Building Donor Relations and Stewardship into Your Fundraising Program: A Donor-Centric Approach

Building Donor Relations and Stewardship into Your Fundraising Program:A Donor-Centric Approach

Presented byDaniel P. Baker, Executive Director

University Donor Relations and StewardshipColumbia University

Independent EducationAlexandria, Virginia

20 June 2011  

(note: not everyone does, but I use the terms “stewardship” and “donor relations” interchangeably)

What is Stewardship, anyway?

Three Basic Premises

Stewardship is an organizational mind-set, not merely a set of activities and tasks.

Good Stewardship can’t guarantee future or larger gifts, but bad stewardship definitely makes them less likely!

Everyone can ‘do’ Stewardship.

STEWARDSHIP is part of a process:

Why Do Stewardship? Keeps Door Open for Future Gifts

Legal/Financial Responsibility to

Donor (increasing scrutiny)

Donor expectation (their colleges/

universities set the standard)

Plain & Simple: It’s the Right

Thing to Do

Stewardship applies to all kinds of

donors and organizations:

big and small, rich and poor.

The practice of Stewardship is evolving. In response to a CASE survey asking what stage their program was in…

Infancy - 34% Growing - 54% Mature - 12%

A well executed donor relations program is key to a successful donor-centered fundraising effort

Donor-Centered in Action Relationship-based v. transaction-based

Know and understand your donor (LISTEN!)

Find the intersection of

Your School’sPriorities

Donor’sInterest/Passion

For the purposes of today’s discussion, let’s focus on

gifts from individuals and talk about Stewardship in 3 forms:

Acknowledgement Recognition Reporting

Acknowledgement

Timely

Personalized

Specific (we got it…put it where you

said…it’s having an impact)

Range of format (from pre-printed

postcard (yuk!) to hand-written note (yay!)

Recognition

Publication Lists

Thank you gifts

Events

Permanent Plaques

Reporting

Financial (annual report, fund status letter)

Organizational (newsletter)

Project-Based

Key Takeaways

Appreciate and respect your donors for what they have already done, not simply for what they may do in the future.

Answer this question for your donor: “what impact has my contribution made on the organization and those who benefit?”

Integrate these values throughout the organization and fundraising process.

Questions

&

Discussion

Thank you for attending this session.

Contact Me

Daniel P. Baker, Executive DirectorUniversity Donor Relations and Stewardship

Columbia University

dan.baker1954@gmail.com