Donor Relations Best Practices: A School Advancement Office's Guide to Stewarding Major Givers and Sustaining Support
School advancement offices run on two currencies: money and trust. Capital campaigns close, gala tables sell out, and annual fund mailers produce solid returns—yet many development teams watch their donor retention rates hover around 40 to 50 percent, quietly bleeding relationships that took years to build. The culprit is rarely a failed solicitation strategy. It is what happens (or doesn’t happen) between the gift receipt and the next ask.
Read More
How to Build a Donor Stewardship Plan That Keeps Supporters Engaged Year-Round
Donor stewardship represents the difference between organizations that perpetually chase new supporters and those that build sustainable philanthropic communities generating consistent support year after year. While most development teams invest tremendous energy acquiring first-time donors, research consistently shows that retention drives long-term fundraising success far more effectively than acquisition—yet the average donor retention rate hovers around just 45%, meaning organizations lose more than half their supporters annually.
Read More
