Center for Major Gifts

What Center for Major Gifts does

Center for Major Gifts operates a direct-to-consumer education and training platform serving nonprofit fundraising professionals, primarily under the MajorGifts.com and PlannedGiving.com umbrella brands. The product portfolio spans live intensive courses (Major Gifts Boot Camp with Joe Garecht, Planned Giving Boot Camp with Jonathan Gudema), self-paced programs (Major Donor Magic, Nonprofit Leadership Academy, the 14-lesson Eight Principles Curriculum), three tiers of recurring Micro-Lesson Subscriptions (Silver $595, Gold $695, Platinum $895), CFRE-approved live and recorded webinars, interactive competency assessments (Major Gifts I.Q., Planned Giving I.Q.), donor-facing digital tools (Online Free Will Maker, Endowment Calculator), a comprehensive board engagement kit, and a sector-specific job board at jobs.majorgifts.com. The company is currently driving attention to its January 2026 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) Resource Series, which addresses how the 2025 tax legislation reshapes charitable deductions, AGI floors, K-12 scholarship credits, and elite-university endowment taxes.

The underlying technology is a conventional content-and-ecommerce stack delivered via WordPress-style URLs (majorgifts.com, plannedgiving.com) with no proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or third-party integrations disclosed. Products are sold as one-time perpetual licenses or recurring subscriptions with immediate digital delivery, ranging from free resources and $95 webinar recordings up to $1,495 premium curricula. There is no mobile app and no public API surface.

The business model is founder-led and bootstrapped under CEO Viken Mikaelian, who also leads PlannedGiving.com, Major Gifts LLC, and Philanthropy.org. The company has no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds. Go-to-market is content-driven: an active Major Moves blog, email newsletters, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), and free webinars drive organic traffic to the shop at majorgifts.com/shop/. Operating geographies are North America–only (with no global footprint claim); physical presence is limited to a Valley Forge, PA office and a Tampa, FL address inherited from the PlannedGiving.com platform.

Name

Center for Major Gifts

Legal name

Center for Major Gifts

Website

https://majorgifts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Major Gifts is a direct-to-consumer education platform selling courses, webinars, and subscriptions to nonprofit fundraising professionals via the MajorGifts.com and PlannedGiving.com brands. Founded in 2004 and based in Valley Forge, PA, it operates as a founder-led bootstrapped training business with no outside investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Fundraising Education and Training

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)

Keywords

• Nonprofit fundraising training
• Major gifts education
• Planned giving courses
• Fundraising professional development
• Nonprofit consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Valley Forge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Online Course Sales: Sale of pre-recorded and live online courses for nonprofit fundraising professionals. Products include Major Gifts Boot Camp, Planned Giving Boot Camp, Major Donor Magic, Nonprofit Leadership Academy, and other training programs. Pricing ranges from free to $1,495 per course.
2. Webinar and Recording Sales: Sale of individual webinar recordings and live webinar registrations. Topics include One Big Beautiful Bill Act analysis, estate planning, donor relations, and other fundraising-specific subjects. Prices typically $95 per recording or registration.
3. Subscription Products: Micro-Lesson Subscription tiers (Silver $595, Gold $695, Platinum $895) providing ongoing access to training content with varying levels of additional resources and premium access.
4. Free Content and Lead Magnet: Free downloadable resources, ebooks, and blog content (Major Moves blog) used to attract and engage target audience of nonprofit fundraising professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Center for Major Gifts sells online training, courses, webinars, and digital resources that teach nonprofit professionals how to build, manage, and grow major gift and planned giving fundraising programs. Its catalog includes live boot camps, self-paced video courses, micro-lesson subscriptions, interactive assessments, legislative/webinars, and supporting digital tools (Free Will Maker, Endowment Calculator), sold direct-to-consumer via a self-serve e-commerce storefront. The company also offers consulting services and a dedicated jobs board for the nonprofit fundraising sector.

Product overview

Center for Major Gifts is a comprehensive education and training platform for nonprofit fundraising professionals, operating primarily through PlannedGiving.com and MajorGifts.com. The portfolio consists of live and recorded training courses (Major Gifts Boot Camp, Planned Giving Boot Camp, Nonprofit Leadership Academy), online self-paced courses (Major Donor Magic, The Eight Principles Curriculum), micro-lesson subscription tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum), interactive assessments (Major Gifts I.Q., Planned Giving I.Q.), specialized webinars (legacy conversations, OBBBA tax strategy), digital tools (Free Will Maker, Endowment Calculator), resource kits (Nonprofit Board Kit), and a dedicated jobs board. The company also publishes educational content through blog posts, a newsletter (Major Gifts Today), and partnerships with GIVING Magazine and Philanthropy.org. The offerings target nonprofit fundraisers, major gift officers, development directors, and board members seeking to improve donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Major Gifts Boot Camp (Live) A 4-day live intensive course taught by Joe Garecht covering major donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for nonprofit fundraising professionals.
• Planned Giving Boot Camp for Major Gifts Officers (Live) A 4-day intensive live program taught by Jonathan Gudema, Esq., covering planned giving vehicles, legacy conversations, donor strategies, and providing CFRE credits for professional fundraisers.
• Major Donor Magic A 7-module comprehensive online course covering the complete major donor fundraising system, including prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation scripts, stewardship, and board fundraising, with workbook, proposal templates, and a planned giving webinar included.
• Nonprofit Leadership Academy A 4-module online fundraising training program taught by Joe Garecht covering transformational leadership, nonprofit planning, board building, and resource development, with bonuses including Systemize Your Fundraising and leadership templates.
• The Eight Principles Curriculum A 14-lesson sequential curriculum teaching universal fundraising principles and skills for building high-performing cash and asset-based fundraising programs, with video lessons, downloadable collateral, and podcast interviews.
• Major Gifts I.Q. Assessment An interactive test with 25 paced questions comparing participant performance anonymously against a peer group; requires 88% to pass for top performer designation and is CFRE-eligible for professional development credits.
• Planned Giving I.Q. Assessment An interactive test for measuring professional competency in planned giving topics, designed for fundraising professionals seeking to benchmark and advance their careers.
• Initiating Legacy Conversations 2.0 An advanced webinar taught by Jonathan Gudema, JD, on initiating and closing planned giving conversations with donors, focused on difficult dialogue scenarios and deal closure techniques.
• Micro-Lesson Subscription (Gold) A subscription providing 25 micro-teach lessons delivered every 2 weeks for ongoing professional development in fundraising and nonprofit management.
• Micro-Lesson Subscription (Platinum) Premium subscription tier including 25 micro-lessons, Planned Giving Pocket Guides, Giving Tomorrow Magazine one-year subscription, Premium Webinar Access, and Planned Giving Wiki access.
• Nonprofit Board Kit A comprehensive toolkit designed by Wayne Olson for training and equipping nonprofit boards for active fundraising participation, addressing board engagement challenges and synergistic fundraising strategies.
• One Big Beautiful Bill — Get a Head Start A 45-minute webinar by Jonathan Gudema, Esq., providing nonprofit tax strategy guidance on H.R. 1 legislation, covering deduction optimization, donor-advised funds, K-12 scholarship credits, and corporate sponsorship structuring.
• One Big Beautiful Bill — Details and Highlights A free webinar (for clients) covering the urgency of year-end giving before 2026 tax changes take effect, including language strategies for closing major gifts and donor segmentation under new deduction rules.
• Will OBBBA Reshape Giving? The 2026 Shift You Need to Prepare For. A webinar exploring how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reshape donor behavior, tax-efficient giving strategies, scholarship credits, AGI-based limits, QCD strategies, and long-term campaign planning.
• Online Free Will Maker A free online tool enabling donors to create wills, supporting planned giving programs by lowering barriers to legacy gift commitments.
• Endowment Calculator A calculator tool for donors and organizations to project endowment growth and planned giving impact over time.
• Major Gifts Jobs Board A dedicated job board for annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving positions, offering free access for job seekers and free employer posting for a limited time, serving the nonprofit sector's hiring needs.
• Boost Your Major Gift IQ A CFRE-approved interactive learning experience with 25 paced questions, anonymous group comparisons, immediate explanations, and 2 CFRE credits, led by Benjamin Case of Focused On Fundraising, Inc.
• Consulting Services Consulting services offered to nonprofit organizations covering major gift program development, planned giving strategy, board engagement, and related advisory engagements.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Veritus Group: Veritus Group offers planned giving consulting, donor relationship programs, and training for major gift officers, directly overlapping Center for Major Gifts' planned giving and major donor cultivation curriculum.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: CompassPoint delivers executive coaching, fundraising training, and leadership programs for nonprofit staff, overlapping directly with the Nonprofit Leadership Academy and major-gifts curriculum from Center for Major Gifts.
• NonprofitReady.org: NonprofitReady provides free online training for nonprofit professionals across fundraising, board governance, and leadership, directly competing on price and content depth with Center for Major Gifts' paid course catalog.
• The Fundraising Authority: The Fundraising Authority produces blog content, ebooks, and training resources for nonprofit fundraisers, mirroring Center for Major Gifts' content-led approach for the same target audience.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): AFP is the largest professional association for fundraisers, offering the CFRE credential, an annual conference, and a broad catalog of training resources directly competing with Center for Major Gifts' CFRE-eligible courses and webinars for the same nonprofit development professional audience.
• The Grantsmanship Center: The Grantsmanship Center provides training in grant proposal writing, fundraising, and nonprofit management, competing for the same fundraising-professional training budget as Center for Major Gifts' courses.

Broad incumbents

• Schultz & Williams: Schultz & Williams is a nonprofit consulting firm offering fundraising strategy services and training resources, overlapping with Center for Major Gifts' consulting services and major-gift curriculum.
• Network for Good: Network for Good is a broader nonprofit software and services platform that includes donor management tools plus training content, sitting adjacent to Center for Major Gifts in the same nonprofit vertical with deeper resources.
• Bloomerang: Bloomerang is a donor CRM and fundraising software provider that also publishes educational content and webinars for nonprofit fundraisers, competing indirectly through adjacent learning content for the same buyer.

Emerging players

• Brian Saber (Ask Without Fear): Brian Saber provides coaching, workshops, and online courses for major gift officers focused on the ask, competing in the same niche training market with a more individual-instructor-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/plannedgiving?lang=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/viken.mikaelian
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-major-gifts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Major Gifts