Donor-Centered Fundraising

Michael Rosen, CFRE, has written an interesting piece on his blog about his five most popular posts. The five posts tackle slightly different subjects but all focus on one common issue: donor-centered fundraising.

I’m not surprised – at all. Technology is growing and fundraising is becoming more specialized, but the heart of our work remains the same: respect for the donor and good stewardship.

You’d think that was simple but we all know how easy it is to forget during the hustle of our daily life. We’ve got to be able to step back at key moments of the day and ask ourselves, is this really good for our donors? Are we being good stewards of their expectations, their time and their money?”

Stewardship is something we have to emphasize and make time for. Because fundraising is about making and strengthening connections—being a good steward.

I’d like to know more about how you “practice” stewardship in your organization? Is it something you schedule or talk about with your staff and colleagues? Is it just ingrained into your operations, or do you consciously think about stewardship?