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Join DRG Online For a Brand-New Virtual Conference Experience!
Join us for an unforgettable two-day professional development experience designed to elevate your donor relations strategies and help you build stronger, lasting connections with donors. This event offers unparalleled insights and hands-on learning opportunities to improve your donor communications, fund management practices, and data-driven decision-making from the comfort of your own office! From navigating the Four Pillars of Donor Communications to creating behavior-based strategies to increase donor retention, every session is packed with actionable strategies to take your donor relations to the next level.
Don’t miss this chance to learn from industry experts, explore real-world examples, and engage in meaningful discussions. (Yes—even virtually!) Whether you're looking to refine your storytelling, streamline operations, or boost donor retention, this conference provides the skills, strategies, and inspiration you need. Reserve your spot today, and join us online March 25-26!
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The DRG Difference
At DRG, we do virtual conference differently. We believe conferences should be more than just a learning experience—they should be memorable, inspiring, and FUN! That’s why every DRG event is carefully crafted to deliver expert insights in an engaging, intimate, and dynamic atmosphere that sets us apart.
From the moment you log on, you’ll feel the difference. We partner with the best in the business to ensure an engaging online experience that pulls you into the room and makes you feel like you're part of our in-person presentations. You’ll be guided by dynamic presenters who are experts in the field, delivering practical strategies and innovative ideas you can implement right away. And you won’t leave empty-handed—we'll provide detailed, digital workbooks to serve as your roadmap for success, packed with resources to help you take what you’ve learned and apply it directly to your work.
We also know that the best learning happens in an environment that’s as enjoyable as it is educational. That’s why we infuse our online events with thoughtful engagement and an abundance of fun and laughter. Whether it’s a thought-provoking discussion, a moment of connection with your peers, or a shared laugh, you’ll leave feeling energized and ready to take on new challenges.
At DRG, we don’t just host conferences—we create joyful experiences that inspire, connect, and empower you to excel in donor relations.
Conference Overview
Day 1: March 25, 2025
The Four Pillars of Donor Communications
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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?
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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: March 26, 2025
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Morning Workshop — Strategic Fund Management: Compliance, Utilization and Stewardship
The second half of the day is our fund management workshop. We'll focus on the principles of fund compliance, financial utilization and stewardship. Getting the gift in the door is only half of our job in fundraising. From gift agreement all the way through reporting impact, our jobs in donor relations begin with the long-term process of ensuring the funds are spent to maximum capacity in accordance with donor intent, and reported on to the donors. This dedicated workshop will focus on setting the stage with effective and sustainable gift agreements, fund audits and compliance best practices, donor-centered stewardship activities, and much more. We'll explore this complex issue while identifying key partners and data needs. This half-day workshop is for both new and experienced development professionals seeking a deeper understanding of fund management and the role donor relations plays in this crucial space.
During this half-day workshop, you will learn:
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How to craft effective and sustainable gift agreements
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Fund audit and compliance best practices
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Collaboration with institutional partners on fund management
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Donor-centered stewardship activities
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Reporting strategies and best practice
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Afternoon Workshop — Data-Driven Decision Making in Donor Relations
Are you making decisions in your donor relations shop based on what front line fundraisers tell you the donors “say”? Are you continuing activities where you question the ROI of your efforts? Is your suggestion box full? Do you ever wish you had proof that it’s time to let go of a project, task, or event? Do you wonder what happened to your strategy? Is your leadership asking you for proof you need more staff or resources? Have you gathered lots of benchmarking data but don’t know how to use it?
This half-day workshop will teach you practical insights that will empower you to harness the right information for data-driven decision making in donor relations. Whether you're a seasoned fundraising professional or new to the field, this workshop will equip you with the tools to make informed choices leading you to stronger donor relationships, increased loyalty, and greater overall fundraising success.
During this half-day workshop you will learn:
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How to implement a data-driven culture in your shop
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Strategies for making a compelling case for changes in staff, workload, and resources
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Evidence-based practices for leveraging empirical data over anecdotes
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Which critical data points should guide your decision-making
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CFRE Eligibility: This conference has been approved for 10 CFRE points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification. ​
Rave Reviews
This conference was a rich experience enhanced by relevant content, interactive sessions, and a broad range of institutional knowledge from the presenters and participants. I highly recommend!
I'm Zoom fatigued and sick of online, video things - and I was genuinely sad when this conference ended. The information was fantastic and helpful (lots of wonderful nuggets!), the presenters were extremely engaging, the technical aspects ran really smoothly, the online chat was engaging, and I felt seen and included in the live event even though I wasn't physically present.
This was my first hybrid conference and you did a fantastic job of including us online attendees. I felt very much a part of the fun. Thank you!
This conference didn't feel like a conference---it was an experience! The DRG Group clearly applied what they know about donor relations to every piece of the conference. It was personal, memorable and valuable.
Conference Schedule
Day 1: Tuesday, March 25
The Four Pillars of Donor Communications
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10:00 AM CT| Introduction: Roadmap to the Four Pillars
10:15 AM CT | Part 1: Analyzing the Current State of Donor Communications
11:30 AM CT | Break
11:45 AM CT | Part 2: Understanding What our Donors Want to Hear from Us
1:00 PM CT | Lunch Break
2:00 PM CT | Part 3: Create Once Repurpose Everywhere and Other Strategies for Success
3:15 PM CT | Break
3:30 PM CT | Part 4: Building Buy-In and Collaborative Communications Plans
4:45 PM | Wrap-Up & Q&A
5:00 PM | Day 1 Ends
Day 2: Wednesday, March 26
Half-Day Workshops
10:00 AM CT | Introduction/Agenda for the Day
10:15 AM CT | Part 1: Strategic Fund Management: Compliance, Utilization and Stewardship
11:30 AM CT | Break
11:45 AM CT | Part 2: Strategic Fund Management: Compliance, Utilization and Stewardship
1:00 PM CT | Lunch Break
2:00 PM CT | Part 1: Data-Driven Decision Making for Donor Relations
3:15 PM CT | Break
3:30 PM CT | Part 2: Data-Driven Decision Making for Donor Relations
4:45 PM | Wrap-Up & Q&A
5:00 PM | Day 2 Ends
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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 Sponsors
Our sponsors allow us to keep our prices low while still providing you with the best experience possible. Thank you to our friends who partner with us to make these 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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