Penelope Burk understands donors and what they want more deeply than just about anyone in the business. In the last fifteen years, she and her innovative firm, Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., have conducted surveys and research studies with more than a quarter million American donors. She has reached back into their lives to find out about the first time they gave, what motivates their philanthropy now, what their greatest and most frustrating experiences in giving are, and what their dreams are for their philanthropic future.

 

 

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…how to raise more money by capitalizing on changing donor trends and building a resilient fundraising team

In a rapidly evolving world, fundraising cannot shield itself from change. But making the right choices when resources are limited and competition is fierce is the challenge that every Development Office faces. Luckily, today’s donors are much more specific about what it will take to win their support and inspire them to give more generously. The job of Development Professionals, then, is to recognize which things are worth investing in and what skills and resources are needed to increase fundraising profit.

In this thought-provoking and highly interactive forum, Penelope connects her latest research findings to her breakthrough fundraising philosophy — Donor-Centered Fundraising. She unfolds an evidence-based argument for understanding what donors want from their philanthropic relationships today, what that means for your bottom line, and how to apply a Donor-Centered Fundraising approach in an ever-evolving environment. 

Becoming Donor-Centered results in donors who stay longer and offer increasingly generous gifts over time. As donors graduate from entry-level fundraising programs into mid-level strategies and, ultimately, major gift relationships, how Development operations are structured and staff managed become increasingly important.  Backed by compelling research with over 12,000 fundraisers, Board members, CEOs, and donors, Penelope will also present a practical strategy for hiring, orienting and supporting staff in ways that help Fundraising Managers and Directors get the best possible performance from their team. She also addresses how Board members and CEOs can focus on the things they do best and, in so doing, unleash donors’ philanthropy at a whole new level.

 

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• She was the first fundraising author to back up her ideas and solutions with evidence from donors
• The first to bring the problem of Donor Attrition to the attention of the fundraising industry, pointing out how much money not-for-profits were losing by failing to hold onto their donors
• The first to offer an evidence-based formula for keeping donors giving longer and inspiring them to make more generous contributions
• The first to document what leadership volunteers do best and how they can raise more money for their organizations by saying thank you the donor-centered way
• The first to document the real impact of the high rate of turnover among professional fundraisers and the first to bring innovative solutions to the table to keep fundraisers loyal, raising more money, and still leaving the office at 5 o’clock!