1. Donor Relations and Stewardship to
Engage Annual Giving Donors
Lynne M. Wester
@donorguru
2. Road Map
• Why Annual Donors Matter
• What if?
• Status Quo?
• Techniques
• Best Practices
4. Why Annual Donors Matter
• Small and Mighty
• Grants, Rankings and Other Beasts
• Retention Percentage
• Test Donors
• Pipeline
5. 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…
6. 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
8. 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
11. 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