Upon learning about an amazing $40,000,000 estate gift made to the Westport Weston Family YMCA in Connecticut, another non-profit leader commented to me on how lucky they were to receive such a transformational donation. Having had the honor of working with the staff and volunteers of the Westport Weston Family Y for the past few years on their capital campaign, I quickly assured him that “luck” had nothing to do with it!
The leadership of the WWFY has dedicated themselves to the highest levels of donor communication and stewardship. The Y invested in in-house communication expertise and developed an organized plan to tell their better story and lift up the impact of the organization in the community.
The Y embraced “best practices” in stewardship by insisting on saying thank you to donors seven times for every gift. Understanding the axiom that “donors enjoy recognition but require information,” the Y made sure to share how each and every contribution made a difference. The Y applied this same discipline to members of its planned giving society. Beyond the annual dinner (which was always amazing), the leadership of the Y stayed in regular contact with those who had made arrangements for the Y in their estates. Phone calls, birthday cards and hand-delivered flowers kept the organization connected to these special friends of the Y.
This amazing and unprecedented gift to the Westport Weston Family YMCA had nothing to do with luck. It was the result of ongoing communication, authentic relationship building and a shared passion to make an impact on future generations.
To learn more about building authentic donor relationships and building meaningful stewardship plans, contact us, or check out these other resources on our site:
Say Thank You Better Than You Say Please
Our Field Notes newsletter on Thanking Volunteers
Header image courtesy of Foxcroft School.