Thoughts from the Group

Changes. Musicians from David Bowie to 2Pac have sung about them, and we all know the old adage, “Change is the only constant,” especially in today’s fast-paced world. All our organizations, regardless of size, are perpetually faced with shifts—leadership transitions, staff turnover, policy overhauls, etc., you name it, and we see it. Change is inevitable, but the way an organization handles these changes can significantly impact its morale, productivity, and long-term succes

Annual impact reports are common—annual impact reports that make thousands of donors feel like they personally belong in the story are not. That's exactly what Colorado State University accomplished with its 2025 Impact Report. Rather than treating the report as a year-end obligation, the advancement team transformed it into a comprehensive stewardship campaign that reached donors across multiple channels, personalized messaging by audience, and reinforced one simple truth: e

Let’s be honest: most donor relations shops struggle with data. Three common reasons? they do not know what to measure they do not know how to pull it they receive reports that do not actually help them make decisions In my career, I have asked for data more times than I can count, only to realize it missed the mark—or worse, I was not even sure what I needed in the first place. This isn’t a new problem, and I know I’m not alone. My suggestion is to start with the many reso

There’s a hard truth in donor relations that we don’t talk about enough: Most donor experience problems are not people problems. They’re process problems. Your donors are probably not upset because your staff doesn’t care. They’re most likely upset because: The thank-you letter arrived six weeks late. Their name was misspelled for the third time. They received three appeals before one stewardship report. No one noticed they stopped engaging months ago. The event invitation we

Recognition societies are a hotly debated topic in fundraising circles, including among those of us at DRG. Our recent Pulse of Donor Relations highlighted this debate: for the first time in years, we saw an uptick in practitioners who believe recognition societies are effective. Even so, the question remains: to society? Or not to society? Data from the 2025 Pulse of Donor Relations Report I have seen recognition societies work beautifully. The organizations who get it right

Gut-check time: Does your organization follow the money? Or build what’s sustainable? A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article highlights the ongoing scrutiny of major donors and the influence they can have within institutions. And honestly? It has us talking! But, let’s also be clear: nonprofits in other sub-sectors are not exempt from this behavior. At the same time, data from the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the CASE Voluntary Support of Education report highlights

If there’s one constant in philanthropy right now, it’s change. We’re always encountering new challenges. New donor expectations. New technologies. Increased scrutiny. A growing demand for transparency. Yet, for many organizations, donor relations practices haven’t kept pace, and that’s where the tension lives. We ask our teams to operate in a rapidly changing external environment while relying on internal systems, definitions, and mindsets that were created for a different e

When I worked at Disney, I learned a lot about creating extraordinary experiences. But one of the most powerful lessons learned had nothing to do with parades, character breakfasts, or fireworks. It had everything to do with how to make change and how to handle complaints when you do. At Disney, we had what we called the 10% rule. If we made a change: say we swapped out a menu item, rerouted a parade, or redesigned an attraction it was never done on a whim. Teams of experts h

I know we preach it often, but donor reporting is one of the most critical areas of your donor relations program. Donors must be informed about the impact of their giving if you want them to give again. But having a reporting structure alone does not necessarily make your program effective. That’s why it is important to assess whether your reporting is meeting your organization’s goals and needs. So, how do you know if your reporting is actually working? Well first, it starts

For nearly four decades, I’ve worked on donor events. When I started, conferences and professional development didn’t teach us how to design meaningful experiences—they taught us how to plan great parties. The formula was predictable: a large gathering, a long program, multiple speakers, and a clear fundraising goal. And for a long time, it worked. But over the past decade—accelerated by how people now engage with information and shifting expectations—that model hasn’t simply

Nonprofit fundraising and subscription-based businesses may seem like very different worlds at first glance. One is driven by mission and impact; the other by recurring revenue. But if you dig deeper, the strategies that top subscription companies use to build predictable, long-term engagement – and dramatically reduce churn – offer powerful lessons for donor relations professionals. In fact, keeping a donor engaged over the long term is essentially a retention problem, and

Penelope Burk, the surveying sage and author of Donor Centered Fundraising , has verified through countless iterations of her research that 93% of individual donors would definitely or probably give again the next time they were asked if a charity did two simple things: Thanked them promptly in a personal way, and Followed up later with a meaningful report on the program they had funded. If you’re looking for the keys to donor retention…look no further! The real challenge, o

Let me tell you something you already know deep down, but maybe don’t want to say out loud: we all mess up. Yup. Every last one of us in donor relations and fundraising has, at some point, hit “send” on an email with the wrong salutation , mailed a thank-you letter to a donor who passed away months ago, or cheerfully invited a “valued donor” to a stewardship event...that they already RSVP’d to—and declined. I’ve been there. You’ve been there. Anyone who’s done this work longe

Artificial intelligence is no longer just theoretical. It’s here. It’s being used. And in many cases, it’s being used without policy. Recent sector conversations and institutional case studies show a clear trend: while many nonprofit and higher education organizations say they are “not officially using generative AI,” staff members are already experimenting on their own. As one higher education leader described it, when asked whether institutions are using generative AI, most

A few years ago, we asked a group of alumni board members to do something simple before our next meeting. We asked them to bring every piece of mail and donor communication they had received from the university over a three-month period. These were not one-time donors but deeply engaged alumni who supported multiple schools, programs, and priorities across campus and consistently showed up by attending events, volunteering their time, answering our calls, and investing deeply

Donor relations teams know this truth well: impact reporting works best when it follows a plan. And yet, too often, organizations jump straight to creating the reports. They may be beautiful. They may be thoughtful. They may take weeks (or months) to produce. But many times, we create them without first answering the all important question: What is this report meant to do in the donor relationship? When engagement planning comes first, impact reporting becomes intentional, s

There is one thing I have learned over the years doing this work—that relationships with key internal partners are not only necessary, but truly mission-critical. Donor Relations work must be collaborative, not conducted in a vacuum, if we want to provide donors with the best possible experience. Our team, while important, is only one piece of the broader development enterprise. Leadership, frontline fundraisers, prospect managers, gift processors, finance and accounting team

What do our top donors want from our organizations? Have you ever sat around wondering that? Have you ever asked one of these donors this exact question? Because I have, and what began as a way to learn more about our donors has become a lifelong pursuit of the best way to build strong, lasting relationships. I don’t want just donors to our organization; I want partners. I want them to be as invested in our organization as we are. And honestly, when I started, I wasn’t sure

I remember the first time I sat in a meeting I “didn’t belong” in. I was 26, barely out of an admin role, still answering the phone with a chirpy “Development Office, this is Lynne,” and I got a calendar invite that made me do a double take. Strategic Planning Committee. Me. In a room full of vice presidents, deans, and directors with corner offices and blazers more expensive than my rent. At first, I thought it was a mistake. So, I called my VP’s assistant to clarify. “Nope,