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Thoughts from the Group
Explore the DRG blog for fresh ideas on all things donor experience, leadership, team building, donor relations, and change management.


Unlock Donor Loyalty: The Science-Backed Guide to Donor Retention
Donor retention isn’t rocket science—but it is science. Behavioral science, that is. And there is already a treasure trove of...


A Donor Experience I’ll Never Forget—And Why It Still Inspires Me
I love donor events—like capital L.O.V.E.—I really, really love donor events. I love how a good event can create a strong emotional...


The Art of the First Impression: Elevating New Donor Engagement
We encounter many firsts throughout our lives, and these experiences often shape our future decisions. For example, when you buy your...


The Power of Donor Feedback: How Every Insight Strengthens Your Strategy
Donor feedback. Sometimes, we seek it; other times, it comes to us unsolicited, and usually, when we least expect it. Feedback—regardless...


When to Make the Leap: 5 Signs It’s Time to Move On from Your Job
As a millennial, people always found it surprising when I shared that I worked for an organization for 11 years. Millennials are known...


The Ask That's Always Appropriate: Creating Donor Engagement Opportunities At Scale
When I was a young fundraiser starting out in major gifts (a story for another day…), I was paired with a much more seasoned fundraiser...


Bridging the Gap Between Numbers and Narratives in Stewardship
As part of the stewardship process donors expect many things from us. Chief among these things is demonstrating the impact of the...


Scholarships Aren’t the Problem—Our Communication About Them Is
How often do we assume people on campus just “get it” when it comes to scholarships? If you’ve ever been frustrated by how scholarships...


From Silence to Stewardship: The Story of Rebuilding a Donor’s Trust
Picture this: It's a Tuesday morning after endowment reporting season, and I'm sipping my third cup of coffee (let's not judge). My inbox...


Lessons from Eugenia Curtis: Understanding the Heart Behind Donor Loyalty
Many of us have that one donor story—a family or individual we've met who made an impact on us and the way we approach our work. We're...


7 Inspiring Donor Emails: Why They Work and The Strategies You Can Use to Create Your Own
Crafting a donor email can be tricky—how do you ensure it grabs their attention, gets opened, and inspires them to read on? Did you know...


Live from the Red Carpet: 5 Hot Email Trends for 2025
Awards season is in full swing, and while we might not have red-carpet hosts like Giuliana Rancic or Laverne Cox to guide us through the...


4 Key Metrics for Donor Relations Success
How do you know that your work in donor relations is making a bottom-line fundraising impact? One (sometimes loaded) word: metrics. ...


Looking Ahead: Top Donor Relations Predictions, Trends, & Practices for 2025
It’s that time of year, again. Everyone is pushing new and ongoing projects and emails to next year as we rush to close out the calendar...


6 Steps for Implementing Effective Change Management to Increase Donor Retention
Donor retention is often a neglected metric in fundraising, with many organizations focusing more on the volume of donations or the...


Excel Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Donor Relations Professionals
Data is essential for building meaningful relationships with donors. By leveraging our data effectively, we can transform our day-to-day...


Looking to Improve Your Culture of Giving? Create an Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude extends beyond mere thankfulness. American educator and professor Randy Pausch said, “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest...


3 Essentials for Successful Top Donor Engagement Plans
Bespoke engagement plans for top donors are one of the hottest topics in fundraising, and for good reason––the “one-size-fits-all”...


Gamification for Nonprofits: A Guide to Leveling Up Donor Engagement
Gamification, the strategic use of game elements, empowers nonprofits to transform traditional fundraising and engagement methods into...


Beyond Giving Tuesday: Building Lasting Connections with First-Time Donors
Giving Tuesday can be a whirlwind of support, particularly from new donors who resonate with your cause. But after the rush, it’s...
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