When did you last thank your donors?
It is the beginning of a new year. And
no matter what the economic situation, all non-profit organizations should be thinking about stewarding* their largest
donors. This effort distinguishes your organization, and promotes long-term relationships
with your most generous donors.
Plan to
contact the top 20% of your donors and then enlist your board members to assist. They
are the best people to deliver this message. Stewarding donors is an effective
and comfortable way to get your board members talking to your largest supporters.
The message is simple:
We appreciate your support. It is important to us!
A board member might say the following to a donor:
Good evening, Mrs. Smith. I am Mr. Adams, a member of the XYZ Organization Board and I’m calling tonight
to thank you and Mr. Smith for your generous support of our organization last year.
Your support helped us to reach XXX people with xxx services. We want
you to know how important your support is to fulfilling our vital mission.
Board members should be prepared to:
·Let donors know that the purpose of this call is to thank them for their support
·Answer any
questions that might arise
·Listen for
any indications of the donor’s interest
If the caller reaches voicemail, the script can be delivered as written above with
the offer of a phone number in the case that the donor might want to return the board member’s call.
Try making a few of these calls yourself and then enlist your board members to enjoy this essential work of stewarding
your most important resource, your top donors. Your board members will thank
you for this opportunity!
* The process whereby an organization seeks to be worthy of continued philanthropic
support. This is single most overlooked, and yet most important, step in the
fundraising process.
