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In This Issue...
President's Message
Acknowledgement Letters: Three Do's and a Don't
Extreme Makeover: ADRP Edition
Personal and Timely: Key Challenges and Learnings from La Trobe University's Thank-You Call Campaign
Member Spotlight
Write for The Hub
Upcoming Webinars
Tuesday, January 15
Thursday, February 21
What We're Reading
Last month, Bloomerang, Pursuant, The Institute for Conversational Fundraising, and The Philanthropy Centre published a new study on acknowledgements.
Based on interviews with 15 experts in acknowledgement communications, the authors explore the definitions of, purposes served by, barriers to, and effective strategies for acknowledgment programs.
Have you read an article or blog recently that might interest ADRP members? Submit the link and a description of the piece and it may be featured in an issue of The Hub.
ADRP Resources
Network: Take advantage of the Member Directory in the Member Center
Support ADRP: Explore Sponsorship Opportunities
Job Search: Visit the Career Center
Learn: Register for a Webinar
Join ADRP
Connect with ADRP Online
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In Service: The Column of the ADRP President
Jen McGrath
Senior Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship
MIT Resource Development
As promised in this space in November, I write this month to continue to share some reflections on how important individual member experience is to the success of ADRP as a whole and what ADRP is doing to assure that we meet the current and future needs of our members.
Motivation
Brook Global's October webinar, included a mention of Adrian Sargeant's work on higher order human needs (featured prominently in his keynote address at our 2017 International Conference) and further affirmed by Emiliana Simon-Thomas in this year's conference keynote). The science of well-being and gratitude tells us that the better we are at meeting higher order human needs, the greater the level of motivation we have for continuing and strengthening engagement between people and organizations.
Among those needs is connectedness. And as we think about the best parts of ADRP, the sense of community is central.
Member empowerment and connection are among ADRP's core organizational values, and they guide the Board and staff in the development and delivery of programs and member benefits. Our annual international conference, our regional meetings, as well as our listserv and social media presence, provide formal and informal opportunities to support and expand your ability to find your people, with whom you can share a common language around ideas, experiences, and challenges as donor relations professionals.
Last month I asked you to join me in sharing #ADRPThanks. Among my favorites is this one from @lanumator:
Innovation and Collaboration
As a result of your feedback (which I talked about last month), ADRP is already working hard on several initiatives, among them:
- Industry Leadership Engagement: We conducted a focus group earlier this year, and from the feedback we’ve received, we’ve identified a three-prong approach to continuing to engage this group: community, content, and credibility. Roberta O’Hara is leading the development of a new set of activities in 2018–19 to serve our most seasoned professionals.
- ADRP Website: We know that the number one place you all go for information on our profession is ADRP. And we want to be sure our website is worthy. As Ashleigh Manktelow shares in her article this month, she and her super committee have completed a website refresh, with updated and added content, as well as improvements to make it easier for us to find what we most want.
- Webinars: Webinars are our most-accessed content, with nearly a third of our membership participating in the live versions each month (and many others of us playing catch up with the recordings). Thanks to the great work of co-chairs Kirsten Lavin and Lauren Shoor and their terrific committee—not to mention all the wonderful would-be presenters—twelve wonderful webinars have been lined up for 2019. What's more, the same digital education committee has a longer-term charge to think about other educational content that we might bring to members. Possibilities include of-the-moment webinars, podcasts, and Facebook live videos. If you have ideas for content or delivery, please don't be shy—share your thoughts: [email protected].
Communication
Your continuing feedback and direct engagement with the ADRP community helps ADRP help us all. What we share with each other helps ADRP identify opportunities for innovation and collaboration and strengthens the member experience. What we say about ourselves in our broader circles of influence has the potential to help us expand our community.
As I shared during our annual meeting, in order to continue to serve you—and our profession—we need to assure that we are as diverse a community as possible. We have engaged with a marketing firm to help us identify under-represented audiences, articulate membership motivators, and enhance messaging through key communication channels.
My hope is that we will soon have a road map for reaching under-represented groups (I'm looking at you heath care and public sector friends) and enhanced articulation of our products and services and their value, to help us attract new members and retain existing members of our community. The growth of ADRP not only portends the strength of our profession, but also brings with it expanded experience, insight, and ideas for us all.
Agree? Disagree? Have ideas or reflections of your own to share? As always, I'd love to hear from you directly on LinkedIn or Twitter @JenNesbit. Please also engage with ADRP on Facebook, LinkedIn and @ADRPtweets.
Acknowledgement Letters: Three Do's and a Don't
Suzanne Bellanger
Manager, Direct Marketing & Strategic Stewardship
Brown University
One of the most critical components of a fundraising program for any non-profit is the proper stewardship of its donors. Thoughtful stewardship fosters deeper relationships and builds a case for continued support by demonstrating appreciation for and impact of your donors’ financial investment in your organization.
Extreme Makeover: ADRP Edition
Ashleigh Manktelow
Associate Director, Volunteer Partnerships and Regional Strategy
McGill University
If you visited www.adrp.net today, you may have wondered what happened to our Association’s website. What is this new and fresh look and where are all of the fabulous resources I depend on from ADRP?
No need to worry, all of the content and features of the former website have been brought forward, and in some cases have been updated to better meet the needs of our members.
Personal and Timely: Key Challenges and Learnings from La Trobe University's Thank-You Call Campaign
Thomas Lopez
Stewardship Coordinator, Alumni and Advancement Office
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
La Trobe University
What could be more emotionally satisfying than receiving a personal thank-you call from a student at the University to which you just donated? What would be better than having that student thank you authentically for helping students in need?
Member Spotlight
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Name: Marletta Boyd II
Institution: The Children's Center
Position: Director-Individual Philanthropy
ADRP member for 1 year
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Do you host any special events for the children in your care at the holidays?
Since 2009, we have hosted our annual Holiday Shop, which offers children in need a new toy, stocking-stuffers, basic need items (such as hats, gloves, and fleece blankets), and a gift card towards a family holiday meal. Individuals and organizations in the community rally to support this event through financial contributions and in-kind donations. We then transform our lower level into a magical winter wonderland, filled with new, unwrapped items for families to “shop” free of charge, with dignity and pride, as they select the perfect gifts for their children. Last year, we were able to support 1,722 children with this initiative.
Write for The Hub: We Want to Hear from You!
The Hub is seeking article proposals for new monthly issues!
Do you have a success story you would like to share? How did you handle a particular problem or project that seemed insurmountable? Have you discovered effective tactics that help gain a seat at the table? What are your thoughts on best practices or new, emerging ideas that take a donor relations/stewardship program to the next level?
We want to encourage our members—new and experienced—to share their insights, best practices, and what works (or doesn’t work!) when planning their shop’s programming and responsibilities.
We welcome all submissions related to donor relations and stewardship, but we especially encourage ADRP members to step forward and share their expertise and experiences in the profession.
The 2019 submission form is available any time you have an article proposal to submit. We have included the webinar topics for each month, in case you would like to tie your article to a specific webinar topic.
Please submit your article proposal today! We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
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