Change Your Outlook on Donor Stewardship
Olivia Hairfield
Published: 06/02/2025
Creating and maintaining meaningful donor relationships establishes a strong foundation for any fundraising program. Effective donor stewardship, where supporters feel genuinely valued and connected to your cause, can make a big difference when a donor
decides what organization to support. Sarah Sexton of Sexton Strategies recommends changing your perspective on stewardship and adopting a campaign mindset to improve donor engagement and retention. It is best practice during a campaign
to connect with a donor at least seven times between asks. Applying this outlook to stewardship with the Seven Touches strategy can help your relationships with donors thrive.
The Seven Touches Principle Explained
The Seven Touches principle is grounded in marketing and psychology, particularly the mere exposure effect. This effect suggests people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are more familiar with them through repeated exposure.
In sales, it’s the concept that a potential customer must interact with the brand at least seven times before committing to purchase. In practice for fundraising, consistently and meaningfully reaching out to your donors inspires a deeper connection.
The primary goal of the Seven Touches’ approach is to increase the frequency of donor interactions. In a campaign mindset, you might approach a donor for an annual gift, event sponsorship, match to a challenge, and a conversation about a planned
gift commitment over the course of a year. The Seven Touches framework provides a structure to apply that practice to stewardship.
Setting a Baseline for Your Donor Stewardship
Before implementing the Seven Touches approach, it's important to know where you currently stand. Take time to reflect on your existing donor stewardship efforts. Try this exercise to help: Identify a major or transformational donor and consider how many
times and in what ways has your organization engaged with this individual in the past three months. You’ll discover your current baseline and identify areas for improvement.
Ensure Quality Connections
While frequency is important, the quality of each interaction is equally vital. Impactful stewardship touches should either be personal or demonstrate organizational impact. Combining personal elements with organizational achievements can create a powerful
and memorable stewardship touch. These interactions show donors that we see them as individuals, not just sources of funding. Personal touches might include:
- Congratulating a donor on a personal achievement.
- Acknowledging their birthday.
- Expressing hope for their recovery after a health issue.
Organizational impact touches could involve:
- Sharing an impact report.
- Highlighting a recent accreditation.
- Showcasing a news article featuring your organization.
Implementing the Seven Touches Attitude
Use these steps when you are getting started with the framework:
- Identify Communication Channels: Establish at least seven different channels for donor communication. These could include emails, phone calls, in-person visits, newsletters, social media updates, impact reports, and personalized
thank-you notes.
- Create a Communication Plan: Develop a structured plan that outlines when and how each touchpoint will occur. Ensure that this plan is flexible enough to accommodate spontaneous opportunities for engagement.
- Personalize Interactions: Tailor each touch to the individual donor's preferences and past interactions with your organization. Use the information you have gathered about their interests and contributions to make each touch meaningful.
- Leverage Organizational Achievements: Regularly update donors on the impact of their contributions. Highlight significant milestones, success stories, and future goals that their support is helping to achieve.
- Solicit Feedback: Engage donors in two-way communication. Ask for their input on your programs and listen to their suggestions. This type of communication makes them feel valued and can provide valuable insights for your organization.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your stewardship efforts. Track which touches resonate most with donors and adjust your strategies accordingly.
How You Benefit
Adopting a campaign mindset for donor stewardship can significantly enhance your fundraising efforts. When you connect with donors more often, and in more meaningful ways, you start building stronger, lasting relationships. That kind of consistent engagement helps donors feel appreciated and connected to your mission, increasing donor retention. It also brings your team together around shared goals, making your efforts more coordinated and effective. Ultimately, by fostering deeper relationships, you are better positioned to secure repeat gifts and larger contributions, driving long-term success.