Fundraisers today face a variety of stewardship challenges:

• Tracking commitments to donors

• Consistency with recognition signage

• Offending donors with inaccurate recognition

• Recognizing past gifts

• Treating donors the same…but in different ways

• Ensuring fulfillment of commitments in a timely fashion

• Knowing when and how to report to donors

Let’s focus on each of the challenges individually.

Challenge:  Tracking commitments to donors

It is difficult to track promises when no formal agreement exists.  Often times formal agreements exist but in separate documents such as financial terms vs. recognition terms.  The problem is that unfulfilled promises can result in unhappy donors.

Challenge:  Consistency with Recognition Signage

In order to face this challenge, ensure a relationship exists between gift size and sign size.  Over time, signage can become “monstrous” and complicated.  Inconsistencies can lead to back peddling, unfair treatment and ultimately disgruntled donors.

To create a best practice when people start creating donor recognition, they need to make sure that the recognition is consistent with their mission and values. i.e. International Film festival, you could recognize the donors to your campaign with a recognition film.  By doing this in a creative way, you should create donor pride through your uniqueness, stimulating future giving at increased levels.

Challenge:  Offending Donors with Inaccurate Recognition

Donors have unique preferences when it comes to recognition.  The type of recognition can differ depending on the location of recognition such as an Annual Report listing vs. a Donor Wall.  Mistakes in this area can seriously offend donors.

Challenge:  Treating Donors the Same…but Differently

It is important to be fair in the treatment of donors.  Donors have different needs and preferences.  Often times the inclination is to steward on a mass scale when possible, however, sacrificing donor preferences for stewardship efficiency is not wise.

Challenge:  Recognizing past gifts.

A new campaign means new donors, however, recognition space is often limited.  Recognizing current gifts often takes priority over past gifts.

Challenge:  Ensuring Fulfillment of Commitments

Numerous donors with unique stewarding needs can be difficult to manage.  Limited time and budget can result in the fulfillment of commitments to higher-end donors first or only, resulting in letting other stewardship commitments slide.  Avoid this pitfall.

Challenge:  Knowing When and How to Report to Donors

Reporting on the effects of a gift is a good form of stewardship.  Keep in mind that donors have different preferences when it comes to how and when they want to be contacted so be careful about using the wrong reporting method.

Now that we have covered what you should be avoiding, let us examine the best practices that we should be utilizing:

Best Practice:  Letter of Agreement

Get in the practice of ensuring a letter of agreement is drafted for new donors this should include both financial and recognition components.  Things should begin working on drafting similar document for past gifts.

Best Practice:  Guiding Principles

A new campaign offers a unique chance to “clean the slate.”  It is important to develop a set of guiding principles to drive all donor recognition going forward.  This ensures that all signage is elegant, consistent, and addresses all heritage and language required elements.

Best practice:  Ensuring Accurate Recognition

It is essential to establish the initial proper naming format and accurate spelling.

Then develop and present concepts of specific recognition to the Donor for feedback.

Also, personalize and keep lines of communication with donors open.

Best Practice:  Teamwork

Ensure that a personalized stewardship strategy is developed for every major gift donor by Prospect Manager and Stewardship team.  Have a designated point person for communication.  Develop general strategies for annual donors.

Best Practice:  Staying on Top of Things

Develop and use a Stewardship Checklist and Donor tracking sheets.  Harness the power of teamwork.

Best Practice:  Tailored Reports

Establish reporting preferences early if possible and follow up on occasion to see if there are any changes.  Also, communicate with the donor as often as possible.

In Conclusion:

Best Practices

Combine financial and recognition aspects into 1 gift agreement for ALL donors.

Best Practices

Guiding principles can simplify and give structure to your overall recognition strategy.

Best Practices

Continuous communication with a donor will help ensure accurate recognition as well as a happy donor.

Best Practices

Use recognition space wisely. Create a special and meaningful place to recognize gifts from the past…and free-up space to recognize gifts for the future!

Best Practices

Use integrated teams to develop and execute stewardship strategies that address all donors at all levels.

Best Practices

An audit function must be in place to ensure that all promises are fulfilled in a timely and effective manner…for ALL donors.

Best Practices

When sending reports, ensure that they are specific and personal…tailored to the donors preferences if they’ve made any preferences known.

Editor’s Note:  This article was based upon a presentation made to the Association of Fundraising Professionals by Alexander MacKenzie, Vice-President and Campaign Manager of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.