This article, translated from the AdvancementForm, which specializes in resource development and building donor relationships, provides a summary of the best global practices to improve "stewardship" as a fundamental pillar for retaining donors and ensuring sustainable giving year after year.

In the world of annual donations, the real challenge lies not only in attracting new donors but in turning them into lifelong supporters.

It is a practical guide that links human behavior and effective organizational communication, and emphasizes that building trust begins after the donation... not before.

Through real examples from prestigious universities such as the University of Queensland, Boston University, and the University of Chicago, the article outlines five practical steps starting from immediate thank yous to smart recognition programs that enhance belonging and motivation.

Successful annual donation campaigns don't happen by themselves.

To ensure the sustainability of the annual giving program over the long term, you and your team must pay special attention to a critical aspect of the process: stewardship(Stewardship).

Stewardship in the nonprofit sector is the equivalent of customer service.

Just as with any type of customer service, you need to show that you care to maintain donor loyalty to your cause. The expected benefits are increased donor retention rates, followed by higher donation levels.

Stewardship is about building and nurturing relationships.

Nurturing a donor after they have made their gift is akin to warming up a potential donor before they make a donation decision.

It encompasses a full range of activities aimed at enhancing and strengthening the bond between the donor and the organization.

In this article, we will review some best practices in donor stewardship within annual giving programs, so you can start your journey towards a long and successful relationship with your supporters.

1. Start with a "Thank You"

It may seem intuitive, but the first step to building a relationship with donors in annual giving campaigns is to thank them.

But we're not talking about just a generic email confirming receipt of the donation.

Try to make the thanks personal.

Even if you don't have the resources to send a handwritten note or card, a quick note signed by hand on a printed letter is much better than a cold formal message.

For online donors, you can direct them to a "Thank You" page that shows how your organization will use their donation and who will benefit from it.

In 2015, McMaster University went further and thanked donors through social media.

Just add an optional field on the online donation form to ask for the donor's social media accounts, and you can do the same.

Thank you videos are another way to elevate the appreciation message you deliver after the donation.

The University of Queensland took a unique approach in the video they produced to thank donors in 2014, shot from the perspective of a future student (Class of 2026), explaining the impact of donor gifts from the founding of the university to the establishment of sports scholarships.

Whatever method you choose, make sure to thank your donors quickly and sincerely. They are real people, and they appreciate getting thanks from a real person.

2. Create a Communication Plan

Once the annual giving campaign starts to wind down at the end of the year, it’s time to start planning activities for the following year's campaign. These activities should include a plan for ongoing communication with current donors.

As a first step, map out all the stewardship activities your organization conducts throughout the year. This example from Wealth Engine allows you to include a simple summary of actions and timing. Filling out this template might help you discover any repetitions or gaps in your current communication strategy. Are you communicating with donors too much? Or not enough?

Once you have a clear picture of the stewardship activities your annual giving team can commit to, you can develop more detailed communication plans based on that.

For example, you can tie some communication activities to important dates or events in your organization, such as graduation ceremonies, inaugurations, or the release of the annual report. Depending on how you segment your donor database, you might be able to target specific groups in a more strategic way.

The key is to plan your messages and their timing appropriately. Know what you want to say and when to say it. But keep the donor at the center: your communication with current donors should be more than just a donation ask.

3. Show Them the Impact

In the 2013 donor survey conducted by Burk, 75% of respondents indicated that "receiving information about the results achieved from their donations" is the most important element of content that drives them to donate again in the future. Demonstrating accountability and impact enhances trust with supporters.

Make sharing the impact a central part of your stewardship strategy. You can do this in several ways:

  • Include stories about individual beneficiaries in your annual report.
  • Allocate a page on your website to showcase the impact of donors and update it regularly with real examples of your organization’s ongoing programs.
  • Ask scholarship recipients to write letters or create videos sharing their impact stories in their own words.

  • Share news of research with real human outcomes in your newsletter. (Refer to this example from the University of Alabama, where they explain how a significant donation accelerated their research on multiple sclerosis and led to scientific discoveries.

    Regardless of the channels you use to communicate with your donors, be sure to use donor-centered language and make the impact of their donations the focal point of your messages.

    4. Encourage In-Person Engagement

    When donors feel a stronger personal connection to your organization, the likelihood of them donating in the future increases.

    One way to deepen this connection is to provide opportunities for in-person engagement.

    Think about it:

    Would you be excited to donate to an organization that only shows up in your life once a year via email?

    Or would you be more inclined to donate to an organization that you've spent time with its representatives, outside of the usual fundraising activities?

    Organizing stewardship events — not fundraising events — gives you the opportunity to thank donors face-to-face and give them a tangible experience of what your organization represents.

    The type of event is up to you.

    You might want to organize different events based on donor levels, or focus on topics that are of interest to certain segments of them.

    Whether the event is a fancy formal occasion like the annual awards gala at the University of Washington or a simple campus tour, make sure that the focus remains on appreciation, not on asking for more money.

    This activity aims to show that you care about the donor as a person, not just as a financial source.

    5. Create a Donor Recognition Program

    It goes beyond the usual thank you message after a donation, keeping your organization present in donors' minds even outside of annual campaign seasons.

    Donor recognition programs are an excellent way to show appreciation publicly and formally.

    The benefits range from mentioning the donor's name in the honor roll to exclusive invitations to events hosted by the organization.

    The donor recognition program at the University of Chicago, for example, includes joining different