Summary
Here you’ll find information to send to recipients of graduate student support funds. This provides an outline of the student’s stewardship responsibilities as a recipient of the award.
Congratulations on being named the recipient of a graduate student support fund! This document outlines your stewardship responsibilities as a recipient of this award. You may also contact (insert department staff member: administrator, graduate coordinator, etc. here) if you have questions.
Graduate Student Award Recipient Best Practices for Donor Stewardship
An essential component of providing meaningful stewardship of your award is thanking your donor and providing timely communication that conveys the impact their gift has had on you as the recipient.
As the holder of this award, you are asked to do the following:
- Write a thank-you letter to the donor(s). Please make sure this happens within a month of being notified of your award. Refer to the “how to write a letter” document for tips and guidelines.
- Deliver your thank-you letter, as well as copies of any additional materials (e.g., reports, conference summaries, papers, etc.) to your department liaison.
- Notify your department liaison of any additional awards, grants, media mentions, or press releases. They can then share the information with the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association and inform the donor(s) of the news.
- Connect with your donor(s). The donor(s) may ask to interact directly with you (e.g., meet for dinner, tour your lab, etc.).
Information about the Donor(s) and Fund
As the recipient, you will be provided with biographical background information, if available, about the donor(s) or honoree.
Thank you for providing meaningful stewardship to donors. If you have questions, please contact (insert departmental staff member here).
Below is a sample stewardship letter from a graduate recipient that can serve as a jumping-off point for you as you write your own, personalized thank-you letters.