The front cover of this issue pretty well sums up cross-country travel for many North Americans at the moment.

For some of us older folks, highway travel is a rediscovery. For those who are younger, this mode of transportation may be a new adventure!

The same is true of direct response fundraising! Some of us have seen the ups and downs of donor response in relation to times of economic downturn, war, and civil unrest. To those who have not experienced the effects of social upheaval, they may find this to be a time of great uncertainty.

But one thing we CAN be certain of is that none of us in today’s workforce have experienced a worldwide pandemic since the last one, which lasted from 1916 to 1918 and was otherwise known as the Spanish Flu.

Many nonprofits have experienced financial disaster during this time. Yet, social service agencies such as homeless shelters, food banks, and rescue missions have seen unprecedented generosity from both existing donors and newly acquired ones.

This entire issue of Donor Focus was written to help you and your organization as you face the multitude of opportunities awaiting you in the second half of the year. May this newsletter serve as a checkpoint for what awaits us all in the remainder of 2021!

Doug