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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.
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...
Beware of the Spooky Pitfalls of Donor Relations: 8 Frightening Practices to Avoid
It's October, and Halloween is in full swing—candy in bulk, pets dressed up in adorable costumes, pumpkins waiting to be carved—spooky...
4 Keys to Planning for a Successful Campaign
It’s practically a cliché at this point, but it still rings true: if you work at a nonprofit organization, you’re either in a campaign,...
How to Get Your Naming Policies in Order--It's Not Boring, It's Necessary!
Okay, yes, we know. Naming infrastructure and gift acceptance policies sound about as exciting as watching paint dry. But here’s the...
Boost Your Giving Day Success with These Essential Do's and Don'ts
Everyone wants to be on a winning team—and the team effort of Giving Day, where donors contribute to a collective impact beyond a single...
Building Donor Loyalty: Insights, Strategies, and the Power of Milestones
We just sent out our loyal donor milestone mailer this month. We honor the donors who have given to our organization for at least five...
4 Key Tips for Donor Survey Success
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it’s hard to imagine a more powerful tool than a custom survey of your organization’s donor base. I...
Change Is Coming: How To Build Trust With Donors in Uncertain Times
The only thing constant is change . Greek philosophers have given the world much to ponder over a few thousand years, but this...
Annual Giving and Donor Relations – the Dream Team
Do you know what we love most about our colleagues in annual giving? Besides the fact that they tend to be the most fun group in a...
From Auto-Pilot to Excellence: A Fresh Look at Donor Reporting - Part 2
Designing Your Report Process, Calendar, and Expand Reporting Welcome back! In our previous post, we discussed how to evaluate your...
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