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Are you ready to take a Sustainer-Forward approach?

Are you ready to take a Sustainer-Forward approach? First, I’d love to give a huge shout-out to the DMAW as an organization that has had a Sustainer-Forward approach for years. The DMAW has offered special sustainer tracks during the Bridge conference, sustainer pre-Bridge workshops, then Sustainer Day, Sustainer World and now Sustainer Week, coming up…

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The Digital Fundraiser’s Blind Spot

The Digital Fundraiser’s Blind Spot You may not realize it, but you and I have blind spots. And I don’t mean metaphorically (at least not yet), I mean your eyes literally have areas where they can not see. Most of the time, our blind spots are unrecognizable—but they are very real—and I am about to…

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Why Retention Matters

Why Retention Matters Why Retention Matters We can all agree that donor retention is important, but really how important? Presenters Marie Kosanovich and Courtney Lewis revealed at last week’s Lunch and Learn: Retention and Lapsed Strategies, that acquiring new donors, members, and customers has become extremely competitive due to a crowded marketplace. The abundance of…

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Middle donors and the White House

Are your middle donors suffering from middle child syndrome? Do they feel excluded, ignored, overshadowed by the over-indulged major donors and the high volume, attention-stealing low dollar donors?  Organizations are starting to shine the spotlight on middle donors, and rightly so.  The reality is middle donors account for less than 2% of all donors in…

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A mail donor and a digital donor walked into a bar…

If your first reaction to the title above is, “I don’t get it, is that a joke?”, then you likely were not among fortunate, dedicated marketers, who braved the region’s first snow dusting of the season to attend this month’s DMAW Lunch and Learn, “Digital First: Why Translating DM Content Just Won’t Cut It!” While…

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Key Takeaways – National Association of Charitable Gift Planners 2018 Conference

Last month, I attended the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Conference in Las Vegas. This is the premier national gift planning conference, with three days packed with presentations on all aspects of planned giving. I’ve been happy to see an increasing number of panels and discussions focused on marketing – the main driver for…

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Online Fundraising Best Practices for Nonprofits

Best Practices and Bold Innovations: Recapping the Best of Bridge Lunch and Learn If you missed out on the 2018 Bridge Conference like me, I hope you made a point to attend DMAW’s Best of Bridge Lunch and Learn on October 18th! At this Lunch and Learn, one of the most popular sessions from this…

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Gain & Sustain: Tips for Long-term Growth and Success in Nonprofit Monthly Giving Programs

DMAW Sustainer Day, September 2018, was an opportunity to listen to experts from some of the most respected and relevant nonprofits in the U.S., including ALSAC/St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Humane Society of the United States, and The Nature Conservancy, answer questions and share success stories about monthly giving programs. The day was fast-paced, fun…

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It’s not your grandma’s telefundraising anymore!

When I talk to younger fundraisers, they often say: “Why would I use the phone? I never answer it.”  Not surprising –  they’re just like our sons, who are now 29 and 31 years old. But herein lies the problem. What you as a (young) person may think to be true may not actually be…

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Mastering Metrics to Optimize Your Program

Looking to optimize your direct marketing programs? Start with the data. As Avalon VP of Analytics TJ Hillinger and Integral Principal Kevin Moran shared with their viewers during the DMAW webinar Data-Driven Fundraising: Mastering Metrics to Optimize Your Program: “  The key to maximizing value and sustained growth is getting the right information to the…

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