True confession: I have become obsessed with comfy pants. What does this revelation have to do with our work in Advancement? For me, it yielded an “aha” moment about offering thanks and building loyalty. Let me elaborate. As virtual meetings became a more necessary form of communication one year ago this week, and with webcams … Continue reading On Comfy Pants and Building Loyalty

You and your Advancement colleagues are likely good at thanking donors. Experience suggests you send thank you letters within 24-48 hours of receiving gifts, make targeted personal phone calls to offer thanks, send handwritten notes, recognize donors in annual reports, and maybe even gather annually to thank donors in person. But experience also shows you … Continue reading Next-Level Stewardship: Illustrating Impact

What comes to mind when you think of the word stewardship? Thanking? Recognizing? Expressing gratitude? Making wise use of resources? Perhaps you think of all of these things or something entirely different. First-Level Stewardship: Expressing Gratitude The first level of stewardship involves making sure our donors receive a timely thank you and ensuring they know … Continue reading Going Beyond Gratitude

What is the one thing you can give today that takes less than five minutes, builds constituent loyalty, increases donor retention, and improves the physical and psychological health in you and others? Gratitude. Is this on your to-do list today? It should be. Because here’s the thing about gratitude: When we give it, it grows … Continue reading The Gift of Gratitude