The Big Push: Dial back the asking?

For those of us working for organizations with July-June fiscal year calendars, mid-May through June 30 can be one of the most misunderstood times of the year. One the one hand its time to confirm participatory gifts and remind our most generous donors of their outstanding fiscal year pledges, but its also one of the best times to conduct thoughtful, personalized stewardship, and remind those existing donors - you know, those who give during the other 46 weeks of the year - how important they are to your organization's success.

I imagine that a fundraiser who's giving 110% to secure fiscal year end gifts finds significantly decreased marginal production for each additional 1% beyond (say) 85% effort. Reallocating some fraction of the day (perhaps as much as 20%) to pure stewardship, calling existing donors to say thank you for making the fiscal year a success, and engaging them in conversations about their next gift, the year ahead for the organization, summer events, etc., might be the wiser course of action. Let's face it, most donors are not receiving additional thank you calls in the late spring - we're all engaged in the "big push" - so setting your organization apart as a thoughtful steward of donor resources during an otherwise high-solicitation period gets you noticed. Your donors will likely be more appreciative knowing that his/her support is valued by your organization, will be more likely to open your mail and "self cultivate", and (ultimately) increase and renew their support in the coming year.