Hello Fundraisers!

I am thrilled and honored to be writing to you today as the new President of the DMFA. The energy and enthusiasm of this organization is like no other. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Thank you to Joe Gomez, our recent past president, for his unbelievable leadership these past two years. Your passion and commitment, especially during these challenging times, was unstoppable. Because of you, we have so much to be proud of as an organization.

I also want to thank the other past presidents I had the opportunity to serve under.  Each one of you brought unique talents to the DMFA and made us better as an organization. I am so thankful I had the chance to learn from you as I step into my new position.

What a moment in history to be fundraisers!

The global pandemic created need unlike any other time. It accelerated giving in incredible ways, with many organizations seeing tremendous growth in direct mail, digital and virtual events. And it highlighted the resiliency of nonprofits and the people who work with them.

Thanks to donors and prospects stepping up their generosity, many nonprofits are coming off really successful years in terms of revenue and growth.

Which brings me to the big question that I believe will define the fundraising space for the next year: How can we duplicate this success and grow from this experience?

While I cannot predict exactly what the future holds (2020 proved that), I do know that fundraising has been forever changed. And I believe that the key to a successful future lies in how nonprofit organizations embrace the changes brought on by the pandemic.

The growth of both direct mail and digital underlines the need for full channel integration. The success of virtual events combined with the return to in-person will put an emphasis on a hybrid event format. And being smart with our data will tell us where – and how – we can strategically invest in these resources.

It won’t be easy, but I’m so excited for what the future holds for fundraising. I look forward to this next year of collaboration, growth, and most importantly, innovation! Thank you!