Major Gifts Manager Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Applying for a Major Gifts Manager job in the UK? Here is what you are likely to be asked. These questions come from our Major Gifts Manager question bank of 12 questions, written for UK employers at manager level.

Eight Major Gifts Manager interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Talk me through the major donor cycle and where you would spend most of your time as a Major Gifts Manager.

Why they ask: To check you understand the whole relationship-based fundraising process and can prioritise within it.

2. Tell me about the largest gift you have secured personally, from first contact to the ask and beyond.

Why they ask: To test real major gifts experience, including how the candidate handles long cultivation and the ask itself.

3. How do you identify and qualify new major gift prospects, and what tools would you use?

Why they ask: To see whether the candidate can build a pipeline rather than wait for warm leads.

4. How do you decide how much to ask a prospect for, and how do you actually make the ask?

Why they ask: To assess judgement on ask levels and confidence in solicitation.

5. A donor offers £100,000 but wants it restricted to a purpose the charity doesn't actually need funded. What do you do?

Why they ask: To test ethical judgement and understanding of restricted funds and donor intent.

6. What makes a great major gifts fundraiser, and why does this career appeal to you?

Why they ask: To gauge self-awareness, resilience and genuine commitment to relationship-based fundraising.

7. What due diligence and legal considerations apply when accepting a large gift?

Why they ask: To check awareness of regulatory and reputational risk around large donations.

8. Tell me about a time a prospect went cold or declined your ask, and what you did next.

Why they ask: To test resilience and learning from rejection.

A sample answer to question 1

Talk me through the major donor cycle and where you would spend most of your time as a Major Gifts Manager.

I think of it as five stages: identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward, then the cycle starts again. Most of my time goes on qualification and cultivation, because that is where gifts are won or lost. Identification comes from wealth screening, existing donors and trustee networks. Qualification is a discovery meeting to test capacity, inclination and connection to the cause. Cultivation is the long middle: site visits, introductions to beneficiaries and frontline staff, and simply listening to what motivates them. I only solicit when the donor is ready and the ask has already been floated in conversation, so the formal proposal is never a surprise. Stewardship is not an afterthought; I plan it before the gift lands, with impact reports, thanks from beneficiaries and a named contact. I log every touchpoint in the CRM, such as Raiser's Edge NXT, and review the portfolio monthly so I am moving people forward rather than just maintaining relationships.

Common mistake to avoid: Describing it as a sales pitch; forgetting stewardship and repeat giving

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 12 questions are on the Major Gifts Manager interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.