Donor Relations Group

Donor Relations Group Your key to fundraising success. Helping nonprofits build extraordinary relationships with their donors.

We’re thrilled to welcome the Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo to the DRG family!For nearly 100 years, they have connected...
08/24/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome the Wilder Institute's Calgary Zoo to the DRG family!

For nearly 100 years, they have connected people with wildlife while helping protect species in Canada and around the world.

As they approach an incredible milestone, we’re honored to partner with their team to tell the story of where they’ve been, the impact they’re making today, and the vision for what comes next.

And yes, our team is extra excited to share animal photos and stories along the way. 🐻🦒🐧

We’re so glad to be working together and excited for what’s ahead!

What do gorillas, Hershey bars, Texas Hold ’Em, and caramel ice cream have to do with donor relations?Quite a bit, actua...
08/20/2026

What do gorillas, Hershey bars, Texas Hold ’Em, and caramel ice cream have to do with donor relations?

Quite a bit, actually.

This first-time donor piece from Shriners Children's introduces donors to Cole, age 11.

Instead of talking about the organization or listing accomplishments, they help donors get to know one of the kids at the heart of their mission.

His favorite food, his favorite holiday, his hidden talent, what he wants to be when he grows up... (a hunter, in case you were wondering.)

It’s simple, joyful, and it gives new donors an immediate connection to the people their generosity helps support.

It’s also a great reminder that telling a great story doesn’t have to mean telling someone’s whole story. For healthcare organizations and others serving people whose privacy needs to be protected, small details can still help donors connect with the people behind the mission without sharing more than is appropriate.

Thank you, Shriners Children’s, for sharing this wonderful example with our community! 💚

“If you want me to get out of my comfy clothes, battle traffic, and show up—this event better be worth my time.”A donor ...
08/19/2026

“If you want me to get out of my comfy clothes, battle traffic, and show up—this event better be worth my time.”

A donor said that to Angie Joens, and we have to say... fair.

Getting someone to give up an evening, leave their house, find parking, make small talk and sit through a program is a MUCH bigger ask than we sometimes realize.

Especially when the program looks very similar to the one we were doing 20 years ago.

Our donors have changed. The way they consume information has changed. Their expectations have changed. And they are making choices all day long about what deserves their time and attention.

Our events have to change, too. That doesn’t mean bigger. Or fancier. Or more expensive.

In fact, Angie makes the case that it might mean the exact opposite.

Maybe the event needs to be smaller and more focused.

Maybe six speakers is four speakers too many. 😉

Maybe we stop trying to TELL donors everything and think harder about what we can SHOW them.

And...stay with us here...maybe the best measure of success isn’t how many people filled the room. It’s whether they left feeling more connected to your organization—and whether you created an opportunity for what comes next.

We LOVE donor events. But an event for the sake of having an event? No thank you!

If we’re asking donors to get out of their comfy clothes and give us a few hours of their time, we better make those hours count.

Angie shares more in her article, How Donor Expectations Are Reshaping Events—and What Nonprofits Need to Do Differently.

Check it out at https://www.donorrelations.com/post/how-donor-expectations-are-reshaping-events-and-what-nonprofits-need-to-do-differently

The DRG Job Board has several new positions posted! Whether you're actively looking for your next opportunity or just ke...
08/13/2026

The DRG Job Board has several new positions posted!

Whether you're actively looking for your next opportunity or just keeping an eye on what's out there, take a look at some of the newest openings in donor relations.

And if your organization is hiring, don't forget you can post your open positions with us, too.

Explore the DRG Job Board: donorrelations.com/job-board

Earlier this year, more than 200 of you shared your impact reports, acknowledgment letters, event collateral, and other ...
08/12/2026

Earlier this year, more than 200 of you shared your impact reports, acknowledgment letters, event collateral, and other donor communications with us. And WOW, did you deliver!

We’re still sorting through all the incredible submissions, but we couldn’t wait to share one of our favorites.

This Gratitude Report from SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation is such a great example of what happens when you let stories—not statistics—lead the way.

And can we talk about these headlines?!

→ Your impact lives inside every family’s story.
→ Healing Takes More than Medicine
→ Engineering Hope You Can Hold in Your Hands
→ Renewing Confidence After Hours Spent in Care
→ Because Every Ounce Matters

Each one invites you into a story before you’ve read a single paragraph.

Swipe through for a little donor communications inspiration:https://48614861.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48614861/SSMHealthGratitudeReport25.pdf

And keep an eye out for the full collection of samples from the DRG community, coming soon!

When someone on your team is struggling, our first instinct is often to figure out who’s at fault.But what if we’re aski...
08/10/2026

When someone on your team is struggling, our first instinct is often to figure out who’s at fault.

But what if we’re asking the wrong question?

Instead of, “who failed?” try asking: “What’s getting in the way?”

Maybe expectations aren’t clear. Maybe there are 47 competing priorities. Maybe someone needs more training, better tools, or a little more support. Maybe you have a really great person sitting in the completely wrong seat.

Here’s the thing: most people want to do good work.

Getting curious about what’s standing in their way doesn’t mean lowering expectations or giving everyone a free pass. Accountability still matters—A LOT!

But we can’t solve a problem we don’t understand. When we shift from looking for someone to blame to looking for the barrier, the whole conversation changes.

Now we can talk about what’s actually happening. We can clarify expectations. We can provide support. We can make changes. And yes, we can still hold people accountable.

That’s leadership.

And for those of us in donor relations, it’s also stewardship. Because how we care for and lead our teams eventually shows up in how they care for our donors

DRG Senior Associate, Holly Kizer, digs into this beautifully in our latest blog on leading through underperformance with empathy, clarity, and accountability.

It’s a good one. Give it a read! https://www.donorrelations.com/post/leading-through-underperformance-empathy-clarity-and-accountability-for-donor-relations-teams

The story we keep hearing is that donors are harder to reach and resources are tighter than ever. But the data suggests ...
08/06/2026

The story we keep hearing is that donors are harder to reach and resources are tighter than ever. But the data suggests that's only part of the picture.

Lynne is sitting down with Melaina Chromy from Bloomerang for a free webinar drawing on Bloomerang's Giving Signals 2026 Report—a Harris Poll study of over 1,000 donors and 400+ nonprofit decision makers.

What they’ll be covering:

✍️ What's really motivating donors to give right now

✍️ Why Millennial donors are an immediate strategic opportunity

✍️ Where your organization might be creating friction without realizing it

✍️ How transparency and donor values can move people from intention to action

From Donor Intent to Real Impact: What the Latest Data Reveals About What Drives Giving—and What Gets in the Way

Wednesday, August 19th, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET | Free Webinar

👉 Register today: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PEbqw3jXQm-jt5YhCM-prA

There's a word for thanking a donor and asking for another gift in the same breath. We call it thasking, and at DRG, the...
08/06/2026

There's a word for thanking a donor and asking for another gift in the same breath. We call it thasking, and at DRG, the rule is simple: No. Thasking. Ever. 🚫

It feels efficient. But it’s not. It's the equivalent of handing someone a birthday gift and immediately asking if they'll buy you one next week.

When you thask, what you're really saying is "your last gift wasn't enough," even if that's not what you mean. And donors can feel it.

Gratitude is sacred. It deserves its own moment, free of expectation. Let the thank-you stand on its own.

Because here's the truth: when you stop thasking, donors give more. Not less.

Stewardship doesn't have to be grand to be great.Join us August 25th for The Micro-Moment Method: Designing Small Touche...
08/05/2026

Stewardship doesn't have to be grand to be great.

Join us August 25th for The Micro-Moment Method: Designing Small Touches That Make a Big Impact for Donors, a live session on how intentional, well-timed gestures can create donor experiences that drive long-term loyalty.

We'll cover:

💚 How to design individualized stewardship plans through personalized updates, milestone recognition, and mission-aligned messaging

💚 How to identify key moments in the donor journey—like first gifts, anniversaries, or life events—and turn them into meaningful touchpoints

💚 Practical, low-cost, high-impact strategies that work for teams of any size

Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET

👉 Register today: https://drgmerch.myshopify.com/products/the-micro-moment-method-designing-small-touches-that-make-a-big-impact-for-donors

A warm welcome to our newest partner: University of Idaho Foundation 🎉Every organization is at a different stage in its ...
08/04/2026

A warm welcome to our newest partner: University of Idaho Foundation 🎉

Every organization is at a different stage in its donor relations journey, and we're grateful for the opportunity to work alongside their team.

Welcome to the DRG family, University of Idaho Foundation!

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1920 E Riverside Drive Ste A120 PMB 506
Austin, TX
78701

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