4 stewardship principles to deepen donor relationships

As we head into the season of gratitude and year-end campaigns, I’m reminded of a recent conversation I had with an advancement leader. Like many of us, she shared how her team feels overwhelmed by the pressure to bring in more dollars this year, and how their year-end campaign needs to succeed to stay on track for their FY25 goals. We discussed different strategies her team would incorporate this year, including focusing on what happens after the gift: donor stewardship.

Strong stewardship can make the difference between a donor who gives once and one who stays with you for years. I think back to a time when I donated to an organization and never heard anything back from them besides their generic “thanks for your gift” email. I never donated to them again because it didn’t feel like my gift made much of a difference. Research shows that donors who receive proper stewardship are more likely to give again.

In this blog I’ll discuss how incorporating more stewardship in your program will help keep donors engaged and dollars coming in.

Four Pillars of Effective Stewardship

1. Strong stewardship is more than just ‘thank you’

Sending thank-you messages after a campaign is essential, but real stewardship goes further. It’s about making donors feel seen, valued, and appreciated so they’re motivated to keep giving. Each stewardship effort should be personalized and reflect what makes the donor’s gift special. Think outside the box—try a handwritten note from a student, a call from a team member, or a personalized video. The more authentic, creative, and timely your gratitude, the more it will have on your donors.

2. Impactful storytelling makes the difference

People want to feel like they’re making a difference when they donate—that’s where storytelling shines in stewardship. Real stories show real impact better than any appeal messaging could. I always encourage teams to reduce the emphasis on generic reports and fundraising numbers and instead find engaging ways to tell stories from their campus. Show a student talking about how a scholarship changed their life, interview a professor about a donor-funded research project, or do a before-and-after photo series of a renovated space.

3. Stewardship should be year-round and not campaign-based

Just as stewardship is more than a thank you message, it’s also more than a single moment in a campaign cycle. By making stewardship a year-round prioritization for your team, you keep donors engaged outside of the standard donation requests and make them feel like true partners in your mission. Consider hosting exclusive events, sending regular updates from institutional leadership, or creating opportunities for donors to participate in meaningful activities, like student meet-and-greets, campus tours, or behind-the-scenes updates that make them feel directly connected to the mission.

4. Keep your donor database regularly updated

More often than not, I see advancement teams struggle to keep their donor database up to date. But this is one of the most crucial steps for maintaining strong stewardship. A regularly updated, accessible database with every donor touchpoint (interaction, visits, donations, conversations, and more) tracked helps your team succeed and forms the foundation for best-in-class stewardship.

What to do next

If there’s one thing you should take away from this, it’s that stewardship isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for fundraising success. With all the pressure facing advancement leaders, stewardship often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. But even small actions can make a big difference in your donor relationships. Here are some practical steps your team can take to strengthen stewardship today:

1.  Assess your current stewardship efforts: Look at how stewardship fits into your engagement plan. When and how are donors being stewarded? What’s working, and what could be better?
2. Collect impact stories: Identify a few current students, projects, or programs that have benefited from donor support in recent years. Create compelling content—videos, photos, graphics—that shows the real difference donors are making.
3. Tidy up your database: Keep your CRM updated regularly and assign clear responsibilities. Audit donor records and track key interactions to personalize outreach.

Budgeting for next year will be here before you know it and implementing some changes now will set your team up for future success. And remember, it’s not just about the dollars raised—it’s about the relationships you build. By prioritizing stewardship, you can turn one-time gifts into lifelong support and inspire donors to stay with you every step of the way.