We focus the show this week on building relationships with donors so they stick around, and become more invested in your organization and eventually your true partners in fulfilling your mission. My guest is Andrew Shoaff, the interactive strategy manager of Blackbaud, the leading provider of software and services to nonprofits. Andrew works with a team to build something called “constituent engagement campaigns” for clients and he recently wrote an article for Blackbaud’s specialty magazine, npengage.

We’ve all heard the term “engagement” but how does this engagement guru define it and why should we care about it? Is it only about social media? Does it mean we have to get to know our donors? And what the heck is a cultivation pathway anyway? Despite the jargon, we all know it’s better to get related to our donors than treat them like a bank cash machine. What you may not know, though, is that this cultivation process with donors can be tremendously satisfying work for nonprofit leaders.

Since Andrew brings a global and high tech point of view to this topic, I encourage you to listen to a more low-tech approach to cultivation that I had in a conversation with a top-notch fundraising coach and consultant earlier year. The show is Jerold Panas on donor attribution and retention. It aired the week of March 18.

This week’s episode is fast-paced and will ground you in a modern approach to donor cultivation. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.