The document discusses the need for innovation and risk-taking in nonprofit communications and donor relations. It advocates moving past conventional wisdom to challenge norms and spreadsheets that only look different. The key is blending creativity and implementation to achieve true innovation. While failure is possible, quoting Bear Bryant, successes should be shared by all involved. The document calls for more imaginative, courageous, powerful, emotional and phenomenal communications that captivate donors rather than repetitive messages. It encourages connecting with the speaker to discuss new approaches.

1. A Paradigm Shift: Next Practices
Lynne M. Wester
@donorguru
AFP San Antonio

4. Involvement vs. Commitment

5. We innovate not for the sake of
being different but because it
challenges us to move forward and
shed the old guards of the past
while challenging conventional
wisdom.

6. Too Much Looks Like Everything Else

7. Creativity + Implementation =
Innovation
“The Bad Clip Art Slide”

8. Why Not?

9. TAKE A RISK

10. FAILURE
• For every failure we had we had spreadsheets
that looked awesome.
• “ If anything goes bad then I did it. If anything
goes semi-good then we did it. If anything
goes real good then you did it.”
– Bear Bryant

11. Who Are You?

12. Decision Time

13. Donor Relations
Stewardship and
Impact reporting
Acknowledgment Recognition Engagement
Retention
Growth Influence
Nondonors

14. WE NEED:
• More imaginative and courageous
communications
• All we need to do is to write
brilliantly, package it superbly, and to present
it in a way that will captivate, thrill and inspire

16. WE MUST NOT:

17. INSTEAD:

18. Changing the Face of Communication

19. • Powerful
• Emotional
• Phenomenal

21. THANK YOU!
• Lynne M. Wester
• @donorguru
• Friend Me!
• Connect with me!
• www.donorrelationsguru.com
• wester@yu.edu