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THINK LIKE A DONOR

One of my favorite DBD axioms is “Listen the gift.” We use this as we coach our clients through a major or transformational gift ask. Listening to our prospect is an important piece of the puzzle in creating a meaningful outcome for the donor and the organization.

After the disruption of the past four years, it seems a great time to pause and think differently – not just about the organization, changing demographics, AI, or the shifts in technology that are all affecting our fundraising, but about our donors. They are the heart of it all. 

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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Financial Development, Annual Fundraising, Donor Engagement, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Development

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DAF

Posted by Mary Ramirez

Many nonprofits wonder how to identify people who have DAFs and how to get their cause in front of them. It can be a little complicated but with some investigation into how the DAF is administered, you can find the person behind the DAF and start to share your mission and impact with them. Let’s explore...

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Topics: Fundraising, Financial Development, Annual Fundraising, Donor Engagement, Foundation, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Development, Donor Advised Funds

SILENCE CAN LEAD TO GOLD

Posted by Thom Peters

I knew a nonprofit director who moved from the big city to work with an organization in a small, coastal community. She left behind traffic, sirens, and hordes of people, to what most of us would call serenity. Six months into her tenure I asked how she was enjoying the small-town life. Her reply surprised me as she said the quiet was very difficult for her, even making it hard to sleep at night. Within a year, she was back to the big city.

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Topics: Fundraising, Donor Engagement

GET GREAT AT NON-CASH GIVING

A Changing Landscape

You’ve probably heard the phrase “cash is king.” But is that still true?

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Topics: Fundraising, Individual Philanthropy, Annual Fundraising, Donor Advised Funds

THE MILLION DOLLAR BUNDT CAKE

Posted by Jason Fry

Years ago, I was working with a very skilled major gifts officer. She had a donor, Elizabeth, who was in her 90s and who was very loyal to the organization. However, this staff member had tried contacting Elizabeth over and over through e-mail or by phone and leaving voicemails. As much as she tried diligently to get in touch with Elizabeth, she was unsuccessful. She started telling herself a variety of stories. Maybe something is wrong or she’s sick? Maybe I upset her with all my emails. Maybe she heard something negative about our organization? Maybe I offended her by asking her for money? Maybe she died?

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Topics: Success Stories, Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Donor Communications, Financial Development, Donor Management, Donor Relations, Fund Development

There's Still Time: Year-end Fundraising

Posted by Jon Simons

While December is prime time for donor stewardship (pro tip: the #1 reason a donor will renew or upgrade their giving is that they were thanked AND told how their gift has impact) it is also a very fruitful time to invite support for your great cause. According to NPSource: 30% of annual giving occurs in December and 10% occurs in the last 3 days of the year. 

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Topics: Fundraising, Annual, Annual Fundraising, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Year-End

Crowdfunding and Younger Donors

Posted by DBD Team

By Robyn Furness-Fallin and Kali Righter


According to a recent report released by Soraya Alexander, Classy President & GoFundMe COO, Gen Z might just become one of the most charitable generations yet. She states, “While they aren’t giving the same amounts older generations are, they have the largest growth potential. This shows just how important giving back is to younger generations. They vote with their dollars and are willing to make sacrifices to give to the causes they believe in.”

The recent GivingUSA report for 2022 showed just that.

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Topics: Fundraising, Millennials, crowdfunding, gen z donors

Rocking Stewardship: How to Show Gratitude as Only You Can

Posted by Bruce Berglund

During the pandemic we introduced the concept of “radical stewardship”. We reinforced the necessity of lifting up, thanking and honoring those who were our most loyal friends and donors during that difficult time.

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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Gratitude, Appreciation, Collaboration

It’s Not Too Late: Stewardship Strategies to Use Today

Posted by DBD Team

As we move into the last quarter of the year, the focus for many nonprofit organizations is on year-end fundraising. But before you ask for more, have you properly shown gratitude for all you’ve received?

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Topics: Fundraising, Gratitude, Handwritten Notes, Appreciation, Collaboration

Leveraging Fundraising Basics: Lessons from Giving USA 2022

When the Giving USA 2022 report was released earlier this year, this key finding left many nonprofit professionals concerned: Total dollars given was down 10.5%* to $499.33 billion.

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Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Annual Campaign, Donor Communications, Financial Development, Donor Management, Donor Engagement, Giving Usa

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