--- title: Top Ten Characteristics of Top Producing Major Gift Fundraisers · DickersonBakker description: This white paper outlines and discusses ten characteristics that many top-producing major gift fundraisers have in common. image: https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/standoutinacrowd.jpg --- [![DB-logo-2023](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DB%20Logos/DB-logo-2023.png?width=1300&height=214&name=DB-logo-2023.png "DB-logo-2023")](https://dickersonbakker.com/) - Home - Who We Are - [About Us](https://dickersonbakker.com/about/) - [Our Team](https://dickersonbakker.com/about/our-team/) - What We Do - [Fundraising Solutions](https://dickersonbakker.com/fundraising-solutions/) - [Capital Campaigns](https://dickersonbakker.com/capital-campaigns/) - [Executive Search](https://dickersonbakker.com/executive-search/) - [Grant Services](https://dickersonbakker.com/grant-services/) - Who We Serve - [National & Regional Nonprofits](https://dickersonbakker.com/national-regional-nonprofits/) - [Global Aid & Outreach Ministries](https://dickersonbakker.com/global-aid-outreach-ministries/) - [Christian & Private Schools](https://dickersonbakker.com/christian-private-schools/) - [Higher Education](https://dickersonbakker.com/higher-education/) - [Salvation Army](https://dickersonbakker.com/salvation-army/) - [Rescue Missions](https://dickersonbakker.com/rescue-missions/) - [Community Organizations](https://dickersonbakker.com/community-organizations/) - [Camps/Conference Centers](https://dickersonbakker.com/camps-conference-centers/) - [Broadcast Ministries](https://dickersonbakker.com/broadcast-ministries/) - Resources - [News & Insights](https://dickersonbakker.com/blog/) - [Case Studies](https://dickersonbakker.com/case-studies/) - [Research Studies](https://dickersonbakker.com/research-studies/) - [Upcoming and On-Demand Webinars](https://dickersonbakker.com/upcoming-and-on-demand-webinars/) - [Contact](https://dickersonbakker.com/contact/) # DickersonBakker Blog ![](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/standoutinacrowd.jpg) ### Top Ten Characteristics of Top Producing Major Gift Fundraisers April 11, 2016 By [Derric Bakker](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/author/derric-bakker) [Fundraising](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/fundraising) / [Talent Management](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/talent-management) / [Development Directors](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/development-directors) / [Major Gift Development](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/major-gift-development) Good help is hard to find, especially in development. Major gift development in particular requires a unique type of individual to succeed. In our experience too many who carry the title could more aptly be described as “professional visitors” than effective fundraisers. Successful development staffers aren’t all cast from the same mold. I’ve met almost every conceivable shape and size (literally and figuratively). Few start out as fundraisers; most come into this profession after doing something else initially in their career. I’ve known former missionaries, teachers, salespeople, psychologists, marketers, business people, pastors, real estate developers, a former professional golfer, even a former farmer who performed well in this field. Once I worked with an emergency room physician who alternated between weeks—he’d work in the ER one week and as a fundraiser the next, week in, week out. So in the midst of this disparity of “types,” what separates successful major gift fundraisers from everyone else? Too often nonprofit leaders don’t know what to look for when filling these roles, or what to expect from them when they do have them in place. At Dickerson-Bakker we’ve had the privilege of working with many top-producing major gift fund-raisers. We’ve also conducted in-depth background checks and administered personality tests to many of them as part of our executive search program. Based on these results and observations, we have been able to identify ten characteristics that many top-producing major gift officers have in common. This white paper outlines and discusses these top ten characteristics of top-producing major gift fundraisers. [Access White Papers](http://eepurl.com/cFJNYD) *Already signed up? [Go directly to the archives](https://dickersonbakker.com/white-papers-archive/).* Written by: ## Derric Bakker [Full Bio](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/author/derric-bakker) | [More by Derric Bakker](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/author/derric-bakker) [Back to blog](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com) ### Get Our Newsletter ### Categories - [Categories Boards Campaign Planning Study Capital (259)](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/categories-boards-campaign-planning-study-capital-) - [Nonprofit Organizations (32)](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/nonprofit-organizations) - [Fundraising (29)](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/fundraising) - [Leadership (21)](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/leadership) - [News (19)](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/tag/news) ### Search Shares ![Facebook](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Dickerson_Bakker_October2019/Images/Floating%20Social%20Icons/Facebook.png) ![Twitter](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Dickerson_Bakker_October2019/Images/Floating%20Social%20Icons/Twitter.png) ![Google+](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Dickerson_Bakker_October2019/Images/Floating%20Social%20Icons/googleplus.png) ![Email](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/download.png) ![LinkedIn](https://blog.dickersonbakker.com/hubfs/Dickerson_Bakker_October2019/Images/Floating%20Social%20Icons/Linked%20In.png) ## What does forward look like for you? 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