A kinder, back-to-basics approach to donor relations amounted to a 30 percent increase in contributions for D.C.’s Heritage Foundation.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Also during that initial test, new donors were given the traditional thank-you letter, followed by a phone call and a welcome kit, as opposed to the old policy of sending just a thank-you letter. It was a move that tested the notion that it pays to start building positive relationships early on.

And pay it does: New donors in this test gave nearly 12 percent more than those in the control group.