Transformational gifts may be categorized as "big" or "major" gifts, but what distinguishes them is their unique capacity to alter the programs, perception, and future of an organization. More than gifts, they are true investments in the future of an organization and community. This phenomenon - the product of a heightened understanding by donors of the importance of philanthropy in building communities and institutions - is one of the most important milestones in the entire history of philanthropic growth in this country.