Donor Relations and Stewardship to Engage Annual Giving Donors

Lynne M. Wester

@donorguru

Road Map

• Why Annual Donors Matter

• What if?

• Status Quo?

• Techniques

• Best Practices

Why Annual Donors Matter

• Small and Mighty

• Grants, Rankings and Other Beasts

• Retention Percentage

• Test Donors

• Pipeline

What if?

• You were able to raise your first time donor retention from 48% to 58%?

• What would that means in terms of $s and Donors?

• How does that effect your pipeline?

• Happy Donors tell…

• Unhappy Donors tell…

Status Quo?

• Receipt within 48 hours

• Acknowledgment within…?

• Is that all?

• Don’t send a decal, magnet, pen, etc

• Don’t ask again right away

Techniques

• First Time Donors Need their own program

Segments to Watch For

• Loyal Donors

• Married Alums

• Dual Degrees

• Widowed Donors/Golden Oldies

• Monthly Donors

• Employees/Faculty/Staff

• Recent Graduates/Younger Donors

• Digital Donors

Ideas

• Focus on endurance of gift, not size of gift

• One special touch a year aimed at their population

• Channel Matters

• Tell Stories

• Show Impact

Best Practices

LUST

LUST

Report Impact

The BEST!!

Thank You, Questions?

• Lynne M. Wester

• www.donorrelationsguru.com

• @donorguru