Speaker: Jim Bush
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Location: Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Cost: $25.00/Members, $15.00/Members W/O Lunch, $35.00/Guests
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Session 1: Introduction to Major Gifts with Jim Bush
Purpose, passion, and process are all key ingredients to building a successful major gift program. What does it actually take to put all three to work?
Veteran fundraiser and Winkler Group CEO Jim Bush walks through the fundamentals of major gift fundraising in a way that's immediately applicable: how to define what a "major gift" actually means for your organization, how to identify your best prospects using data and relationships you already have, and how to structure outreach that fits into a full workload—not just an ideal one.
From identifying and qualifying the right prospects to building meaningful cultivation touchpoints, Jim builds toward the moment every fundraiser needs to be ready for: making the ask.
Particular attention will be given to mid-level donors and how to move them toward larger commitments over time. For organizations considering a capital campaign, this session will also offer important lessons in building larger and deeper pools of prospective donors.
Key takeaways:
How the current economic climate is affecting major gifts and campaigns
A practical framework for identifying, qualifying, and prioritizing major gift prospects
A way to evaluate and engage mid-level donors as future major donors
A step-by-step view of how to move a donor from initial contact to making the ask and follow-up
A better understanding of how everyday major gift work builds (or limits) future campaign success
Jim Bush
Jim Bush has been a development professional and fundraising consultant for more than 30 years. Recognized as an expert in his field, he has helped organizations of every size raise more than $300 million through major and capital campaigns, annual giving programs, and planned giving initiatives.
He has led or overseen successful campaigns for organizations across the country—including Christ Presbyterian Academy, St. Bernard Academy, and Siloam Health in Nashville, as well as The Covenant School and others. His work in Middle Tennessee has strengthened donor relationships and supported transformational growth for a wide range of nonprofit missions.
Prior to joining the Winker Group, Jim devoted his career to being a fundraising practitioner and has developed comprehensive fundraising programs for nationally known organizations, including World Vision, the American Red Cross, the YMCA, Northwell Health, and Elon University.
Jim is a noted lecturer, trainer, and teacher. He has presented at more than fifty national and international fundraising conferences; he has been named the top speaker at six national and international conferences. His articles on fundraising have been published in leading nonprofit journals. He has served on the national fundraising faculty for the YMCA and currently serves on the faculty of the South Carolina Nonprofit Leadership Institute.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public administration from Elon University. He serves on the Editorial Review Board of Giving USA, the seminal report on philanthropy in America.
