Make Every Donor Feel Like a VIP

When it comes to stewardship, major and planned gift donors get the red-carpet treatment, while everyone else gets a standard thank you letter and maybe an annual email newsletter.

Ignoring donors because they aren’t making a major gift is like ghosting your best friend because you got invited to hang out with Beyoncé.
That first-time donor who gave $25 - they could be a future major donor. Your monthly donor? They’re keeping your lights on. And staff members who donate? They’re putting their money where their mission is.

They deserve thoughtful and unique touchpoints that demonstrate impact, deepen their relationship to your cause and inspire philanthropy.

A gift of $25 may be modest to you, but it may be significant for them.

Stewardship isn’t just about chasing big dollars; it’s about building lasting relationships with all your donors. 💖

Here are some #tinygains stewardship ideas for all donors, at all giving levels.

💌 Send donors a quick, personalized update at least semi-annually. It can be a handwritten note or email, a short video or a phone call.

To help with those updates, hold a thank-a-thon or stewardship drop-in to build up your inventory of stewardship pieces. Invite staff and board members to drop by to write a thank you note or two; make a few phone calls to donors or create a short video of thanks. Send them out immediately or save them for a future stewardship touchpoint.

💌Surprise long time donors with a donorversary postcard or email celebrating their giving anniversary. I recently received a card like this from a charity and it gave me all the feels. I displayed it on my fridge for months.

💌 Invite donors to events already being organized that align with their giving. This is great for organizations that host a variety of events. It invites donors to engage in the life and work of your organization. All that is required is smart data segmentation.

💌 Repurpose content already recreated. Just because you shared an impact story in one context doesn’t mean it can’t be shared again in other contexts. If it’s important, it’s worth repeating.  

Stewardship doesn’t have to be a grand, elaborate gesture.

It just has to be consistent.

When donors feel connected to your cause, they’re more likely to stick around—and maybe even increase their giving over time.