This document provides an agenda and tips for a webinar on cultivating a culture of gratitude in fundraising. It discusses defining cultivation and stewardship, demonstrating gratitude through thank you letters and calls, and tips for making thank you calls a regular habit, including who should call, when, and what to say. The goal is to show donors appreciation and keep them engaged to encourage repeated and increased giving.

1. 2016 Relationship Resolutions:
Resolve to Raise Relationships
Webinar 4: Culture of Gratitude
April 2016

2. Agenda
Recap
Cultivation Touch Points
Stewardship Touch Points
Homework + next steps

3. Recap Culture of
Philanthropy
Culture of
Planning
Culture of
Goal
Setting
Culture of
Connection
Culture of
Gratitude
Culture of
Generosity

4. Where we’ve
been
WHEN: Mapped
development activities to a
calendar
January
WHAT: Defined a SMART
Goal
February
WHO: Identified + qualified
givers for your SMART Goal
March

5. Your SMART
Goals

6. What you need
A Plan for
Each
Priority
Giver

7. The pieces of
an individual
giver plan
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

8. Identify
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

9. Qualify
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

10. Qualify
• Capacity + inclination to
give
• Concern for your mission
• Connection to your
organization

11. Qualify
• Background
• Financial context
• Charitable inclination and
orientation

12. Touch Points
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

13. How you want
your givers to
feel
Appreciated
Engaged
InformedConfident
Closer to
values

14. Touch Points
Cultivate
• Build interest and involvement
Solicit
• Ask for the appropriate amount in the
appropriate way at the appropriate time
Steward
• Thank: Make sure the giver feel appreciated
and convey the impact of the gift

15. Scaling Touch
Points
Major gifts
Significant
gifts
Transactional gifts

16. Transactional
Level
Cultivate
• Newsletter, annual report, email list,
community events
Solicit
• Direct mail, online appeals, crowdfunding
campaign, event ticket sales
Steward
• Thank you letter (within 48 hours is rule of
thumb), listing in donor roster

17. Significant
Level
Cultivate
• “You made a difference” (YMAD) mailings,
site tours, house party invitations
Solicit
• Personalized requests by phone or in
person by a board or staff member
Steward
• VIP reception, thank you call from board
or staff member, giving society status

18. Major Level
Cultivate
• Insider meetings with Executive Director
or program staff, comped events
Solicit
• Face‐to‐face solicitation by Executive
Director or Board Chair
Steward
• Stewardship reports, site visits,
recognition at events or in publications

19. Where we’re
headed
Add cultivation touches to
Touch Point Action Plans
April
Add solicitation touches to
Touch Point Action Plans
May
Add stewardship touches
to Touch Point Action Plans
June

20. Culture of
Gratitude
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

21. Definitions
Cultivation
Relationship building
Interest building

22. Definitions
Stewardship
Appreciation
Accountability

23. Aren’t these
two very
different
things?
Before gift:
Cultivation
After gift:
Stewardship

24. Ideally:
Continuous
Cycle
StewardshipCultivation
$

25. Culture of
Gratitude
GRATITUDE
Steward
Cultivate

26. Why
Gratitude?
The power of
“Thank You”

27. Demonstrating
Gratitude
According to Penelope Burk who conducts
the annual Burk Donor Survey:
“Every research study we have conducted
and every controlled test we have run has
yielded higher gift values and longer
retention from donors who have been
treated with care and respect when they
are not being asked for money.”

28. Demonstrating
Gratitude
Official gift acknowledgment letter
Handwritten note
Thank you call
Listing in donor roster
Invitation to stewardship event
Inclusion in giving society/club
Appreciate in person (lunch, coffee)
Shout‐out on social media

29. Culture of
Gratitude
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

30. Tips for
Cultivating Grant
Funders

31. Tips for
Cultivating Grant
Funders
Identify +
qualify grant
opportunity
Cultivate
relationship!
Submit
proposal

32. Tips for
Cultivating
Grant Funders

33. Tips for
Cultivating
Grant Funders
Introduce yourself. Make a connection. Gain an ally in your
corner.
Learn information that can help you strengthen your
application, including what the funder is most interested to
know about the project.
Hear if this is not the right opportunity or the right time. If a
funder steers you away from applying, pay attention to whether
they are saying never or not right now.
Why call?

34. Tips for
Cultivating
Grant Funders
One organization submitted a request for more than 100 times the
largest grants that the foundation makes in Ohio. “This immediately
showed that they hadn’t sought out any guidance before applying,” she
says. Based on the inappropriate ask amount and what she said was a
confusing budget, Jen contacted the grantee with questions. “He said
that they’d follow‐up with some clarifying information,” she recounts.
“But I never heard from him again.”
Instead of embracing this opportunity, the grantee squandered it—as well
as the relationship. Jen says that given the gaffe, she probably would not
look favorably on a future request: “At least not until they contact me
first, and show that they understand. That’s why I have these
conversations: to make sure you understand us as a funder and that I
understand your organization.”
As told by a funder:
Jennifer Hurd, Bank of America
Charitable Foundation

35. Tips for
Cultivating
Grant Funders
About existing funders:
“Establish good working relationships and open
conversations with your current funders. Ask them
who else they see might be interested in funding
you. They may point you to other funders who may
be a fit. Who knows—they could even have another
portfolio and be able to make an additional grant.”
As told by a funder:
Quinn Delaney,
Akonadi Foundation

36. Tips for
Cultivating
Grant Funders
When to call?
As far in advance of
a grant proposal
deadline as possible.
Grant seeking is a
marathon, not a
sprint. Sometimes
just making contact
with a funder is an
important mark of
progress.

37. Culture of
Gratitude
Identify
Qualify
CultivateSolicit
Steward

38. Tips for
Acknowledgment
Letters
IRS Requirements:
Charities must send a formal gift
receipt for any single contribution of
$250 or more.
Must include certain elements,
including date and amount of
contribution; statement of tax‐
exempt status, and good faith
estimate of value of any
goods/services received.

39. Tips for
Acknowledgment
Letters
Be prompt: Best practice is to mail
within 48 hours of receiving gift; within
2 weeks is a must.
Customize: Giver’s personal information
and gift amount
Personalize: Use a real signature and
add a special note
Just thank: Do not ask for another gift!
Connect: Include name/number of a
staff person who can be contacted with
questions or concerns

40. Tips for
Acknowledgment
Letters
The typical organization‐centered thank
you letter:
 “Your generous contribution enables XYZ
Organization to serve Greater Cleveland
families in need.”
This approach focuses on what the
organization does.
It emphasizes the donation, not the
result.
Missed opportunity!

41. Tips for
Acknowledgment
Letters
 The donor‐centered thank you letter:
 “Because of you, tonight a child is warmer, a woman is
safe from violence, and a family shares a nutritious
meal. Multiply this by the many hundreds of families
who count on XYZ Organization every year, and you can
begin to imagine the powerful difference you are
making in our community.”
This approach focuses on what the donor
makes possible. Give the DONOR the credit!
It transforms “making a donation” to
“acting on one’s values.”
A realized opportunity to connect the donor
to your mission.

42. Burk Donor
Survey:
Reflections on
Gift
Acknowledgment
Letters

43. Why
Gratitude?
Donors who are thanked
GIVE AGAIN:
A three‐minute thank you
call can boost first‐year
retention by 30%.

44. Why
Gratitude?
Donors who are thanked
GIVE MORE:
Donors who are called
within 48 hours of making a
gift give more next time.

45. Why
Gratitude?
In fact, in a study by
Penelope Burk:
Donors who received thank
you calls gave 42% more 14
months later.

46. Why
Gratitude?
In this same study, donors said if they got
a thank you call from a board member:
95% would be appreciative and
impressed
72% would want to give more next
time
74% would want to give longer or
indefinitely

47. A challenge!
Make
Thank
You Calls
a Habit

48. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
Make a plan for:
Who will call
Who you will call
When you will call
What you will say
How you will track calls made

49. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
Who will call:
Executive staff
Development staff
Board members or other volunteers

50. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
Who you will call:
Givers you are prioritizing in your
SMART Goal
First time givers
Second time givers (victory!)
Givers who give at your significant gift
threshold level
Every giver, every gift

51. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
When you will call:
Best is within 24 – 48 hours of gift
If that’s not realistic, set up a system:
Review a report of incoming gifts
either weekly, bi‐weekly, or monthly

52. Tips to Make
Thank You
Calls a Habit
Make one thank you call first
thing in the morning = 250 calls
made each year.

53. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
Board “thank you drive”:
Assign specific calls to board members
during a set number of weeks.
This is a great first step to warm board
members up to asking donors for money!

54. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
What you will say:
Most thank‐you calls should take
about 1‐2 minutes.
Voice mail messages will be even
shorter.

55. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
What you will say:
Develop a simple script (homework!)
Keep it short and sweet
“I’m just calling to thank you.”
Don’t ask for another gift!
If the donor wants to chat, great! If
not, that’s perfectly fine and what
you expected.

56. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
What you will say (example):
Hi Ann, this is Dana, the Executive
Director of Smart Start Cleveland.
I’m not calling to ask for anything – I
just want to say thank you! We
received your donation yesterday.
We appreciate you very much and
are excited to put your donation to
work right away to help young
children in our area.

57. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
If the donor seems to want to chat,
learn something about them:
I’d love to know how you learned
about us.
Would you mind sharing with me
why Smart Start matters to you?
You’ve really helped us with your
gift. Is there anything I can do for
you or provide you with about our
work?

58. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
If the donor seems caught off
guard, not talkative, or wants to get
off the phone, move to a close:
Example: Well I don’t want to use up
more of your time. I just wanted to
say thank you. Enjoy the rest of your
day!

59. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
How you will record calls made:
Keep a list or use a field in your database
to note who you call and when.
Capture any notes/information you
learned about them.
Make good on any requests they made
(update their mailing address, send
material, etc).
You might run a report 6, 12, or 18
months later to assess if thank you calls
helped you retain or increase donors.

60. Tips to Make
Thank You Calls
a Habit
If the donor seems caught off
guard, not talkative, or wants to get
off the phone, move to a close:
Example: Well I don’t want to use up
more of your time. I just wanted to
say thank you. Enjoy the rest of your
day!

61. April
homework Thank you calls: Use worksheet to set a plan for making
thank you calls and draft a thank you script.
Cultivation Action Plan: Continue filling out your Touch
Point Action Plans by adding Cultivation Touch Points.

62. Touch Point
Action Plans
In March:
 You identified the givers who are part of your
SMART Goal and created a Touch Point Action
Plan document for each one of them using the
template provided.
 You followed steps to qualify the giver and
gather together key information about them
and the relationship to your Partnership.

63. Touch Point
Action Plans
In April:
You will enter Cultivation Touch Points
onto the Touch Point Calendar (within the
worksheet):
1. Known milestones
2. Planned development activities
3. Personalized cultivation points

64. Touch Point
Action Plans
In May
You will continue by adding Solicitation
Touch Points onto the Touch Point
Calendar.
We will practice “making the ask” at the
Smart Start National Conference!
Bring your Touch Point Action Plans to
discuss during Speed Coaching sessions.

65. Touch Point
Action Plans
In June
You will finalize the Touch Point Calendar
by adding Stewardship Touch Points that
will come after the gift.

66. Thank you!
Questions about the training schedule?
Contact Jessica Griffin
Fund Development and Event Manager
jgriffin@smartstart.org
919‐821‐9528