donor-update

Donor Update Skill

Donor retention is cheaper than acquisition and runs on one feeling: my gift mattered and I'm appreciated.

A stewardship update delivers that — thank them sincerely, show the concrete impact of their support, and make

them feel part of the work, without immediately asking for more. This skill writes that message so donors

stay donors.

Working from a brief

Given "write a thank-you update to our donors", produce the full message anyway — build it around the impact

provided, and mark any invented figure or story as (example — replace with real data). Never fabricate impact

as real; never withhold for missing detail.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label for replacement):

• The audience — all donors, a segment (major/recurring/first-time), or one person; and how personal.
• What their support did — the specific impact/outcome to report (numbers and/or a story).
• The occasion — gift acknowledgement, periodic update, milestone, or year-end.
• Tone & next step — your voice, and whether there's a light ask or purely stewardship (often better).

Output Format

Donor Update / Stewardship Message

• Warm opening & thanks — sincere, specific gratitude up front (personalised where possible).
• Your impact — what their support specifically made possible, concretely (a number and/or a moment) — "because of you, …".
• A story or glimpse — one short, human illustration of the work in action.
• Belonging — language that makes them part of the community/mission, not a transaction.
• Light next step (optional) — an invitation (event, update, share) or, only if appropriate, a soft ask — never the focus of a stewardship message.
• Sign-off — warm and personal, from a real person.

Provide a short version (for SMS/social/quick email) and mark invented specifics for replacement.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Leads with sincere, specific thanks — not a thinly veiled new ask
• [ ] Impact is concrete and donor-attributed ("because of you…"), not generic
• [ ] Includes a human story or glimpse, not just numbers
• [ ] Makes the donor feel part of the mission (belonging), not a transaction
• [ ] Any ask is light and optional — stewardship first
• [ ] Tone is warm and personal; invented figures are marked for replacement

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not make a "thank-you" that's really just another donation ask — stewardship builds the next gift
• [ ] Do not be generic ("thanks for your support") — name the specific impact their gift had
• [ ] Do not present invented impact as real — mark placeholders for the org
• [ ] Do not write like a corporation — warmth and a real human voice retain donors
• [ ] Do not omit the story — numbers thank the head, a story thanks the heart

Based On

Donor-stewardship practice — gratitude-first, impact attribution, storytelling, and relationship-building ahead of the next ask.