MAJOR GIFTS TRAINING FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORSRaise$200k+ in the next 6 months without chasing grants or doing a gala
Get a sustainable fundraising strategy.
Get in sync with your team.
Become an unstoppable fundraising force for your mission.
Get a sustainable fundraising strategy. Get in sync with your team. Become an unstoppable fundraising force for your mission.
INTRODUCING
Raise six-figures in unrestricted revenue from individuals in 6 months without an event-heavy strategy
Live Coaching & Training by Julie Ordoñez
This is for you only if this sounds like you:
ED, DD team or solo with $800K+ annual budget
At least $100K in individual giving annually
You’re great at relationships, but major gifts are an untapped opportunity
You’re ready to engage your board in fundraising
You’re coachable and friendly
SOUND LIKE YOU?GET INSIDE COURAGELAB™️ AND START CONNECTING WITH YOUR PEOPLE.My Clients Rock…
Elise Peterson, Co-Executive Director of Holden Village in Chelan, Washington
Raised $850,000 inside CourageLab (December - September)
She was 3 months into her new role as Co-Executive Director, and the worst happened. Major mudslides closed off the only access to the retreat center she runs. That’s when she joined CourageLab. Talk about “not an ideal time”. 10 months later, they’ve raised $850,000, and $465,000 of that is MAJOR GIFTS. She’s most proud of the multi-year pledges she’s been able to get this year, even in the midst of navigating a closure.
“I had team members who I knew needed some additional coaching and training, particularly in individual donor cultivation, so it was a no-brainer to work with Julie to empower them and grow their capacity and skills. Growing that courage and stretching ourselves to be a little uncomfortable in pursuit of gaining financial support for our mission has been incredibly transformative.”
Sara Guillermo, CEO of IGNITE in Pleasant Hill, CA
Raised $592,000 inside CourageLab (April-September)
“I knew fundraising at its core was always about the relationship, and I was good at that part. But I was lacking the strategy behind it; I didn't understand the mechanics. I was always at an inflection point in the organization because my head of development was leaving after 10 years. So I was staring down a path that I was incredibly unfamiliar with. I knew how to make an ask, but to manage an entire fundraising strategy by myself for the foreseeable future was wild to me!
Julie helped me understand the mechanics! I was always good at asking and connecting the dots of why the mission means so much. But, CourageLab helped me put that into practice. So it's everything about how my weeks are set up now. To literally have the courage to ask a brand new prospect last week: What will it take for you to be a supporter of IGNITE! She was BLOWN away by the question and was so grateful for my direct candor. She was NOT offended and didn't give an immediate yes, but she has already circled back 48 hours later saying she got one of her international networks to have IGNITE as their EOY campaign!! I am bolder now, I think everyone can give and it's my job to ask. That simple.”
Sheena Grosshans, Director of Key Relationships at To Write Love On Her Arms in Melbourne, Florida
Raised $250,000 inside CourageLab (November-May)
Before CourageLab, fundraising felt reactive, gate-kept, and a little uncertain. I had strong experience, relationships, and instincts from past jobs, but I was building a whole new major gifts program from scratch, within a culture that was still rooted in scarcity and fear. I was raising steady mid-level and occasional major gifts, but struggled with planning, organization, and articulating a clear growth strategy.
I appreciated Julie’s candor, faith, and values. I wanted to feel like someone was philosophically in my corner when it came to how I approach fundraising. I wanted to sharpen my skills, grow in confidence with bigger asks, and develop a thoughtful, shareable, and scalable framework for my team.
Julie’s ability to simplify and clearly name what so many fundraisers feel but don’t always know how to articulate—especially through the Generosity Code and the ask process.
Julie helped me break it all down: what to say, when to say it, and how to root it in vision and impact. AND how to do it all boldly, courageously, and kindly. AND Julie taught in a way that I could pass along to my team. Julie’s courage, generosity, tangible examples, and encouragement made it all feel doable.
Working with Julie helped me step into major gift conversations with confidence and clarity, launch a whole new 5K location (born from a major donor dinner!), onboard my team to a giving philosophy rooted in abundance and courage, fire and rebuild our board to be more action- and fundraising-focused, and realign our entire strategy around our generosity code.
We raised over $250,000 directly connected to the strategies we built together in CourageLab.
I made the case to refocus my role on major gifts and shifted grant writing to a contractor.
We launched a new 5K event in Northern California that netted $30K, developed new partnerships with two hospital systems, and got our Between the Bells program into a local high school—impacting over 2,500 students.
We recruited and onboarded 3 new board members with a fundraising focus.
Now we have a qualification process, with clear ideas of who is the primary contact on each account, and are transitioning to using daily KPIs and relationship/ask trackers to drive strategy across the board.
Cara Augspurger, Executive Director of Grace Care Center Foundation in Noblesville, Indiana
Raised $560,000 inside CourageLab (January-August)
“Before, I was solid at fundraising but hesitant in big-picture donor and board conversations. Fundraising felt complex, and raising a major gift felt like a lot of work - that I had to create this super specific proposal that this one particular donor would be super interested in. Julie helped me own my voice, understand the donor mindset, and show up authentically in every room. She keeps me accountable AND pushes me past playing it safe. She's a great partner in this big job!
Julie helped me learn how to show others why we’re truly worthy of support and to grow in confidence in my ability to invite them to give. I completely leveled up my confidence and executive presence. We’re 25% ahead of projections for the first time ever.”
Katherine Powers, Executive Director of Pacific Opera Project in Los Angeles, CA
Raised $425,000 inside CourageLab
“When I first started working with Julie Ordoñez, I was just six months into my role as Executive Director at Pacific Opera Project, a nonprofit opera company in Los Angeles, carrying the enormous responsibility of being the sole fundraiser with zero - ZERO - fundraising experience.
After a bit of research, it became clear that major gifts were the fastest way the move the needle, and I was lucky enough to find Julie and join CourageLab. In that first year alone, our individual giving increased by 64%. I’ve now worked with Julie for two years, and over my tenure as Executive Director, I've increased individual contributions by 151%.
The impact goes far beyond the numbers. Julie’s coaching has transformed me not just as a fundraiser, but as a leader. I now hold courage as the defining characteristic of my leadership. With her framework, I went from being a new fundraiser afraid to ask for a $2,500 gift to confidently closing a $250,000 gift. I can’t overstate the difference Julie has made.”
Will Zweigart, Founder & Executive Director of Flatbush Cats in Brooklyn, NY
Raised $850,000 inside CourageLab (September - February)
“We decided to hire Julie because I knew we could be doing so much more with major donor outreach. I agreed with her approach — major gifts should be one of the largest portions of our revenue.
I was really struck by how valuable her podcast was. There’s a sea of consultants and thought leaders out there, and honestly, I didn’t get much value from most of them. But every episode she shared felt packed with nuggets and wisdom. I often listened twice just to absorb it all.
What she said about developing the courage to make bold asks, setting aside ego and comfort, and advocating fiercely for the mission really resonated with me.
I'm incredibly glad we reached out, had a consultation, and joined CourageLab. It’s exactly what we needed.
Before working with Julie, we were in a state of urgency — pure fight-or-flight fundraising. During our capital campaign, we were constantly scrambling for asks without enough time to build relationships, steward donors, or think strategically. It created a cycle of scarcity, and I knew it wasn’t sustainable for the organization or for me personally.
I believed there had to be another way, but we needed a coach to show us how. That’s exactly what she’s done.
Now, we’re operating from a position of strength. The numbers reflect that, but more importantly, our mindset and energy have completely shifted. We're strategic. We’re looking further out. We're enjoying the work again. We're building relationships with donors who share our values.
In our first few months working together, we raised several hundred thousand dollars and closed multiple six-figure gifts. That momentum created a positive trajectory, and now we’re preparing to make our first-ever seven-figure asks this year — a huge milestone for us.
We're no longer running around with our hair on fire. We’re building a real foundation for long-term growth — sustainably and with confidence.
To anyone on the fence about working with Julie: if they meet your criteria for size and trajectory, this is the step they need to take. Honestly, if you have doubts, come to me — I’ll personally convince you. Julie’s been a game changer.”
Dan Owolabi, Executive Director of Branches Worldwide in Wooster, OH
Raised $270,000 inside CourageLab (July-December)
“Before working with Julie, fundraising felt difficult, even though we had experienced success. Our approach was inconsistent and, far too often, desperate. We didn't have a good understanding of our donors or a succinct presentation of our mission.
Julie helped me to ask better questions and reach out to donors. Those interactions were a game-changer for me.
The results were extraordinary. We had our best fundraising year ever.
We grew our annual revenue by 25% and had our best December ever after 6 months working with Julie. We have a clear roadmap for future growth. She's a straight shooter and doesn't pull any punches. I love that about her, and it enabled us to get to the root of the problem and make significant progress quickly.
Her energy, optimism, and depth of knowledge about our ministry and fundraising made the whole experience transformational.”
Georgia Kloos, Director of Development of Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, CA
Raised $810,000+ inside CourageLab (October - March)
“Man, did working with Julie rock our worlds! Shaking up the norm on our team and challenging our hearts toward fundraising, our relationships toward money, and our willingness to recommit ourselves to bettering our team and the people we serve. It was worth it! It was hard to get brutally honest about the willingness to do better, and hard to admit the quality of our courage was low. We advanced light-years in fundraising ability under Julie.
Julie gave me the confidence to ask for anything, and I did. I listened to the God-nudge to ask for a 1.5 million dollar gift from a donor who I never would have asked for this from before. Our donor made a commitment of 810k that was completely unplanned for.”
Risa Hunter, Executive Director of Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art in Bermuda
Raised $1.2 million inside CourageLab (August-April)
“I have had the pleasure of working with Julie during a critical phase of our fundraising efforts, as we launch a major campaign, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Julie has helped me navigate conversations and strategies with donors, and anyone working with her would feel like she is your best-kept secret in your back pocket! Julie has a deep understanding of the fundraising landscape, and her ability to anticipate and address challenges has been invaluable. Her approach is 100% personalized to your direct needs, and our calls have quickly become the highlight of my week! Her guidance is not only strategic but also deeply supportive, fostering a sense of confidence and clarity for me. She is also a wonderful person to work with. Her positive attitude, enthusiasm, and unwavering support make the entire process enjoyable and highly productive.”
Ashley Godsil, Director of Development at Mission 1 in AZ
Raised $200,000+ inside CourageLab (March-August)
“When I joined CourageLab, I had just returned from maternity leave and needed the boost in training and encouragement to focus on major gifts.
Less than half of our board members were personally donating before; now all of them are giving, engaged, and helping with fundraising.
We raised over $200,000 and 60 new donors from implementing this program.
The Events That Don’t Suck and Board Bootcamp were game changers.
Donor-hosted event brought in 30 new donors (out of 43 guests) in one night
I use the Pitch Framework every time I make an ask
I’m more concise and my ask is very clear now - I just got a $20k gift over email!
Julie is uplifting and challenging at the same time. Plus, we’ve streamlined our communication as a team, with better systems in place, so we can see all the inputs daily, weekly and monthly, so there is no question what we’re working on. Julie pours into people and it’s been huge for me.”
Dawn Zerbs, Director of Development at Band of Angels in Overland Park, KS
Raised $495,000 inside CourageLab (October-March)
“I joined Courage Lab because I knew we needed to build a stronger individual giving program. We were successful with events and sponsorships, but I wanted to turn those touchpoints into deeper donor relationships and larger, more intentional individual gifts. I also knew my biggest barrier wasn’t learning another fundraising process. It was building my confidence to ask. Julie helped me do both.
During our time together, we built an individual giving strategy based on our actual data, put systems and habits in place that are now part of how I work, strengthened board involvement in fundraising, made our first multi-year asks, and secured our first multi-year commitments. Individual giving increased 84% year over year during the comparable period.
But what I value most is that Julie helped me realize my relationship-based fundraising style works. I didn’t need to become a different kind of fundraiser. I needed to be clearer about what we need, practice the things that made me uncomfortable, and ASK.
I also loved how Julie's purpose was pure and unapologetic, and she helped us to see our purposes and stand firm in that, too. She didn't project her purpose on us, but facilitated meaningful conversations and exercises so we could do that on our own. I just loved working with Julie and the Courage Crew. If you're thinking about it, DO IT!
Months later, I see her influence in my day-to-day work all the time. The tracker, Focus50, donor preparation, how I approach meetings, how I think about the next natural step in a relationship, how we engage our board, and yes, how I ASK.
I’m incredibly glad I joined Courage Lab and that our paths crossed. Julie’s work will have an impact on Band of Angels and the young musicians we serve for years to come.”
Real wins from everyday nonprofit leaders like you.
Will raised multiple 6-figure gifts in the first 2 months of working with Julie
This was after a grueling capital campaign. The annual budget was $2.5M.
“Our team needed stronger confidence in major gifts. We needed the tools to go out, build relationships, and make bigger asks.
We were reaching our goals, but it was a constant cycle of urgency and scarcity mindset. I wanted a more sustainable way of working, and we needed a coach to show us how to do that.
Within the first couple of months of working together, we raised several hundred thousand. We had several successful six-figure asks. We continue to work with Julie and are now preparing for several seven-figure asks this year, which is really exciting. We are sitting on a stronger foundation and our team has grown.
Anyone considering working with Julie, personally reach out to me and I will convince them to work with her. Julie is a game-changer.”
– Will Zweigart, CEO of Flatbush Cats
Hey, I’m Julie.
Hey, I’m Julie.
We desperately need a Courage Revolution. So I started one.
I’ve helped teams of 1 or 2 raise $71 million (and counting).
Like a lot of my clients, I spent my early years spreading myself thin and making myself sick. Fortunately, I found an incredible mentor at United Way where I eventually became a top 1% fundraiser by leveraging major gifts.
That’s how I learned the true meaning of generosity and courage. And it’s how I cultivated the focus on the most effective fundraising strategy of all: individual giving.
If you’re ready to scale your fundraising efforts for your nonprofit organization, I want to help you.
Courage is the catalyst for change in today’s world.
Ready to multiply yours?
