Donor retention is a significant challenge facing charities today with the average charity losing at least half of their donors year-over-year. While acquiring new donors is important, it can cost five times more to attract a new supporter than it does to retain an existing one. Building strong donor relationships through intentional stewardship is one of the most effective ways to improve retention, strengthen donor loyalty, and create more sustainable fundraising results.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to build an industry-leading stewardship program, no matter the size of your organization, budget, or fundraising team. Effective stewardship is more than thanking donors! It’s about creating thoughtful experiences that help supporters feel valued and deepen their connection to your mission.

Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of:

• Stewardship best practices and the principles that help build donor loyalty and long-term engagement
• How to calculate and interpret donor retention rates—a key fundraising metric and an important indicator of stewardship effectiveness
• Real-life examples of simple, creative, and effective stewardship initiatives that organizations of all sizes can implement
• How to build and use a stewardship matrix to stay organized and create a well-rounded stewardship experience for donors at every giving level

Workshop Details

suitable for: Staff in small to mid-sized charities who are looking for practical tools and strategies to build a strong, effective and simple stewardship program that will increase your donor retention rate and delight your donors.
commitment: 2 hours
workshop size: maximum of 12
format: this workshop is held over Zoom and a video connection is preferred (but not mandatory) for attendance
investment: $75 per participant* 

*The New School of Fundraising is committed to reducing barriers to access our programming. If you are unable to pay a registration fee please reach out directly to Rowena at rowena [at] nsof [dot] ca to discuss options.