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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.

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Career Development

Excel Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Donor Relations Professionals

Data is essential for building meaningful relationships with donors. By leveraging our data effectively, we can transform our day-to-day...

Career Development

The Big Oops: Our Guide to Recovering Gracefully

I have a confession. I made a mistake. A few weeks ago, we sent out an email to over 20,000 DRG subscribers—all addressed to “Ashley.”...

Nonprofit Leadership

6 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations

Do you love to have tough but necessary conversations? Let me ask you this—have you avoided having a tough but necessary conversation...

Career Development

Donor Relations and the Curse of Competence

Hey there team DRG—on a personal note, I’m back in the saddle and grateful to everyone that has supported me and my family these past...

Career Development

How to Gain Experience You Don’t Have

The dilemma of not having enough experience is an age-old problem. Maybe you went to college and studied in the field for your job of...

Career Development

How to Use Your Donor Relations Skills to Land Your Dream Job

Are you looking for a new job? Maybe it’s a promotion you’re seeking, or you’re looking for a more supportive culture, or it’s time to...

Career Development

7 Easy Ways to Prepare For the Next Step in Your Career

When was the last time you set aside a few hours to pause and take a personal assessment of your work and your career goals? Knowing who...

Nonprofit Leadership

Fostering Allies in Donor Relations: 3 Reasons Why + 3 Ways to Get Started

We’ve all heard of the importance of building a professional network, and from gaining valuable career insights to learning the inside...

Career Development

Stop Being the "Work Wife"! How to Say "No"

Let’s face it—most of us donor relations professionals are people pleasers. But often times, our kindness and can-do attitudes get us...

Nonprofit Leadership

Documentation: Why It’s Important and What You Should Start Documenting Now

How often have you been frustrated because there’s always laundry to do? Well, documentation is a lot like laundry. And if you have been...

Career Development

How to Successfully Transition from Team Member to Team Leader

By Colton Withers ’Tis the season for annual performance review! As a former people leader, I always had trouble reducing people’s work...

Nonprofit Leadership

Fundraising Is Life: Leadership Lessons From Ted Lasso

By Lynne Wester Ted Lasso is ending this year and many of us are heartbroken. Along the way we have learned and laughed, but we also have...

Career Development

You Belong At the Table: 5 Tips To Help You Overcome Imposter Syndrome

By Avery G. Howard For years we've heard Donor Relations professionals talk about having a seat at the table. Being a part of the...

Nonprofit Leadership

Living A Life of Gratitude: 4 Lessons Nonprofits Can Learn from Thai Culture

By Lynne Wester Travel changes you—it makes you a different and often better human. I've had the privilege to travel a lot in my life,...

Nonprofit Leadership

9 Ways to Fight Burnout and Support Your Team

By Christine McGuire Everyone deals with burnout at some point in their career– it is inevitable, but as a leader, you can offer support...

Career Development

How To Work With The Logical Left-Brained People On Your Team

By Angie Joens So I have a confession—I'm not very technical. Ok, there, I said it. I struggle with my phone, my apple watch, my remotes,...

Career Development

Your Inner Child Has a Place at Work—Be Curious and Ask Those Questions

By Liz Menne We have all been around a child (or two) who asks a run of “Why?” about some mundane topic. At that moment, the constant...

Nonprofit Leadership

Collaboration is Not Just a Buzz Word

By Christine McGuire Every year there is a different saying or buzz word that everyone is using. For the past few years, we've been busy...

Career Development

10 Steps to Developing a Growth Mindset

By Angie Joens I just returned from Europe—it was a summer trip with some of my favorite people in the world. It was also the first time...

Career Development

Resistance is Futile: 4 Strategies for Overcoming Opposition to New Ideas

By Matthew S. Helmer At the DRG Group, we’re passionate about promoting and teaching best practices while also providing sparks of...

Thoughts from the Group

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