Donor Focused Newsletter

This fall, I’m doing something I never thought I would do.

I’m taking my first cruise.

For years, I’ve said cruises weren’t for me. They’re too crowded. Too scheduled. Too much time on a boat. But then I realized something: my opinions were based on assumptions, not experience (a.k.a. data).

Before I ever step inside one of my rescue mission clients, I’ve usually spent hours with reports, campaign results, and donor data.

I know what performed, what didn’t, and where there may be opportunities for improvement. But none of this prepares me for what I learn once I’m actually there.

Has GivingTuesday lost its fundraising power?

With crowded inboxes and year-end campaigns starting earlier every year, it’s easy to see why some nonprofits are asking the question.

Every year, we bring back some good old-fashioned competition in the form of an annual walking challenge. It’s simple: the person with the most miles at the end of 8 weeks takes home the prize. Thirty of us logged miles, with Dr. Jim—our staff data scientist—helping us track everything. We grab our Smart Watch, Fitbit, Fitness app, Strava, step counter . . . whatever works . . . and we start pounding the pavement!

Some $4 billion was donated during GivingTuesday in 2025[1], bringing total donations since 2012 to $22.5 billion. This demonstrates the incredible power of this global day of giving. But the organizations that see the strongest results aren’t scrambling to draft emails or build donation pages the week before. They’re planning, testing, storytelling, and building momentum months in advance.

Faith-based nonprofits experienced remarkable growth in online fundraising for years—much of that momentum accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when digital engagement became a necessity rather than an option.

Digital channels are notorious for changing quickly—and right now there’s a huge change hitting Google advertising. In more searches, users are now seeing AI-powered summaries before they reach traditional search results, and, in some cases, before they engage with paid ads.