A dear friend, a blizzard and a lesson in how to treat Donors

I am a very lucky woman.

I have a circle of friends I adore — including friends from my childhood in Queens. Sometimes we talk about “the old days,” but mostly we talk about today and tomorrow.

That is the basis of my theory about old friends:You don’t keep old friends around because of yesterday.You keep them because you would choose them again today.

That is certainly true of my friend Linda.

We met when we were five years old. We have spent decades celebrating birthdays, milestones, and the joy of raising our children. We were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings — and this year, the circle continued.

In the last five months, Linda and I (along with our husbands Vinny and Mitch) celebrated two extraordinary days: my daughter’s wedding in October, and just a week ago, the wedding of Linda’s youngest child.

And a blizzard. 

For years I’ve told stories about my college days in Buffalo — the education, the chicken wings, the adult beverages… and the snow. I like to think those winters made me resilient. (If you read my blogs, you know I love that word.)

After living in Florida for decades, my weather resilience is usually hurricane-focused, not blizzard-tested. But as we packed for the wedding, forecasts warned of a major storm headed straight for New Jersey. We dug out boots. I ordered a long puffer coat from Amazon. And off we went.

When we arrived, the sky was gray — but seeing Linda and her family made everything feel bright.

Early Sunday morning — the wedding day — the hotel phone rang. It was Linda. The venue was in high gear preparing for both a storybook wedding and a snowstorm. Linda was on her way to the supermarket in case we were snowed in Monday. I offered my best hurricane snack advice. She promised to call when she returned.

An hour later, she walked into the hotel with bags of treats, peanut butter and jelly included — prepared for whatever might come.

And then she shared something even more reassuring: before anyone could worry, the Venue along with the bride and groom had already handled everything.

• Transportation to and from the venue — including a vehicle with a snowplow

• Overnight accommodations in the lounge for anyone uncomfortable traveling

• Full staffing to ensure a beautiful dinner and seamless celebration

• Heat lamps on the patio for guests who wanted to watch the snow turn central New Jersey into a magical landscape

In that moment, confidence replaced concern.

The storm became part of the FROZEN magic.

The wedding was stunning — made even more memorable by a once-in-a-lifetime backdrop and a story we will tell for years.

What This Has to Do with Donors?

As I flew home (a day later than planned), I kept thinking about Linda — and about donors.

Long-term friendships endure not because of shared history alone, but because of continued trust, responsiveness, and care. You choose each other again and again.

Donors are no different.

Yes, they may have given for years.

Yes, they may have attended your gala in 2012 or funded your capital campaign in 2018.

But they don’t stay because of what happened yesterday.

They stay because:

• You anticipate concerns before they have to ask

• You communicate clearly in moments of uncertainty

• You make them feel prepared, included, and valued

• You handle the “storm” before it becomes their worry

The Venue didn’t wait for panic.

They created a plan.

They reassured their guests.

They demonstrated leadership.

That is how nonprofits build lasting donor relationships.

When funding landscapes shift.

When leadership changes.

When there’s economic uncertainty.

When metaphorical blizzards hit.

Your donors should feel what we felt that Sunday evening:

Confident.Cared for.Certain they chose well…And so much LOVE

Because in the end, stewardship is not about nostalgia. It’s about trust built in the present.

And just like old friends, the donors you keep are the ones who would choose you again — today.

And If You Need Help Building That Kind of relationship…

If you want your donors to feel the way we did that snowy Sunday — calm, reassured, and certain they chose well — that work does not happen by accident.

At Team Kat & Mouse, we help nonprofits:

• Build authentic donor relationships

• Create clear and compelling funding asks

• Anticipate challenges before they become crises

• Communicate with confidence and purpose

If you are ready to strengthen your stewardship, elevate your messaging, and build relationships your donors would choose again and again — let’s talk.

Because resilience is not just about weathering the storm.

It is about leading through it.

Linda and Me!

PS-Special shout out to Perona Farms, the venue for the wedding!