Proactive stewardship is important for retaining donors and encouraging larger future gifts. Donors connect with people, not transactions, so forming human connections through thoughtful stewardship is key. Segmenting donors allows for tailored stewardship. Timely thank you calls and receipts within 48 hours set expectations. Listening to donors provides clues to strengthen relationships over time. Focusing more on stewardship than solicitation balances donor experience.
1. PRO-ACTIVE STEWARDSHIP
Your next (and bigger) gift depends on it!
By Cindy Mewhinney, CFRE
June 13, 2012
Niagara Fundraiser’s Network Roundtable Sessions
2. It‟s personal…
AS FUNDRAISERS, THIS IS INTUITIVELY WHAT WE DO.
People give to
people (true)…it is
the human
connection (e.g. how
I've learned that people we feel) about the
experience giving
that makes us want
will forget what you to give again and
give more.
said, people will forget Fast fact:
The decision to give
what you did, but again is made at the
time you thank the
donor for their most
people will never forget recent gift.
how you made them
Activity:
feel. Reflect on your most
memorable giving
experience. What
-Maya Angelou made it great?
3. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
Non-supportive
Supportive Environment
Environment
Short term goal focus Management/board
Often high staff- values that relationships
turnover, not conducive take time
to relationship building It‟s everyone‟s role, and
Silo environment, “my everyone plays a part
donors” approach Idea-sharing/
collaborative
4. A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE…
Reactionary Stewardship
vs. Proactive Stewardship
“Moves”
vs. “Touchpoints”
“Transactional Gift”
vs. “Giving Experience”
5. Reminder – it‟s not
FROM GOOD TO GREAT
always about the
size of the gift that
matters.
Our goal in fundraising Remember your
longtime loyal
is to make every donor donors and
volunteers have
immense wealth
feel like a philanthropist! capacity through
estate-giving, too.
Good stewardship
will often lead to
-Penelope Burke transformational
gifts at some point
of the donors‟
lifecycle.
6. GREAT STEWARDSHIP; THE BASICS
Is it timely & accurate? Tax receipts, thank you
calls, handwritten cards, follow up
Do an internal check up
Get organized > don‟t accept “but we can‟t because…”
Is it thoughtful? Handwritten notes, who makes
the thank you call, do your donors know you care?
(proof)
Is it consistent? Regular checkpoints, cultivating
an environment where stewardship is valued, staff-
volunteer buy-in
7. WHERE TO START?
Ask yourself: How well do you know your
donors?
estimate as a starting point > we all can improve
Segment your donors > code in your database
Length of giving
By level of involvement, e.g. Volunteers
By gift level
Those who have left gifts in their wills
8. What are the best parts of your current
stewardship activities? Your Wish list?
Thank you letters
Receipts (timely)
Thank you phone calls
Tours / Virtual Tours
Events
Stewardship events (no ask, no fee)
Communications (newsletters, e-newsletters)
Donor Visits (NO ask – just relationship-building)
Youtube/videos
9. According to
WHAT DOES TIMELY MEAN?
Penelope Burke,
Thank you call
93% of donors will give again within 48 hours
(e.g. think
“segmenting”)
if they were thanked
promptly and in a personal Tax receipt
processed within
way for their gift and followed 48 hours.
up later with a meaningful This IS the new
standard. Online
report on the program they giving tools with
instant receipting
had funded. 64% would give has created a new
level of expectation
a larger gift and 74% would for information
accuracy and
continue to give indefinitely. speed of issuing a
receipt.
-Cygnus Applied Research Inc. (Penelope
Burke)
11. FROM GOOD TO GREAT!
Push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Dig into segments of your donor base, where
donors are in the “Zone of Indifference”
Satisfaction
Zone of
The „sweet
spot‟ = easier to
Indifference spend time here
Dissatisfaction
Try and spend
more time out of
‘your’ comfort zone
with donors you
don’t know
12. IT‟S IN THE DETAILS:
Spelling of their name correctly
Respecting their Recognition
Preferences…Addressee Preferences
Handwritten matters! Live stamps, too.
Listen carefully! Donors leave clues constantly…
What matters to them (re: your org & other interests)
What will they be celebrating in their life? Milestones?
Best/worst experiences with other charities
13. HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
Excerpt from KCI Philanthropic Trends Quarterly (spring 2012):
Ask less…steward more. Creating an optimal donor experience
It may seem provocative to encourage charities to ask less, especially considering that the most
commonly cited reason for not making a charitable gift is “nobody asked”. “If you don‟t ask, you
don‟t get” didn‟t become a maxim by accident. And yet, it‟s important to balance this with the
myriad evidence that tells us that oversolicitation is one of the most commonly cited reasons for
ceasing to give to a charity.
In survey after survey, donors cite being asked for a gift too often as one of the top reasons they
stop their support. Coupled with the fact that in general, we are solicited more and more often (on
the street, at the checkout counter), Canadians are starting to suffer not only from donor fatigue
but from “ask fatigue” as well. In a recent Ipsos Reid survey (conducted November 2011 with a
nationally representative sample of 1,027 Canadians), 62% of respondents indeicated that their
preferred frequendcy of solicitation was “once a year or less often”.
In attempting to find the right balance, it‟s helpful to think in terms of creating an optimal donor
experience. In an effort to build customer loyalty, our for profit colleagues devote a great deal of
time and attention to thinking about what they want their customer experience to be. As
fundraisers, we have the opportunity to do the same with our donors. With the goal of building
donor loyalty and maybe even creating a “donor for life” what do we want our donor experience to
be?
The donor experience is a way to differentiate your organization and deliver a repeatable, positive
experience that results in stronger relationships and retained donors.
14. ADD-ONS
Discovery Questions; relational & opportunity
(handout)
Great reads:
Thank you! by Penelope Burke
Donor Centered Fundraising – by Penelope Burke
Start With Why - by Simon Sinek
Developing Major Gifts - by Laura Fredricks
3D Philanthropy – by Fraser Green
Notas del editor
Purpose:Share some ideas on how everything you have at your fingertips is waiting for you to turn your current gifts to even bigger gifts – with a minimal amount of effort. Moreover, its’ the part of fundraising that is so instinctive, it doesn’t even feel like work.Process:Well – it’s not the amount of effort, but it is in consistency and in some very specific details.This is not about donor recognition – even though it does overlap a bitPayoffs:Increase your campaigns, build relationships with your donors, and create longterm sustainability for your organization….you don’t even need to spend a dime! Oh – and you’ll love your job even more.
Round table:-describe a time when you gave money or time and how it made you feel – either positively or negatively (divide if big)-those feelings are strong and lasting-if you haven’t had a giving experience (positive) that felt that strongly, I encourage you to go out there and get one. Once you’ve had it, you’ll want each of your donors to share in that feeling.(EXPERIENCE ECONOMY = not just a transaction)Round table:-Share a time when you did something in your job that you think brought that feeling to a donor/volunteer
If you feel you are in a non-supportive environment, here’s what you can do:-facts = proof that stewardship works > examples from others-metrics = activities count-be very selective > start with a particular segment and make it work-work with your program and communications people (find internal people) to help you. Don’t make extra work for them, find ways to position it so it will help them.-experience it! Staff, board….thank you calls, tours = much easier to sell them on something they can relate to first hand. Connect with those who respond positively = they are your allies!-boards not doing enough fundraising….this is their easiest in. No ask involved!-staff retention is a big asset! Look at the big picture if staff are happy in their work.
We can all be philanthropists.Cut out the stigma that you have to be richThat you have to be powerful to create big change in the worldDonors are having “wow” experiences – through online giving – Kiva (microfinance) without meeting a single staff member or volunteer.However, as staff and volunteers – we can control and create these powerful and memorable philanthropic experiences for our donors. Why wouldn’t we? What have we got to lose?The ART & SCIENCE (Laura Fredricks) ….90% science and 10% art
Build benchmarks into your plans. Not just dollars, but actions and the quality of actions.We say we are 48 hours…we’re not, but we are getting darn close. Years working towards it.Success stories to share?FACT: Blur between stewardship and cultivation Thinking stewardship happens after gift is made Decision to give again happens at the time the last gift is given.Why does quick matter?-shows we’ve got our act together = builds trust-shows we care = their gift matters-makes our charity stand out = memorableBarriers/tips on tax receipting?-is there a way you can identify and deposit/process larger gifts faster?-colour coded files-separate templates for different signees-checkpoints/proof-flow charts
Does everyone get the same thank you letter? Does it seem like a mass mailmerge?Hidden segments = longtime donors, monthly donors!!! (co-relation to bequests)New donors…. - new gifts are a test! Give them you’re a+ treatment and you’ll be surprised. -
Advice: don’t let it build up, esp. thank you calls. Make this part of daily habit/routine. Aim for 1 call a day, or 1 tour a week, 1 visit a week.If you are CEO > set out metrics with your fundraising staff that they can/should be accountable for this. And they can hold you accountable = they will set you up to succeed at maintain these most crucial relationships. **CEO/fundraising director relationship can very positively drive this type of change.Re; Events - Including Volunteer Appreciation (and what to do for donors who can’t attend)TIPS:Decreased print, more online...targeted ( short) Thank you letters, refreshed Tokens are not stewardshipMap it out over the course of a year (not overload too much at once…..most of what you do should reflect how gift is helping)
1. "Prompt, personalized acknowledgment of their gifts2. Confirmation that their gifts have been put to work as intended3. Measurable results on their gifts at work prior to being asked for another contribution**Measurable results matter(see how this crosses over with other departments – programs/stories/testimonials/communications
Proof that Donor Centered Fundraising Works
Personal challengee.g. Thank you luncheon later this month for donors who have made deferred gifts. Of the group we invited, I know probably less than 10% of the people we have invited….after working her for 10 years! We all have room to grow.
-Donor visits in their environment > homework -do a bit of research in advance, but let them share the details-Respect Anonymity!Clues:-don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t assume they don’t want to hear from you because they think you are just asking for more money. It takes time to build that trust that you are in this for more than the money -
In the business world, the maxim:It is more profitable to keep a current customer than to acquire a new one. Same in fundraising! Donor acquisition is expensive!