Hi Reader,

I thanked a donor who made an incredible gift a few years ago.

This donor was passionate about the program we initiated, and our team wanted to go beyond sending a thank-you card.

Their gift made a huge difference for our nonprofit, so with my limited skills, I created a short video showing how their donation helped a group of students.

Using my phone, I filmed a quick tour of the program's location, the people involved, and the joy on their faces. I wanted to show how their support made a real impact.

When I shared the video, the donor appreciated it and wanted to learn how they could give more!

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, I’ll share why donor stewardship is more than saying thank you. I’ll share three simple strategies for staying close to your donors and strengthening your connections, especially throughout the year-end giving season.

Stewardship at Its Core

In the ever-changing online world, donor stewardship remains my favourite part of a donor’s journey.

It continues to be the most essential part of the fundraising cycle.

More than acknowledging a donor’s generosity, it’s how you nurture and build meaningful connections to ensure continued trust and support.

At its core, donor stewardship shares gratitude and the utmost respect toward those who support your mission.

It is so much more than one thank-you note.

New Approaches to Online Stewardship

Online stewardship requires a thoughtful and personalized strategy to leverage the digital landscape’s potential. These strategies can include:

Personalized acknowledgment expresses gratitude through tailored thank-you emails. Acknowledge your donor’s contribution and highlight its impact. Use the donor’s name in emails and share the effects of their gift throughout the year.

Tailored communication shares stories that are important to donors. Email newsletters, social media, and personalized updates inform them about the organization’s progress, successes, and challenges. My favourite strategy is to tell stories about how a donor’s investment made a particular project happen, highlighting their contributions even if they only donated $100.

Online engagement creates platforms for audience interaction, including webinars, Q&A sessions, or live streams. This involves donors in your activities and allows them to see their impact firsthand. You can also add monthly online conversations and invite your donors to join.

Exclusive content shows what’s going on behind the scenes to help donors feel connected and appreciated. This creates a sense of belonging to a community working towards a shared goal. Share an insider report for donors only and write about what your donor cares about.

A Clear Strategy

A simple yet impactful strategy involves a three-step process:

1. Automate Acknowledgment: Set up your CRM to send an immediate and personalized thank-you email upon donation. Heartfelt appreciation should emphasize the difference their contribution will make. Create a stewardship matrix to identify what the donor will receive based on the amount of their donation.
2. Ongoing Communication: Update donors through email newsletters, social media, and personalized updates. Invite them to events, share success stories, and encourage their feedback. The goal is to make them feel like an integral part of the journey throughout the year, not just an ATM.
3. Recognition and Impact: Showcase the impact of their contributions through stories, statistics, and real-life examples. Recognize their role in driving change and express how their continued support can lead to more significant outcomes. Share these stories on your website and distribute them to social media channels.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Despite our best intentions, several missteps can disrupt the stewardship process.

A generic, one-size-fits-all approach can alienate donors, as it fails to show genuine appreciation and make them feel integral to the cause.

Additionally, overlooking consistent communication or the big one - only reaching out during fundraising initiatives - might make your donor feel like your personal bank machine rather than one built on ongoing engagement.

Stewardship maintains the donor relationships you’ve worked hard for and encourages a long-lasting partnership filled with mutual appreciation.

Stewardship Is Your Shining Star

A well-structured stewardship plan ensures donors feel valued and engaged throughout their experience with your organization.

The shining star of donor stewardship lies in creating relationships that extend past the transactional aspect of giving.

Remember, stewardship is a powerful first step in your donor cycle. The best part is that it lets you tell them you’re doing what you promised to do with their investment.

Nurture your donor’s commitment and build a community of supporters dedicated to helping you create a lasting impact.

Ready to create a winning online stewardship formula for your donors? Hit reply to get started.

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Link 💜

If you've ever wondered what motivates your donors to give, this is the link to click - Abby Jarvis from Neon One shares 7 Donor Survey Questions to ask.

Be sure to give your audience what they want. It will make stewardship that much easier. Tyler Mason from Beehive shares 17 of the best segmentation strategies, including the dos and don'ts and examples of different segmentation types.

Did you hear? The Black Friday Bundle for Nonprofits is back. This year, I’m adding a Digital Fundraising Plan template alongside 34 other incredible digital products for nonprofits. The crazy part? This year’s bundle is valued at over $4200, but for the one-week sale - it will be priced at just $97. Crazy, right? Want to be the first to hear when it becomes available? JOIN THE WAITLIST.​
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