Donor Stewardship and Retention

Getting a new donor feels exciting. But if you can't keep them, you're stuck on the donor acquisition hamster wheel.


I help nonprofit organizations keep the donors they already have, before spending another dollar chasing new ones.


Nearly 70% of donors give only once. Most of the time, it comes down to two simple things: they weren't told how their gift was used, and they didn't feel appreciated. That's not a fundraising problem. It's a communications problem, and it's fixable.


This work isn't about advanced development theory. It's about clarity, consistency, and helping your supporters start to see themselves as mission partners, not ATM machines that you only look to when you want a donation.

How It Works

I offer a phased system that is built to meet you wherever your organization is today. Pricing is tailored to your organization's size and needs, and we'll walk through it together once we've talked.


Stewardship Audit
This offers you a focused, low-risk first step. I review your donor data and current stewardship practices and hand you a clear, prioritized map of exactly where donors are falling through the cracks, plus a quick win you can put into action immediately.


Foundation

This is the strategic backbone of your donor stewardship plan. You receive a donor journey map personalized to your donor segments, and a core message framework you'll use to filter every future appeal, update, and thank-you. Choose to run it yourself, or add ongoing monthly guidance.


Full Partnership

This is the complete, hands-on system that I carry out for nonprofits. You receive everything in the Foundation level, plus a full library of ready-to-personalize donor communications, a 12-month content calendar, and a dedicated team executing it with you every month, including special attention for your major and loyal donors.


Every engagement starts with the Audit, so you always know exactly what you're getting into before committing to more.

What You'll Walk Away With

  • A clear picture of where your current stewardship efforts are falling short
  • A donor journey map that treats new, repeat, loyal, and major donors differently, because they need different things
  • A message framework that keeps every future communication consistent and on-mission
  • A library of ready-to-use donor communications: acknowledgments, thank-you notes, welcome sequences, impact reports, all personalized in your organization's own voice
  • Ongoing support to keep the system running, with real metrics tracked along the way, not vanity numbers

Who This Is For

You'll get the most from this work if:

  • You don't have a dedicated stewardship or donor relations role on staff
  • You have a real base of past donors, but a retention rate you can't explain, or don't know
  • Your team is strong on the ask, but thin on what happens after the gift
  • You believe donor relationships should feel like partnerships, not transactions

Growing From Here

Once your stewardship foundation is solid, we can talk about growing your donor base the right way, so every new donor steps into the same relationship-first experience your current donors already benefit from. Ask about Donor Acquisition support once you're underway.


The best way to start is with a Stewardship Audit: a focused, no-pressure first look at exactly where your organization's donor relationships are working, and where they're quietly slipping away.



Let's Talk