How do you create a culture of gratitude and stewardship in your organization?

1 Define your values

The first step is to define what gratitude and stewardship mean for your organization and how they align with your mission, vision, and values. You can involve your stakeholders in this process by asking for their feedback, conducting surveys, or hosting focus groups. Once you have a clear and shared understanding of your values, you can communicate them internally and externally, and integrate them into your policies, procedures, and practices.

2 Recognize and appreciate

The second step is to recognize and appreciate the contributions of your donors, volunteers, staff, and partners on a regular basis. You can do this by sending personalized thank-you notes, making phone calls, sharing success stories, highlighting achievements, hosting events, or giving awards. You can also use various channels, such as email, social media, newsletters, or website, to showcase your gratitude and appreciation. The key is to be sincere, specific, and timely, and to match your recognition and appreciation with the preferences and expectations of your stakeholders.

3 Report and engage

The third step is to report and engage your donors, volunteers, staff, and partners on the impact of their support and involvement. You can do this by providing clear and transparent reports, sharing data and stories, inviting feedback, soliciting input, offering opportunities, or creating communities. You can also use different formats, such as infographics, videos, podcasts, or webinars, to report and engage your stakeholders. The key is to be relevant, informative, and inspiring, and to show how your gratitude and stewardship lead to positive outcomes and change.

4 Train and model

The fourth step is to train and model gratitude and stewardship for your staff and volunteers. You can do this by providing orientation, coaching, mentoring, or workshops on the best practices and strategies of gratitude and stewardship. You can also set expectations, monitor performance, give feedback, or reward excellence on gratitude and stewardship. The key is to be consistent, supportive, and accountable, and to demonstrate gratitude and stewardship in your own actions and behaviors.

5 Evaluate and improve

The fifth step is to evaluate and improve your gratitude and stewardship efforts. You can do this by measuring the results, impact, and satisfaction of your gratitude and stewardship activities. You can also collect feedback, analyze data, identify gaps, or implement changes to improve your gratitude and stewardship processes. The key is to be data-driven, responsive, and adaptive, and to use gratitude and stewardship as a tool for learning and growth.

6 Celebrate and renew

The sixth step is to celebrate and renew your gratitude and stewardship culture. You can do this by acknowledging the achievements, milestones, and successes of your organization and your stakeholders. You can also express your gratitude and stewardship in creative, fun, and memorable ways, such as sending gifts, cards, or videos. The key is to be festive, joyful, and authentic, and to use gratitude and stewardship as a way to strengthen and renew your relationships and commitments.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?