In this episode the team from The Catalyst Co.—Erica Soto, Veronica Kim, and Amie Echeverria—demystify one of fundraising's most critical yet misunderstood practices: donor stewardship. True stewardship is about caring for donors in thoughtful, intentional ways that build genuine relationships over time. The team shares that many lapsed donors were never properly acknowledged or asked to give again—evidence that basic stewardship failures, not donor fatigue, are often behind lost relationships. True stewardship can create belonging and transform transactional giving into community partnership.
We explore practical systems that make consistent stewardship sustainable rather than overwhelming. The team emphasizes starting with a clear assessment of your organization's current reality—examining donor data, communication flows, and team capacity before building ambitious plans. They introduce essential tools including gift entry flows, giving tables for segmenting donors, stewardship calendars for planning touchpoints, and their Donor Love Audit. The message is clear: effective stewardship doesn't require perfection or expensive gestures—it requires human connection, consistent rhythm, and clean systems that free fundraisers to focus on relationships rather than drowning in administrative chaos.
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This Episode Brought to You by:
Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.
The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.
Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw
Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.
Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/
Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.
Speakers
Samantha Swaim
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/
Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies
Kristin Steele
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/
Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies
The Cause Catalyst Co.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-cause-catalyst-co
| RESOURCES |
Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/
Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/
Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam
Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling
Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/
Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book
Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies
Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
Connect with The Cause Catalyst Co.: https://www.thecausecatalystco.com/
Free Tools + Templates from The Cause Catalyst Co.: https://www.thecausecatalystco.com/resources
The Fundraising Elevator Podcast with Erica Soto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRc45VbitSs
The Stewardship Intensive Part 1: https://swaimstrategies.substack.com/p/webinar-day-1-the-stewardship-intensive
The Stewardship Intensive Part 2:
https://swaimstrategies.substack.com/p/webinar-day-2-the-stewardship-intensive
Connect with Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw
Connect with DonorDock: https://www.donordock.com/
Connect with Little Green Light: https://www.littlegreenlight.com/
| TRAINING OPPORTUNITY |
Looking to dive into Donor Stewardship? The Stewardship Reset Series with Cause Catalyst kicks of January 27th. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2kWYBYlzT-ipLgQEMOiosg#/registration
