Securing a major gift for your organization is no small feat, and your achievement should be celebrated! But don’t let the celebration distract you from the fact that your work isn’t done yet. Major donor relationships are delicate and highly valuable to your nonprofit, meaning you need to approach them with care every step of the way—even after you receive a donation.
Once you receive a major gift, move to the next integral part of the major donor fundraising cycle: donor stewardship. In this guide, we’ll cover four steps you should take post-solicitation to steward and sustain your major donor relationships long-term.
1. Thank the Donor in Person
First and foremost, stewarding major donors means thanking them—thanking them often and in genuine, personal ways.
The best way to thank major donors initially is to do so during the solicitation itself. Since you’re (typically) meeting in person, your thanks will feel more personal and heartfelt than it would in an email or letter. Prepare a genuine response ahead of time that you can give when the donor says yes to giving a major gift. This might look something like:
“Susan, thank you so much for your generous donation to [nonprofit]. We can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate your passion for and dedication to our cause. Your gift will make a major difference in the lives of [beneficiaries] by going toward [initiative they’re supporting]. Thank you for being a true advocate for [cause].”
You don’t have to stick to your script word for word, but having a guide will help ensure that you cover all the important aspects of a thank-you: specificity, personalization, and honesty.
If a donor doesn’t commit to giving a major gift during the initial solicitation but does so later via email or phone call, try to schedule a meeting to discuss the particulars and thank them in person. This way, you’ll be able to connect with the donor face-to-face as you express your organization’s appreciation.
2. Invite Them to Deepen Their Involvement
One of the best ways to retain any donor is to encourage them to get more involved with your nonprofit beyond donating. When donors are highly involved, your nonprofit remains top of mind in between fundraising campaigns and annual appeals. It also allows the donor to see different aspects of your organization’s work up close, deepening their personal connection to the cause and making them feel like key players in furthering your mission.
Involvement opportunities can take many shapes and forms for major donors. You might invite them to:
- Volunteer
- Attend or speak at fundraising events
- Provide feedback and testimonials
- Join a lunch or dinner with board members
- Take a tour of your facilities or program site
- Attend VIP donor appreciation events where they can meet other supporters
- Serve on your board of directors
Ideally, invitations to get more involved should be highly personalized and thoughtful. Refer back to what you learned about donors’ interests during prospect research, cultivation, and other conversations with them. Then, use that information to guide your decision making.
For example, a donor who served on another organization’s board previously might be interested in a board position, while someone who’s passionate about a specific program might want to see it in action by taking a tour.
3. Provide Regular, Personalized Impact Updates
According to Bonterra, impact reporting builds trust and “effectively shows your partners that your work is worth supporting. This helps you improve relationships and retain important partnerships over time.” Major donors are some of your most important partners in fulfilling your mission, making it crucial to keep them informed of your organization’s impact.
This doesn’t mean just sending an occasional email about your results—the size of major gift contributions warrants individual attention when it comes to communicating impact.
Plan to update each of your major donors regularly about where their funds went and how they’re impacting beneficiaries. You likely requested a major gift for a specific program, campaign, or initiative that aligned with the donors’ passions, so get specific about what that program achieved.
Don’t shy away from any challenges, either. Donors want to know the reality of the situation and what you’re doing to use their funds effectively.
For instance, say that a major donor gave a $10,000 gift to your after-school tutoring program. You might have a lunch meeting to provide them with the following updates:
- $5,000 went toward new textbooks and computer programs to assist students’ learning.
- So far, 200 students aged 7-14 have used the new supplies on a weekly basis.
- One fifth-grade student said she understood math in new ways after using the new computer learning program for two months.
- We plan to use the remainder of your gift to meet emerging needs throughout the year, which might include hiring new tutors and refurbishing classrooms.
These example updates don’t just tell the major donor which program their funds went to. They give a full, realistic picture of the gift’s impact, explaining what supplies the nonprofit bought and who they have impacted so far. This type of update will give your donors a better understanding of the real life impact and immense value of their gift to your organization.
4. Recognize their Gift in Multiple Ways
Finally, return to donor recognition again and again throughout the course of your relationship with major donors. They gave a significant amount of funding to your cause, and they should be reminded often of how much your organization appreciates their gift.
Beyond your initial thank you, Donorly’s major donor fundraising guide suggests trying additional appreciation tactics like:
- Sending handwritten cards and letters. This could include an annual thank-you letter at the end of each year, a birthday card signed by volunteers, or a small note to thank them when you hit a major milestone.
- Adding their name to a donor wall or plaque. If a major donor supported a specific building project or the launch of a new program, consider giving them a permanent place in its history by adding their name to a donor appreciation wall.
- Recording a thank-you video. Videos of volunteers, beneficiaries, or staff members giving their personal thanks will tug on donors’ heartstrings and make them feel like true members of your nonprofit’s community.
As you consider which strategies to use, keep individual preferences in mind. Some major donors may like a public shoutout, while others wish to keep their support private. Respect donors’ wishes and tailor your appreciation tactics to each person.
The donor journey doesn’t end when they give a gift. Rather, donating should be just the beginning of a long, positive relationship with your organization. As you use these strategies and learn more about each of your major donors’ personalities and preferences, you’ll be better equipped to engage them and solicit even more support in the future.
Disclaimer:
This blog is for informational purposes only and is not meant as financial, legal, or tax advice. Please seek professional advice from qualified tax, legal, and/or financial professionals before making any financial decisions.
Carnegie Investment Counsel (“Carnegie”) is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For a more detailed discussion about Carnegie’s investment advisory services and fees, please view our Form ADV and Form CRS by visiting: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/150488.
