This document provides guidance for nonprofit boards on how to care for and steward donors. It recommends that boards send thank you notes and calls to donors, connect with donors on social media, and steward 3 donors per month with regular touches. It also suggests that boards personally thank donors who attend events, introduce themselves to new donors, and host small gatherings to thank recurring donors. The goal is for boards to strengthen connections with donors and better understand fundraising.

1. How Your Board Can Care for Donors
Thank you notes and calls
 Keep track of who connected with who, so you can share with the Board a
year later if the donor increased their giving
 Also have the Board come back and talk about the results, especially if a
phone call
 Encourage the Board members to give their personal phone numbers so they
get the call back, because who answers an unknown phone number. Also,
their personal address on the cards/letters
 If a phone call, ask if they can connect with the donor on social media, it
strengthens the connection, doesn’t matter the platform.
 Have them connect with those same donors again, same way– 2x a year.
 Videos and voice messages are popular and if a board member is
comfortable.
 If a board member prefers to express their gratitude via a letter, that is
100% acceptable. Snail mail or email is acceptable depending on the donor’s
communication preference.
 Send an anniversary card to recognize donor loyalty/
thanksgiving/valentines/new year
Social media
 Board connected to organization social media
 Board connected to Donor
 Board Connected to one another
Steward 3 donors
 Monthly touches
Special events/galas/fundraisers
 When sending out invitations to your current donors, again pick some, ideally
the same ones they’ve been stewarding or writing thank yous. and have the
Board put on a post it note. “Excited about this event hope to meet you or
see you here.”
 A new sponsor- have a Board member thank them.

2.  Have a list of donors you’d like Board members to meet and thank for coming
and have a 5–10-minute schmooze with them. Don’t give them more than 3.
 Let them know if any of the donors they have be in touch, whether with via
thank you or stewarding will be coming so they can meet them
 If it’s virtual, they can send private messages in the chat and email them
afterwards.
House Parties/ Barbeques for current donors
Have board members do it for different categories- It’s a thank you event and an
update of the organization, not an asking event
o especially recurring/monthly donors
o major donors
o long term donors
o past board members
Tours/Coffee/ Events beyond your own
Have a member join you when doing a tour or meeting potential members so they
get the language. Fundraising is a language, and the more you are exposed to it
the more you know and understand it. Turns them into great Ambassadors.
Story telling
 At each Board meeting tell a success story.
 Have a board member write a story in the newsletter, either personal or from
their perspective
 Always good to mix it up, same person writing the same things gets boring
because its always from the same angle.
Board Meetings
 Bring a donor file to every Board meeting
 Make sure the Board knows who the top ten donors are.
 Tell stories- both you and the Board
Don’t forget: It’s your job to make these tasks easy. Give board members sample
thank you notes and thank you call scripts. Give them a tour template. Coach them
through a donor meeting
REMEMBER to only pick 3!
Sonia J. T. Saleh (she/her)
Your guide to fundraising with EASE
718-335-7759
http://upliftingnonprofits.com/
Sonia@upliftingnonprofits.com
www.linkedin.com/in/soniasaleh/