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In Service:
The Column of the ADRP President
Kathleen Diemer, CFRE
Executive Director of Donor Relations and Advancement Communications
George Mason University
Happy New Year! Many of you are likely still digging out from the onslaught of calendar year-end gifts. Though it is always thrilling to see our organizations thrive, successful year-end fundraising often leaves donor relations professionals with little time to reflect or plan for the coming year. As 2017 dawns, it is important to take some time to do both.
Strategic planning in organizations often revolves around the budget cycle, but the start of a new calendar year is an excellent time to reflect on trends in the industry as well as your own workplace. Though we have many ways to follow the changes and shifts in our industry, many of us need to dedicate more time and inquiry into the trends of our own fundraising shops.
Think about the last calendar year in your organization. What changed? Did you have a generational shift in donors? A substantial increase or decrease in your first-time and recurring donor populations? Has the rate of giving from employees gone up, down or remained stagnant? Did more people make gifts online or via planned giving vehicles? What new philanthropic accounts were created? Have the expectations of your organization's donors changed? If so, have you been able to accommodate those changes?
When we plan based on budget we often limit our own wish list and scale back our dreams. When we plan based on our own organization trends and expectations we can often find low or no cost ways to shift staff priorities, restructure activities, innovate new programs, and make simple adjustments that will benefit both our donors and our organizations.
Finding time for strategic planning often seems like a luxury. This year I hope you will make a luxurious resolution - allow yourself time to reflect upon your organization's recent past and then plan a productive and meaningful future for your donor relations program.
With gratitude,
Kathleen Diemer
[email protected]
President
Make Sure Your New Digital Donor Wall Best Serves Your Donors
Richard Nicolson
President
DonorSigns.com
Based on your past experiences you may feel that a traditional donor wall is expensive, cumbersome, challenging and time consuming to update and costly to clean and maintain. In fact, a large donor wall program can be a full time job for one of your staff for a couple months every year. If the donor wall hasn't been well planned, you could run out of room after a couple of rounds of updates, or updating could become prohibitively expensive. At DonorSigns.com we design recognition programs to avoid these pitfalls, but is there a better way?
The ideal donor wall would be a digital solution that could be updated daily by your staff in just few minutes without leaving their desk. Donors could be found with a quick search, far more information can be displayed about the donor, and you could provide information about your organization and on-going campaigns.
Digital donor recognition seems like an ideal solution for every overworked, harried development professional. But is it going to satisfy your donors needs?
[Read More]
Save the Date!
Third Annual
ADRP Canadian Regional Workshop: Growing Together 2017
While Canada may be celebrating its 150th anniversary, the ADRP Canadian Regional is hosting its 3rd annual workshop in Toronto!
Join us on May 26th, 2017 as we bring together Canadian donor relations and stewardship professionals. Whether you work in higher-ed, healthcare, or other non-profit sectors, come share your ideas and best-practices. Don't miss this opportunity to grow your connections with fellow professionals, colleagues, and industry leaders.
We're also seeking speakers and sponsors. Stay tuned for more information on how to submit your proposals.
Registration will open in January 2017. This workshop has sold out two years in a row - early registration is encouraged.
Looking forward to seeing you in Toronto!
Regional Updates
NYC Regional is fast approaching on March 10th. Whether you want to join us as an attendee or a sponsor, we have a spot for you! This conference sells out every year, don't miss your chance to stay involved.
Learn more >>
Step up to the plate for the Third Annual Midwest Regional Forum! We are currently accepting speaker proposals for the May 10th event. Share your knowledge and connect with your peers in the Chicago area.
Submit today >>
Gather with us June 8th - 9th in Augusta, Georgia for our Southeast Donor Relations Conference. We are actively seeking speaker proposals and as a courtesy, registration will be discounted for selected speakers. We also have exhibit space available. Join us as an exhibitor or take advantage of one of our many sponsorship opportunities!
Learn more >>
Member Guest Articles for The Hub
(We Want Your News!)
One of the many benefits of being a member of ADRP is belonging to a community of professionals that shares knowledge and experiences. In an effort to better serve our members this year, we are working to bring you content each month that is helpful, relevant, and cohesive.
The monthly theme for each issue of The Hub will coincide with the webinar topic for the month, and we want to hear from you, too! We are asking our members to send in articles for consideration for The Hub that are related to the given month's webinar topic.
Next month's topic is Gain a Competitive Advantage Through Cutting Edge Donor Relations and Stewardship.
Please share with us your best practices, experiences, successes, or challenges related to this topic so we can collectively learn and grow. Articles must be received by the ADRP office by the 20th of each month.
Member Spotlight
Name: Kevin Wilson
Institution: Miami University
Position: Assistant Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations
ADRP member for 1 year
How long have you worked in donor relations/stewardship and how did you get involved in this profession?
I have worked in donor relations for three years at Miami University. Before that, I worked for the Boy Scouts of America. I got into our profession because I enjoy working with donors and volunteers, and I love supporting the nonprofit sector. The wide-ranging nature of my previous position allowed me to refine a variety of analytical and interpersonal skills, and I enjoy the fact that donor relations requires that same sort of jack-of-all-trades skill set. Above all, I love that gratitude is what I do for my job.
[Meet Kevin]
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