Rethinking Major Gifts Metrics in 2026

Bad metrics ruin good fundraisers.Slowly. Quietly. Cycle after cycle.And almost nobody on the team is allowed to say it out loud.In this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser, I'm sharing why the metrics most major gift programs lean on, raw visit counts, dollars to goal, dials made, often miss the actual work. I'm walking through:→ The hidden cost of using lagging indicators to coach behavior→ Five leading indicators worth tracking instead→ Why AI inside your CRM should help you ask better questions, not deliver verdicts→ How to turn the next quarterly board report into a coaching opportunity for leadershipHere's the question I want to leave you with:If your scoreboard disappeared tomorrow, what would your gift officers actually do differently?If the answer is "not much," your metrics may not be doing the work you think they are. Listen to this episode, then send it to one development director or board member who could use a different conversation about reporting this quarter.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All HeroesFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingLearn more about the Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to Tammy Zonker's Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInGuest: Name, Title, CompanyResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policies