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
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
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
