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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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Donor Retention

6 Steps for Implementing Effective Change Management to Increase Donor Retention

Donor retention is often a neglected metric in fundraising, with many organizations focusing more on the volume of donations or the...

Nonprofit Leadership

Change Is Coming: How To Build Trust With Donors in Uncertain Times

The only thing constant is change . Greek philosophers have given the world much to ponder over a few thousand years, but this...

Nonprofit Leadership

A Step-By-Step Guide to Strategic Planning

I can't believe this fiscal year is almost over. Come June 30th, many of us will stick a fork in FY '24 and call it finished! On a...

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...

Nonprofit Leadership

The Power of Planning A Year's Work and the Freedom it Unlocks

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind, leaving little room for strategic thinking and long-term...

Stewardship and Reporting

Scoring Big: Donor Stewardship and Football – A Team Approach to Success

When we discuss stewardship, acknowledgments and reporting are usually the first items that come to mind. Similarly, when people think...

Nonprofit Leadership

Friend or Foe? Three Ways Donor Relations can Collaborate with Alumni Relations

Alumni relations and donor relations are rarely part of the same reporting lines. They are almost never managed holistically, together,...

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...

Donor Retention

Marginal Gains for Strategic Donor Relations: Small Steps for Big Impact

Now that you’ve had a chance to dabble in some of the strategies shared in our previous series on behavior economics (catch up here →...

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...

Donor Communications

Telling Your Story: 5 Steps to Develop Your Organization’s Voice

When a donor or volunteer hears the name of your organization, what image instantly comes to mind? Does it conjure thoughts of impact and...

Nonprofit Leadership

The #1 Thing You Can Do Now to Be Successful in FY24

By Angie Joens It is nearly the end of the fiscal year for many of us. I love and hate this time of year. Everyone is tired, a little...

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...

Nonprofit Leadership

Behavior Economics: 11 Clever Strategies to Boost Gift-Giving in 2023 - Part 2

By Madelyn C. Jones Welcome back, friends! For those of you who read Part 1 and want more, you're in luck! (For those of you who have not...

Nonprofit Leadership

Behavior Economics in Fundraising: 11 Strategies to Boost Gift-Giving in 2023 - Part 1

By Madelyn C. Jones In a world where attention is the #1 commodity, many nonprofits find themselves vying for our attention among...

Nonprofit Leadership

How to Professionalize Your Shop From the Inside Out

By Christine McGuire Whether you are a small shop, large shop, or somewhere in between, how you portray your unit has a direct...

Nonprofit Leadership

5 Project Planning Tips That Will Set You Up For Success

By Liz Menne We've all been there — leadership has a new project in mind, and you're assigned to oversee the show. Many of us get the...

Nonprofit Leadership

12 Proven For-Profit Practices Every Nonprofit Should Embrace

Innovation is one of our core values at DRG. We love shaking things up and surprising and delighting donors with the unexpected. When...

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,...

Thoughts from the Group

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