Stewardship is a complex and contested term within civil society. It essentially refers to the relationship between an organisation and a supporter and how that relationship is managed. The term is relatively new in the UK, imported from the US, where it has been used as a by-word for ‘relationship marketing’, since the early 2000s. For some within the sector, stewardship involves guiding and pushing a supporter along a particular ‘supporter journey’, while for others it means responding to the wishes of individual supporters. The motivation for any kind of stewardship is to build a long-lasting and profitable relationship between a charity and a supporter.
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Christmas is always a nervous time for me. I love giving presents, but really, it’s not just about giving is it? It might be better to give than receive, but that doesn't mean receiving isn't important too.
Donor circles have been floating around a few US organisations for more than a decade, but can the major donor fundraising technique gain traction in the UK?
Advanced modeling techniques used by commercial organisations to keep customers can be readily adapted to reduce donor attrition, say Kevin Kibble and Chris Greenslade The fact that over 50 per cent of new regular giving recruits leave in the first year suggests there is huge potential for improvement in donor attrition.
When was the last time you took stock of every touchpoint you had with your supporters? I saw a really good blog recently about the fact that fundraising has not really changed over the past 120 years. It's true and while I am an advocate of doing things that work, I ften see lots of stuff that is downright dull. Crusty and old.
Our European neighbours appear to be doing well with cash giving. Tony Elischer asks if we should be seeing it in a new light and give donors more options during the recession No one needs to tell you that the pressure is now on. And it’s clear that everyone has heard the message about taking more time to track things, more regularly, using as much analysis as possible to understand what is really happening. The challenge is: what do you do with the answers? And, more importantly, do you have the knowledge, the skills, the ideas and the resources to make the appropriate response?
The concept of stewardship experienced a turbulent landing in the UK, but as more charities develop their donor care strategies, Celina Ribeiro asks is it finally taking off? They’re called cabin crew now, but back in the day aeroplane passengers were cared for by stewards. That steward would, within reason, tend to your wishes and concerns; bring you an extra gin and tonic, sell you over-priced duty-free, allay your aerophobia and, in the event of a crisis, help you exit the plane in a calm and timely manner.
In the November Issue of PF, Stephen George calls for our sector’s leaders to find a common voice and the commitment to promote legacy fundraising. At a time when disposable income is declining for many, investing in (the most) long-term fundraising shows surprising foresight for the charity sector. But there is much that can be done now to protect current income streams that we take for granted.
There is industry wide support for the development of a common definition of fundraising stewardship, according to the interim findings of a survey into the phenomenon.
Charities should be careful when using the term stewardship because it is the donors, not the fundraisers who are the stewards of the cause, according to a stewardship officer at the Church of England.
Fundraisers may talk about stewardship, but whether or not they understand it is set to become the focus of a new survey hoping to help pave the way for stewardship strategies in the future.
NSPCC has become the first charity to award a stewardship account to an agency in an attempt to keep improving its relationship with donors.
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