[NPFX Ep. 72] Donor Stewardship: Seeing the Person Behind the Donation (with Sami Zoss and Mikey Latner)
Good donor stewardship is rooted in human connection, where every donor is acknowledged regardless of the size of their contribution. In this episode, Sami Zoss sits down with Mikey Latner, founder of Project:Camp, to discuss how even the smallest nonprofit can create meaningful relationships with their supporters. Learn how Mikey makes his donors feel seen and appreciated, and how his passionate, human-centered stewardship transforms supporters into mission advocates. Listen here:
Episode highlights include:
- How stewardship can be done well, even at very small organizations.
- Why a hand-written thank you note is meaningful to both the donor AND the fundraiser.
- How a nonprofit continued to deliver personal stewardship even after tripling its donor database in a very short time.
- Why it’s important to animate your board before asking them to engage in fundraising and stewardship.
- The importance of acknowledging all forms of support, including volunteer time and smaller-sized donations.
- Why passion and experience with the mission makes fundraisers more effective.
- Using the telephone is still a powerful way to thank supporters.
Special Offer: Free 30-minute consultation for NPFX listeners
Additional Resources
- IPM's free Nonprofit Resource Library
- [NPFX] Donor Stewardship: Helping Donors Find Meaning through Philanthropy
- [NPFX] Meaningful Donor Relationships: The Key to Financial Stability
- [NPFX] Measuring More than Money: Why Donor Relationships Matter
- [Blog] The Secret to Keeping Your Donors Giving: Make Them Feel Special
- [Blog] Writing a Great Thank You Letter: The First Step in Successful Donor Stewardship
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Guests
Sami Zoss is the founder of Zoss Collaborations, a business solutions consulting firm specializing in nonprofit growth and operational efficiency. With an MBA in Finance and Marketing, Sami brings a wealth of expertise in donor engagement, technology integration, and strategic planning to her clients. Before founding Zoss Collaborations, Sami served as the COO and later as Acting CEO of the Dakota State University Foundation, where she led record-breaking fundraising campaigns and implemented innovative donor engagement strategies that significantly expanded DSU’s donor base. In addition to her work with educational institutions, she has been a dedicated volunteer with organizations like Camp Gilbert Inc., supporting children with Type 1 diabetes.
Mikey Latner is the executive director of Project:Camp. A former camp director with two decades of camp experience under his belt, Mikey founded Project:Camp with the idea that camp and childcare professionals have critical skills to offer in times of emergency. In developing their pop-up camp model, Mikey sought to use the structure of camp as a vehicle to bring joy, safety, and peace of mind to children and parents impacted by natural disasters. He hopes this work leads to a seismic shift in the disaster response ecosystem, creating a more holistic, trauma-informed and community-driven model that prioritizes the needs of families during emergencies.
Hosts
Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
Rich Frazier has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. In his roles as senior consultant with IPM Advancement and founder of VisionConnect LLC, Rich offers extensive understanding and knowledge in capital campaigns, fund development, strategic planning, and board of directors development.