# Who Promised What?

## Turn an overdue donor update into a clear handoff.

“Follow up with Morgan” is hard to finish. “Check the attendance count with Ben by October 9, then update Morgan by October 11” gives someone work they can do.

*The people and promises in this guide are fictional.*

### Find the open promises first

Most overdue promises were never written down as tasks. They sit in sent mail and call notes. Before building a handoff, set aside about twenty minutes to look.

1. Choose a window, such as the last 30 days, and open your sent mail and your call or meeting notes.
2. Search for the phrases people use when they commit: “I’ll send”, “I’ll get back to you”, “I’ll follow up”, “let me check”, “I’ll ask”, “by Friday”, “next week”. In call notes, try “promised”, “will send” and “asked for”. These are starting points. They will miss promises worded differently and turn up plenty that aren’t promises.
3. Sort each result: an open commitment to a donor, one already kept (find the reply that kept it), or not a donor commitment.
4. For each open one, copy the exact words, the date and a link to where it was made.
5. At the next team meeting, ask colleagues what they have told donors they would do. Your search can’t find a promise made aloud or from someone else’s account.

Amina’s search of her last 30 days found six results:

| What it said | Where | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| “I’ll send you September’s attendance figures by October 11.” | Call note with Morgan, October 4 | Open. The worked example below. |
| “I’ll get back to you about visit dates.” | Email to a donor, September 22 | Open, with no date. Agree one and tell the donor. |
| “I’ll send the annual report as soon as it’s printed.” | Email to a donor, September 30 | Open, waiting on the printer. Record that and a check date. |
| “I’ll pass your thanks on to the tutors.” | Call note, September 25 | Open and small. Do it today and note it. |
| “I’ll send you the photos from the gala.” | Email to a donor, September 18 | Kept: sent September 19. Nothing to do. |
| “I’ll send it over this afternoon.” | Email to the caterer, September 29 | Not a donor commitment. |

Three of the four open promises go into the record below. The message to the tutors doesn’t; sending it takes less time than recording it.

### A promise someone else can pick up

| Field | Completed example |
|---|---|
| Promise as communicated | “I’ll send you September’s attendance figures by October 11.” |
| Where it was made | Amina’s October 4 call note; internal relationship record EXAMPLE-104. |
| Person responsible for answering the donor | Amina. |
| Original deadline | October 11. |
| Missing piece | The program team has not verified the count of distinct students. |
| Next action | Ben checks the register for duplicate attendance entries by October 9. |
| Next check | Amina checks with Ben on October 9. |
| If the count is still unavailable | Amina tells Morgan what is outstanding by October 11 and gives a realistic next check date. |
| Evidence of completion | Final figures linked to the source record, final email and actual send date. |

Ben owns the count. Amina owns the answer to Morgan. Waiting for Ben doesn’t pause Amina’s obligation to keep Morgan informed.

### Send the internal handoff

> Ben—Morgan was promised September’s attendance figures by October 11. Could you verify the number of distinct students in the register by October 9 and link the checked count here?
>
> I’ll send the donor update. If you cannot verify the figure by then, please tell me what is missing and when I should check again. I’ll update Morgan by the original deadline either way.

### If the deadline slips

> Hi Morgan,
>
> I promised your attendance update by October 11. We’re still checking the count, and I don’t want to give you a figure we may need to correct.
>
> I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll check with the program team on October 14 and write to you that day with the verified figure or the remaining issue.
>
> Amina

Choose the next date after checking what is realistic. Keep October 11 in the record; add the update and any revised agreement alongside it.

### Make your own record

- **We told the donor:** [Exact promise or accurate summary.]
- **Source and date:** [Link to the conversation or message.]
- **Answer owed by:** [Original date.]
- **Person responsible for the donor response:** [One name.]
- **Next action:** [Verb, specific result, person and date.]
- **Waiting on:** [Missing fact or decision, and who can provide it.]
- **Next check:** [Name and date.]
- **If delayed:** [Who will tell the donor, and when.]
- **Completed when:** [Result and evidence that would fulfill this promise.]

Check that each date works: the verification and the progress check should fall before the donor deadline, and a check on the deadline itself leaves little time to warn the donor, so confirm that timing is realistic. Keep the original deadline even when the plan changes. Keep sensitive notes in the controlled relationship record; a shared work list can use an internal ID and a link.

### Use the gaps to decide what to do

| What is missing? | Next action |
|---|---|
| The actual promise | Return to the conversation record. Clarify with the relationship owner before assigning a guess. |
| Someone responsible | Agree who will answer the donor. Name a substitute if that person is away. |
| A reliable figure | Assign verification to the source owner. Keep a separate donor-update date. |
| Time to complete everything | Decide what to defer. Tell anyone affected by a changed commitment. |
| Proof it was completed | Check the final version and delivery record. “Draft written” is not “update sent.” |

Start the team review with promises due or overdue. End with decisions and named actions. An item stays open because something specific remains—not simply because its status says “waiting.”

*Reading connection: Trevor and Tarren Bragdon’s **7-Figure Fundraising**, on coordinating donor experience. This record, the search exercise and the messages are original Gratona examples.*


## Use the record in a team meeting

1. Bring promises due or overdue, with the source conversation linked. Include anything new from each person’s search of their sent mail and notes.
2. Read the original commitment. Name what still prevents it being fulfilled.
3. Agree who will answer the donor and who will supply each missing fact.
4. Set the next check and the donor-response date. Keep the original date visible.
5. Compare the work with the time available. Explicitly defer work the team cannot complete.
6. Read back each person’s next action. Close work only when the agreed result and evidence are recorded.