2A | Tapas Talks - Principal Donor Stewardship

Wednesday, Sept 30
1:15 - 2:15 PM

A "Tapas Talk" hour groups three different presenters by topic. Each will address the given topic from a unique perspective. Attendees can expect to see three shorter, thought-provoking presentations followed by time for facilitator-led discussion.

The following three Tapas Talks presenters are not necessarily listed in the order in which they will present. 

Experience Level
Suitable for all levels

Shop Size
Suitable for any size shop 

The Lost Middle - How to Reach Significant Current-Use Donors Through Stewardship

This session focuses on how to steward donors who give current-use (or fully spendable) gifts at a level well above annual fund donors but not at the same level as endowment donors. These donors are often overlooked in stewardship reporting because their gifts fall in the middle of two very different types of donors. Annual fund touches aren't enough to thank these donors for their extraordinary generosity but many do not give at a level that is high enough to report alongside endowment funds.

At Georgetown University, we created an annual report that is tailored to our very generous current-use donors. This session focuses on how we approached reporting to this significant but often overlooked segment of donors and the lessons learned throughout the process of incorporating this new stewardship piece into our annual reporting cycle.

Megan Connolly

Megan Connolly is the Associate Director for Stewardship at Georgetown University. Megan manages the stewardship for all faculty, medical center, and library funds at the university. She leads reporting on current-use funds and, alongside her stewardship colleagues, is involved at every step in the annual endowment reporting project. She previously focused on donor recognition projects. She holds a B.A. in English from Mount Holyoke College. 

Top Ideas for our Top Donors

How do we better steward our most generous donors?  How do we partner with fundraisers to create stewardship that becomes cultivation for our biggest supporters? This session will explore creative ways to get personal with our top donors. Ideas will be shared on developing and enhancing a top donor program, the importance of timing, and learning to walk in our donors' shoes.  Join us for what we hope will be an inspiring, get-your-creative-juices-flowing session.  

Beth Ferlic

Beth Ferlic serves as the Assistant Director of Special Events & Stewardship at the University of Notre Dame. She manages a stewardship portfolio of the University's top donors, in addition to a "steward only" portfolio of donors. She manages the stewardship for fellowship donors and has a passion for telling the financial aid story. With a background in the arts, including work at the Seattle Symphony and a Masters in Ethnomusicology, she brings creativity and a passion for making meaningful experiences for donors. 

Practical Tools to Build a Strong Top Donor Stewardship Program

Your organization's top donors are very important!  In this session, gain valuable insight into a university's top donor stewardship program and learn how its strategies and tools can help any size shop maximize relationships with its most generous donors.  We will discuss individual stewardship plans, initiating a stewardship officer program, and using a donor audit to increase touches and provide meaningful and worthwhile experiences. Examples and tips will be presented along with practical steps that can be implemented in any organization.   

Rebekah Nowak

Rebekah Nowak is the associate director of donor relations at Northwestern University. She has been in this role for two years and has previously worked on the Reunions Team as well as for the McCormick School for Engineering and Applied Science. In her role, she works with the top donors to the University to steward past future gifts given during the campaign. Previous development experience comes from her time at the Newberry Library and Chicago Botanic Garden. Rebekah received her undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College and a masters degree in public service management from DePaul University.