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

“[The new numbers] changed our entire philosophy. One of the biggest changes is that we focus [more] on customer service,” Walter says.

Shaking things up
The new focus on relationship building included a restructuring of Heritage’s development office. Before the change, Walter says, non-solicitation mailings were being sent out randomly and often overlapping. Now the mailing schedule is more systematic.