361. Habits of an Impactful Donor Relations Officer - Lynne Wester and T. Clay Buck

Lynne Wester, DRG Group, T. Clay Buck, We Are For Good Podcast, Habits of Impactful Donor Relations Officer

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Overview

Welcome back to our Friday Series: The Habits of an Impactful Fundraiser. We simply couldn’t miss the opportunity to talk all things donor relations with two of the most dynamic people we know - Lynne Wester (The DRG Group) and T. Clay Buck (TCB Fundraising). They’re sharing their collective wisdom including the one KPI you need to measure, building an attitude of gratitude and mental health tips. Don’t miss this action-packed episode created with the modern donor relations officer in-mind🤝

Special Guests

Lynne Wester, Principal and Founder of The DRG Group
T. Clay Buck, Principal and Founder of TCB Fundraising

“If you don’t have an attitude of gratitude, the work you are doing isn’t as meaningful. People choose to give to us, and we need to be grateful for those who do give.”

— Lynne Wester, Principal and Founder of The DRG Group

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Asking the bigger question as a donor relations officer (2:50)
3 Daily Habits for the donor relations officer (6:25)
- Living life with an attitude of gratitude
- Look for the unsung heroes - work on advocating for those folks
- Be a proactive problem solver

Relationships to prioritize in donor relations (11:45)

Do This / Not That (15:15)

KPIs that Matter / Don’t Matter (22:55)
Mental Health Minute (27:50)

Powerful quotes

“If you don’t have an attitude of gratitude, the work you are doing isn’t as meaningful. People choose to give to us, and we need to be grateful for those who do give.” -Lynne

“Loyal donors are the bedrock of our industry and they often get overlooked. I’m a fierce advocate for loyal donors.” -Lynne

“There is nothing better than someone who helps me solve a problem, or thinks proactively about the problem.” -Lynne

“True philanthropists will understand, believe, and carry forward.” -Clay

“The number one measure of success is donor retention.” -Lynne

“If you are not keeping your donors, there's no point in fundraising.” -Lynne

“Because we need you. The sector needs you. And as cliche as it may sound, you cannot pour from an empty vessel. You can't.” -Clay