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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.
20 Questions That Are Key to Unlocking Your Donor’s Philanthropic Passion
As a major gift fundraiser turned donor relations professional, I’m often asked when is the “right time” to ask donors for a major gift....
Big Promises, Big Risks: Due Diligence and Donor Relations' Role in Mega Donations
I think we can all agree that major transformational gifts are a great thing. Seven- and even eight- figure gifts completely transform an...
How to Engage, Inspire, and Retain First Time Donors (and we have examples!)
First-time donors give for many reasons, and donor retention looks different for each donor behavior type. First-time gifts can come from...
Four Donor Experiences We’re Loving Right Now…and Why!
You’ve heard it before, and we’ll say it again: experiencing the impact of generosity is at the heart of the donor experience—and a key...
Endowed Fund Compliance: Keep Calm, Make a Plan, and Report On!
Endowed fund compliance—that item on all our lists that we know we need to do, but many of us just don’t know where to begin! There are...
Recognition Societies : Build, Revamp, or Retire?
Have formal donor recognition societies already had their day in the sun? Should we be eliminating or investing in them? That is the big...
Behavior-Based Donor Relations: Fad or Phenomenon?
Have you ever gotten so deep into a subject that you can’t recall what brought you there in the first place? The concept of...
5 Benefits of Using a Digital Impact Report to Engage Your Nonprofit Audience
Your impact report should be exciting, not boring. After all, this is where your nonprofit takes center stage, showing your target...
5 Ways to Turn Every Communication into a Moment of Gratitude
Thank You. For the well-mannered among us, this simple expression of appreciation is as second nature as “Hello!” “How are ya?” and...
Unlock the Ultimate Donor Matrix: A Step-By-Step Guide
Do you have a steady stream of new donors annually, but find yourself having a hard time retaining those donors year after year? You are...
The Four Pillars of Donor Communications
I think by now y’all know I love a good four pillars—I've got the Four Pillars of Donor Relations, The Four Pillars of the Donor...
Dear Status Quo, It's Not You, It's Us: Embracing the "Boring" in Fundraising
To our dear old friend Status Quo, You’ve been hanging around for quite some time now. With fundraising and donor relations, you’ve had...
The Four Pillars of Donor Retention
I often say that the most important measure of any fundraising shop isn’t how much money you raise at your nonprofit, but rather how many...
How to Craft the Ultimate Donor Thank You Email
Do you ever sit down to write a donor thank you message and poof—all the good ideas you had are gone and you're left frozen, staring at a...
8 Essential Best Practices for Donor Acknowledgments
Our Donor Relations Group (DRG) team regularly speaks and writes about the importance of acknowledgments and the importance of an...
3 Keys to Improving Your Impact Reports AND Donor Retention
According to Penelope Burk’s Donor Centered Fundraising, 93% of individual donors would definitely or probably give again the next time...
How to Create a Giving Day Stewardship Plan That Will Make Donors Excited to Give Again
So much goes into your organization's Giving Day, but what’s the point of obtaining hundreds or even thousands of new donors if you can’t...
Tax Receipts vs. Acknowledgments and Why They Are NOT One and the Same
Tax receipts and acknowledgments are two of the most fundamental and crucial components of your donor relations efforts, and it’s...
3 Expert Tips for Writing Winning Donor Communications in 2024
Continuing with the theme of the 2020’s, I think we can all look back at 2023 and collectively say, “I did not see that coming.” ChatGPT...
Stewardship is All Around Us: Why You Need a Seat at the Table
When you think about donor relations and stewardship, what comes to mind? Thank you notes? Donor reports? Names on buildings or programs?...
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