Summer, A Season of Stewardship
Traditionally, major gift fundraising has been difficult during the summer months. From July through August donors tend to vacation, engage in more quality time with family, cut back on formal meetings, and in general don’t respond as promptly to requests for face time.
Many of our clients have asked if this will change in the face of COVID-19 as they’ve received reports that many donors have cancelled/postponed scheduled trips. Is there an opportunity to connect with donors and solicit additional dollars during months that have typically been slower for fundraising?
Adam Sacks, president of the Tourism Economics research firm told CNN Business, “People are going to be traveling and taking summer vacations this summer, it’s just going to be different.” Instead of flying, experts suggest that people will hit the open road and travel regionally. For those not traveling, many are investing in outdoor recreation. Across the United States outdoor equipment sales are booming and consumers are investing in bicycles, camping gear, kayaks, and backyard toys, finding creative ways to get away or get outside close to home. Americans continue to be invested in leisure and recreation, especially during the summer months.
We do not anticipate a major shift in donor relations this summer. Donors will continue to check-out of day-to-day business and check-in to a more casual work mode. Our organizations should adapt communication and do the same. Stewardship can become less formalized (although you still want to track and follow a plan) and take shape as quick and easy check-ins via text message/email, handwritten postcard, voicemail, or even video message. The key is to not ask for anything in return...even a call back. It’s important to take the pressure off your donor and let them fully enjoy your message as a thank you and check-in rather than an added to-do item on their checklist. Here are some ideas:
Snap a picture of your mission in action and text your donor saying, “Just thinking about you as we’re serving meals this summer. Thanks for making this program possible. We appreciate you!”
Create a summer reading list and email it out: “Hi, John, I know you’re an avid reader and you’re passionate about our mission. We’ve created a summer reading list that we thought might intrigue you. So many of these books have provided great information to our staff as we continue to grow and learn.”
Have kids color a summer scene (beach, water park, sunshine) on postcard-size paper (this can be uploaded and mass produced on cardstock) and write a handwritten note on the back of each one: “Hello! While summer may look different this year, the sunshine lives on in our hearts because of people like you! Thanks for being a light to our organization. I hope you’re having a great summer!”
Record a short staff or mission recipient thank you video and text/email it to your donors.
Take time this summer to steward the relationships you’ve built. We promise it will serve you well come September.