May 2017 Member Spotlight

Name:  Scott S. Eichinger

Institution: National Park Foundation

Position: Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship

ADRP member for 3 years

How long have you worked in donor relations/stewardship and how did you get involved in this profession?

I’ve more or less been doing some type of donor relations/stewardship work for my professional career spanning the past 18 years. I started by answering the donor phone line for a theatre company, fixing their donor records, helping them with tickets, and resending acknowledgments and tax receipts. Each position I’ve held since that first job has had an increasing amount of donor relations/stewardship responsibility.

Could you tell us something about the organization you work for?

America’s national parks have a long history with philanthropy. From the earliest days of the parks and the National Park Service, citizens and organizations have come together to protect our natural wonders and preserve our shared history for current and future generations. In continuing that tradition, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. We work directly with the National Park Service to enrich parks and park programs through private support. And, in 2017, we’re celebrating 50 years of doing this important work.

What do you like most about being a member of the ADRP?

ADRP has been a great resource for me when I get stuck on a project, or need inspiration from super talented colleagues.  

What is your greatest donor relations/stewardship achievement?

I'm particularly proud of the donor engagement program I created for the National Park Foundation. The greatest way for us to inspire donors to support national parks is to bring them to the parks. Named Point of Interest, our program invites donors to visit these places that embody a spirit of exploration, discovery, understanding, and reflection. Donors are invited to join small groups on ranger-led hikes to explore the parks in ways they may not when they visit on their own and to learn how philanthropy has made an impact on our national parks. The donors get to meet other donors, explore the parks, and have a moment of recognition for their contribution to our national parks. The parks we choose to visit as part of our Point of Interest program are selected based on a high concentration of donors nearby and parks where the National Park Foundation and donor support have made an impact. An example is Pinnacles National Park, south of Silicon Valley, where donor support has helped the National Park Service and partner organizations rehabilitate and revitalize the native California Condor population.

What is the most important professional goal you are currently pursuing, i.e., attaining a degree, preparing to give a presentation, launching an initiative at work or in your community, etc.?

Helping the National Park Foundation keep the strong momentum going for our Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks is top of mind right now. I look forward to continuing to grow and develop our donor relations and stewardship program at the National Park Foundation. 2016 was the centennial of the National Park Service; now we're looking forward to the next century of our national parks, and stewardship of our donors who make transformational gifts in support of the parks.

How big a role does the use of social media play in your work?

The National Park Foundation’s social media (Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook) is centered on building a community of park lovers and advocates, engaging a community of vocal supporters. People are frequently commenting, retweeting, reposting, sharing their experiences, etc. You'll notice a broad range of posts about the parks, including ways that individuals can support the parks.

Most of the National Park Foundation’s principal gift announcements are included in social media. From the creation of new national park sites like Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (a gift from philanthropist Roxanne Quimby), to restoring parks like Lincoln Memorial (renovations supported by David Rubenstein’s patriotic philanthropy), people share this content and add that they are proud supporters themselves. 

A key component of the centennial celebrations was the launch of Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque, inspiring people to discover their unique connections to parks. Whether it is a western scenic park, a civil war battlefield, or other cultural or historic sites, there is a park for everyone. And maybe it's the small municipal park down the block from your home or workplace. We launched Find Your Park and it quickly become a movement.

Is there a resource, i.e., book, blog, website, etc., that you would recommend to other ADRP members?

Speaking of social media, I love to follow The Whiny Donor and Yoda, CFRJ. Their tweets are small reminders for us to do simple things to keep our donors connected to the work we’re doing. I’m always on the lookout for new books or articles to read and skim.

The front-line fundraisers at the National Park Foundation love to share our National Park Foundation blog posts with donors. It’s an easy way for us to share content. A simple note and quick link from us keeps our work at the top of the donor’s mind.  

What is the best piece of professional advice you have ever received?

You can’t do it all! Work on what will do the most good for your donors and organization. Another thing, and I don't remember who said it, is “Be an Excellentist.” Perfection is great, but we can’t always get there. The pressure to be a perfectionist can be daunting, draining, and disheartening. So be excellent!

Are there any particular stories, insights, etc., from your experiences in donor relations and stewardship that you would like to share with our colleagues?

Whenever I talk to someone and say, "I work for the National Park Foundation," they immediately respond, "I love the parks!" and launch into telling me stories of multi-generational family trips, camping trip mishaps, seeing bison and bears for the first time, etc. And then they say, "thank you." I am so lucky that I get to share these stories with our donors. When I'm meeting with donors, I get to tell them the stories I've heard, and I get to thank them on behalf of everyone, the American people. It's pretty amazing!