Blog

2022 is right around the corner! As we enter the fourth quarter and begin to wrap up a challenging year, it’s an opportune time to look forward. Following are five things to consider as you think about strategic thinking and planning in this new era.

As we enter Fall 2021, all of us had hoped the pandemic would have been in the rearview mirror. Instead, COVID-19 continues to have an impact on our organizations, staff and donors. As you gear up for another season of service and fundraising, here are some things to consider adjusting in your fundraising plan.

If you’re anything like me you may have become used to – or perhaps dependent on – directional apps, like Google Maps. I even put on directions to pick up my son from daycare, just so I know exactly the best way to get there and when I will arrive. Evidently, I like having certainty and a plan.

These apps are written with algorithms that assess available routes (plus traffic or accidents) to produce the most efficient directions.  What if we could apply something similar for fundraising professionals?

Organizations with a strong endowment fund generally have a story about how they got there. It's a story of two parties.

The last 18 months have both challenged some of our long-held beliefs about fundraising and reinforced many of the lessons we know to be true. 

Whether we realize it or not, each of us has been applying data to decision-making processes since our youth. Remember that time you were selected to be the captain of the kickball team? The pressure of selecting the best team rested solely on YOUR shoulders. If you were like me, a million strategic thoughts went through your head as you tried to recruit the best team to ensure you won the game. The first step was evaluating the group of classmates staring back at me. What do I know about them? Are they a fast runner? A good kicker? A good fielder? My friend? After quickly assessing the answers to those questions, the selection process began.

As a non-profit, how can you connect with local government policy makers who share your vision to serve your community? 

What knowledge as a "boots on the ground" organization can you contribute to your collaboration with city or state government elected officials to serve your community better?

In this month's episode of the DBD Podcast, Jon Simons interviews two leaders in the Richmond, VA area who share their insights about successful partnerships between the non-profit sector and local government: Abigail Farris Rogers,  President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Richmond, and Eva Colen, Manager of Office of Children and Families for the city of Richmond, VA.

This insightful podcast will give you practical ways to engage with your local government to create partnerships that help to serve your community in deeper ways and help officials to solve problems with more efficient, informed solutions, and better policies.

After a year of constraints, there are new opportunities awaiting non-profits. Before you decide to start - or delay - your next fundraising campaign, listen in as Bruce Berglund and Laura De Vries from DBD Group answer such questions as:

• What's next for the US economy?
• How will these economic indicators impact philanthropy?
• When is the right time to re-engage with a strategic initiative? 
• How should you participate in stimulus efforts in your community?
• How will you thank those who showed up for you in the past year? 

Throughout the past few months, conversations with clients from around the country have centered on one basic question:

What are the questions you should ask before engaging in a collaboration? 

What are the characteristics of successful - and not successful - partnerships?

In this month's episode of the DBD Podcast, Bruce Berglund, Kellie Wardman and Jon Simons discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with partnering or  collaborating with other organizations. 

This engaging 24 minute podcast will give you, your team and your volunteers a solid background to making the most of collaborative opportunities that come your way.