Donor Relations Group

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to you, our incredible DRG community! Whether it is through your loyalty, thoughtful feedback, or sharing your experiences with others, you play a an instrumental role in our journey. Because of you, we’ve been able to grow, innovate, and continue doing what we love—helping you create amazing donor experiences. We’re excited for what’s ahead in 2025 and look forward to serving you even better. From all of us at DRG, thank you for being an essential part of our story and inspiring us each and every day. With endless gratitude, Lynne + the DRG Team

On the last stop of her tour, Taylor Swift recently changed her lyrics to “the ending of an era and the beginning of an age…,” and—Swiftie or not—it’s a great reminder that with all endings come new beginnings. It’s the time to say “out with the old and in with the new.” So, in that spirit, we decided it’s the perfect time to share our Donor Relations’ predictions for 2025 ⭐ Development Funding and ROI: We would like to see the industry, specifically donor relations, focus more on ROI in 2025. It’s a topic that's discussed often, but the strategies and outcomes are not always put into place. Are we truly evaluating our practices and making changes based on the data? As the economic climate remains uncertain, organizations are going to face smaller budgets and may have more challenges in securing funds as donors become more cautious with their spending. Donors could also shift their priorities towards organizations with clearer, more measurable outcomes, placing more pressure on organizations to ensure transparency in how funds are used. Organizations will need to be even more strategic and thoughtful about evaluating the ROI of our work and making sure it is the best use of funds when determining their priorities. 🌟 Prioritizing the Fundamentals: When the economic climate is uncertain and times are turbulent, we need to ensure that our focus remains on the fundamentals and basics. Things such as donor retention, thanking donors, reporting impact, and dealing with a scourge of unspent funds become even clearer priorities. Focusing on and taking care of these fundamentals ensures our donors know we care about and prioritize their generosity. We want to her yours! Share them in the comments 👇

How to Successfully Coach Employees Leaders, have you faced the challenge of employees not meeting expectations? Don’t worry—you’re not alone! In this video, Angie Joens, DRG Consultant and Strategist, shares her expert coaching tips to help your team members thrive. #EmployeeCoaching #DRGTips https://lnkd.in/eQ_HPEns

🎄 How much fun is this short Happy Holidays video from Ohio University? A small gesture of BIG gratitude, complete with a little Bobcat holiday spirit. Love it! 🐾❤️ https://lnkd.in/eG376-fh

It's time for our DRG hopes and predictions for 2025 (and beyond!) ⭐ A Focus Strategy: A major trend we’re predicting for 2025, is a stronger focus on strategy. Many of the clients and colleagues we’re speaking with across the globe are planning more thoughtfully on how best to use their resources to get the most out of their donor relations practices, programs, systems, events, etc. We're thrilled to see this trend emerge! When we have clear plans, we have more control over what we build, when we build it, and how. If there is no plan, then we leave room for others to influence our work, and it’s not always in a positive way. ⭐ Empowerment: We’re watching Donor Relations teams being empowered to create and manage our retention strategies and initiatives, and we are here for it! We know that following up with donors promptly after their gifts increases the likelihood that they will contribute again in the following year. This likelihood rises even further when the follow-up is personalized. And who better to design these communications, timing, and triggers than the Donor Relations team? We are skilled at scaling our efforts, collaborating with various teams, and cultivating the personal connections that our donors value. We’re anticipating these donor journeys will become an integral part of our daily work, as we engage with our partner teams to reverse the trend in donor retention, and reimagine what the donor experience can be. These are just two of ours, read the rest and then let us know what yours are in the comments 👇 Read all our predictions: https://ow.ly/IzNb50UvehR

Celebrating 2024: DRG's Impact on the Industry🎉 Helping the donor relations profession thrive, innovate, and celebrate generosity has been at the heart of DRG’s mission for over a decade. We’re beyond excited to share our first-ever Impact on the Industry report and continue building momentum into 2025! Here’s a glimpse of what we accomplished together in 2024: ⭐ 58 Blog Posts – Weekly (plus a few bonus posts!) insights on the hottest trends and biggest challenges in donor relations. ⭐ 58 Cities & 7 Countries – From client visits to conferences, we traveled far and wide to connect with you in person. ⭐ 75 Webinars Hosted – An average of 6 per month, keeping you ahead of the curve in donor relations. 152 Free Resources – Downloadable guides, templates, and free webinars, making 2024 our most resourceful year yet! ⭐ 275+ Conference Attendees – Record-breaking turnouts at our events in Chicago, Atlanta, Australia, and Boston. ⭐ 1,000+ Organizations Helped – Nonprofits from around the world worked with us and/or joined our professional development programs. ⭐ 32,000+ Webinar Registrants – Your participation is important—it inspires us and drives our work forward! ⭐ 40,000+ Social Media Engagements – We love connecting and sharing with this incredible community. Thank you for making 2024 such an incredible year!

📅 Mark your calendars for #GiveCon2025 in Orlando! This is your chance to gain insights and network with peers. Join the journey and elevate your #fundraising game! 🚀 📆 Save the dates: February 23-26, 2025. See you there! 🙌 👉 If you haven’t already, register at bloomerang.co/givecon/

We love this email from the University of Colorado Boulder. 🎄✨ Sometimes, in a world full of complications, all you need is a simple "Happy Holidays" to spread the cheer.

Can you believe 2024 is almost over? 🎉 As we look ahead to 2025, we have one big question: What will your word for the year be? At DRG, we skip New Year’s resolutions and choose a single word to guide us. For 2025, our word is growth 🌱. Everything we do will be focused on helping YOU grow—your skills, your strategies, and your success. Ready to set yourself up for an incredible year? Here’s how we’ll help: 📆 Upcoming Conferences & Workshops Learn, network, and level up: ➡️ Four Pillars Chicago: March 25-27 ➡️ Four Pillars Virtual: March 25-26 ➡️ Four Pillars Denver: June 25-27 ➡️ Four Pillars NYC: October 20-22 💻 Webinars That Deliver Stay inspired and informed with these expert-led series: ✨ 2025 DRG Webinar Series: 24 sessions packed with actionable tips for excelling in donor relations. ✨ Mailed It! Webinar Series: Practical advice to craft emails that inspire action. Let’s make 2025 the year we grow together. 🌟 What’s your word for the year? Share it below! ⬇️

🎁✨ Who doesn’t love a good surprise and an unboxing? This heartwarming video from the University of Manitoba is such a creative way to show love and appreciation for their global alumni community. 🌎💙 A beautiful reminder that no matter where you are, you’re always part of the family. Check it out: https://ow.ly/QPh650Us6eu