Here’s hoping that your hard work resulted in a record December of fundraising success.
Now that we’re in the new year, we encourage you to put stewardship at the forefront of your planning.
If you want a competitive advantage over those you’re competing with for donations, remember that most non-profit organizations steward their donors in the same way. They approach each donor identically, whether the donor’s gift was of $25, $500, or $1,000. That’s the wrong strategy. Here’s what we suggest:
Organize your donors into segments:
New donors and highest value donors
Multi-year, upgraded donors
Re-activated lapsed donors
Improve your thank you letter with storytelling that is stronger, more emotional, and more impactful. As we enter 2018, show impact and explain how the donor made a difference and solved a problem.
Make your thank you letter about what the donor did, not what your organization did. Use donor-centered language, and three times as many you’s as we’s.
Create a stewardship board that details every activity (phone calls, letters, welcome kits), timing, purpose, and content.
Make it a priority to communicate the importance of stewardship to your development team.
Let us know if you’d like us to help you with your stewardship plan, and get ready to reap the rewards of the competitive advantage you have over your competition!