What is stewardship?
Stewardship is all the activity—from writing thank-you notes to compiling reports for the donor—that takes place after a gift is received. Proper stewardship enables Princeton and the grant-maker to develop long-lasting relationships, connections that can help the University to extend or renew grants or to return to the same source for another gift.

That all-important “thank you!”
Good stewardship begins with a thank-you letter. Gifts and grants processed through the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) receive a thank-you letter signed by the University president or other officer. In many cases it may be appropriate for a department chairperson or program/center administrator to write as well.

Staying in touch
Corporations or foundations are interested in how their money is being used and what impact it is having, so most require or encourage the submission of regular reports about the project.

CFR can provide valuable assistance with this through our electronic gift-tracking system. We track report deadlines for CFR gifts and for Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) grants from funders (such as the Pew Charitable Trusts or Bristol-Myers Squibb) that give both gifts and sponsored research grants.

Need a reminder?
When a reporting deadline approaches, we send an e-mail reminder to the principal investigator or administrator of the project. Recipients are asked to send a copy of their report to CFR for the University's donor files, the central storage place for records of Princeton's interactions with its donors. If a principal investigator or administrator needs help preparing a report, CFR can provide assistance with research or writing.

Other stewardship activities
We can assist you in arranging visits to the University by corporate or foundation representatives, and we send donors a copy of any news articles related to the grant that come to our attention. We also correspond with certain corporations and foundations that have endowed professorships and update them about the current chair holder's activities and qualifications.

Your involvement is vital!
Some of the most important stewardship activities depend on the initiative of the recipients themselves. We encourage gift and grant recipients at Princeton to be aware of potential stewardship opportunities and to look for activities such as public lectures that can help strengthen their relationships with their corporate or foundation supporters.