86 DEANS AND DEVELOPMENT and search engines can assign value to identified assets like property, may be able to estimate annual income, and may also be sophisticated enough to suggest the maximum gift a donor could be able to make. It’s possible the donor has never been asked to give, but would be willing and able. If the individual is already a donor to your institution, so much the better. Your Development Office can provide you with a person’s giving history. Generally, each college has identified a threshold giving level and frequency, which is considered to be an indicator that someone is likely to make what your institution considers a major gift. It’s possible that he or she is waiting to be challenged to give at a higher level. You will need all this information as you prepare to make the ask. Having identified potential donors of a given category, you need to interact with the prospect. You should listen more than you talk, to gatherasenseoftheircommitmentandpassionforyourcollegeandwhat would motivate them to give a gift. Listen for key phrases like: “Enter- prise College made me what I am today,” “I would never have gotten into graduate school or gotten my first job, if it hadn’t been for Professor Popkin,” “The years I spent at the University were the most formative of my life,” “I remember Professor Lesley, who was amazing. Is she still there?” These individuals are demonstrating loyalty to your college, and although they may have not directly offered to make a gift, they are deliv- ering a message that they wish to give. It is your goal at this stage to help them identify more specifically their interests and wish to be engaged. Do they want to support student scholarships? A particular discipline? A campus activity? Would they like to see their name on a classroom or other public space? Or do they prefer anonymityanonymity? Donor visits may serve different purposes. Although they are impor- tant parts of the continuum, not all visits will result in asking for, and getting a gift. Consult with your major gifts officer to set goals for the visit. It may be to reconnect, to thank for an earlier gift, to determine an area of interest, to follow up an earlier contact, to explore placing interns, or to address concerns the donor might express. Or it may be to ask for money, a first gift, a major gift, or a planned gift. Understanding the nature and purpose of the visit allows you to plan carefully to attain the desired outcome.