1. Stewardship is a Team Sport: A Playbook
Shane Jacobson
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Grinnell College
@GrinnellAlumVP

2. Today’s Conversation Frame the “playbook”
Remind ourselves of the roles cultivation and solicitation play in setting the stage for effective stewardship
Discuss stewardship’s core components
Engage with one another
“Systems approach”
Individual case study

3. Today’s Conversation
My experience (successes and failures) tell me that I’ve learned enough to be dangerous
I also don’t have all the answers
Some ideas will sounds great, others will not
Our institutional history, culture, and demographics are all important nuances to understand. But best practice is also best practice.
What is your goal today? What role do you play in achieving that goal?

4. Frame the “playbook”
Stewardship is to fundraising as ________________ is to ________________?

5. Create your “playbook”
The Generative Curve
Opportunity-framing
Strategy
Opportunity for Generative Work
Operational, Tactics, Execution
Sourced: Bill Ryan, Ryan Consulting
Time

6. Frame the “playbook”
What questions could you ask early in the generative curve when building or enhancing individual and system-wide stewardship?

7. Frame the “playbook”
How should solicitations inform our best practice stewardship model(s)?
How can more staff in our organization learn from successful and failed stewardship activities?
Which stewardship outcomes will connect to the priorities of our next campaign (even if the priorities are only just emerging at this point)?

8. Why does this matter?
For every 100 donors gained in 2014, 103 were lost through attrition. That is a NET LOSS of 3%!
Every $100 gained in 2014 was offset by $95 through gift attrition! This nets out to a sad 5% gain.
Source: AFP 2015 Fundraising Effectiveness Report 

9. Why does this matter?
The donor retention rate was 43 percent in (Median). That is, only 43 percent of donors made repeat gifts to nonprofits in 2014.
The gift retention rate was 47 percent in (Median). That is, only 47 percent of dollars raised were raised again by nonprofits in 2014.
Source: AFP 2015 Fundraising Effectiveness Report 

10. Why does this matter?
At all levels, stewardship is our best form of cultivation! Then by extension this phenomenon becomes a significant lifeline to sustain giving, raise aspirations towards bigger gifts, and set the building blocks for the next campaign!
Source: All fundraisers, everywhere! 

11. From framing to cultivation and solicitations…

12. What does great cultivation look like?
Capacity + Inclination + Readiness = ASK
Qualify and build trust
Recognize motivations and behaviors
Engage campus stakeholders
Build a shared vision
Create urgency
Explore gift ranges, impact, and timing
Understand objections

13. What does great solicitation look like?
Capacity + Inclination + Readiness = ASK
Hopefully a seamless transition
No surprises – clear intent
Capacity and liquidity
Define the finish line
Ask!

14. Are you setting the stage for effective stewardship?
Have you asked how the donor(s) would expect to learn about the impact of their philanthropy?
Have you developed a shared understanding of how exactly gifts will be spent?
Have the donors become familiar with those who will spend their precious resources?
Have you left room for unplanned opportunities?

15. From the basics to core components of stewardship…
The obvious:
Acknowledgement
Recognition
Accountability
Access
Celebrations

16. My Five “Plays”
1.) Stewardship plans must be integrated with cultivation and solicitation plans.
Create a dedicated portion of your strategy documents to build draft and then penultimate stewardship strategies.
Leverage your technology to house these plans.
Use the mechanics of the gift closure process to trigger immediate stewardship plan confirmation and intentional stewardship activities.

17. My Five “Plays”
2.) As often as possible, create stewardship plans that broaden and deepen donor’s relationships with people.
Establish direct contact between fund administrators and donors. This requires preparation and trust internally!
Prepare campus partners so they understand if they are the quarterback, goalie, power forward, or scrum-half.
Use technology, language, and imagery to your advantage
Use students! Use students! Use students!

18. My Five “Plays” 3.) Use your data and systems to your advantage.
Establish proactive working relationships with finance and budget officers. Were they aware of the solicitation? Do they appreciate their roles going forward?
Are stewardship staff equipped with early warning systems?
Do you track donor’s areas of interest and can you produce individualized communication in a mass communication approach?

19. My Five “Plays”
4.) Understand the strongest elements of your stewardship platform and funnel activity into those areas. Set expectations from the beginning!
Stewardship reports
Impact statements
Video messaging
Presidential phone calls
Volunteerism
Donors as extensions of our staff
Engagement with campus and board leadership

20. My Five “Plays”
5.) Let your campus’ distinctiveness (or “quirkiness”) shine through
Community days of service
New student orientation
Student newspaper
Interesting club or organization
Introduction to new faculty, staff, or administration
Less scripted…less formal…among the goals, “fun” can be near the top

22. Now it is a team sport Break into 2-person groups
Focus on your stewardship “system’s” strengths.
Answer the question: What is working really, really well within your system’s stewardship program and could be applied more effectively or broadly to current or prospective leadership-level donors?
You have ten minutes.
If there is time, a few groups will report out…

23. Now it is a team sport Break into 2-person groups
Focus on a specific donor who is in the cultivation or solicitation phase.
Answer the question: Starting tomorrow, what can you do to set the stage for a more impactful post-gift closure stewardship experience?
You have ten minutes.
If there is time, a few groups will report out…

24. Now it is a team sport
Answer the question: What is working really, really well within your system’s stewardship program and could be applied more effectively or broadly to current or prospective leadership-level donors?
Answer the question: Starting tomorrow, what can you do to set the stage for a more impactful post-gift closure stewardship experience?

25. Thank you
Did you achieve your goal?
Closing questions or comments?

26. Session evaluations will be emailed. Shane Jacobson jacobsons@Grinnell
Session evaluations will be ed. Shane