In higher-ed fundraising today, the average donor retention rate sits around 40–46%, meaning most organizations are re-engaging less than half of their donors year over year. That means a large share of donors choose not to return each year, despite continued outreach and rising fundraising costs. This is where donor stewardship best practices make a measurable difference. Stewardship shapes how donors interpret their giving experience long after the transaction is complete.

Strong stewardship fundraising connects donor stewardship with everyday advancement work, from donor nurturing to long-term planning. When stewardship and fundraising are aligned, teams see clearer donor relations best practices take shape, fewer rushed conversations, and sustainable fundraising best practices overall. In this blog, we share practical approaches advancement teams use to strengthen donor relations, avoid common missteps, and steward donors well beyond a single campaign.

What is donor stewardship? 

Donor stewardship is how advancement teams take care of the relationship after a gift is made. It’s the work of acknowledging a donor’s support, showing how their gift was used, and staying in touch in ways that feel relevant and respectful.

In practice, stewardship is about follow-through. Donors gave because they trusted the institution. Stewardship is how that trust is maintained through timely thanks, clear reporting, and communication that keeps donors connected to the impact of their giving between campaigns.

When stewardship is done well, it quietly changes how advancement teams operate. Strong donor stewardship helps advancement teams:

• Spend less time repairing relationships: When donors feel informed and valued, gift officers aren’t constantly circling back to clarify confusion or smooth over missed follow-ups. Conversations start from a place of trust instead of catch-up.
  
• Have better, more grounded fundraising conversations: Stewardship creates context. When donors already understand how their last gift was used, future discussions feel like a continuation of a relationship, not a cold reset.
  
• Work more smoothly across teams: Good stewardship forces alignment between advancement, finance, and program partners. When everyone is clear on donor intent and follow-through, internal handoffs get easier.
  
• Spot long-term supporters earlier: Consistent stewardship makes it easier to see which donors are staying engaged over time. Those patterns often signal readiness for deeper involvement before a formal ask is even made.
  
• Build credibility inside the institution: When faculty and leadership see donors responding positively to clear updates and thoughtful follow-up, advancement is viewed less as a transactional function and more as a trusted partner.
  
• Reduce pressure around the next campaign: Teams that steward well aren’t scrambling to rebuild goodwill at the last minute. Donor relationships stay warm, which makes campaign planning calmer and more predictable.

10 Donor Stewardship best practices for advancement teams

When stewardship is done well, donors feel informed, respected, and genuinely included in the work. Over time, advancement teams find themselves coming back to a small set of practices that help relationships feel steady, thoughtful, and built to last. The following are the ones that tend to matter most: 

1. Thank donors quickly, but don’t rush the moment

A receipt within a day is expected. What stands out is a follow-up that reflects why the donor gave. For example, a short note that references a scholarship they care about or a call thanking them for supporting a specific department makes the acknowledgment feel intentional, not automatic. Over time, these small signals shape whether donors feel known or just processed.

2. Be clear about what comes next

Donors shouldn’t wonder when they’ll hear from you again. Even a simple line like “you’ll receive a brief update at the end of the semester” sets expectations. When teams do this consistently, stewardship feels dependable rather than ad hoc, and donors are less likely to follow up seeking clarity.

3. Let the relationship shape the stewardship

A first-time annual donor may benefit from a short orientation-style update about how gifts are typically used. A long-time donor supporting a program, on the other hand, may appreciate a deeper update or a personal check-in. Adjusting stewardship to the relationship shows awareness and prevents communication from feeling mismatched.

4. Keep donor context easy for teams to access

When a donor has already shared preferences or concerns, those details should be visible to anyone engaging with them. For example, if a donor prefers email over calls or wants updates focused on students rather than facilities, that context helps avoid missteps and repetition. It also allows different teams to sound aligned instead of disconnected.

5. Bring real program insight into donor updates

A brief quote from a faculty member or program lead can add clarity that a polished summary can’t. For instance, a line explaining how a grant is being phased over multiple semesters helps donors understand timelines and decisions more clearly. These details reassure donors that their support is being managed thoughtfully.

6. Explain progress, even when it’s incremental

Not every update needs a big win. If a research project is still in early stages or a program rollout is taking longer than planned, explaining why builds credibility. Donors tend to trust institutions more when progress is explained honestly rather than framed only in positive language.

7. Stay present between formal reports

Formal reports often come once or twice a year, but smaller moments happen in between. Sharing a short note about a student milestone or a pilot program launch keeps donors connected without overwhelming them. These touchpoints make stewardship feel ongoing rather than episodic.

8. Respect how donors want to be recognized

Some donors appreciate public acknowledgment, while others prefer privacy. For example, listing a donor publicly who requested anonymity can cause lasting discomfort. Taking the time to confirm and honor recognition preferences shows care and prevents avoidable strain in the relationship.

9. Make room for donor feedback

After sharing a report or update, a simple question like “Was this helpful?” can go a long way. Over time, these small check-ins help teams refine what they share and how they share it. This keeps stewardship responsive instead of fixed.

10. Let stewardship stand on its own

Reaching out without an ask matters. For example, sharing a program update or thanking a donor for continued interest without linking to a campaign reinforces that the relationship isn’t only about giving. Donors who feel valued outside of solicitation cycles tend to stay engaged longer.

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Common donor stewardship mistakes advancement teams should avoid

Stewardship usually slips when small gaps add up over time. These are some of the patterns advancement teams often run into as programs grow, systems get busier, and donor expectations continue to rise: 

1. Little input from program, academic teams and donors

Stewardship is strongest when it reflects what’s actually happening on the ground and evolves based on how donors respond. Without regular input from faculty or program leads, updates tend to stay high-level and miss the details donors care about. And when advancement teams share updates without asking what was useful, confusing, or unnecessary, stewardship stays static even as donor expectations change.

2. Treating all donors the same

Not every donor needs the same type of update or level of detail. When stewardship looks identical across donor groups, it ignores giving history, intent, and relationship depth and makes communication feel generic.

3. Fragmented Donor information

When donor details live in multiple tools or personal notes, stewardship loses context. Donors notice when messages don’t reflect past conversations, preferences, or recent engagement. This usually shows up as repetition or disconnect, not obvious errors.

4. Planning stewardship after the gift

If follow-up plans aren’t discussed at the time of the ask, teams scramble later. Clear expectations around updates, timelines, and involvement make stewardship easier to deliver and easier for donors to trust.

5. Asking for another gift too soon

Momentum matters, but so does pacing. When the next ask arrives before donors have seen the impact of their last gift, it can feel rushed. Stewardship works best when there’s a visible pause for acknowledgment, learning, and shared progress before moving back into solicitation.

‍6. Infrequent impact reporting

Impact reporting tends to suffer when updates are either too broad or too far apart. Donors want to understand what moved forward because of their gift not months later, and not in abstract terms. Specific, timely updates help reinforce the connection between support and outcomes.

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Quick checks to see if stewardship is actually working

• Can any team member explain a donor’s last update in one sentence? If not, stewardship is likely happening, but not clearly.
  
  
• Do donors ever reply with “thanks for the update” or ask a follow-up question? Silence isn’t always bad, but consistent non-response is a signal worth noticing.
  
  
• Are stewardship updates easy to resend or reference later? If updates don’t stand on their own, they’re hard to reuse and easy to forget.
  
  
• Does stewardship slow down during busy fundraising months?  If yes, it’s probably treated as optional rather than essential.
  
  
• Can you point to one change made because of donor feedback? If not, stewardship may be static instead of responsive.

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How Almabase helps advancement teams deliver exceptional donor stewardship

Effective donor stewardship depends on context. When engagement data is spread across systems, even well-intentioned follow-up becomes inconsistent. Almabase brings donor engagement into one place, making it easier for advancement teams to steward relationships with clarity and continuity.

By centralizing giving history, event participation, and communication data, teams can see how donors are engaging beyond a single gift. That shared view helps stewardship feel informed rather than transactional, especially as portfolios and programs grow.

This context stays accurate through a direct sync with Raiser’s Edge NXT. Donor records update automatically, reducing manual work and ensuring stewardship efforts are based on current information instead of partial or outdated data.

Almabase also simplifies how teams share impact. Clear, well-designed communication and impact pages make it easier to show donors how their support is being used, without adding extra complexity to already full workflows.

Stewardship works best when it’s consistent. Almabase supports year-round touchpoints that help teams stay connected with donors between campaigns and reporting cycles, while still leaving room for personal outreach when it matters.

Beyond individual updates, Almabase helps strengthen donor connection through community and affinity tools. These spaces support shared identity and belonging, which often deepen long-term engagement.

Over time, actionable reports help teams understand what’s resonating and where stewardship can improve. Instead of guessing, advancement teams can refine their approach based on how donors actually engage.

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Curious how this looks in practice? Your own personalized demo can give you a clearer sense of how Almabase supports thoughtful, year-round donor stewardship.

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About the author

‍Sharada is a freelance blogger and communication trainer who loves exploring the intersection of education and training. When not working, she enjoys reading and dabbling in calligraphy.

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