3 Stewardship Practices to Escape the January Slump
Phew. You made it. December is officially in the rearview mirror.
I don’t know about you, but January in fundraising has always been a bit weird for me.
Between Giving Tuesday and year-end giving, November and December are a blur of frenetic fundraising energy. By the time January arrives, I’m either so worn out or so used to the breakneck pace I’ve been running at for the last two months that I often struggle to get back into a sustainable rhythm in the new year.
I always figure it out, but if I’m not careful, a lot of important stewardship and follow-up work from December giving ends up delayed or (in the worst case scenario) not happening at all in January.
Can you relate?
In the research for her classic book, “Donor-Centered Fundraising,” Penelope Burk conducted one of the largest and most exhaustive studies on the science of giver loyalty and future giving.
She discovered the single most important determining factor in predicting future giving was timely, personalized post-gift follow-up.
If you need a little help finding your footing this month, here are three stewardship activitiesyou can prioritize next week to help you get back into a routine while also strengthening your relationship with the people who gave at the end of last year.
1. SAY THANK YOU
You can write handwritten notes. You can print and mail letters that you hand-sign and personalize. You can pick up the phone and call people. You can send personal emails. You can send text messages. You can make short thank you videos and send via email or text.
Don’t overthink this. The medium doesn’t matter nearly as much as the act of expressing heartfelt, personal gratitude.
A meaningful thank you doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be fancy. But it does need to be heartfelt and personal.
Before the end of next week, can you make sure everyone who gave in December has heard from you?
2. SHARE IMPACT
Sharing impact is similar to expressing gratitude, but it’s ever so slightly different.
We say thank youso that people know we noticed and received their gift… and because it’s the right thing to do.
We share impact so that people know their contributions helped accomplish something.
Don’t overthink this one, either. There are so many ways to share impact.
- Do you have a story of transformation you can share?
- Did you make progress or move the needle in some meaningful way last year?
- Do you have outcome or impact numbers you can share?
- Sometimes, you can even share impact with one compelling picture.
Can you take a few minutes next week to communicate with people who gave in 2022 to give them a sense of the impact their generosity made possible last year?
3. INVITE PEOPLE TO TAKE A GROWTH STEP
For this one, you’ll want to run a list of everyone who gave in November and December and block off an hour.
Sit down with the list and go over it slowly, one name at a time.
As you review the list, ask yourself, “Who’s ready to go deeper? Who’s been growing in their connection to our cause? Who would be excited to learn more about our cause? Who would be excited to volunteer? Is there anyone who’d be excited to connect with someone on our team? Is there anyone who would like to experience our cause in a more personal way?”
Highlight the names of anyone you identify as being ready for a next step.
Now, take a minute for each person you highlighted, and ask yourself, “What do I want FOR this person? Is there a growth step I can invite them to take that would be good for them, good for us, and good for the people we serve?”
When you do that, you’ll have a name. You’ll have a step. The only thing left to do is schedule a conversation.
Can you reach out to everyone you identify next week to schedule a time to meet with them in the next few months?
January can be a challenging month for those of us in fundraising. I get it.
If you need a little help getting back into the groove this month, these kinds of stewardship activities can help you set the stage for a successful new year and strengthen your relationships with givers while you reestablish your routine.
