Monday, Feb. 25
Explore the psychology behind giving and uncover what drives donors to support foundation. This session focuses on identifying donor values, aligning organizational impact with personal motivations, and leveraging behavioral insights to strengthen relationships.
Understanding Donor Motivations Workshop participants will:
- Identify key factors influencing donor behavior and decision-making, including Greek organization members and high net worth contributors
- Apply donor-centric strategies to enhance engagement, and while taking donors on a meaningful journey
- Use data to personalize the donor experience, detect engagement, motivation and a match for your cause
- Learn that fundraising is much less about “asking” and more about gaining attention, trust amplifying the joy of giving
| Welcome | FFE Advance: What to Expect |
| Opening | Why Giving Matters, Fundraising is Not About Money |
| Section 1 | Why Today’s Donors Give Overview of high net worth donor research • Giving by generation • Insights from Cygnus Research on fraternity and sorority alumni/ae Insights from national alumni survey |
| Screen Break | |
| Section 2 Breakout groups | Four Types of Giving • Review of donor cause adoption • Discussion of key behavioral incentives • Application to Greek mindset |
| Screen Break | |
| Section 3 | Three Key Areas of Donor Motivation Mission/Benefit Trust Urgency |
| Section 4 Breakout groups | Interactive Case Study |
| Section 5 | Final Questions and Additional Resources FFE Closing |
Meet the Facilitator: Brian Gawor, CFRE
Vice President for Fundraising at 3E
Brian is a 25-year non-profit veteran who serves as Vice President for Fundraising at 3E. A changemaker in philanthropy, Brian is committed to amplifying the joy of giving through authentic human relationships. During his career, Brian has helped organizations raise over $1B. He was director of development for the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, and led annual giving efforts at Knox College, boosting the success of the $3M+ Knox Fund. For 10 years, he led actionable research for a major tech firm, working with hundreds of institutions to transform their donor engagement. He has also served as a consultant for the national philanthropic firm Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates (JGA). Brian presents at conferences, events and on podcasts regularly. A dedicated “giving geek,” (it’s on his license plate), Brian is committed to providing data-driven and action-oriented insights for nonprofit leaders to engage an inclusive and purposeful donor base. Brian’s insights have also been featured in philanthropy publications like NonProfitPro, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Inside Higher Education.
