In Service: The Column of the ADRP President
Jen McGrath
Senior Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship
MIT Resource Development
This is my last message to you in this space. Over the last twelve months, it has been my great privilege to play a role in ensuring the success of ADRP in providing you—my exceptionally creative, incredibly committed, and infinitely capable colleagues—with the resources to advance our careers and achieve excellence in our profession and on behalf of the important missions of our organizations.
Along with our President-elect Michal Shaw, I shared detailed reflections on what that work has looked like—what's been accomplished and what opportunities remain ahead—during a webinar on September 20. As I prepared my thoughts (and slides), I was struck by how serving as ADRP's president has been its own act of stewardship.
My fellow board members and I have been entrusted with the care-taking of a living, growing organization that has been shaped by the prescience and prudence of those that preceded us. And soon enough, it will be our turn to entrust others with a strength of vision and commitment to guide our association ever forward in fully realizing our mission.
I'm also ever mindful that ADRP is made vibrant and relevant by all of you who engage with us. I'm especially grateful to and humbled by the scores of volunteers who generously find time, moments that might otherwise be spent with family, friends, and (ahem) our paying jobs, to create and advance our ever-evolving programming.
We are always on the lookout for more members who want to deepen their engagement with our mission. I want to highlight three of the many initiatives where we are eager for help:
Research
Read on for an update on ADRP's Research Program from my fellow Board member, Cheryl Lintner. We're looking for volunteers to help us with three primary desired outcomes of that program:
- Curation of existing research studies, resources and outcomes
- Active dissemination, distribution, and discussion of research
- Solicitation and vetting of new research projects and/or partnerships.
Digital Education
With 1,800 members and growing, our website, webinars, and The Hub are key vehicles for providing content to our international audience. The Board recently convened a Digital Education Committee to help us in identifying and creating future digital engagement experiences for both new and experienced members. We're looking for committee members who have an eye toward technology trends and interest in cultivating creative content.
Webinars
Connected to but separate from our desire to create new digital content is the need to continue to explore, test, and secure content for our perennially popular webinar series. We're looking for members who can help ADRP find best-in-show delivery methods, presentation styles, and content that appeals to all levels and sectors of our diverse membership.
If you'd like to learn more about any of these opportunities or any of the other extensive opportunities to gain professional experience, grow your network of peers in the field, and be a part of the continuum of serving our members and our profession, I encourage you to share your interest in an email to [email protected].
I close with my thanks. Thank you to those who came before me and those that will follow. Thank you for your trust and support this year; I've gained much more than I have given. I can't wait to for all that is yet to come for our association and our profession.
Research Update: The Impact of Donor Relations in Fundraising
Cheryl Lintner
Executive Director of Donor Relations
Meridian Health Foundation
Last year, the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP) partnered with The Growth in Giving Initiative and the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (GiG/FEP) to explore the impact of donor relations on fundraising outputs. We wanted to answer the question of how donor relations affects fundraising’s bottom line, and what follows is how GiG/FEP helped us frame it. While there is some great information to be shared, there are also many more questions we can ask. We have only just scratched the surface of possibilities!
So Why Should You Volunteer in Your Profession?
Fiona Royer
Assistant Director of Stewardship
Lincoln Park Zoo
Board Director, ADRP
You manage volunteers, you advocate for volunteers, you even volunteer in your spare time. So why should you volunteer in your profession, too? There are plenty of good reasons!
How to Ensure Employees Not Only Give, But Also Understand Impact
Krystina Wales
Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Stewardship is all about making people feel good about the gifts they make to an organization. With employee giving, there might be an initial inclination to slack on traditional stewardship tactics because, surely, those who work for the organization already understand the impact philanthropy has on those they serve.
Team Building with a Purpose — A Day of Service for Donor Relations Professionals
Suzanne Bellanger
Account Director
Faircom New York
Working in the non-profit sector—and in donor relations and stewardship specifically—can be immensely rewarding and enriching. Just by the nature of the job, you’re reminded daily how important gratitude is in the scheme of things.
Member Spotlight
Lauren Schlesinger
Assistant Director of Scholarship Stewardship
University of Georgia
ADRP member for six years
How long have you worked in donor relations/stewardship and how did you get involved in this profession?
I have worked in Donor Relations and Stewardship since January 2014. However, my first foray into the profession was when I was a student worker in the University of Georgia’s (UGA’s) Office of Development during college. I learned as much as I could about Development as a whole, and made as many contacts as I could...
2019 ADRP International Conference
We Will See You Soon!
Online registration is closed for ADRP 2019, but we will still be accepting walk-ins at the conference in Miami.
Already planning to join us? Be sure to check out your conference resources on the ADRP 2019 website to learn more about what to expect when you arrive at the Hilton Miami Downtown.
Latest from the Conference Blog
Be sure to check out our official conference blog for the latest updates and testimonials from past conference attendees about how the International Conference has impacted their lives and careers.
2020 Webinar Series Request for Proposals
The ADRP Webinar Series brings ideas and insights directly to your own offices and conference rooms. Presented by practitioners and consultants from a variety of backgrounds, this series offers education on many aspects of donor relations, from staffing and strategy to events and reporting. Free for members, ADRP webinars provide high-value content for every level of donor relations and stewardship professionals. Stay current on industry trends and invite your colleagues to learn alongside you.
Do you have lessons, skills, and/or best practices to share? New ideas on how to steward your donors, quantify your team's impact, or build diversity and inclusion into the donor relations profession?
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 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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