Out of Sight, Out of Will?

Sometimes people mistake the beginning for the end. As development professionals, we really can't think our work is finished once the donor contributes; hopefully, it's just the beginning of a long relationship.

I've seen situations where the stewardship process for new donors doesn't come close to the cultivation process of potential donors. This can leave the new donor feeling confused and maybe even a little hoodwinked. Just think how they must feel after they receive all the attention of newsletters, emails and little notes, holiday cards and special invitations as well as the occasional "how are you" and personal update call, and then after they make a donation, they get nothing but solicitation letters and eblasts - "not even a postcard" as the punch line to an old joke goes. Is there any wonder why donor retention numbers are often so disappointing?

Years ago, shortly after I started working with a new client, I learned they removed their "lifetime members" from their mailing list. The thinking was: once you became a "lifetime member," your giving days were over. Since annual givers and members were the only ones marked to receive the organization's well-read quarterly magazine, these long-time supporters were cut off from one of their much enjoyed benefits of membership. Additionally, they were no longer offered opportunities to support a charity they loved, so this nonprofit was intentionally losing out on more contributions from these people. Of course, they did give out a "lifetime member pin."

Fortunately, I was able to show my new client the error of their ways and brought their "lifetime members" back to life. It's important to note that many of these "lifetime members" had also included this charity in their wills or trusts. Hence, when they could no longer be "lifetime members" (in the purest sense), their support was still ongoing.

So, what about stewarding legacy donors? Presumably, bequests and beneficiary designations can still be changed (until they can't be), but you may not know about it until it's too late. You may not hear complaints - you may just hear nothing, even after the person passes away. Therefore, it's important to include all of your donors in your stewarding efforts.