Stewardship is a critical component of the donor’s relationship with your organization.  It is common for major gift donors to receive significant stewardship and attention about their $10M or $10,000 gift, for example.  The donor will hear how the money was used, what impact it had, etc.  But what about the $10 donor?  While illustrating the impact of a $10 gift can be much more challenging, it may be more critical to renewing the annual donor than stewardship is to renewing the already committed major gift prospect.  Here’s an example of an organization successfully stewarding $10 donors…

During the most recent men’s NCAA basketball championship more commonly known as March Madness, Citizen Effect, a Washington, DC based entrepreneurial nonprofit that provides citizens with the tools and management they need to complete a small but critical philanthropic project, ran a unique fundraising campaign.

How did it work?

Participants donated $10, filled out a bracket and became eligible to win prizes… more interestingly, the winner of the competition got to select the Citizen Effect project which would receive the generated funds.

The campaign was well-received and well-executed. So why do I mention March Madness to you now… in May? Because of the follow-up email below. This is a great illustration of how one can truly make giving and impact tangible to even a $10 donor. Kudos Citizen Effect!