Revisiting The Hub's Most Popular Articles from 2020

Sarah Brickman
Editor, The Hub
Senior Stewardship Coordinator, Duke Health

As we forge ahead into 2021, many of us (understandably) want to leave 2020 behind us. But in spite of all the chaos, trauma, and heartbreak that 2020 brought, there were some small joys to be found. For me, this ADRP community was one of them.

When the pandemic raged and civil unrest erupted, ADRPers came together. They shared resources, provided moral support, and helped each other forward through the unrelenting uncertainty of slashed budgets, postponed projects, and the sudden move to all-things-virtual. Throughout the year, we shared some of these reflections and insights in The Hub.

Here’s a look back at 2020’s most-read articles, with lessons to take into the fresh new year:

Reader Favorites

Our most-read article of the year was Debbie Meyers’ and Paige Eubanks-Barrow’s Bad Words! (June). It’s a funny and insightful invitation to rethink the way we communicate with donors. In a year when so much of our work had to be rethought, it was refreshing to think about some non-COVID-related improvements, too.

Another popular piece was Donor Relations Reading List, a member-generated list of “must-read” and “must-listen” books, blogs, and podcasts for every donor relations professional, compiled to kick off January 2020. No doubt there are plenty of new resources we can now add to this. Did you discover a new book, blog, or podcast from 2020 (or before) that isn’t on this list? Tweet us your thoughts @ADRPtweets or share them on My ADRP!

Finally, Nicole Yarnold’s popular Turning a Longstanding Event into a Virtual Success (June) delved into a challenge that made many of us freeze like deer in headlights: virtual events. Even though we’re all expert Zoom hosts now (ha!), for many, it was the sharing of ideas and new approaches like Nicole’s that helped guide us through the professional upheavals of 2020.

Share Your Voice

What was your favorite Hub article of 2020? Remember, ADRP members can revisit all of The Hub archives anytime. Tweet us your thoughts @ADRPtweets or share them on My ADRP!

Do you have an insight, success (or failure), or challenge you’d like to share with the ADRP community and beyond? Submit an article or story idea for The Hub. We are always seeking new writers and guest posts.

As always, feedback and suggestions for how to improve The Hub are most welcome. Email [email protected] or find me on My ADRP! I look forward to connecting with you.