Blog

Who doesn’t love budgeting?  Whether it’s getting your arms around spending at home, watching members of Congress debate on C-SPAN or sitting through meetings at the office, budgeting is one of the great joys of life…Right?

“Mind the gap” echoed through the colorfully tiled RATP Metro as I stepped from the platform to the train on a journey from Paris to Geneva.  My focus briefly diverted from the excitement and joy of the journey to the necessary caution ahead me.  Each time the train door opened,  the same voice reminded me to mind the gap in several languages.  I recall glancing at the gap at my first stop, being amused as passengers stepped over it at the second, and growing deaf to it by the third, as my focus shifted to the exciting journey ahead of me…

I have the wonderful opportunity to learn from our clients and their volunteers across the country. The wonderful balance of staff and volunteer engagement makes this work rich and rewarding.

In the course of your career, you’ll likely have a chance to attend professional development conferences. These conferences offer a variety of opportunities to connect, learn and get inspired.

For the past two years, DBD Group has been working with a cohort of nonprofit leaders from across the country on strategies for improving annual giving. While there are many learnings to be shared, I think the most interesting may be what we’ve learned in developed major gift relationships.

During visits to Chicago in a former job, I was struck by an unusually designed building across the Chicago River. This two-acre lot had previously sat undeveloped for decades while stakeholders sought a way to utilize the space for maximum efficiency and impact. 

Fundraising is a lot like yoga. If it hurts, you are probably doing it wrong.