Stewardship: The Power of Connection

Above photo: Laura Alpert and Rick Doane connected over the value of a simple phone call.

When serendipity connected two AFP members, it created a new way of looking at fundraising

In May 2022, while attending the AFP ICON conference in Las Vegas, Rick Doane, executive director of Interfaith Social Services in Massachusetts, learned about using the platform Fundraise Up, and how applying an old-school interface—like making phone calls—could increase the number of monthly donors for an organization.

The conference confirmed for Doane a best practice he’d been doing for years: calling donors to thank them personally. When he returned home, Interfaith switched its platform to Fundraise Up and used it successfully for a new appeal for monthly donors. In August, when Doane was recovering at home from COVID-19, he decided that he felt well enough to make a phone call to its first official monthly donor through this new appeal.

What he didn’t know, at the time, was how close this donor actually was.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Laura Alpert, chief advancement office for MAB Community Services, is originally from Massachusetts, and when she moved back, she had a lot of transitions going on in her life. As a result, she reached out to a local organization to see a counselor.

That organization was Interfaith Social Services, and Alpert lived in an apartment right across the street.

“I also started learning about Interfaith, and I thought it was a great organization. I bought some clothes from there and donated some books,” Alpert says. So, when she received a nice email asking her to consider becoming a monthly donor, she thought, “Why not?”

Having personally benefited from their services—as well as being in the fundraising business—Alpert signed up. She received a friendly thank-you email, which is the norm.

Alpert was stunned, though, when she not only received a phone call thanking her for becoming a monthly donor but found out that the man making it was the head of the nonprofit. “Oh my goodness! The executive director took time to call me—that’s a big deal,” she recalls thinking. “He took the time, while he was sick—presumably at home huddled under a blanket shivering—to pick up the phone and thank me,” she recalls. She couldn’t believe it because she knows, from using its services, that Interfaith is a small organization.

“I was impressed that they were taking the time and following up with a donor,” Alpert says. “I also liked the look and feel and sound of gratitude of the ‘thank-you’ email. I loved the conversation with Rick. Because I’m an advancement professional myself, I could see the work and care that went into the process—where they made everything easy to do.”

Adds Doane: “She was the first person to donate in our new monthly giving platform. We put it out there in the world, and the first person to click was Laura.” He now makes phone calls to everyone who becomes a monthly donor, no matter the size of their contribution. “It still surprises people that I’m calling them.”

There are reasons he makes these calls. “We use the term ‘steward’ a lot in fundraising. That idea of ‘stewardship’—what it means is these funds have been entrusted to us. These donors have entrusted us with their donation, and we want to let them know that we appreciate it, and we are going to use it to help the most number of people possible,” Doane explains. “One of the main reasons we make phone calls is because, for us, it feels like the right thing to do. Second, it is to build relationships. We have many donors who don’t want to go out to lunch, who don’t want to get a coffee. But they love a quick phone call to hear about what’s going on.”

Practical Partnerships

During the course of their initial conversation, Alpert complimented Doane on his new monthly donor campaign; they learned that they were both AFP members and that Alpert lived right across the street from Interfaith.

They’ve continued to share information with each other and believe that other AFP members should as well. Regarding the importance of networking and building relationships, Alpert says it’s crucial. “We do this work because we find it meaningful. I don’t know anybody who does this work who isn’t a very committed, mission-driven human being who wants to make a difference,” she explains. “So you meet other like-minded people and that, in itself, is satisfying. You can talk shop and learn from each other. You can appreciate the value of what each other does. I think we’re just stronger together.”

Doane agrees. “It’s also part of self-care. In the nonprofit world, there’s so much burnout and potential for burnout that being able to get together with people with similar experiences—it helps you feel a part of something bigger,” he says.

Doing this also helps break down some of the walls—or just the perception—of competition. “There’s enough money out there for everybody,” says Doane. Creating relationships also helps fundraising professionals to understand that sharing their information will work well in the long run. “If you are talking with somebody, they become real, and they’re no longer a threat. Until you have a personal connection with somebody, it might feel like they’re the competition. But when you see that they are just as committed as you are—and that, ultimately, we’re all in this to help others—the walls crumble.”

Importance Of Collaboration

Working together matters. Alpert believes this wholeheartedly, as many people in nonprofit and fundraising are working on similar societal issues. “You might be doing something really well that we need to learn from,” she says. “My group might be doing something well that you all need to learn from. We may be able to partner together and actually secure more funding or volunteers or have a greater impact, and that’s what it’s about.”

Doane points out that many times in grant applications, there is a question asking, “How are you collaborating with other nonprofits or with the community?” “It’s something that funders want,” he says. “They want to hear how their favorite charities are working together, and how they are getting along. It makes them feel better about giving to both of us.”

But there’s more. “You can talk about collaboration, but it’s when you go out and actively share information, when you talk about best practices—without fear of repercussions, because it’s the right thing to do—that’s what a community really is,” Doane says.

While they had spoken on the phone a number of times, Alpert and Doane first met in person on the day they did this interview. “But we feel that we have a good connection and a good relationship,” Doane says.

If you’re wondering how to connect more, Alpert has suggestions. “Donate to other nonprofits, volunteer, be on boards and committees. Go to AFP events. Stay connected. Make a difference,” she says. “Having been a donor, a volunteer, a service recipient, an employee, a leader, it all adds value to my experience and lets me see things from many different sides. Reach out to people on LinkedIn. I reach out to people, and it works a lot of the time. What you get back is so meaningful.”