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Stewardship Is The StrategyJune 11, 2020
Prepared for:
By:
Lindsay Simonds Consulting
www.lindsaysimondsconsulting.com
www.CreatingCommunityforGood.com (podcast)
Connect with me on LinkedIn!
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Lindsay Simonds Consulting | Strategic Fundraising Consulting Creating Community for Good
+ Experience: Began fundraising in 2008…Great Recession; Vice President for CCS Fundraising
+ Services:
– Capital Campaign and Major Gifts Feasibility Studies, Strategy and Management
– Board Development and Management
– Donor Engagement
– Opportunity and Crisis Communications Planning
– Professional + Executive Coaching
+ Scope: $1B raised cumulatively, client budgets of $500K to $6.2B, 10 campaigns
+ Volunteership: SIP Advisory Council Member + Faculty and BUILD.org Regional Board Member + Battery Powered Member
+ Podcast: Creating Community for Good
+ Personal: From Colorado, living in San Francisco; Yoga; Auntie; Cooking; Art; Trivia
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Keystone clients and affiliations
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Why this topic?
If philanthropy is the love of humankind,
then fundraisers are conduits of love in action in a
symbiotic relationship.
And we all need love in action now,
more than ever.
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This webinar aims to demonstrate how gestures of gratitude (aka stewardship) will engage your donors for a lifetime of philanthropy.
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If nothing else, do this:
Create a culture of philanthropy with relationships at the center.
01Express gratitude in meaningful and specific ways.
02Continue fundraising.
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If you hear nothing more, do this:
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We’ll weave this all together:
● Review trends and fundamentals
● Explore how a stewardship is intrinsically connected to a culture of philanthropy – tips from service industry
● Highlight real strategies and resources during social distancing
● Demonstrate efficacy through case studies
– How to frame stewardship as the strategy
– Real examples of what orgs are doing now to steward donors and close gifts
– Sample language for high value consitutient engagement
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The Fundamentals
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The Classic Donor Lifecycle
Identification
Cultivation
Solicitation
Stewardship
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Classic Forms of Stewardship
● Annual, Financial Report
● Gift Agreements (and Reminders)
● Naming Opportunities
● Giving Societies
● Acknowledgement Letters
● Personal Calls
● Personal Visits (video chats!)
● Insider Letters
● Public Recognition
● Special (virtual) Events
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Why Stewardship?
Remember what motivates giving to inform how you are receiving and stewarding donations.
● People give to people.
● People give because they are asked.
● People give in relation to who asks them.
● People give to specific, compelling priorities.
● People are inspired by BIG IDEAS.
● People appreciate recognition for their support.
● People respond to their peers.
● People give to good causes that strengthen society.
● Personal visits (*video calls*) result in larger gifts.
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Therefore, stewardship…
● Demonstrates merit for continued philanthropy (think: ROI)
● Creates accountability + builds trust = deepens relationships
● Strengthens the organization’s reputation
● Engages donors in the vitality of the organization
● Increases likelihood of referrals to new donors / opportunities
● Demonstrates gratitude
● Instills a sense of value for the donor
● Leads to donor retention (year over year giving… more and more)
● Cultivates the donor for the next major gift
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The Modern Stewardship Dilemma
What’re the Problems?
● Transactional fundraising out of desperation as result of lack of culture of philanthropy
● Low average donor retention rate: 45%
● New donor acquisition is 5x the cost of retaining current donor
What’re the Solutions?
● Segment donor pools and make stewardship plans
● Increase meaningful, mission-centric communication
● Train ALL staff and employees to treat volunteers, donors, guests as VIPs using the “Ritz Carleton Gold Standards”
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WHERE I WENT WRONG IN THANKING PEOPLE…
Story #1: A lesson from the service industry
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Lindsay’s first job out of college…
– Life Goal: Ski Bum
– Real Life: Needed $
– Next step: Got a job on mountain
– My MO as MOD (mngr on duty):
1. do the job,
2. check the list,
3. make everyone happy,
4. …ski.
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What did I do?
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I WAS SOOO ANNOYING. What could possibly go wrong?
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Meaningful and Specific Thanks
What went wrong:
● Thought transitionally
● Moved through quickly
● Lacked maturity
What I could have done better:
● Demonstrated impact
● Showed partnership
● Learned from their experiences
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THINK ABOUT STEWARDSHIP AS A PROCESS AND MENTALITY, NOT A TEDIOUS, QUARTERLY REPORT.
Why this unconventional stewardship story?
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Fast forward to modern day
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STEWARDSHIP IN TIMES OF CRISIS
It’s not all about polish, it’s about personalization, authenticity, humility, community and partnership.
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The personal touch works!
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The Winning Approach
● Provide relevant and timely communication with stakeholders to demonstrate attention to changing times and impact on beneficiaries and benefactors.
● Use your authentic voice and tone to demonstrate your humanityand unity in this unpredictable time.
● Show up and offer help in ways that to prove that you care about your donors during good times as well as bad times.
● Take the time to deepen relationships with high value conversations.
● If necessary, ask permission to transition conversations if you need to both steward and solicit in one video call.
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Crisis Communication as Stewardship
1. Check in with your donors to see how they are. Provide updates on what you are doing and impact of gifts.
2. Share community impact on your website, social media and digital channels.
3. Start every day with handwritten notes or texts when/if appropriate.
4. Celebrate birthdays, gift anniversaries (do something special for milestones).
5. Send a donor kindness kit (coloring book, coffee table book, snacks, etc.).
6. Share a favorite recipe or a feel-good quote.
7. Send a puzzle, card game or activities (customize your puzzle?!).
8. Send a video checking in (individual or team, researcher, beneficiary etc.) (Soapbox/Thankview).
9. Share expert statement(s) or article(s) tied to your mission or vision.
10. Recommend other places to give in addition to your organization!! (no zero-sum game mentality -- think #inthistogether)
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Examples of Real-time and Ad hoc Stewardship
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Celebration of Community on Social Media
What:
● Donor Honor Roll
● Volunteer Recognition
Impact:
● Shows gratitude
● Highlights robust and abundant community
● Incentivizes donors + volunteer to join
www.build.org
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Consistent, regular communication
What: Regular communication, punctuated with relevant adaptations
● Phonathon: Nurture Campaign
● List of resources online for essential workers, ppp funding, managing stress, talking to children, working remotely
● Virtual Gala (nearly doubled their goal!)
● Statement against violence, racism and injustice
● Another list of resources online with actionable recommendations and resources about progressive actions to create social change and build awareness and talk with children about the issue
● Launched Diversity and Inclusion Working Group made up of parents, teachers, and administrators
● Weekly updates throughout
Impact: Unprecedented levels and sizes of donations
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Phone-a-thon: Nurture Campaign
A closer look with the detailed script…
The goal of this call is to express our concern, learn how we can help our community and share an update on some of our future offerings.
● In general, how are you coping with the current state of affairs?
– Is there anything that we can do to help you?
● Here’s what we are doing and what we plan to do going forward….
– Is there anything else you’d like us to consider?
● Is there anyone in your network who you think we should be sure to call? Anyone who needs help or would like our help.
● Anything else you’d like me to share with our Executive Director or the Board?
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Leveraging Resources
What: Resource Bank for Board Members
● Problem: Board member shared that he was laid off this week.
● Solution: Organization plans to leverage its network to support its supporters by creating a roster of resources asking people to opt-in to a shared doc:
– Status:
• Have opportunities
• Need opportunity
• Willing to help
– Linkedin Bio
– Contact info
– Other notes
Impact: TBD, but surely good-will at a minimum
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“Money is like water. It can be a conduit for commitment, a currency of love.
Money moving in the direction of our highest commitments nourishes our world and ourselves.
What you appreciate appreciates.
When you make a difference with what you have, it expands.”
― Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life
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“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
~ Mother Teresa
LINDSAY SIMONDS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND
FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT
LINDSAYSIMONDSCONSULTING.COM
www.CreatingCommunityforGood.com
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Extras
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Thoughtful Dialogue Types
• Permission
• Fact-Finding
• Feeling-finding
• Tell me your story …
• Paint me a picture …
• Tell me more …
• Importance/satisfaction
• Best/least
• Catch-all
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Service Values: “I Am Proud To Be Ritz-Carlton”
1. I build strong relationships and create Ritz-Carlton guests for life.
2. I am always responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.
3. I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests.
4. I understand my role in achieving the Key Success Factors, embracing Community Footprints and creating The Ritz-Carlton Mystique.
5. I own and immediately resolve guest problems.
6. I create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service so that the needs of our guests and each other are met.
7. I have the opportunity to continuously learn and grow.
8. I am involved in the planning of the work that affects me.
9. I am proud of my professional appearance, language and behavior.
10. I protect the privacy and security of our guests, my fellow employees and the company's confidential information and assets.
www.ritzcarlton.com/en/about/gold-standards
