DONOR RELATIONS GURU

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DAY 1: MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022

9:00 AM | Introduction: The 4 Pillars of the Donor Experience

9:15 AM | Pillar One: Knowing

Knowledge is power. Knowledge of our donors, their preferences, and their experiences isn’t strange or unnerving — it’s expected and mutually beneficial. Imagine how much more could be accomplished if there was an overall understanding and mindset that encourages consistent and positive data behavior.

What you will learn: 

• Passive and active intelligence and data to further understand your donors

• How to identify information gaps in your donor knowledge and techniques to fill these gaps

• Techniques for defining your strategies and priorities both in the short- and long-term​

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10:30 AM | Break

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10:45 AM | Pillar Two: Strategy

Strategy isn’t simply a list of tasks that need to be undertaken in order to deepen the donor relationship. Strategy is charting a thoughtful path forward with the donor. Defining and outlining this journey is essential to success. Action with no strategy maintains the status quo.

What you’ll learn:

• Strategies to increase donor retention such as ask-to-thank ratios, reporting impact of donations at all levels, and more

• How to reshape communications in a donor-focused mindset using actionable intelligence

• How to identify stop/start activities (what can stay and what must go) in order to reprioritize new efforts into your workload

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12:00 PM | Lunch: Roundtable Discussions (Lunch is included in your conference registration)

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1:00 PM | Pillar Three: Culture

Culture focuses on empowerment, excellence, and gratitude to help define your organization’s interactions with donors. An expectation of excellence is a behavior and application of a set of standards. During this session, we’ll uncover the startling power and dynamic of gratitude-based living. Living and practicing gratitude both internally and externally can transform relationships. It’s more than just thank you notes, it’s a lifestyle.

What you’ll learn:

• How to create a culture of gratitude at your organization that will lead to both short- and long-term success

• Healthy power dynamics and whose role it is to demonstrate gratitude at your organization

• Best and next practices—as well as common pitfalls in gratitude

• How to swap out traditional donor recognition for inclusive methods of gratitude that will ultimately affect the fundraising bottom line
   

2:15 PM | Break

2:30 PM | Pillar Four: Emotion

Emotions—they are at the center of the donor experience and are behind why donors give, why they remain loyal, and why they ultimately leave. There are many emotions that inspire donors to give—joy, sadness, anger, belief, nostalgia—the list goes on. The most successful nonprofits tap in to those emotions and convert them into action.

What you’ll learn:

• How to infuse your communications with these same emotions for maximum impact and ROI in your fundraising and relationship efforts

• Techniques for fixing a broken donor relationship and making it fruitful again in the future

• How to craft extraordinary donor experiences that are one of a kind and allow a donor’s generosity to shine

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3:45 PM | Wrap-Up

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DAY 2: TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022

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9:00 AM - 12:30 PM - Behavior-Based Donor Relations Half-Day Workshop

Let’s face it - the way we’ve always done it is fading into the background as new efforts emerge. But some shops are still stuck in traditional thanking methods based on gift amount to define their communication and recognition efforts. We have finite resources, both in staff and budgets, and we must strategize ways to satiate many donors with different interests and needs. By developing a program based on donor behaviors, in lieu of arbitrary giving amounts, we can ensure we are communicating gratitude and impact to donors at all levels of giving.

What you will learn:

• How to identify priority donor behaviors you need to reinforce

• How to craft personal communications for these groups

• Strategy development to increase donor retention

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Pursuing your CFRE? This conference has been approved for 8.75 CFRE continuing education credits.