On-Demand Webinar
The Future of Donor Participation
While mega-gifts make the news, overall participation in formal philanthropy is declining nationally. It's hit hard in higher education, for example, with the percent of alumni giving annually dropping by half over the last 40 years. This is a challenge to our deep-rooted philanthropic culture. And because we know that major givers are much more likely to give after years of engagement, could impact us down the road as we seek big gifts. It's time to take action and engage an inclusive, action-oriented and purposeful donor base.
The DPP convenes fundraising professionals who are concerned about the nationwide decline in donor participation (20 million US households lost between 2000-2016), and who believe this can be reversed by changing our fundraising practices. The DPP brings together fundraisers who want to learn from peers who are moving the participation needle.
This 30-minute discussion offers a new perspective on what "participation" means, and key strategies to grow your donor base, even in a challenging economy. And, you'll also hear about key topics we'll feature at the Summit.
Key questions we answer include:
- What is the state of donor participation? What do we see in giving data, and what's the trend?
- Why is participation important? Isn't it just about finding the richest people and asking them to give?
- What do the best organizations do to grow participation?
- What are some mistakes on participation that organizations make?
- How do we better engage an inclusive donor base?
About the presenters
Louis Diez, Founder of the Donor Participation Project
Louis Diez is an expert in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He recently served as the Executive Director of Annual Giving at Muhlenberg College. Louis founded an hosts the Donor Participation Project (DPP). The Donor Participation convenes fundraising professionals who are concerned about the nationwide decline in donor participation and who believe this can be reversed by changing our fundraising practices. Of varied interests, Louis holds an MBA from CUNEF, a PhD in Business Administration from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (both in Spain), and an MM in Music Performance from the University of Tennessee.
Brian Gawor, CFRE, Vice President for Research, RNL
Brian is a 25-year higher education veteran and donor engagement expert who coordinates RNL's research and actionable insights to propel our partner's success. He presents regularly at CASE conferences, in RNL webinars and LinkedIn broadcasts, and hosts RNL's Fundraising Voices podcast. A former RNL partner client, Brian led record-breaking participation efforts at Knox College, his alma mater. He holds an M.S. in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University and is a Ph.D. candidate in higher education administration at Illinois State University.
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