Fueling Dynamic Fund Raising and Donor Stewardship for Local Nonprofits

Did you know that over 75% of first-time givers never make a second gift to nonprofits? 

Why is that?!

It all comes down to nonprofit responsiveness, also known as Donor Stewardship. When a nonprofit responds promptly and with genuine and specific gratitude, first-time donors move over to the flip side – over 75% will make a second gift! And, another valuable research tidbit is when a board member calls donors with a personal thank you, over 70% of donors say they give MORE in their next gift. 

Who knew that a simple thank-you call from a board member would have such a dynamic impact on the nonprofit? This is an example of the type of content the Fueling Dynamic Fundraising initiative provided to participating nonprofits over recent months.

FDF engages with Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly School of Philanthropy’s The Fund Raising School to bring proven, effective fundraising content to the local area, particularly to agencies with an updated Giving Partner profile housed with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Most recently, the two teams have blended knowledge and experience with teaching and coaching for willing and able nonprofits FDF’s cohort #4 who demonstrate what The Patterson Foundation calls “LWRCC” or Leadership, Willingness, Readiness, Culture, and Capacity. This work is designed to accelerate the momentum of positive change in these valuable nonprofits. 

The Stewardship Plan, a learning lab presented by the Lilly School instructors, covered the basics, mid-level, and glimpses of advanced development content for nonprofits to build and implement an effective donor stewardship plan, a critical component of an agency’s fundraising strategy. From the learning lab, the FDF team moved into working sessions with nonprofits. These smaller groupings allowed the participating nonprofits to share drafted stewardship plans and discuss the progress they were making on completing the plan, internally sharing the plan, and, of course, implementing it. All the work is done in confidence with the participants and FDF team members. 

The work the FDF team does with nonprofits focuses on helping area nonprofits enhance the integrity of their operations, enabling donors, clients, staff, and volunteers to benefit from the professional upgrades the nonprofit executive is implementing in fundraising and sustainability. There is no price tag an agency can put on this type of support. The Patterson Foundation uniquely invests in the nonprofit community for the overall betterment of area nonprofits by providing what others cannot or will not offer. The FDF team steps into discussions unique to an agency with proven best practices to strengthen and advance the work area nonprofits do for the betterment of our community.