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The Next Rising Star

An emerging leader. A great attitude. Exceptional work ethic and results. Someone you like to be around in and outside of the office. Basically, a fundraising/marketing rockstar. Sound like anyone you know? I am lucky enough to know one or two, but I could really use your help in identifying another one. In fact, they…

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Bridging the Gap: Cheers to Our Volunteers

The Bridge Conference. If you made it there this year, you probably are feeling like I am—inspired by great speakers, armed with new ideas and energized by meeting with both old and new colleagues. Well-done conferences, like weddings, appear seamless as an attendee. But for anyone who has worked at one—as a speaker, in a…

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Leaders Are Readers.

I’ve got it from multiple sources…simply reading won’t cut it. You need to vary what you read to keep your mind sharp and your creativity flowing. You might be thinking, “Well, that’s great. But what else should I be reading?” I’ve decided to take a chapter from some of DMAW’s Industry All-Star awardees—literally—and see what…

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Building a Zipper to the Moon

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find group brainstorming sessions a bit intimidating. I mean, the creative team is there. And they always have the best ideas, right? And yet, here I was, attending a session on brainstorming, led by two top-tier creatives, Prudence Bovee and Steve Fleshman. The tables were set for…

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We entered muggles. We left magicians.

I think it was Dumbledore who once said, “Magic is best taught in the morning.” In truth, I’m not sure he said this. But morning was the perfect time for DMAW to host “Mid-level Magic”—taught by marketing masters Lisa Maska, CFRE and Jillian Leslie of Lautman Maska Neill & Company. Lisa and Jillian opened this…

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Direct Marketing 101: All the Basics You Need to Know

New to the industry or looking for a refresher on techniques and strategy, from the best in the field? Then you might want to reserve your spot now for the upcoming DM101 session on March 8th. Taught by industry leaders, this full-day seminar will provide foundational training and go over what makes a successful direct…

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5 Ideas Beyond Your Biggest P2P Events

You are in for a treat. Mark Becker from Cathexis Partners was asked to do a webinar for all of us at the DMAW. And it came on a perfect day, because it was snowing in DC, and nobody wanted to go into work anyway, so many of us stayed home and took part in…

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Merry, Merry or Quite Contrary?

Right before Christmas, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, into law. If you are a non-profit, you must be wondering how it will impact your fundraising—and what to do about it. Let’s break it down into five factors (for a more in-depth look, read the full article here. ​ 1. Uncertainty. The…

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Ten Commandments of Copy & Design Part II

You Still Can’t Risk NOT Reading This! (Continuing on with a quick wrap up of DMAW’s Ten Commandments Lunch & Learn featuring Tom Gaffny and Steve Fleshman.) Among the Commandments according to Tom and Steve is NEVER break a multi-page letter with the end of a sentence. Entice the reader to turn the page and…

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Ten Commandments of Copy & Design Part I

You Can’t Risk NOT Reading This! Did you decide to read on? Good. You’re already on your way to improved fundraising results by just knowing these Ten Commandments. (A quick wrap up of DMAW’s Ten Commandments Lunch & Learn featuring Tom Gaffny and Steve Fleshman.) Commandment Number 1 — It’s Not All About YOU! Sorry.…

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