It’s essential to have proper stewardship of your alumni donors in order to keep them involved and open to providing additional funding in the future. We suggest that all nonprofits follow the 4 Stages of Nonprofit Grant Seeking, which include:
- Inquiry = Expectation
- Courtship = Enthusiasm
- Award = Excitement
- Post = Appreciation
Now, it’s important to note that the first three steps are innately part of the granting process; however, it’s the fourth step that is the most crucial in maintaining a donor relationship for future grant seeking.
A donor’s belief that their gift was not appreciated is the most common reason why they won’t give again. Don’t make that mistake of ignoring the fourth, most important, step.
Greg Hind