Donor Relations Architecture

Wednesday, September 17
10:45 - 11:45 AM

We will walk you through the four pillars of donor relations, outlining what you could have, should have and MUST have in each area to ensure your program is superior and effective. This interactive session will help you fill in any holes you might have in your program, and give you some ideas on how to enhance what you already have.

Audience Expertise Level: Newcomer (0-2 years)
Shop Size: Suitable for any size shop

Debbie Meyers

Debbie Meyers, senior director of donor relations and stewardship at the University of Maryland, has worked in advancement for 30 years, much of that time in higher education. In addition to creating and enhancing donor relations and stewardship programs at the University of Florida and Carnegie Mellon University, she has built communications and development programs for a Catholic high school, an art museum and a health science center development office.

A founding board member of ADRP, Debbie has chaired ADRP’s international conference and served on many of its committees. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Loyola University (New Orleans) and a master's degree in journalism degree from UF. 

Lynne Wester

Lynne Wester is a frequent conference speaker and well known resource for donor relations and fundraising expertise. She has been featured in The Washington Post, CURRENTS magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and other industry publications. Lynne also created the website and blog www.donorrelationsguru.com where she shares her expertise, opinions, and collections of samples on a variety of topics to the greater development world and hosts a monthly webinar series. It is her personal philosophy that the goal of any great fundraising operation is to use strategic communications and interactions to foster the relationship between the organization and its constituents and friends. If we are effective with that strategy, they will be engaged in a way that drives them ever closer to embracing the organization’s mission and values, they will give their money, time and talents and volunteer to spread that same message with others which will encourage their fellow peers to invest in a way that will enable the organization to further light the world.

Using her expertise and hands on approach, she works with many organizations to help them keep their focus donor driven, technologically savvy, strategic, and always with a splash of good humor. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of South Carolina and is a loyal gamecock alumna, donor, and fan. She also holds her master’s degree in strategic fundraising and philanthropy with an emphasis in higher education from BayPath College.