Strengthen Donor Relationships Through Intentional Stewardship

Each month, the Wyoming Nonprofit Network highlights a specific topic impacting the nonprofit sector in its What We Are Learning email series. In July 2025, WNN is exploring how organizations can engage and effectively communicate with supporters through intentional donor stewardship. 

Start Thinking About Donor Stewardship

Donor stewardship is the ongoing process of building relationships with supporters by expressing gratitude and demonstrating the impact of their contributions. Consider the pre-learning questions below related to donor stewardship:   

1. Within the organization, is there agreement on the importance of donor stewardship among staff and board members?  

2. To what degree are the organization’s stewardship efforts personalized to the specific donor or the type of gift received?

3. Does the organization have the systems needed to track stewardship activities and donor interactions?

Creating a Donor Stewardship Plan

Consistent donor stewardship requires a plan. For a stewardship plan to be impactful, organizations must outline the specific processes, actions, and strategies it will utilize to engage donors. Whether the organization is revising its existing plan or approaching stewardship strategically for the first time, Bonterra recommends the following steps for creating a donor stewardship plan:

1. Create a Donor Pyramid to Identify Giving Levels: By segmenting donors based on gift frequency, size, and type, organizations are better positioned to “craft specific stewardship strategies that resonate with each group.”

2. Outline Stewardship Activities: Using the segmented categories, draft a list of the stewardship activities for each type of donor.

3. Build a Stewardship Matrix: With the activities determined, the stewardship matrix is the “detailed schedule that outlines the specific points and timeframes of how and when you’ll communicate with donors.” If helpful, the matrix could include the specific staff member or board member responsible for the activity.

4. Evaluate and Refine the Stewardship Plan: The stewardship plan should evolve with the organization’s needs and capacity. Incorporating qualitative and quantitative data, the plan should be regularly reviewed and changed as needed.

For more information, read Bonterra’s “How to create a donor stewardship plan: step-by-step guide.”

Resources

• Segmenting donors can be a critical step in the stewardship process, but how is it done? Explore different ways to segment donors in “How to Conduct Data-Driven Donor Segmentation” from Classy.

• When stewarding donors, never underestimate the impact of a thoughtful thank-you note or letter. Read GoFundMe’s  “15 Creative Ways to Write Meaningful Donation Thank-You Letters” for suggestions on improving your communication with supporters after a donation is made.

• Stewardship is the responsibility of staff and board members. Learn more in “How to Involve Board Members in Stewardship” from the Center for Major Gifts.

• What and how the organization communicates with supporters can make a difference. Understand the impact of donor-centric messaging in “5 Types of Phrases to Avoid in Donor Stewardship Messages” from Fundraising IP. 

What You Want to Learn Matters

Email Director of Learning and Development Tess Mittelstadt at tmittelstadt@wynonprofit.org with your feedback on the What We Are Learning email and suggestions on future topics.

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