In many fundraising teams, donor stewardship follows a predictable script: a $250 donor gets a thank-you note and an annual report, a $500 donor also receives a quarterly newsletter and so on. While this approach acknowledges generosity, it also keeps donors in a holding pattern—focused on their last contribution rather than future possibilities.
What if stewardship wasn’t just about recognition and acknowledgement? By aligning stewardship with moves management, we can create a dynamic, forward-facing strategy that deepens engagement and drives transformational giving.
Why Shift to a Future-Focused Stewardship Strategy?
The latest donor renewal rates from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP), as reported by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, indicate a 2.6% decline in Q4 2024 compared to the previous year. Fewer donors were retained year-over-year, continuing a trend of declining donor loyalty that many nonprofits are currently facing.
Traditional stewardship often keeps donors in fixed tiers, giving levels or “giving societies,” acknowledging past contributions rather than encouraging future impact. Instead, consider stewardship as a personalized roadmap—one that nurtures deeper connections, with each point of contact serving a specific purpose to improve the quality of the relationship between the donor and organization.
Implementing a Stewardship Strategy That Maximizes Donor Potential:
1. Identify Donor Capacity & Inclination
- Use Data to Inform Strategy: Research tools like DonorSearch can help you access donor capacity and identify those with yet unrealized potential.
- Segment Your Donor Base: Instead of treating all donors the same, create personalized pathways that align with their level of interest in your cause as it changes over time and their capacity.
2. Personalize Stewardship & Communication
- Go Beyond the Last Gift: Don’t just thank donors for what they’ve given—engage them based on their values, capacity, and future impact. Not every $250 donor needs to be stewarded in the same way if the relationship can be deepened and greater impact achieved.
- Leverage Technology: Automated personalization can make it easier to tailor messages, from impact reports to customized outreach.
- Experiential Stewardship: Offer unique engagement opportunities—like vision tours or mission-driven events—that deepen commitment.
3. Strengthen Donor Relationships
- Create Feedback Loops: Don’t send closed-end thank you letters and emails. Encourage a response or feedback. When donors feel comfortable sharing feedback it helps you refine and enhance engagement strategies.
In my own experience during COVID we moved from printed and mailed acknowledgement letters, which never received responses, to attaching and emailing our acknowledgement notes while we couldn’t be in our offices. We were amazed by how many comments and emails we received back from our donors. By five years after COVID we had created many opportunities for two-way communication. The feedback was meaningful and welcomed.
4. Show Impact in a Meaningful Way
- Move Beyond a Generic Merged Thank-you: Use storytelling and tangible results to show donors the real impact of their generosity in all stewardship communications.
- Highlight Collective Impact: Showcase how their giving—alongside others at their capacity level, not at their current gift level —creates meaningful change.
5. Continuously Adapt & Improve
- Monitor & Evolve: Regularly assess donor engagement levels and adjust strategies to align with their philanthropic journey.
- Invest in Team Training: Equip your fundraising team with the skills and tools to confidently steward donors.
The Power of Future-Focused Stewardship
Stewardship shouldn’t just be about gratitude—it’s about vision. By focusing on what’s possible rather than just what’s been given, you unlock larger gifts, and a donor-centric culture that fuels long-term success. Ready to take a fresh look at your stewardship strategies?
Summer is the perfect time to step back, evaluate, and realign priorities. It is a perfect time to think through a purposeful reset of your fundraising and organizational strategies. Tips from the team at DBD Group will help you emerge energized and focused for the busy season ahead.
