Donor Relations Group

Now that you've got your three key ingredients for creating effective bespoke engagement plans, let’s talk about how to bring it all together! Putting It All Together: How to Kickstart Your Engagement Plans By combining good intelligence, a collaborative spirit, and a strong understanding of your organization’s unique opportunities, fundraising professionals can create engagement plans that are both personalized and impactful. Here’s how these elements can come together in practice: ? Collect Data and Build Profiles: Start by gathering comprehensive intelligence on each donor, including their giving history, motivations, and interests. ? Create a Plan with Input from Across the Organization: Collaborate with program staff and faculty, finance, communications, and other departments to design an engagement plan that resonates with the donor’s interests, and showcases the organization’s work effectively. Remember, the plan is not compiled from a menu of offerings, but specially designed to leverage what you know about the donor and what they care about. ? Identify and Execute Unique Touchpoints: Integrate moments unique to your organization into the plan. These should be meaningful and memorable, aligning with the donor’s motivations and offering a firsthand experience of the donor’s generosity in action. ? Engage and Evolve Over Time: Donor relationships are not static, and neither should your plan be. Use regular check-ins with key collaborators, feedback and observations, and new intelligence to adapt engagement plans over time, keeping donors connected and inspired. The expectations of today’s donors have evolved, and personalized, thoughtful engagement plans are no longer optional. By investing in good intelligence, fostering a collaborative spirit, and creating unique moments that reflect the organization’s mission, we can build relationships that inspire sustained generosity. Each of these three ingredients plays a critical role in keeping our most loyal donors connected and committed to the organization’s vision. Ultimately, this approach isn’t just about securing additional gifts—it’s about building a community of devotees who are fully invested in making a difference. Let us know what else you would add to the recipe to ensure success ?? By Matthew Helmer

Giving days like #GivingTuesday are prime time to attract new donors and create buzz for your mission. But what’s the secret to nailing a one-day campaign? ?? We’ve got you covered! ?? Our free guide is packed with expert tips, do’s & don’ts, and inspiring examples to help you crush your next giving day. ?? Ready to make it your best one yet? Download now and start planning! ??? Free Download: https://ow.ly/MSEh50U82u1

Free Webinar: Tackling the Hidden Issue of Unspent Donor Funds ?? Dec 12, 2024 ? 1:00 PM One often overlooked issue in the nonprofit sector is the silent accumulation of unspent donor funds. Imagine celebrating a record $400M in donations, only for a report to reveal $208M remains unspent—a real scenario for many in higher education, according to DRG’s new survey. Join me and Colton Withers in this #freewebinar as we share exclusive data and tools to address unspent donor funds at your organization. Register for Free: https://ow.ly/sH8250U82PW

The third must-have for your organization’s bespoke engagement plans for top donors? ?? Unique Moments. ?? ?? Unique Moments: Creating Memorable Donor Experiences ?? In the age of information overload, organizations need to stand out by creating memorable moments that resonate with donors––moving them to emotion through a thoughtfully curated experience. This is the magic dust we sprinkle on a donor’s experience, and it’s the type of shiny object that grabs the attention of development teams and organizational leaders. Unfortunately, too many want to skip over the first two ingredients and jump right into building plans and creating moments. So if you read this far and have been thinking, “we need that”––STOP. Rewind and ensure Good Intelligence and a Collaborative Spirit are in place before taking the next step. And when you’re ready, this will absolutely be the fun part! When done well, these memorable moments are unique to the organization and reflect its mission, values, and the distinct impact created through partnership with donors. For many, these experiences are the most unforgettable part of their relationship with an organization and can deepen their commitment. ?? Why It Matters Creating moments that are exclusive to your organization helps donors feel like they’re part of something truly special. These experiences show appreciation, reinforce the organization’s mission, and allow donors to experience their impact firsthand. This might look like a tailored visit to your campus or a new facility for a “behind-the-scenes” tour, an opportunity to spend time connecting with beneficiaries, or a custom report that illustrates the life-changing impact of a donor’s generosity. Remember that a memorable moment doesn’t have to be an event––the important part is that we create tangible connections between the donor’s contribution and the organization’s work. When these interactions are thoughtfully curated, they foster emotional bonds that extend beyond transactional giving. ?? Designing Unique Moments in Practice Crafting unique donor experiences involves creativity and an understanding of each donor’s interests. It also involves understanding what the organization can offer that separates it from the giving experience at another nonprofit. Think about the work you do, who does it, where it happens, and how it all aligns with the mission. Make a long list, and then focus your efforts by aligning these unique offerings with the donor’s interests––this is where the magic happens, where we create unexpected moments that surprise and delight. It’s also helpful to leverage milestones and anniversaries as opportunities for unique celebrations and recognition. A heartfelt, handwritten note to mark the moment, a video message featuring beneficiaries, or a custom tour to showcase spaces where impact comes to life can be memorable and cost-effective ways to express gratitude and strengthen emotional ties. Written by Matthew Helmer

Are you ready to make your donor emails irresistible ?? Great email communication isn’t just about hitting “send.” It’s about building trust, creating connections, and sparking action. Easier said than done, right? We’re thrilled to announce the brand new Mailed It! Webinar Series—a four-part webinar series with email expert and author of Mailed It!, our friend Ashley Budd! This exciting new series will teach you how to transform your nonprofit’s emails into engaging and inspiring donor communications. What you’ll learn: ? How to build trust through email. ? The art and science of crafting messages that drive results. ? Practical strategies from real case studies. ? Actionable tips and feedback to elevate your emails. ?? When: Starting January 16, 2025 ?? Cost: $60 per webinar or $200 for all 4 (save $40!) Register today:https://lnkd.in/eyBF5mri Join us and get ready to elevate your emails—your donors will thank you! #NonprofitMarketing #EmailMarketing #DonorEngagement #FundraisingTips #NonprofitWebinars #EmailCommunication #DonorRelations

HOT GIG ALERT! UC Davis is hiring a Executive Director, Development Marketing, Communications and Outreach. Under the general direction of the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for University Development, the Executive Director of Development Marketing, Communications and Outreach oversees and manages the University Development Marketing and Communications Unit, Proposal Services Unit, and Donor Relations Unit, with significant responsibility to achieve established, strategic goals. The Executive Director establishes objectives, directs programs, develops strategies and policies with DEVAR-wide impact, manages human, financial, and physical resources, and functions with a high degree of autonomy. This position proactively assesses risk to establish systems and procedures to protect organizational and brand assets. The Executive Director is responsible for highly impactful decisions that influence the overall success of the department, division, and Development and Alumni Relations as a whole. Apply Today: https://ow.ly/eXg750U6cSu

On Friday, we talked about one of the three must-haves for creating a solid bespoke engagement plan: good intelligence. Today, let’s dive into the second must-have—a collaborative spirit! ??A Collaborative Spirit: Teamwork Amplifies Engagement Fundraising is not a solo endeavor, and collaboration is vital for building and sustaining donor relationships. A collaborative spirit within your organization amplifies engagement efforts and helps create more comprehensive, authentic engagement plans. Collaboration also includes building a partnership mentality with donors themselves, viewing them not as silent investors, but as valuable stakeholders in the mission. ? The Importance of Cross-Functional Collaboration A collaborative approach allows teams to leverage expertise and resources from across the organization––an essential part of crafting meaningful engagement. For example, program staff, faculty, and students can provide valuable insights into the work on the ground, offering real-time stories and impact statistics that resonate with donors. Communication teams can help frame these narratives in compelling ways, while the finance department can provide transparency on how funds are allocated, boosting donor trust. Cross-functional collaboration ensures that donor engagement strategies are aligned with the organization’s broader goals and messaging, while speaking directly to the donor’s interests and philanthropic purpose. ? Building a Partnership with Donors Collaboration shouldn’t stop within the organization; involving donors as partners in the mission builds deeper, more authentic connections. Ways to do this include inviting them to participate as volunteer advisory council members, asking them to make connections with prospective donors and community members, or simply providing regular updates that ask for their feedback and input. All of these (and more) make great elements of a bespoke engagement plan, if each opportunity is tailored to what matters to the donor. ? Practical Steps to Foster Collaboration If you’re thinking “sounds nice, but that’s not us,” you are, unfortunately, not alone. And too many nonprofits have launched an individual engagement plan initiative only to falter due to a lack of shared information and team-oriented approach to success. It’s vital that this ingredient be in place and continually cultivated for the plans to be effective. Start where you are and work to build a collaborative culture by establishing regular communication channels between departments, and ensuring development and donor relations teams have access to programmatic, financial, and operational updates. Joint brainstorming sessions and debriefs on recent donor interactions can spark new engagement ideas. Importantly, celebrate small wins together—whether it’s a successful event, a donor upgrade, or meaningful feedback from a recent communication—so that everyone feels they are a part of the donor relationship-building process.

Be Part of the 2024 Ethical Storytelling Report! With the help of incredible nonprofits, the 2023 Ethical Storytelling Report has already been downloaded over 2,400 times! Now, MemoryFox is preparing next year’s report and would love your insights. Here’s how you can get involved: ? Complete a quick 10-question survey ? Share the survey with your nonprofit network What you’ll receive: ?? Recognition in the report as a survey participant (your responses remain anonymous) ?? An early access copy of the report, sent directly to your inbox! Join in shaping the future of ethical storytelling in the nonprofit world. Take the Survey: https://ow.ly/Cbrf50U7tL9 #EthicalStorytelling #Nonprofit

Free Webinar: Tackling the Hidden Issue of Unspent Donor Funds ?? Dec 12, 2024 ? 1:00 PM One often overlooked issue in the nonprofit sector is the silent accumulation of unspent donor funds. Imagine celebrating a record $400M in donations, only for a report to reveal $208M remains unspent—a real scenario for many in higher education, according to DRG’s new survey. Join Lynne Wester and Colton Withers in this #freewebinar as they share exclusive data and tools to address unspent donor funds at your organization. Register for Free: https://ow.ly/sH8250U82PW