Donor Relations Group

The results are in! ✏️

Last month, we asked which Pillar of Donor Relations needs the most love at your organization—and you gave us your honest answers.

Stewardship took the top spot at 42%, followed by Engagement at 26%, Acknowledgement at 21%, and Recognition at 11%.

See yourself in one of these numbers? We'd love for you to join us and give every pillar the love it deserves at one of our upcoming Four Pillars Conferences:

📍 Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 7-8 — including a full stewardship, reporting, and recognition workshop built for the realities Canadian teams are navigating

📍 Boston, MA | November 4-6 — a deep dive into the Four Pillars of Donor Relations and the Four Pillars of Donor Communications

Register today: https://www.donorrelations.com/drgevents

Some of the most meaningful professional growth happens in community, alongside people doing the same work, navigating the same questions, and figuring out the hard stuff together.

If that's been calling your name, you've still got time to join us.

Applications for our cohort programs close tomorrow, June 5:

✨ Distinguished Leaders Program: For seasoned pros already in management roles who want to sharpen their leadership skills.

✨ Rising Stars Program: For donor relations professionals with 3+ years of experience who are ready to grow their skillset, own their voice, and step into leadership roles.

Both groups are small and intentional, led by our team of experts, and designed to spark deeper thinking, stronger leadership, and lasting professional connections.

Pick the one that fits where you are. We’d love to save you a seat!👇

Apply today: https://www.donorrelations.com/lx

72% of nonprofits are giving acknowledgements their own moment—and we love to see it! 💚

This means that more donors are opening something that exists purely to say thank you. There’s no tax language or anything transactional to wade through. Just genuine recognition of the impact their gift made.

Every donor deserves to feel seen, and this number shows that organizations are leaning into that more than ever. Let’s keep it up! 👏

See more stats from The 2025 Pulse Report: https://www.donorrelations.com/2025-pulse-report

Today’s donors want more than a name on a wall.

They want to know that their gift mattered and that it made an impact.

Join us on June 2 for ‘Ditch the Donor Wall: How to Get Buy-In for Donor Recognition Strategies That Actually Work,’ and you’ll learn how to design a recognition program that resonates with your donors’ expectations and your organization’s goals.

What you’ll walk away with:

💚 How to use data and feedback to understand what recognition means to your donors

💚 A clear way to connect your recognition practices to your organization's mission

💚 Real-world examples and talking points to build internal buy-in for change

Grab a spot: https://drgmerch.myshopify.com/products/ditch-the-donor-wall-how-to-get-buy-in-for-donor-recognition-strategies-that-actually-work?utm_source=copyToPasteBoard&utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=web