Join our team of experts for a focused, high-impact conference built around the topics donor relations professionals are navigating right now. Over two and a half days, you’ll hear directly from industry leaders—including DRG's founder, Lynne Wester—as they break down the strategies, challenges, and evolving expectations currently shaping our work.
Learn how to build communications that actually resonate, rethink recognition, navigate naming opportunities and gift agreements, and leverage your strengths—and your team’s—to create a more effective and efficient program.
Each session is designed to give you clarity, practical direction, and strategies you can put into action right away. You’ll leave with stronger ideas, sharper approaches, and a renewed sense of how to create better donor experiences.
The DRG Difference
At DRG, we conference differently. We believe professional development should be more than informational—it should be memorable, energizing, and fun. That’s why every DRG event is intentionally designed to combine expert insights with a warm, engaging, and highly interactive atmosphere that sets us apart.
From the moment you arrive, you’ll feel the difference:
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Training from the best in the business.
Our team of industry-leading experts doesn't just teach, they translate complex challenges into clear, actionable strategies you can implement immediately.
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The content you actually need.
Every topic is built around the challenges you’re currently facing, not hypothetical scenarios or one-size-fits-all ideas.
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Guidance from top consultants and practitioners.
Our team has been in your shoes. We’ve built the programs, tackled the fires, and have lived and breathed donor relations. In fact, one of us even wrote the book on it.
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Workbooks packed with tools you can use right away.
Each session comes with a workbook loaded with worksheets, templates, checklists, and examples—with full permission to copy, customize, and steal to your heart’s content.
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Practical, tactical, realistic solutions.
We skip case studies and sales pitches. We meet you where you are and focus on real strategies to help you elevate your program from good, to better, to best—no matter the size of your team or budget.
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An environment that fuels creativity.
Great music, fidget toys, dance breaks, laughter, and the most fun you’ve ever had at a conference. You’ll leave inspired, energized, and ready to put new strategies to work immediately.
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A community to lean on.
You’ll build relationships, swap ideas, and leave with a network of peers you'll stay connected to long after the conference ends.
At DRG, we don’t just host conferences, we create joyful, transformative gatherings that empower you to deliver extraordinary donor experiences at your organization. Let’s learn, grow, and celebrate this work together!
Secure Your Spot
Bring your team!
Save 10% on three or more full conference registrations with the code TEAM10.
Scholarships Available
Thanks to our amazing partners at Storyraise and Mythos, we're able to offer a limited number of full conference scholarships (travel and lodging not included).
Conference Overview
Day 1: November 4, 2026
New this year: You won’t just attend this session; you’ll be immersed in it. With our new format, each attendee will join a small cohort of 15–20 peers, grouped by organization type—such as higher education, healthcare, community foundations, arts and culture, or centralized and decentralized structures. Together, we’ll walk through the Four Pillars of Donor Communications in a hands-on, personalized format designed to foster a true community of practice. You’ll collaborate in real time, exchange ideas, and workshop strategies alongside professionals who understand your unique challenges and opportunities.
All Day: The Four Pillars of Donor Communications
One of the most crucial keys to retaining donors is creating an effective donor communications program that resonates and engages your audience. So how do we go about creating dynamic donor communications? How do we create messages that truly resonate? How do we write with both persuasion and gratitude at the same time? How do we meet demands for print, video, and social content that answers everyone’s needs? And where do we start?
This full day deep dive into donor communications will teach you:
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How to effectively tell your story using the Four Pillars of Donor Communications — Information, Persuasion, Gratitude, and Impact
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How to create communications donors want to consume and share
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How to remove the institutional voice and replace it with a donor-focused, cause-driven voice
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When to use certain types of communications over others
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How to collaborate with organizational communications professionals
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How to advocate for change and attain buy-in from internal constituencies
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How to eliminate communications that aren't working
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Simple changes to transform a mediocre communication into a great one
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Tests you can run to evaluate effectiveness of your current communications
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How to make the donor the hero of your work
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And much more!
We'll inspire you with samples of top-tier communications, teach you the same proven strategies we’ve shared with clients all over the world, and equip you with the tools you need to create and implement a winning donor communications strategy at your nonprofit.
Day 2: November 5, 2026
Day 2 offers two different options. Attendees can choose between a full day of the Four Pillars of Donor Relations or two half-day workshops.
Full Day Option | Four Pillars of Donor Relations
Spend a full day immersed in Lynne Wester’s book, The Four Pillars of Donor Relations. This interactive learning experience is perfect for anyone new to donor relations or even the experienced professional. Filled with fresh content and real-life examples, day one of this conference will teach you the basics of donor relations as well as next practices and new industry trends.
We'll dive into the first two, must-have pillars of The Four Pillars of Donor Relations—acknowledgment and stewardship—to help you assess your current program and identify where and how you can advance your efforts. We'll also provide you with time to workshop your own acknowledgments and impact reports.
Then, we'll explore the final two pillars—recognition and engagement. You'll learn why and how nonprofits are moving from dollar-based to behavior-based recognition programs, the importance of crucial conversations around gift agreement policies and procedures, and see examples of ways donors really want to be recognized and engage with your organization (Hint: It's not a giant check or a rubber chicken dinner in a ballroom). You'll return to your organization ready to create amazing experiences that will surprise and delight your donors.
Lynne will bring each topic to life as she shares personal stories of tragedy, triumph, ridicule, and redemption. You’ll leave inspired and energized, equipped with tangible ideas that you can implement immediately with any size staff or budget.
All participants who complete the comprehensive training on the 4 Pillars of Donor Relations will be awarded a digital certificate and badge.
Learning Outcomes:
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Understand the Foundations of Donor Relations: Learn the principles of acknowledgment and stewardship as the foundational pillars of effective donor relations.
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Assess Current Donor Relations Practices: Conduct a thorough assessment of your current donor relations program to identify strengths and areas for improvement, and prioritize key areas to advance your donor relations efforts.
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Refine Acknowledgment Processes: Workshop acknowledgment strategies to enhance effectiveness and personalization.
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Craft Creative Expressions of Gratitude: Identify unique ways to express gratitude to surprise and delight donors, and review real-life examples to recognize common acknowledgment mistakes and learn actionable fixes.
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Optimize Stewardship Practices: Discover how to tier and structure reports for different donor segments to maximize efficiency and relevance.
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Understand the Transition to Behavior-Based Recognition: Assess current recognition practices to identify areas where a shift from dollar-based to behavior-based recognition can better align with evolving donor expectations.
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Create Unique Donor Experiences: Identify opportunities to create meaningful donor recognition and engagement experiences that go beyond traditional approaches, surprising and delighting donors.
Half-Day Workshop | Morning Session
Gift Agreements and Naming Opportunities: Getting It Right Before It Goes Wrong
Gift agreements and naming opportunities are some of the most powerful tools in fundraising—and some of the most misunderstood. When done well, they create clarity, protect the organization, and strengthen the relationship with the donor. When done poorly, they can lead to confusion, strained relationships, and long-term institutional headaches.
This half-day workshop will walk participants through the practical side of building strong gift agreements and thoughtful naming programs that actually work in real organizations. We’ll talk through what belongs in a solid agreement, what should never be included, and how to write documents that protect both the donor’s intent and the organization’s future flexibility. We’ll also address naming opportunities: how to structure them, how to price them, how to manage them over time, and how to avoid the awkward situations that so often arise years after the gift is made.
Using real-world examples and case scenarios, we’ll examine common mistakes organizations make—unclear language, missing policies, unrealistic donor expectations—and how to prevent them before the agreement is signed. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how donor relations, advancement leadership, and legal counsel can work together to build agreements and naming practices that support long-term fundraising success.
This session is designed for advancement leaders, donor relations professionals, and anyone involved in structuring major gifts who wants to feel more confident navigating gift documentation and naming commitments.
What you'll learn:
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The essential elements of a strong gift agreement:
You will learn what every agreement should include, how to clearly document donor intent, and how to avoid language that creates problems later.
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Common risks and red flags in gift documentation:
We will review real examples of agreements that created challenges for organizations and learn how to identify issues before they become long-term liabilities.
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How to develop thoughtful and sustainable naming opportunity practices:
Learn how to structure naming levels, establish clear policies, and manage naming commitments in a way that supports both donor recognition and institutional flexibility.
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How to strengthen collaboration between advancement, donor relations, and leadership:
Gain practical approaches for aligning internal teams so gift agreements and naming commitments are handled consistently and strategically.
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Which tools you can apply immediately:
Participants will walk away with practical frameworks and policy considerations that can help them improve their organization’s approach to gift agreements and naming opportunities.
Half-Day Workshop | Afternoon Session
Rethinking Recognition: Reassess, Revamp, Retire, Reimagine
Recognition societies have long been a cornerstone of donor relations—but in today’s evolving fundraising landscape, it’s time to ask an important question: Are they still working?
Shifting donor demographics, changing expectations, and a growing demand for more authentic, meaningful engagement are challenging traditional approaches to recognition. What once felt prestigious may now feel transactional and disconnected.
In this interactive half-day workshop, we’ll guide you through a practical, four-part framework to rethink your recognition strategies from the ground up: Reassess, Revamp, Retire, and Reimagine.
Together, we’ll explore what’s working, what’s not, and what’s possible—so you can build recognition experiences that truly resonate with today’s donors.
What You’ll Learn
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How to assess the effectiveness of your current recognition societies using donor feedback and data
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Strategies to modernize existing programs without starting from scratch
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When (and how) to retire outdated recognition efforts with confidence and care
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How to build internal buy-in and communicate change effectively
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Creative approaches to reimagine recognition in ways that feel meaningful, inclusive, and donor-centered
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Low-cost, high-impact ideas that strengthen connection and long-term loyalty
Day 3: November 6, 2026
Half-Day Workshop | Morning Session
StrengthsFinder for Donor Relations Professionals: From Talent to Impact
Donor relations professionals shape the donor experience every day, yet most teams are structured around tasks rather than talents. This interactive workshop introduces CliftonStrengths as a practical tool to help you align your work with what you naturally do best.
Participants will explore their Top 5 strengths, understand how those talents show up in donor relations work, and apply them across engagement, stewardship, recognition, and communication. Through guided activities and team discussion, you’ll learn how to build stronger partnerships, reduce friction in the donor experience, and elevate your impact.
Using a 90-day activation framework, you’ll leave with a clear, actionable plan to immediately apply your strengths in your role.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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Define talent, theme, domain, and strength, and why they matter for performance
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Identify how their Top 5 strengths show up in donor relations work
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Learn how to apply strengths across core functions: engagement, stewardship, recognition, and communication
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Leverage their strengths to lead more effectively and contribute to high-performing teams
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Build complementary partnerships to improve team effectiveness
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Begin to develop a 90-day plan to turn strengths into measurable impact
All StrengthsFinder workshop attendees should complete the CliftonStrengths Top 5 prior to the workshop and bring their results to the session to get the most out of the experience. Upon registration, our team will send you a code to complete the test at a discounted rate.
Free Afternoon Workshops
We have added two free options for you to choose from on the afternoon of November 6. These workshops are only available to conference attendees who purchase a 3-day registration.
Option 1: Scaling Generosity - The Financial Framework to Grow Your Giving
In a rapidly changing funding landscape, nonprofits need a mindset shift from scarcity to strategy to sustainability. In this workshop, Karen Houghton, author of Funding Your Mission, introduces a practical approach to growing giving by aligning how organizations raise, manage, and steward funds. You’ll explore how to build donor trust through financial readiness and create systems that support larger, more sustainable gifts, including non-cash assets such as stocks and crypto. Walk away with clear steps to strengthen your financial foundation and unlock new opportunities for mission-driven growth.
*Option 2: Free DRG Heroes Showcase: Celebrating What's Working (and Who Made It Happen)
We see you. You’re balancing expectations, limited resources, and rising donor demands… and still finding ways to create meaningful, memorable donor experiences.
And that deserves to be recognized!
The DRG Heroes Showcase is a high-energy, 1.5-hour session built to celebrate your wins. The big ones. The small-but-mighty ones. The “we finally fixed that thing” wins. The “we tried something new and it worked” wins.
If you’ve improved how you thank, engage, recognize, or steward your donors over the last 9–10 months—we want to hear about it.
Here’s how it works: You’ll have 5 minutes. 5 slides. One clear win.
When one organization finds a better way to serve donors, it shouldn’t stay siloed. It should ripple. This session is designed to turn your success into shared momentum across the sector. Every story shared becomes part of a growing repository your peers can take back, adapt, and activate within their own donor relations programs.
This is also a celebration. Presenters will be eligible for prizes, yes—but more importantly, you’ll earn something even more valuable: recognition from a community that understands the craft, the strategy, and the heart behind your work.
You’ll walk away with:
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Fresh, proven ideas you can implement immediately
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Inspiration from peers who are in the trenches with you
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A renewed sense of what’s possible when donor experience is done well
At DRG, we talk a lot about being Architects and Guardians of the Donor Experience. This is what that looks like in action.
*Attendees must present in the showcase in order to attend.
Rave Reviews
Truly enjoyed the conference and the facilitators. Lynne and her team are dynamic, fun, and true experts in the field of donor relations. It was wonderful to be in a room with my peers and learn best practices in a fun atmosphere.
Every organization that relies on donors needs this conference. The DRG team is extremely knowledgeable and they are excellent presenters.
Thank you for helping me understand what my role is truly supposed to be doing and what I should be striving to change. This conference has reinvigorated me and I am excited to get home and just take one or two pieces to start with and help our organization be even better for our donors.
The DRG group provides insights that can boost donor retention, giving both seasoned staff and newly assigned staff tools for success. I will personally incorporate concepts provided to assist the organization I work with. If someone is looking for a conference to improve donor relations, look no further, five stars.
Location
Special thanks to our hosts at Simmons University!
CONFERENCE LOCATION
Simmons University
300 Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
HOTEL
Hyatt Regency Boston / Cambridge
575 Memorial Dr.
Cambridge, MA 02139
Can't wait to dive into the content?
Grab your copy of the book that started it all—The Four Pillars of Donor Relations—and discover why Lynne's Four Pillars framework is the guide that every donor relations shop needs. A brilliant partner to the Four Pillars Conference, this book contains a dozen examples of creative communications with donors from real institutions, and 60 pages of appendices offering specific advice on everything from what to include in a gift acceptance policy to donor event management. Learn the framework during the conference, and keep the book as a reference for everyone at your organization for years to come!
Ready to take your donor relations to the next level? The 4 Pillars of the Donor Experience—knowledge, strategy, culture, and emotion—builds upon the foundation of the Four Pillars of Donor Relations, and lets us understand the fundamental truths behind why donors continue to respond to our work, continue to give, and deepen their relationships with our organizations.
In The 4 Pillars of The Donor Experience, Lynne breaks down the philosophy of donor engagement while providing concrete strategies, tangible examples, and a whole slew of images and samples from organizations across the nation doing great work. Now available in print or as an audiobook!
Our Partners
Our sponsors allow us to keep our prices low while still providing you with the best experience possible. We want to thank our friends who partner with us to make our conferences and workshops possible. We couldn't do it without you! Click on the logos below to learn more about the incredible work they do.
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