Creating a Donor Stewardship Plan That Keeps Donors Engaged and Giving

Joanne Toller, CFRE (Ret.)
Feb 27, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Feb 14

Did you know that most nonprofits lose 55% of first-time donors after just one gift? Retaining donors isn’t just about saying thank you—it’s about building meaningful relationships. A strong donor stewardship plan ensures that donors feel appreciated, see the impact of their gifts, and stay committed to your cause.

Why a Donor Stewardship Plan is Essential

A well-thought-out stewardship plan helps you:

Keep donors engaged with your organization
Improve the donor experience and build loyalty
Increase donor retention rates
Encourage greater contributions over time

A great stewardship plan goes beyond thank-you letters. It creates a structured approach to nurturing donor relationships in a way that deepens their connection to your mission.

Step 1: Segment Your Donors for Personalized Stewardship

Not all donors are the same, so your stewardship approach shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Segmenting donors helps tailor communication and recognition efforts to their level of support.

A simple way to segment donors is through the donor pyramid:

New Donors – First-time givers who need a strong welcome experience
Loyal Donors – Repeat donors who support consistently
Major Donors – High-impact donors who require deeper engagement
Planned Giving Donors – Those considering legacy gifts

Each level requires different stewardship strategies. New donors need immediate engagement, while major donors benefit from one-on-one relationships. The goal is to move donors up the pyramid by building trust and deepening their connection over time.

Other factors to consider when segmenting:

Communication Preferences: Some donors prefer email, others like phone calls or personal meetings.
Demographics: Different generations may respond to different types of recognition and outreach.

Step 2: Establish Key Stewardship Touchpoints

A strong stewardship plan ensures donors feel valued and stay informed about their impact. Donors need multiple touchpoints beyond the initial thank-you.

Consider these four key elements in your plan:

Acknowledge – Promptly confirm receipt of a gift and express gratitude.
Recognize – Highlight donors publicly or privately based on their preferences.
Report – Show how their donation made a difference through stories and updates.
Engage – Keep them involved with invitations to events, feedback opportunities, and personal interactions.

Stewardship is about consistent communication that makes donors feel like active participants, not just one-time givers.

Step 3: Implement Creative Donor Recognition Strategies

Beyond traditional thank-you notes and phone calls, there are many ways to make donors feel special. Some ideas include:

Impact Stories: Share personal stories about how their gift changed lives.
Donor Spotlights: Feature supporters in newsletters, reports, or on social media.
Exclusive Updates: Provide behind-the-scenes insights into ongoing projects.
Personalized Video Messages: A short, heartfelt thank-you video can leave a lasting impression.
Surveys & Feedback Requests: Ask donors for input to make them feel more involved.
Handwritten Notes: In a digital world, a personal note stands out.

The best stewardship plans create moments of connection that strengthen relationships over time.

Step 4: Evaluate and Improve Your Stewardship Plan

A donor stewardship plan is never "finished"—it should evolve based on feedback and performance.

Track Retention Rates: Are first-time donors giving again?
Monitor Engagement Metrics: Are donors opening emails, attending events, or responding to outreach?
Survey Donors: Ask how they prefer to be engaged and recognized.
Adjust Your Approach: If certain efforts aren’t increasing retention, try new strategies.

Consistently reviewing and improving your stewardship efforts ensures that donors stay connected and feel valued.

A strong donor stewardship plan turns first-time givers into long-term supporters. When donors feel genuinely appreciated and see the impact of their contributions, they’re more likely to stay engaged and give again.

Building lasting donor relationships doesn’t happen by accident—it happens with a thoughtful, well-executed stewardship plan. Start refining yours today.

Want to take your donor stewardship strategy to the next level?