I joined Peloton in 2017. Back when folks thought the fitness platform was for supermodels (I am not) who live in glass houses (I do not). What has Peloton taught me about donor recognition?

A few days after my father passed away, my mom’s landline (!) rang. On the other end of the line: a perky nonprofit fundraiser who asked for my dad by name.

Nonprofits are masters at talking about themselves. But donor stewardship and engagment requires us to reframe communications to be donor-centric: knowing who our donor is and embracing them as the hero of our organization’s story. Our language should talk directly to the donor and encourage their motivations for giving.