The 6-Hour Weekly Plan for Head of Schools and Development Officers That Actually Moves the Needle

Small advancement team? You’re not alone—and you’re not stuck. With a disciplined 6-hour weekly plan, you can keep fundraising momentum steady no matter how many balls you’re juggling.

This plan borrows from proven J.F. Smith Group best practices: pre-qualify prospects, focus on face-to-face solicitations, thank quickly and often, and drive toward specific asks with clear follow-up. Here’s the simple, repeatable plan.

Hour 1: Portfolio focus and pipeline math

• Prioritize your top 20–25 active prospects by two filters: verified capacity and inclination. If you have screening/RFM or committee verification, use it. If not, use your best “involvement-first” judgment.

• For each top prospect, confirm your TAPP status:

  • Time: when is the right moment to solicit?

  • Amount: what’s the right dollar amount?

  • Project: what do they care about?

  • Person: who should make the ask?

• Outcome: 5 hottest prospects flagged for action this week; 10 for cultivation visits.

Pro tip from your files: don’t let “big capacity, low involvement” prospects dominate your week. Involvement predicts gifts—get them involved first, then ask.

Hours 2–3: Set and confirm meetings (the hardest, most valuable work)

• Block uninterrupted time to book meetings 2–3 weeks out.

• Use polite, assertive language that offers options and avoids “meeting” and “donate.”

• Aim to schedule 4–6 visits; expect some to shift. Email a brief reminder, but don’t invite easy cancellations.

• Outcome: 3 confirmed visits for next week; 2–3 tentatives, plus a short list of alternates.

What to avoid (straight from the playbook): skip Monday morning/Friday afternoon calls and never mention money while setting the appointment.

Hour 4: Discovery and cultivation (move from general to specific)

• Get out of the office. Face-to-face beats everything.

• In each visit, listen 80% of the time. Your goals:

  • Validate interests and “opportunities” (not needs).

  • Advance at least one TAPP item.

  • Bridge to the next step before you leave.

• Immediately after, record a contact report: interests, cues, timing, family, and your clear next action.

Tip you can use tomorrow: leave your notepad in the car during the visit. Capture details right after. You’ll remember more and maintain eye contact.

Hour 5: Solicitation visits and follow-up that closes

• Use our five-step solicitation approach; Present a written proposal for a priority solicitation. Include:

  • Cover letter with a specific ask and payment timeline.

  • Short case overview (people and outcomes, not just costs).

  • Project page, budget page, invitation/naming language, and relevant appendices.

• Place three follow-up calls from last week’s asks:

  • “Any comments, questions, or concerns about the proposal?”

  • If hesitant, use IPAT to diagnose: Is it the Institution, Project, Amount, Timing? Adjust accordingly.

• Outcome: three dated follow-up commitment on the calendar and at least one proposal out the door.

Hour 6: Stewardship that protects the pipeline

• Send thank-yous within 48–72 hours for every gift and visit.

• Deliver one “your impact is here because of you” proof (photo, quick video, or stat).

• Update your stewardship plan so each donor gets five touches in five ways across the year (notes, calls, events, student/faculty stories, impact reports, recognition). Check out a short video from Jerry on stewardship!

• Outcome: 3 meaningful stewardship touches completed; plan updated.

Cadence guardrails for small teams

• One source of truth: keep contact reports and next actions in your CRM the same day. Chaos kills momentum more than team size ever will.

• Timeboxing: protect these six hours on your calendar like class time. If something slips, reschedule it within the week, not “sometime.”

• Involvement first: if a top-capacity prospect isn’t engaged, assign a cultivation step this week (advisory role, small hosting ask, short campus moment). Dollars follow involvement.

What “good” looks like by Friday

• 3 confirmed visits on the calendar.

• 1 solicitation completed; 3 follow-up calls made.

• 3 stewardship touches completed and logged.

• Top 5 prospects with an updated next step and owner.

Keep it simple, keep it weekly, and you’ll feel the compounding effect—even with a lean team and moving chairs.

Ready to move from busy to productive? Download the two-page 6-hour cadence checklist and run it for the next two weeks. If you want help tailoring the plan to your portfolio and campaign goals, reach out—we can map a 90-day plan with you in a 30-minute working session.