When it comes down to it, your school depends on current families returning year after year. The first grade you offer should be the only grade where, in effect, you are recruiting an entire class. After that year, you are filling available seats. Logically, your school needs to actively re-recruit your current families to maintain full enrollment.
Your current donors are the same as your current families. They are the foundation of your advancement efforts. When you engage in stewardship, you are re-recruiting the people who already believe in your school and its mission. Stewardship events are a nice way to thank your supporters, show how their support makes a difference to your students, and keep them abreast of what’s happening—or what your school strives to do.
Heidi Thomson from Elevation Consulting said that a stewardship event gives you a chance to hone your message. Since the guests already are “the converted,” you don’t need to “sell” your program as you would to those who you are trying to bring into the fold. Instead, you can focus on the “second and third layer down.”
Small and focused stewardship events give you a chance to finely segment your audience, and target your message to their common passions. Plus, it gives you relaxed, in-person time with your biggest fans. Such events give Board members a chance to make contact in a comfortable way. Have your Board members personally invite your donors to the event. Give each Trustee a few people to call.
Thomson staged her event the week after Thanksgiving before the start of December (meaning Thanksgiving was “early” that year)—right before the holidays kicked in gear. Attendance was excellent, and there was a huge impact on year-end giving. “Oh, there are way too many things going on then to stage an event,” you are probably thinking. But think again. These intimate stewardship events can cost little money, so it’s relatively low risk. Plus, you have a terrific opportunity to remind your supporters that the end of the tax year is in sight—and what their last-minute gifts will accomplish for the students.
As you plan your calendar for 2013-14, end-of-year stewardship events are something to consider.
Learn more about Thomson’s stewardship event here.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Trustees Vol. 9 No. 3 Increase Board Involvement in Stewardship
ISM Webinar Year-End Giving
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 10 No. 1 An Effective “Thank You” Strategy to Generate Donations
Resources for ISM Consortium Gold Members
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 13. No. 6 The Donor Cultivation Cycle and Your Annual Fund
To the Point Vol. 15 No. 2 The Annual Fund Plan Calendar
To the Point Vol. 8 No. 3 ‘You Want Me To Ask For Money?”
