The problem people have with the idea of stewardship is they still think it is connected to the donor's financial commitment. We often hear "we have to be good stewards of a donor's money, contribution, etc." I consider stewardship the top of the giving pyramid/relational hierarchy--the advancement version of Maslow's hierarchy. When I think of stewardship, I transition my thinking about the donor from financial wherewithal to their core values and beliefs. When a donor gets to stewardship level, they have already made that major gift. Therefore, you transition from thinking about the gift itself to knowing how the donor finds meaning in the gift. If you have any hope of additional gifts, you need to be a good steward of the"values" of the donor. I have seen organizations lose the donor because they lost sight of the values and beliefs that moved the donor to make that major gift. This is what separates a one-time major gift from a long-lasting, deep-seated relationship between the donor and the organization. Giving becomes almost spiritual, much more from the heart than from the head. When you have reached this stage of meaning with a donor, you have truly created something special.
If you have any chance at reaching this stage, though, you have to be authentic and humble. Arrogant advancement people will never reach this stage because it is all about them. I'm sure some CFRE guru has written this kind of stuff, but I'd rather put my hand on a hot burner then take a class in fundraising. Besides, this type of attitude/style cannot be taught in a class or learned over time (unless you have a truly transformational personal and or professional experience), You either are or you are not capable of caring more about others than yourself.
