1. The Blanket Approach to
Cultivating and Stewarding Your
Donors
Lynne M. Wester
Director of Stewardship and Donor Recognition
Yeshiva University
Maureen Donnelly
Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations
Boston University

2. Donor Recognition and Stewardship
• Is there a better way to do this?
• What are some ways that we can better
serve our donors?
• What is someone else doing that we’re
not?
• Is there an app for that?
• Making Innovation a Priority

3. Stewardship is Cultivation
Cultivation
• the process of implementing a series of strategic “moves”
designed to bring the prospect to the “readiness” for
solicitation.
– need to make the case for support
– align the donor’s interest with org priorities
– foster a relationship
Stewardship and Donor Relations
• the post-gift /pre-next gift “touches” that
– continue to build and strengthen the
relationship/connection between the donor and the
organization
– inform the donor about his/her gift and its impact

4. Stewardship is Cultivation
When the touches effectively tell the “story” of
the gift/philanthropy
When the moves strategy looks to coordinate
and integrate appropriate touches into the
cultivation/readiness process

5. The “Blanket” Approach

6. Groups Added
• Loyalty Donors
• First Time Donors
• President’s Society
• Anyone who needs extra Stewardship

7. Calendar Approach
• August- Champions Gate Wrap up Piece
• September- Rosh Hashanah email greeting
• October- Hanukkah Dinner Invitation
• November- Report of Donors and Donor Recognition
Event
• December- Hanukkah Dinner Slideshow
• January- Invitations to YU Museum Event
• February- Scholarship Impact Piece
• March- YU Tomorrow Mailing
• April- Impact of Giving Report
• May- Commencement Invitation and Webcast

8. Scholarship Impact Piece

9. Scholarship Impact Piece

10. Postcards
10

11. First Time Donors

12. Emails
44% open Rate!

13. Campaign Stewardship
• What’s the same?
–Still strategic
–Highly personalized and meaningful
–Timely and engaging
–Measurable results

14. Campaign Stewardship
• What’s different?
–Challenge of doing it all with same staff
and resources but in a tightened timeline
–Opportunity to revisit everything
–A focus on building future community
–Multi-year and/or multi-area
commitments
–Enhanced forms of recognition for key
constituencies

16. Campaign Website
BU Recognizes

17. Key Constituencies

18. Thank a Donor Week

19. Thank a Thon

22. Questions? Comments
• Maureen Donnelly
• mdonnell@bu.edu
• Lynne Wester
• wester@yu.edu
• www.donorrelationsguru.com
• Follow me on Twitter @donorguru