If you want to improve the donor experience and impact your organization exponentially, virtually overnight, start using the word “mattership” It’s the next level of stewardship.
I shared this realization with an audience of nonprofit executives and college presidents who were in attendance at a recent ‘Meet the Donors’ forum BrightDot, the national fundraising firm I founded in 2015.
We brought in our team of fundraising experts and three hand-chosen high- wealth donors who shared their experience and advice on how development teams can elevate their fundraising game in our ever-changing world. I shared the story behind the term mattership.
During a recent conversation with the owner of funeral homes who is a renowned expert in the industry, he shared that in his many years of working with grieving families, he has concluded that the most important question to be answered by any individual is “Does my life matter?”
That one phrase rocked my world with an important insight – the next level of stewardship is mattership!
Stewardship is about things. It’s the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
Mattership is about people and the considerate management and actions one uses to show joy, gratitude, and love to someone important to you.
Here is a wonderful opportunity for development professionals to help donors and supporters know the extent of how much they matter to your organization.
In the short time we’ve been using this word and sharing the vision behind it, we have been astonished by the impact on our team, clients, and those they serve.
