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
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
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
