Emerging Trends in Donor Relations
This new decade heralds significant changes for Donor Relations and its influence on fundraising success. We see that these emerging trends share a common theme: to build better relationships with donors as a means of fostering greater giving. As is the case with all relationships in our current crowded, information-saturated world, the emphasis will be on the quality, not the quantity, of donor interactions.
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Non-Traditional Donor Recognition Outlets
Monday I had the good fortune to participate in a session at the Association of Donor Relations Professionals annual conference in Baltimore. I sat on a panel discussing “tricks from the experts”. My portion of the presentation focused on ways to recognize donors beyond traditional plaques and printed lists. Specifically, we considered avenues available to those who either have no physical space for traditional donor recognition or are interested in exploring new methods for engaging donors and potential donors alike. Continue reading »
Filed under Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy, Social Media, Stewardship | Tags: ADRP, Communications, consultant, Donor Recognition, Facebook, Fundraising, Interactive Displays, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments OffElectronic Media and Donor Recognition: Is Anyone Using it?
It’s a very competitive philanthropic marketplace these days for community hospitals. I was reminded of this last week while at the Georgia Association of Development Professionals’ conference (GADP), a segment of the Georgia Hospital Association. Most of their members are located in small communities and represent the primary health provider for their county or region. I live in Atlanta. Fundraising events and success here in this city are now daily news items. We are home to 100s of non-profits and maybe more Foundations. Not so, currently, in the rest of the state. In those small communities, medical center fundraisers face tremendous challenges even when the economy is more stable than it is today. CEOs enjoy the income that their Foundations provide, yet they often offer little in the way of day-to-day support or, in many cases, any real understanding of the CEO’s role in acquiring and stewarding donors. Many of these organizations are considered “small shops” and the titles bestowed on many of the chief fundraisers by the CEO and/or Boards, i.e. Development Officer, Development Coordinator, and the like, are less than confidence-building and may be counter-productive, as they strive to solicit corporate CEOs, Marketing VPs, major Foundations and major donors. I wonder if they know that.
Filed under Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Robin E. Williams, Social Media | Tags: Communications, Development, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, Healthcare Philanthropy, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off
Roundtable: The Implications of Digital Media on Stewardship and Enhanced Giving
I’ll soon have a 2nd opportunity to facilitate this roundtable with hospital fundraisers. The results of our first try at AHP meeting in Nashville last month pleasantly surprised us due to the turn it took. See our June blog, “Social Networking for Healthcare Philanthropy”.
We had thought the digital media subject would evolve related to donor recognition within an organization’s website, its facility’s interactive touchscreens or digital signing. Instead, attendees were actively engaged sharing experiences and gaining insight related social networking and its impact on giving and stewardship. Current social network options (Twitter, Facebook, Linked-in, etc) were all evaluated, yet more interestingly, the realization that traditional organizational techniques used for community engagement work well, with modification, on line, too. Most of the same rules apply, while new ones evolve. Cautionary tales were many.
This new healthcare roundtable is scheduled for Friday morning, July 24 at the gathering of the Georgia Association for Advancement Professionals in St. Simons Island, GA. I look forward to facilitating this discussion too. Together, we’ll ride their wave of interest where it leads. Will present a summary report following the meeting.
Written by Robin E. Williams
Filed under Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Stewardship | Tags: Communications, Donor Recognition, Healthcare Philanthropy, Interactive Displays, Social Media, Stewardship, Trends | Comments OffSocial Networking for Healthcare Philanthropy
During the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy Regional Conference in Nashville, June 7-9, 2009, we hosted a roundtable discussion on the pros and cons of new media in donor recognition. Our preparation had been focused on digital media – looping video, scrolling donor lists, interactive touchscreens and other content presented via electronic displays. However, the conversation quickly diverted to a digital media subject with much more urgency to the attendees: the implications of social networking for healthcare philanthropy.
Filed under Donor Communications, Robin E. Williams | Tags: Communications, Healthcare Philanthropy, Interactive Displays, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off