change the dynamic.

In hundreds of conversations with annual and leadership giving officers, common challenges repeatedly emerge:

  • "With limited staff the scale and number of donors is difficult to manage"
  • "We struggle with having the same conversations with annual donors every year."
  • "Donor retention rate is difficult to change."
  • "How do we juggle managing portfolios and one-to-one outreach with Giving Days, direct mail, and mass appeals?"

These challenges highlight the need for a more efficient and effective approach to donor retention.

But not every fundraiser has experience and comfort making a multi-year ask and the vast majority of donors have never been approached beyond a single annual gift.

(DOWNLOAD NOW)


Givzey Guidance: Are Gifts Earmarked for Specific Individuals Tax-Deductible?
Givzey Guidance: Are Gifts Earmarked for Specific Individuals Tax-Deductible?

Givzey Guidance: Are Gifts Earmarked for Specific Individuals Tax-Deductible?

In this Givzey Guidance, parents of an orchestra student wants to make a charitable donation of $7,500 specifically “earmarked” for their child.

Gifts earmarked for specific individuals aren’t tax-deductible.

What’s the best way to approach this?

(KEEP READING)


Fundraising Jobs

Our featured jobs always come from our amazing subscribers. If you have jobs you would like posted in the Future of Fundraising newsletter, please email hello@givzey.com with your requests.

  • Vice President of Development $200,000 - $250,000 | The New York Community Trust | New York, NY | APPLY>>>
  • Associate Dean for Development $271,825 to $300,157 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA | APPLY>>>
  • Chief Development Officer $200,000 - $240,000 | LA Family Housing | North Hollywood, CA | APPLY>>>


See what else the future holds for fundraising today>>>


To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Others also viewed

Explore topics