Category: Donor Relationships

Cultivation Versus Stewardship: What You Need To Know

Strong donor relationships aren’t built through transactions—they’re built on trust, alignment, and meaningful human connection. Cultivation invites donors in. Stewardship makes them want to stay. Master both, and your donors will feel seen, valued, and inspired to keep giving.

Your donors are not ATMs. Even when you don’t intend it, rushed or generic outreach can feel transactional. Donors are people with passions that align with your mission. Treat cultivation and stewardship as the human side of fundraising—not a series of administrative tasks.

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Cultivation Versus Stewardship: What You Need To Know

Getting Donors To Respond: The Art of Pleasant Persistence

Fundraising has a reputation problem. For many people, it conjures images of awkward follow-ups, unanswered emails, and the uncomfortable feeling of “bothering” someone for money. But effective fundraising isn’t about pressure—it’s about connection, clarity, and consistency. The best fundraisers aren’t pushy; they’re pleasantly persistent.

So, what does that actually mean?

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Getting Donors To Respond: The Art of Pleasant Persistence

Why Motivation Matters In Building Authentic Donor Relationships

As we were discussing hiring their first ever Director of Development, a client asked why it’s considered unethical for a fundraiser not to get a percentage of what they raise. Someone coming from a more corporate background may see it as a no-brainer to compensate a fundraiser for what they raised because in sales that’s the norm. However, fundraisers who belong to AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) sign a code of ethics, which includes the following statement: Support fair and equitable compensation, which may include bonuses or merit pay in line with organizational practices but may never be based on a percentage of funds raised.

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Why Motivation Matters In Building Authentic Donor Relationships

Here Comes Fall! Is Your Fundraising Ready?

Yes, I’m one of “those people” who look forward to the fall season. Cooler weather, warm fireplaces, and hot drinks – what’s not to love about autumn?

That also includes the fall fundraising season. We know September-October are the best asking times of the year. Followed by November-December as the best giving times. Fall is more than pumpkin spice lattes, apple pies, and back-to-school routines. It’s a launchpad for year-end giving. And continuing to engage your donors throughout the fall increases the likelihood they’ll stay connected through the giving season.

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Fear In Fundraising: Feeling It And Asking Anyway!

Fear, we all experience it. Large major gift campaigns instill fear into every one of us. We can accomplish all the tasks we assign ourselves — forming a compelling and urgent case, identifying the prospective donors, recruiting the leadership, developing a solid plan…but success boils down to asking donors for financial investment.

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Tips For Sunny, Springtime Funder Visits

Aah, May! Flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. The sky is bluer and the grass greener. And hopefully, your organization is slowing down a bit to celebrate a few award notifications at the close of a busy spring grants cycle. During the late spring or early summer months, because schedules are calmer, you might consider inviting existing or prospective funders to visit for an agency tour or coffee date. These “just because” visit invitations are great ways to try and nurture relationships outside of presenting an ask (don’t forget to add your major donors to the mix!).

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Where are the Elusive New Donors?

I recently had a Board member ask how their organization can find new donors – if Let’s Build Hope had a list of people at our office who tend to give money. Um, no, we do not.

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