Thoughts from the Group

Ask just about any gathering of nonprofit professionals and you’ll soon discover that nearly everyone  is in one phase or another of a fundraising campaign. From planning to launching to sustaining momentum to wrapping, and if we’re lucky, evaluating and recovering––the lifecycle of modern campaigns seems almost endless as organizations move quickly from one set of priorities to the next. And this breathless pace can be especially challenging for donor relations teams, with r

You’ve just completed a fund audit; congratulations! That’s no small feat. If you’re like most people, it took months (if not a year) to pull records, review reports, check them against donor intent, and finally document your findings. You might be feeling a mix of relief, exhaustion, and a nagging question: Now what do we do with this audit? A fund audit is not just about accuracy or compliance. It’s about restoring and reinforcing trust—both internally and with your donors.

You probably heard it in elementary school. Maybe from a cheerfully demanding teacher. Maybe from a framed poster in the library. Maybe etched on a lunchbox or repeated in a locker room. That little chant that sounds like a nursery rhyme but hits like a life lesson: Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is your better and your better is your best. At the time, it probably felt like a cute motivational rhyme. Something to recite before a spelling test or durin

There’s one donor engagement story I’ll never forget. It happened during my time working with a small performing arts nonprofit. I was the chair of the “worker bee board” and I don’t think I’ve ever worked more for less pay ($0, with an expected contribution). I truly enjoyed the work, but SHWEWW! I was also happy to complete my terms! The organization had never been officially branded as a gay men’s chorus, but it has always served a primarily LGBTQ+ audience. For many, it’s

No matter how carefully we plan, mistakes happen. When this happens, it can be tempting to panic, delay, or hope the situation quietly resolves itself. But silence is rarely the answer. In fact, silence often does more damage than the original mistake. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. The broken items are repaired with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. It symbolizes resilience, the beauty of imperfection, and embracing o

Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: your donors know when something’s wrong. They’re smart. They’re paying attention. And while they may not know every nuance of your fiscal year forecast or the backstory on your latest leadership shakeup, they know when things feel off. And do you know what breaks trust faster than bad news? Pretending there is  no bad news. We’ve been trained—whether by cautious boards, cautious lawyers, or cautious culture—to avoid sharing

We’ve all been there (many of us are there right now). Budgets are tight, expectations are high, and yet donors still deserve to feel valued, inspired, and connected to the mission. This tension is especially true in nonprofits and higher education at the moment. Across the sector, we’re seeing budget cuts like we haven’t seen in years. Entire departments are asked to deliver the same level of programming and impact reporting, but with half the resources. At the very same tim

I've shared this before, but because the philosophy resonates in so many areas of life I want to share again—I keep a paperweight on my desk that reads, "If you can laugh at it, you can live with it."   And I firmly believe that laughter is, in many situations, the best medicine. It softens the blow of bad news, eases tension, and gives us a lift to keep going. And let's be honest—some days, all you can  do is laugh, especially with some of the things that come our way at wor

Imagine that you’ve just decided to take a road trip, so you plug your destination into Waze. It gives you two route options: Route A 🛣️ : Green lights and clear roads. Arrival Time: 2-3 Minutes Route B 🚧 : Riddled with potholes, traffic jams, detours, and construction zones. Arrival Time: 2-3(ish) Business Days Which route would you choose? Obviously, Route A—right? This is the exact scenario we present to donors when we ask them to give or renew their support.  The destin

We say fundraising is funny, but today? I’m not laughing. This week, the nonprofit sector was jolted by a decision from GoFundMe that—if it had gone unchecked—could’ve threatened one of our most sacred responsibilities: our relationship with donors. If you’ve been around here a while, you know I don’t just talk about donor relations— I live it. Every keynote I give, every blog I write, every late-night brainstorm with my team stems from one simple belief: Donors aren’t data p

Dear Colleagues, Buckle up: What I’m about to share is so egregious, so deeply disrespectful to our donors and our missions, it should leave every nonprofit professional incensed. GoFundMe—yes, that  GoFundMe—has created over 1.4 million donation pages  for U.S. nonprofits without  consent. Let me say that again for the people in the back: They are fundraising in your organization’s name without telling you. This isn’t just a tech snafu. This is a full-frontal assault on the

To centralize or not to centralize—that is the wrong  question. The real question is: how do we ensure that every donor feels consistently valued, regardless of where or how they give? For many organizations, acknowledgments live in a messy, decentralized system. Each unit, department, or program handles things differently, which often leads to inconsistent timing, varied messaging, and worst of all, confused donors. On the flip side, fully centralizing acknowledgments risks

If you’ve ever tried an escape room, you know the deal. You get locked in a room with a handful of teammates, a countdown clock, and a...

We’ve all had that heart-racing moment at work when we realize something is very, very wrong. Mine came during the very first big project...

Think back to the last time someone thanked you in a way that made you smile, maybe it was a heartfelt note, an unexpected gesture, or...

When we take a closer look at thriving advancement shops, one thing stands out: they all view donor relations as a long-term,...

Let’s rip the Band-Aid off, shall we? We need to talk about something that makes most nonprofit leaders squirm in their ergonomic chairs:...

If you asked me why I love Donor Relations work, I could give you so many reasons. I love finding ways to express gratitude. I love...

In large, matrixed nonprofit organizations, donor experiences can vary greatly from unit to unit. Without shared standards, one donor may...

One thing  more evident now than ever before is that our donors want to feel appreciated. While a thank-you letter or email are, and...