Distinguished Leaders

For experienced professionals ready to lead with vision, strategy, and confidence.

The Distinguished Leaders cohort is designed for seasoned donor relations professionals who are ready to lead at a higher level.

You already know how to do the work—now it’s time to elevate your leadership, think more strategically, and inspire change within your organization.

This selective cohort is limited to just 20 professionals, chosen through an application process led by our DRG facilitators. The program runs from August 1, 2025, to May 30, 2026.

Each participant will be matched with a DRG expert for small-group coaching and personalized support, with groups thoughtfully curated by organization type and area of focus—ensuring every conversation is relevant, real, and rooted in your world.

This cohort combines peer-driven problem solving with timely, facilitator-led conversations on the most pressing topics in donor relations today. This experience is driven by you—focused on the challenges you’re facing, the questions you’re asking, and the strategic priorities on your horizon.

Participants are expected to actively engage by sharing both challenges and successes, contributing to a supportive, solutions-focused learning environment. Through thoughtful dialogue and shared expertise, cohort members provide leadership and perspective to one another—creating a powerful space for growth, reflection, and collaboration.

Distinguished Leaders Program

Here is what you will receive as a member of the Distinguished Leaders Cohort:

Five, 90-minute virtual meetings featuring focused learning, thought-leadership, conversations, and breakout sessions with DRG in the following areas*:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Talent Management and Retention
- Strategic Decision Making
- State/Future of the Industry
- Crowd-Sourced Problem Solving
- Note: This cohort does not include formal presentations—meetings will be made up of cultivated content delivered through conversation. All meetings will be held on Mondays around 12 pm ET.
Five, 60-minute ideation and crowd-sourced problem-solving sessions hosted by DRG facilitators and/or Distinguished Leaders alumni.
One weekend-long in-person gathering in a location TBD (cost of the program includes the in-person experience but not travel/lodging costs)

The program also includes:

A recording from each session, documented and shared with members of the cohort
A digital DRG Distinguished Leader Certification Badge to share on LinkedIn or other professional profiles
Exclusive discounts on all DRG products and services, including digital products, consulting, and conferences

*This is a tentative outline for conversations included in this cohort. Final topics and discussions will be informed by the members of the cohort and will be finalized based on member feedback.

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Leaders

Your Investment

A 10-month membership in the Distinguished Leaders program is $1,750. It's truly one of the best investments you can make in your future — both personally, and for your organization. You'll receive personalized leadership training and support from our team of innovative leaders, and an exclusive in-person experience with DRG and other members of your cohort. Plus, you’ll build a strong network of peers committed to strategic donor relations.

Limited scholarships are available. Applicants who are interested in scholarship support can express their need within the scholarship application by answering two questions. Please understand we cannot award scholarships to all applicants who express need.

How to Apply

All cohort members must meet the following requirements:

Currently occupy a Director level or above position, or have 7+ years of experience in donor relations
Complete the Distinguished Leaders application by June 8, 2025
Agree to contribute materials to the cohort (examples of policies, procedures, communications pieces, hosted talk, etc.)
Have a firm understanding of the 4 Pillars of Donor Relations framework

Application Process:

Applications will be accepted from May 5, 2025—June 8, 2025. Click here to view a sample application.
The cohort facilitators will select 20 participants —including a maximum of 5 scholarship recipients—and inform all applicants of their decision by June 16, 2025. The cohort will begin on August 1, 2025 and continue through May 2026.

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