We know that building genuine connections with donors is the key to sustained support. But when you’re part of a small shop juggling tight budgets and limited staff, stewardship can feel less like an art and more like an uphill climb. The good
news? Thoughtful, cost-effective strategies can make a lasting impact—without exhausting your resources.
A thoughtful, efficient approach that leverages simpley tools and planning is the key to success, say Deana Blanchet and Amy Minerich of Hoag Hospital Foundation. Here are tips from Deana and Amy to make stewardship work smarter, not harder.
Lay the Groundwork for Success with Smart Planning
Effective donor stewardship requires intentionality. For small shops, this means setting up tools and frameworks that provide a foundation for easy, impactful engagement.
- Implement a milestone tracker: Consider creating or using a tool within your donor database that highlights giving milestones and donor levels. This enables your team to anticipate touchpoints and needs at a glance. With
this setup, you can prepare outreach efforts that align with a donor's giving journey without added manual tracking.
- Leverage thoughtful AI assistance: Without the luxury of multiple colleagues to collaborate with, artificial intelligence can step in as both a teacher and a thought partner. AI tools can help you brainstorm touchpoints,
plan messaging that resonates with various demographics, and even suggest gift ideas specific to donor interests—like an “Adopt a Robot” program for robotic surgery supporters.
Time Your Touchpoints for Maximum Impact
In stewardship, timing is everything. Certain moments throughout the year are ideal for connecting with donors, and a well-timed message can reinforce their commitment to your mission.
- Capitalize on awareness days and key dates: For example, if your organization supports robotic surgery initiatives, consider scheduling touchpoints around World Robotic Surgery Day in February, or during National Robotics Week in April. These natural occasions offer relevant moments to highlight the impact of donor support.
- Seasonal giving and anniversaries: End-of-year giving season, program anniversaries, or even donor-specific milestones are excellent opportunities to re-engage. By using a calendar to schedule these moments strategically,
you can ensure consistent, timely outreach without scrambling for ideas throughout the year.
Keep Impact Reporting Simple, Consistent, and Evergreen
Impact reporting is a crucial part of stewardship, but for small shops, creating lengthy or highly customized reports can be unsustainable. Instead, focus on delivering high-impact, digestible updates that are easy to maintain.
- Use a template for evergreen reports: Create a simple, templated impact report with broad messaging that will appeal to a wide audience that can be updated quickly with recent wins, recognitions, achievements, and donor spotlights. This keeps content fresh, timely, and manageable for a small team. Plan to distribute these reports biannually or around a significant event, so donors stay informed without overwhelming your resources.
- Experiment with video updates: Adding video to your stewardship toolkit is a powerful way to connect donors to the real-world impact of their giving. Consider scheduling a quick five-minute shoot with a clinician during an existing meeting, with a short script that expresses gratitude for a specific donor contribution. Videos bring stories to life and resonate more deeply than written reports alone.
Build Experiences That Foster Connection
Even with limited resources, creating opportunities for donors to experience the mission firsthand can be incredibly effective. Group experiences, in particular, allow you to maximize your reach without stretching resources thin.
- Host broad-based tours and salons: Instead of one-on-one tours, consider organizing tours twice a year that showcase key areas of your organization. Segment by donor interest and cap these experiences with an exclusive tour or meeting with the CEO. Similarly, "salons" with clinicians provide an opportunity for donors to hear directly about advancements and patient stories, with the added benefit of connecting with like-minded donors who share their passion. Use phrases like “our closest friends and partners” and “collectively influencing the future” in invitations to highlight the context for and benefits of using a group approach.
- Have an airtight post-engagement strategy: Whether it’s a luncheon, a clinical program spotlight, or an interactive wellness event, make sure to develop a follow-up plan. Send photos promptly, create a couple of touchpoints in the months following the event, and consider an end-of-year recap. For example, if you host a luncheon to promote wellness and raise scholarship funds for nursing staff, you might choose to follow up with a story of a scholarship recipient in your next communication and send a wellness-related gift during the holidays.
Don’t Forget Internal Partnerships: Engage Clinical Partners Too
Your clinical staff are essential ambassadors for your foundation, and their relationships with donors can amplify the impact of your stewardship efforts. Treat them as you would treat a donor in your stewardship strategy.
- Coordinate calendars and touchpoints: Find ways to involve your clinical staff in meaningful touchpoints. For example, on key awareness days, like Robotic Surgery Day, reach out to your clinical partners with a message of gratitude.
- Make it easy for clinicians to contribute: Schedule brief time slots for clinicians to record video messages or give updates to incorporate into your stewardship strategy. Keeping these moments simple and low effort for busy clinical partners increases the likelihood you’ll be able to sustain them to build your impact narrative for donors.
Stewardship That Works Within Your Means
For small foundations, the key to successful donor stewardship is a blend of simplicity, strategy, and creativity. By laying the groundwork with strategic planning, timing touchpoints effectively, simplifying impact reporting, and building meaningful experiences, even the leanest team can engage donors in powerful ways.