#13: Tim Kersten — Why you shouldn't cut donor acquisition right now

Jun 15, 2020

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Finding and stewarding donors is the foundation of any successful nonprofit. But during uncertain times, it's easy to shrink back and set donor acquisition aside, leaving yourself vulnerable in the future

In this episode we hear from Tim Kersten, the CEO of the RKD Group, a fundraising and marketing agency with over 280 nonprofit clients across North America. Tim has 43 years of experience consulting with nonprofits to meet their fundraising goals. He is passionate about empowering and enabling individuals to have their voice heard in their society so they can make a difference, improve lives and correct injustice.

2020 has been wildly unpredictable, and it can be tempting to walk away from donor acquisition while the pandemic is ongoing and the future of the economy is unknown.

Tim shares why now is not the time to take your focus off this area. You'll learn why nonprofits should stay in the market and how nonprofits should go about new donor acquisition with all the changes going on around us.

You'll learn:

[7:51] - The state of nonprofits and the astonishing increase in giving, even with a tumultuous 2020.
[13:24] - Why are those who stay in the donor market thriving?
[16:01] - The importance of having a strong digital strategy.
[17:18] - How to prepare for a possible recession.
[22:16] - How to move forward with donor acquisition, even during the COVID-19 pandemic
[27:39] - What are the long term ramifications of ignoring donor acquisition?
[30:58] - How to balance donor retention with donor acquisition.
[35:53] - Given how 2020 has gone so far, what are some tactical changes we should make to donor acquisition?
[39:05] - Face to face donor acquisition is highly effective but COVID-19 has changed our ability to do this. What are some other ways we can reach potential donors?

You can find more information about Tim and the RKD Group at https://rkdgroup.com/, or on twitter @RKDgroup.

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