Want to know what motivates donors to give big gifts? There is an easy way to find out. Ask them. That is what Jerold Panas did for his book, Mega Gifts: Who Gives Them, Who Gets Them. Rather than speculate about what prompted so and so to give $25,000, or $100,000 or $1,000,000, Panas rang them up and said, Can I come talk with you? Admittedly, that is easy for Panas who knows practically everyone save Benedict XVI. Panas winnowed his questions down to the most revealing: what prompts you to give, what about the person soliciting you is important, what do you look for in an organization, what immediately turns you off, to what extent do the board and CEO matter to you, how does an organization keep you giving, and a handful of others. The donors are surprisingly candid, which makes Mega Gifts a bit naughty, and what they say will unquestionably alter your approach to major gifts. And do not depair if you are aiming to solicit the Pope. Panas recently dined with the Archbishop of Canterbury, so he is clearly working his way up.