A few years ago I visited a friend who happened to be serving as the Chief Development Officer for a large arts organization. Before going out to lunch that day, we purchased fresh flowers and delivered them to the home of one of his organization’s major donors.
Somehow earlier that day, my friend found out that this particular donor and his wife would be having unexpected guests visit over the weekend. At the spur of the moment, they decided to host a brunch at their home for their surprise guests and twelve of their mutual friends the very next day. As soon as my friend learned about the situation, he decided to personally deliver a huge bouquet of the wife’s favorite flowers to decorate their table.
Of course, this couple could have easily called a florist and had flowers delivered at the last minute. But the unexpected and extremely thoughtful gesture extended by my friend took them by surprise and delighted them immensely.
Over the years, I’ve heard many similar stories about nonprofit leaders who, like my friend, excelled at showering their donors with love. To me it seems that these “super stewards” always seem to know just the right thing to say or do at the perfect time and in the ideal situation that makes their donors feel treasured, valued and vital to the organizations they support.
Because I want to be more like those nonprofit leaders who excel at demonstrating their love for their donors, I did an unscientific study to find out what makes them tick. What I learned about them is summed up below as the “Seven Secrets of Successful Stewards.”
What are your secrets for successful stewardship? Share in the comments below.