No matter how your organization classifies major gifts, these large commitments are the fuel that often drives annual production of private support. This introductory session will explore definitions of major gifts, how they fit into a comprehensive development effort, and what motivates donors to make them. The presentation will provide a conceptual understanding of how the development cycle applies to major gifts and the steps involved in securing them. The session will close by placing these large donations in the context of societal, economic, and philanthropic trends across the nonprofit educational sector.