Dear “Stewardship” Colleague,

Donors have voluntarily entrusted their gifts to our care for the benefit of the community. Volunteers gift us their time for the same purpose. It is important, then, to practice good stewardship of these gifts. Doing so will ensure that donors and volunteers will return and continue to support our efforts to make communities healthy. Click on the headings on the right to learn more about …

Donor Stewardship

Donor Bill of Rights

“Aretha Franklin” for Your Volunteers

Do you have questions about recognizing volunteers and donors for your program? Contact us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com.
Access previous issues of On-the-Go eTA by clicking on the title at the right.

Donor Stewardship

Donor stewardship is both the care and feeding of your donors and essential for growing support. In general, the rules for proper stewardship remain the same for all gifts large or small. They are: 1) Record and acknowledge donor gifts, pledges and other information, 2) Allocate donor gifts according to the wishes of the donor, 3) Report to donors on gift use and impact, and 4) Engage and recognize donors.

Results of a recent North American study of how donors would support the charities that communicated with them more effectively show that…
93% would definitely or probably give again;
74% would continue to give indefinitely;
70% of donors would increase the overall value of their philanthropy if charities were more effective at acknowledging their gifts and communicating results.

All stewardship starts with the written “thank you” note sent out within 48 hours of receipt of the gift. You do not need to have processed the gift to complete this step. How you reward and recognize donors may vary depending upon the size of the gift, the kind of donor, or the donor’s own expressed preference. Here are some ways to reward and recognize donors…

Donor Bill of Rights

Public trust is central to successful resource development. The Donor Bill of Rights entitles the contributor to ethical solicitation practices and sound management of resources. Organizations promise that transparency in their operations will be the grounding for this trust. Many organizations have adopted this pledge as a way of assuring their commitment to wise donor stewardship.

Click here to link to the Donor Bill of Rights posted on the Association of Fundraising Professionals webpage.

“Aretha Franklin” for Your Volunteers

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. your volunteers beyond once-a-year activities. They do not need to be costly.

Click here for a baker’s dozen ways you can let your volunteers know they are important and valued without a hefty budget.

Let us know

Have you found other ways to honor donors and volunteers for your program?

Contact us at LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com
(LEADline is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service through its Resource & Fund Development Initiative.) We would be happy to answer questions or to give you more support.

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IN THIS ISSUE:
click on titles below to read full articles

Details from above:

Volunteer Respect and Recognition Ideas

1. Treat your volunteers as members of your staff. Let them know when you will be out of the office or will be giving a tour or meeting with an important visitor.
   
2. Provide an in-box or mail slot for each volunteer. Be certain to include them in the distribution of memos, meeting notices, new policies, etc.
   
3. If your employees wear nametags, so should your volunteers.
   
4. Ask a volunteer to make a presentation or speak at a staff or advisory committee meeting.
   
5. Send birthday and anniversary cards to your volunteers.
   
6. Provide a “Volunteer Recognition Wall” with pictures of your volunteers. Highlight a “Volunteer of the Week or Month.”
   
7. List the names of volunteers in your newsletter.
   
8. Feature volunteers on your website.
   
9. Write short personal notes to volunteers when you hear that they have done something special. Every volunteer should receive one or more of these during the year.
   
10. Send a congratulatory note to a volunteer who has been recognized outside your organization.
    
11. Provide a tray of cookies or snacks when you have a gathering of volunteers at your facility.
    
12. If your volunteers also are corporate employees, write notes to their supervisors or the Human Resources office to be placed in their files. This contact is often the first step toward establishing a relationship with a company that results in financial support for your organization.
    
13. Look for ways to recognize your volunteers in the greater community through media and press releases. Nominate your volunteers for community wide recognition awards.

Resources

The National ASK (Awareness, Skills, Knowledge) to Sustain Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 1998, 2002

The CNCS Resources Now! National Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc. 2005-07.

Learning Products and Services

LEADline:
(Learning Experiences At a Distance) LEADline is designed to give information fast. Have a resource & fund development question? Use LEADline and within 24 hours you will receive response and advice from a fundraising professional.

Contact us
LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com

GIZMOs:
(Giving Information for Zooming Money Objectives) Gizmos are resource and fund development tools for you and your volunteers. They are tangible products in packets, pocket brochures, CD-Roms, games, etc. They feature a myriad of fundraising topics such as The Power of Direct Mail, an interactive cd-rom and detailed companion booklet on developing your direct mail program.

To order, contact us through
LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com
or call 410.243.7979
or toll free at 1.877.243.2253

For more information:

Download
Gizmo Presentation

Download
Order Form

The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Everyone who comes to a Resources Now! National Institute gets a free subscription to the Chronicle for a year. Participants in CNCS Campaign Consultation workshops receive the latest issue free of charge plus a $20 discount on one year’s subscription.

Workshops/Clinics:
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), through its T/TA service provider Campaign Consultation, Inc., offers a three-hour workshops and clinics for those interested in mastering key skills need to write for individual donors.

Online Courses/Webinars:
Web course delivery of topics pertinent to resource development such as — Build Fundraising Volunteer Champions and Cause Related Marketing and Corporate Partnerships.

Available through the Resource Center at,
http://nationalserviceresources.org

Tell Us!

Let us know by contacting us through LEADline@CampaignConsultation.com

Read Back Issues of OTG e-TA

• Mid-November 2007 Prospect Research
  
• November 2007 Budgeting for Fundraising
  
• Mid-October 2007 Raising Unrestricted Funds
  
• October 2007 Public Sector Fundraising
  
• September 2007 Revenue Generation
  
• Mid-July 2007 Database Management
  
• July 2007 Using Celebrities
  
• Mid-June 2007 Foundation Proposals
  
• June 2007 Brochures, Newsletters and Websites
  
• Mid-May 2007 Women as Donors
  
• May 2007 Postage and Mailing Rates
  
• Mid-April 2007 Phonathons and Thankathons
  
• April 2007 Annual Fund Mailing Lists
  
• Mid-March 2007 Face-to-Face Asking
  
• March 2007 Government Funding
  
• Mid-February 2007 Rural Fundraising
  
• February 2007 Stop-gap Funding
  
• Mid-January 2007 Nonprofit Branding
  

  2006 Archives