![\"donor-stewardship-year-end-digital-fundraising-cycle\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/screen-shot-2020-01-27-at-6-28-09-pm-1.png\" "\\"digital-fundraising-cycle-donor-stewardship\\"\/")
Digital Fundraising is a cycle<\/a> of attracting, nurturing and converting donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may be called a funnel in the marketing world, but we like to call it a cycle as it should be considered a continuous, repeating process that\u2019s designed to drive predictable and sustainable fundraising growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no denying that digital fundraising is based on relationships and connections. When you effectively attract, nurture, and convert donors well, you\u2019re building a relationship that lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only are you increasing each donor\u2019s lifetime value with digital fundraising, ultimately, but you\u2019ll also inspire your supporters to become advocates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2020 Q2 Fundraising Effectiveness Report<\/a> just came out, and it shows that donor retention is on the rise, which makes it a great time for your organization to implement donor stewardship as we approach year-end giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe it\u2019s high time we push mass emails and dispassionate social media posts aside for a more personal, donor-centric stewardship approach. This is especially pertinent as year-end approaches, and your donors are solicited by dozens of causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you with me? Good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive into how you can use donor stewardship practices to maximize your year-end efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stewardship happens AFTER someone makes a donation to your organization. Those post-donation touch points, such as thank yous, emails, and direct mailings all fall under the stewardship umbrella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s for the purpose of communicating and building relationships with donors, then it\u2019s stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stewardship looks different depending on many factors, including donation amount, donor preferences, and your organization\u2019s capacity. However, I\u2019ve outlined four key donor stewardship methods that any nonprofit can use to help assure your donors that you\u2019re a responsible steward of their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A \u201cThank You\u201d sets the standard for all future communications. It tells your donor you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you send a thank you promptly, and with a personal message, it also tells your donor you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The initial \u201cthank you\u201d note to a first-time donor is the foundation of that relationship. To ensure your thank you is enough, be sure it meets these criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Must your thank you be handwritten? I\u2019m a stickler for tradition, but donors are overwhelmingly telling us that they prefer email over direct mail<\/a>, even when it comes to thank you notes. It\u2019s hard to argue with data, so you be the judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A large portion of stewardship revolves around strategic communication. The right messages help solidify and build your relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In these messages, inspiration is essential. It\u2019s this inspiration that connects your donor emotionally to your cause. I find that some of the more effective inspirational messages highlight your donor\u2019s role in the whole process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, impact-based stories help to tell success stories of the people\/places\/things your donor is funding. Do you know what your donor doesn\u2019t want to hear? Most donors don\u2019t care to know about how much money you raised, but they do want to know how many lives they\u2019re changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another technique to try is donor spotlights. Post these on your website, social media, and in your newsletters to other donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many donors choose to designate their gift to a particular program or initiative. In these cases, stewardship job should include reporting back to your donor about their particular designation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, ignore the cold, boring data and focus on the stories behind the numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Give your donors an outlet within your organization through engagement opportunities. This could take the form of volunteering or serving as a board or committee member, or you could also ask for your donor\u2019s insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questionnaires, such as the Net Promoter Score<\/a> or a simple, \u201cHow are we doing?\u201d survey, can allow your donor to voice their opinion and feel a part of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also take this engagement to another level by asking your donors to rally others to get involved through peer-to-peer<\/a> fundraising<\/a> and social sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Need a more help engaging your donors? Download our free ebook, the Donor Engagement and Retention Strategy Playbook.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you understand how stewardship works, it\u2019s time to make a plan to help you incorporate stewardship into your year-end fundraising efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you have a stewardship officer at your nonprofit, stewardship responsibilities should fall to everyone on your development team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Task descriptions could include one or more of these elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a matrix for stewardship is a development best practice. This matrix guarantees that everyone is on the same page. Your matrix may look something like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, create a year-end fundraising <\/a>calendar so that your organization stays at the forefront of your donor\u2019s mind as you close out the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Include weekly touchpoints from the beginning of November through New Year\u2019s Eve, paying attention to these dates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Add a mix of online and offline touches, including email, direct mail, social media, and phone communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDefining Donor Stewardship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Four Essential Donor Stewardship Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Say Thank You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Inspire Them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Designate & Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Engage <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A Year-End Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make Stewardship A Job Duty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Establish a Standard Matrix<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"stewardship\"](\"https:\/\/causevox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Stewardship.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nCreate A Calendar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use A Platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n