January Blues

by Jim C Hamil, Managing Principal

Traditionally January is a low-donation period for educational institutions and non-profit organizations, usually the month with the fewest donations and lowest total amount of pledges & cash. Many use this time for planning, however I see it is a valuable time to make stewardship visits thanking your donors for their gifts in the previous calendar year.

Stewardship calls are easy segue into cultivating towards a new gift... what better time to begin that process than in the first month of the year! Take with you something to demonstrate the impact of your donor's gift, whether it be pictures or even people. Better yet, if you are an institution ask them to meet you onsite for either a meal or tea/coffee so that they can see their impact first hand.

Remember, your best prospects are your well stewarded donors.

Jim C Hamil is the Managing Principal of The Corley-Hamil Group and has a combined 22 years of vast experience in institutional advancement and not-for-profit development with a consistent track record of exceeding goals. He is a pioneer in Proactive Stewardship in Institutional Advancement, conducting seminars and workshops on the subject from coast to coast.