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The Conference for Fundraisers Who Keep Asking “Why are Things Done This Way?”
The ’22 Donor Participation Project Conference is built by and for the everyday development professional.
Does this sound like you?
- Have you ever felt like the fundraising advice out there was disconnected from reality?
- Are you a curious fundraising professional (at any level) who wonders: “Why are things done this way?”
- Are you looking for a network of peers to share challenges, not just successes?
- Have you discovered a strategy or tactic that could help other nonprofits?
If it does, you’ll want to join our inaugural conference. Together, we will:
- Identify strategies to disrupt current fundraising practices that do not work
- Discover fresh ideas from relatable innovators (including you!)
- Share actionable advice that you can apply right now–no matter how big or small your shop is
Join us for one or all four Friday sessions (4/22, 4/29, 5/6, and 5/13) between 1 and 3pm ET.
Accessibility: Sessions will be run on Zoom and use Zoom automated captioning. Each session will include a presentation from an expert host, a lightning round of practitioners sharing experiences from the front lines, and breakouts for real conversations with presenters and your peers in small groups.
Group purchases, invoicing, and buy-one-give-one sponsorships: To buy multiple tickets for your team, pay by invoice, or buy an extra ticket that can be gifted to a fellow fundraiser, please contact to request your invoice.
Full scholarships are available thanks to EverTrue.
Session 1: A New World for Nonprofit Communications hosted by Russell James, Ph.D. with a presentation by Julia Campbell
On 4/22 at 1-3pm ET.
Ye olde communication styles have stopped working. Donors are not interested in being sold, talked to, or lectured.
Instead, donors trust and seek information from their peers, friends, and social networks. Donors want to engage in conversations and collaboration to advance causes they care about.
What can we learn from science about (re-)building trust?
How should we best invest our time and resources?
Finally, how do we get other people (leadership, marketing colleagues) in our organization to engage with these new ways of thinking about communication?
Session 2: Grow Engagement with Underrepresented Groups – Starting TODAY hosted by Dr. Reshunda Mahone and Joey Zumaya, LinkedIn
On 4/29 at 1-3pm ET.
If you’re frustrated by how much lip-service and how little actual change is happening, this session will provide actionable tactics to increase engagement and giving from underrepresented groups right now.
You’ll go beyond “we need to study the data” or “let’s read a book” to “here are tangible examples of how it is being done successfully.”
Awareness is OK, but measurable results are even better. Join us to get moving!
Session 3: Scrappy Innovation : Get More Done With Tools You Already Have hosted by Jason Shim and Meena Das
On 5/6 at 1-3pm ET.
Shiny technology and dream-like efficiencies shouldn’t be only for large fundraising shops. Guess what? With free & sub-$40/month tools you may not have heard about before today, you can immediately become more efficient.
Quick personalized thank you videos? ✅
Automatically send a postcard from a spreadsheet? ✅
Create a giving site from scratch in 5 minutes? ✅
Upload a spreadsheet and easily manage dozens of crowdfunding campaigns? ✅
Today’s presenters will introduce you to the semi-magical world of no-code and automation tools so you can create a world-class donor experience with a team of 1 or 100.
Session 4: New Rules of Co-creation: The Future of Major Gift Fundraising hosted by Karen Osborne and Jim Langley
On 5/13 at 1-3pm ET.
Excessive focus on “the ask” is showing itself to be an increasingly weak strategy.
Donors are clamoring for more input, greater collaboration, and a sense of participation in meaningful endeavors. By continuing to ignore them we are putting the entire nonprofit enterprise at risk.
Join this session to hear from those who are making meaningful differences in the status quo. As an added benefit, you’ll feel validated in your observations. Donors are really reacting differently and are not happy with their relationships with nonprofits. You’ll hear from successful and not-so-successful organizations and will have a chance to brainstorm solutions to this complex issue.
With thanks to our visionary partners, hundreds of Donor Participation Project members, our amazing steering committee, and the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program.
Conference scholarships supported by:
Speaker fees supported by:
Technology supported by:
Marketing and communications supported by: