Healthy Habits for Strong Stewardship - A Daily Practice

There’s no shortage of pithy sayings and advice about New Year’s resolutions. My favorite, though, is the simple truth that resolutions are not habits. 

Whether it’s on New Year’s Eve or any date of the year we choose to make a change, our fundraising habits are what will help shape our impact. This blog series will focus on the healthy habits that are most critical for nonprofits to sustain - and grow - their donor engagement. 

A robust stewardship program is built on consistent and committed work year-round - each day, each week, each month, each quarter. So let’s dive in.

Many of our best donors are also philanthropic to other organizations and causes - and relatively few of those nonprofits do a great job of thanking donors and appreciating them. If there is one message I wish all nonprofits could take from this series, it’s to never take our donors for granted. Donors who are thanked - and thanked personally and often - are happier, more engaged and more likely to invest more in the mission. 

One of the best habits to develop is to spend a few minutes each day in a posture of acknowledgment. Spend five minutes each day sending a thank you to one of your faithful donors or volunteers. Express gratitude to them for what they mean for your ministry. 

I know it may be hard to think about a daily habit, but try to make it part of any of your other daily routines. Or instead do  what some of my colleagues do: carve out 30 minutes or a chunk of time once a week to write thank you notes, make thank you calls or send personal emails of gratitude. If five of your givers hear from you personally each week, imagine the impact that will have a year from now. 

It doesn’t have to be super time consuming - and it can and should involve others on your team (your board, your key staff). Divide out this work and make it an organization-wide habit to say thank you each day to those hands and hearts who make things possible.

In the next weeks, we’ll look at healthy habits that will have a major impact on your development program: simple, effective ways to motivate and engage donors each day, week, month and through the year.

Even if you only choose one of these habits to implement, I’m confident it will change how your givers feel about your mission and their investment in it. 

- Tim Smith