Ensuring that your nonprofit has a robust donor relations program is paramount for overall engagement of your donor base and increased support at your organization.  With so many competing priorities of a fundraiser’s time, stewardship can often be furthest from our minds. However, these articles will help you find ways to carve out time, demonstrate impact and provide helpful suggestions on how donor relations can be incorporated in all that you do.

On Thursday, March 31, WIDGB attendees had the opportunity to learn about Middle Tier and Major Giving Pipeline Development through a presentation from Nanette Fridman, Founder of Fridman Strategies. Nanette has over 25 years of experience with nonprofits as a professional, lay leader, consultant, and coach, and partners with organizations of all sizes. As attendees introduced themselves in the chat, it was clear that fundraising employees of large, small, and mid-sized organizations were all present.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the articles below highlight the increasing impact that women donors have on the philanthropic landscape.  From in-depth research on gender giving tendencies, the generational differences of donors and the best ways to engage women with your nonprofit, these resources will provide development professionals with tangible tactics to engage their donors in a more strategic and thoughtful way.

On March 1, 2022, attendees from the WIDGB community had the opportunity to learn from three executives about how to best navigate your career in this new normal. All three panelists navigated a career shift during the pandemic. The panelists included: Nicole Dumas, Director of Advancement Talent, Boston College; Sarah Krasin, Executive Vice President, CCS Fundraising; and Molly Richter, Associate Director of Development, Talent Management, Massachusetts General Hospital. The moderator was Wendy Wilsker, Managing Partner, Boyden. The advice was aimed toward fundraising professionals at all levels of their career.

On February 2, 2022, Women In Development was thrilled to host a discussion featuring Kristen Robinson, COO of Fidelity Charitable, to share insight and trends in donor giving and donor advised funds (DAFs). Moderated by Giselle Ferro Puigbo, Executive Director of the Brookline Community Foundation, the session was well attended as participants were given information and strategies on how best to navigate DAFs and to utilize donor trends to help shape their fundraising strategies. 

As we head into 2022 our reading has been focused on growth, improvement, and hope for a brighter year. Whether your focus is individual giving or electronic communications, we hope you enjoy a tip or trick to help tighten your copywriting or enhance an upcoming campaign.

Name:  Kathleen McCarthy

Hobbies: Spending time with family & friends, reading, and walking

All who attended the WIDGB event on December 14, 2021, were really gifted a gift! What a professional honor, luggage of tips, and simply a treat in Donor Relations and Stewardship as discussed through the lens of diversity and embracing differences that awaited us!