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

“I said, ‘Yes, it sure would,’ “ Von Kannon concludes with a warm laugh, adding that he subsequently recommended a college for the donor’s son and that the donor and the president of his son’s college are now on Heritage’s board.

And it’s not just a one-way street. Nurturing relationships with donors makes them feel as though they’re part of something. They take a personal interest in the organization, celebrate its successes and, often, rally around when the road gets rocky.