5C | The Privilege of Donor Relations

Thursday, Sept 22
10:30 - 11:30 AM

Sector
Suitable for all audiences

Experience Level
Suitable for all levels

Shop Size
Suitable for any size shop

Science and religion agree: being grateful is good for you. It's good for others, and it's good for relationships. It's good for society. What does that insight mean for those of us in the business of expressing gratitude? What we do is at the core of building relationships and therefore central to fundraising. We need to be nurturing a mindset of gratitude in ourselves and in our colleagues, for better fundraising, happier donors, and more job satisfaction. 

This session will look at what both research and wisdom traditions have to tell us about thankfulness, what that means for donor relations and fundraising, and what it means for us as individuals. We will consider ways to integrate gratitude into our lives, personal and professional, and how that integration can benefit everyone. We are incredibly fortunate to do the work we do, and this session will provide an opportunity to reflect on its meaning. 

Mark Jolly-Van Bodegraven

Mark Jolly-Van Bodegraven has ten years of donor relations experience, but when he considered what unique value he could bring to a presentation, he realized many people in ADRP have more experience. He has gotten to know pediatric healthcare quite well at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but many here at the conference are from universities and NGOs.

With a Master of Liberal Arts degree focused on religious studies, folklore, and anthropology, Mark realized taking a step back to consider why our expressions of gratitude are important and how they benefit everyone involved could provide perspective and inspiration for any donor relations professional facing their latest mailing list or database problem.