---
title: "The 2026 Donor Stewardship Benchmark: The Deep Dive | AwardSpring Webinar"
description: "Inside the data from 125 scholarship foundations: all seven findings, what the strongest programs do differently, and where your program stands. Live Tuesday, September 15."
canonical_url: "https://awardspring.com/webinars/stewardship-benchmark-deep-dive"
markdown_url: "https://awardspring.com/webinars/stewardship-benchmark-deep-dive.md"
---

Live Webinar · Tuesday, September 15, 2026

# The 2026 Donor Stewardship Benchmark: The Deep Dive

All seven findings, the data behind them, and what the strongest programs do differently.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT · 45 minutes, heavy on Q&A

-   ![](https://awardspring.com/_astro/alex-stepien-navy.Cdey2mWR_ZtIbb1.webp?dpl=dpl_238dfCtCXCjXvrNNyg3hWA1VknoR)
    
    Alex Stepien
    
    CEO, AwardSpring
    

[Save your seat](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iAbNhMxhTjWQf-AJwRIL1g)

## 

About this webinar

Early this year we asked 125 scholarship foundations how donor stewardship actually gets done. The findings became the 2026 Donor Stewardship Benchmark: 46% of the foundations we surveyed run the whole operation on one FTE or less, 71% had a fund go unawarded last year, and 45% can’t tell whether a donor ever opened the report they were sent.

This session goes inside that data. In 45 minutes we’ll walk all seven findings across the three pillars, the Capacity-Quality Trap, the Measurement Blind Spot, and the AI Inflection Point, with the numbers behind each and what the strongest programs do differently. Bring your questions and your own numbers. You’ll leave knowing where you stand against the field, and the one move to make first.

## 

What you’ll learn

1.  The data behind all seven findings, cut by foundation type
    
2.  What the strongest of the 125 foundations we surveyed do differently, finding by finding
    
3.  How to score your own program against the field with our benchmarking tool
    
4.  Where AI fits today, and the one place we'd start
    

## 

Who should attend

Advancement, foundation, and financial aid leaders who want to know how their stewardship operation compares to the field, and what to fix first. If you downloaded the report, this is the session that makes it yours.

## 

Can’t make it live?

Register anyway. Everyone who signs up gets the recording.

## Speakers

![](https://awardspring.com/_astro/alex-stepien-navy.Cdey2mWR_ZVpiJh.webp?dpl=dpl_238dfCtCXCjXvrNNyg3hWA1VknoR)

### Alex Stepien

CEO · AwardSpring

[Save your seat](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iAbNhMxhTjWQf-AJwRIL1g)

## The 2026 Donor Stewardship Benchmark: The Deep Dive.

Register anyway. Everyone who signs up gets the recording.

[Save your seat](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iAbNhMxhTjWQf-AJwRIL1g)