Donor Relations Through the Generations: Mother and Daughter Member Spotlights

It’s not often that Donor Relations is a family affair, but as more people join our profession, we are beginning to find overlap between the generations. Just such a relationship was discovered at the 2019 ADRP Conference, when Kris Caldwell, Director of Donor Relations at Kenyon College, and her daughter, Kellyn Caldwell, Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship at the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, were interviewed together for a short video. Building upon the stories they shared, we asked them to talk more about their experiences in our field.

ADRP member for: 

Kris: I’ve been a member since the beginning, even before it was ADRP! I went to my first conference in 1999, when it was known as the New England Stewardship Conference.

Kellyn: 1 year, but I’ve been making the most of it! I attended and presented with my team member at the ADRP Conference last September in Miami.

How long have you worked in donor relations/stewardship and how did you get involved in this profession?

Kris: Our family of five moved from Annapolis, Maryland, to Gambier, Ohio, in 1998, when I returned to my alma mater to be the Assistant Swim Coach at Kenyon College, under my former coach. At the end of the academic year, the position of Director of Donor Relations was advertised and I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I was the first person to hold the position and have remained here since 1999.

Kellyn: Growing up, I was familiar with Donor Relations, because of knowing what my mother did at Kenyon. When I decided to attend, and also compete as a swimmer like she did, I worked in the Admissions Office during the academic year and in the Development Office during breaks. After graduating, I worked for five years in the Development Office of a private K-12 school, starting as the Office Associate, then the Volunteer Coordinator, and finishing up as the Event Manager. I saw the position at the USNAAF and thought it would be a great opportunity to return to Annapolis after all these years. My grandfathers were classmates at the Academy and my parents met when both families were stationed on the Yard, so the Academy holds a special place in our family. I just completed my first year as Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, making it my 7th year in Donor Relations. 

Could you tell us something about the organization you work for?

Kris: Kenyon College is a private, liberal arts institution with 1,700 students, in rural central Ohio. A few things we’re known for are The Kenyon Review, Paul Newman ’49, and as having one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.  

Kellyn: The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) that supports the Naval Academy. There are opportunities for Midshipmen (students) and faculty that are not supported by government funds, so we help donors and volunteers understand the Academy’s fundraising priorities in order to be competitive with peer schools, as well as to connect our alumni around the world (and in space!).  

What do you like most about being a member of the ADRP?

Kris: The people, the resources, and the relationships. I’ve always appreciated the camaraderie and the enthusiasm of the members to share ideas and lift each other up. At the beginning of my career, I didn’t know an annual fund from an endowed fund. I learned everything about donor relations at the stewardship conferences because there wasn’t a donor relations manual or others to learn from in the office. I continue to rely on my ADRP friends, the website, webinars, and conferences to keep donor relations moving forward and continue progressing in our profession.  

Kellyn: Presenting at the ADRP International Conference was monumental in my career and I was thrilled to be able to attend and present with my mother in the audience. I love that I can learn from so many others, while at the same time being given a platform to share our experiences. Although we always compare notes and share ideas, we can now watch webinars together, since we are quarantining as a family.  

What is your greatest donor relations/stewardship achievement?

Kris: My greatest achievement is my career at Kenyon. I’m most proud of building the Donor Relations Office from simply writing acknowledgment letters and planning an event to having a robust and meaningful program. I’m proud of the fact that it used to be “black and white,” but now we have depth, color, creativity, and a culture of stewardship in the office and throughout campus. I feel that the campus is keenly aware of stewardship and they understand the importance of saying “thank you” to donors more than ever before. 

Kellyn: I agree. We’re doing things in our office that have never been done before, so our team of two and our intern have been able to dream big, collaborate, and streamline processes.  We’re teaming up with the talent within our own Foundation and on the Yard in order to help everyone understand the importance of stewardship. We’re thrilled to be creating content, as well as facilitating ideas.

What is the most important professional goal you are currently pursuing, i.e., attaining a degree, preparing to give a presentation, launching an initiative at work or in your community, etc.?

Kris: I have a broad goal of educating my campus community (faculty, staff, administration, students) about the importance of stewardship and how philanthropy works. For example, I feel it’s important for people to know where the funding comes from and that there are real people behind the income stream. I find myself teaching people about how endowed funds work versus operating and annual funds. The more the campus understands how their funding works and who the donors are, the more likely they are to write thoughtful and impactful letters to the donors.  

Kellyn: This past January, we launched a Week of Gratitude to thank our donors and volunteers who would not normally receive personal outreach, especially during a traditionally quiet month.  Our enterprise teamed up to make phone calls of thanks for three days and it was truly a fun way to kick off the year. We received great feedback and we look forward to building on this new tradition.

How big a role does the use of social media play in your work?

Kris: It’s minimal. I work with our Communications Office, but I do not direct what goes out on our school’s social media platforms. I suggest donor stories and work with communications for stories to go up on our website. I also keep a vigilant eye for stories that are published that I can share with donors who might be interested. 

Kellyn: We work incredibly close with our Communications team, so although we are not the ones who are actually posting content, we utilize different groups (parents, alumni, current mids) to share exciting news and give ideas for initiatives. We are also working on a stewardship webpage to share our content and make it accessible for our constituents.

Is there a resource, i.e., book, blog, website, etc., that you would recommend to other ADRP members?

Kris: I like the ADRP webinars and ADRP resources on the webpage.

Kellyn: I look forward to the webinars and we always invite office colleagues to join us (Planned Giving, Gift Officers, Annual Giving . . .).

What is the best piece of professional advice you have ever received?

Kris: Always make connections with people who are making things happen and follow the creative path. I like learning from people who are enthusiastic and willing to try new things. 

Kellyn: I have also found the benefits of “surrounding yourself with greatness.” We are constantly evolving and don’t have all of the answers, so it’s important to connect, share, and look for better ways to do things.

Are there any particular stories, insights, etc., from your experiences in donor relations and stewardship that you would like to share with our colleagues?

Kris: Take advantage of an opportunity to host or attend regional ADRP conferences. The international conference can be cost-prohibitive for some (especially going forward with the economic downturn), so online sessions will likely become increasingly important. Since we are growing more comfortable with streaming and zooming, we should consider streaming the conferences and sessions. Quarantining has been a good experience professionally because it has encouraged me to become much more comfortable with online communication and learn more technology.  

Kellyn: We are trying to make stewardship more visible and a part of everyone’s strategy, so we are making consistent efforts to team up with partners around the Foundation and on the Yard.  Because of this, we’ve started hearing some of our partners start to use stewardship terms like “surprise and delight” and “CORE: Create Once, Repeat Everywhere” in their own offices. It shows buy-in and that our teamwork is making an impact.