RKD Group Webinars

Webinars & Conversations

From podcasts to roundtables to webinars and more, we’ve hosted conversations covering a wide range of fundraising and marketing trends.

Explore our library below to watch full recordings of these conversations on-demand.

FR: Craft captivating videos that engage your donors w/ Chris Weiland

Video captures attention. It gives your audience a window into your brand in ways an image can't. Chris Weiland reviews best practices to help you produce better videos.

FR: How to build stories around your content w/ Billy Vaudry

In today's age of connection, it's time to move past offer-driven appeals. Billy Vaudry discusses how to build a better story-driven experience for your donors.

FR: Develop inclusive and effective messaging w/ Erin Albitz

You want to incorporate DEI principles into your fundraising, and you want to grow your revenue. Erin Albitz shares a few ideas on how to accomplish both.

2022 Fundraising Refreshments

FR: More than a name: How to Define Your Nonprofit’s Brand w/ Stacy Sovereign and Maria Shanley

As nonprofit organizations grow and mature, the services they provide often expand into new areas. This may lead to a fundamental question: “Does our name still fit us and our mission?” In this 20-minute webinar, Stacy Sovereign of RKD Group and Maria Shanley of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida discuss how the food bank tackled this question and why they decided to keep their name and launch an awareness campaign.

FR: Monthly Giving Doesn't Happen by Chance w/ Sloan Coffey

Successful nonprofits know that consistent, dependable revenue is incredibly valuable—that’s why everyone loves monthly giving. But how do you build a strong sustainer program? In this 20-minute webinar, Digital Strategist Sloan Coffey will share some tips for creating an “always on” approach to sustainer conversion.

FR: Make the Most of Your Capital Campaign—Planning w/ Fiona Cunningham

Capital campaigns create an amazing opportunity to invest in the long-term vision of your organization, but there is a lot that needs to happen behind the scenes long before a public launch. In the first of this three-part capital campaign series, Senior Director of Donor Engagement Fiona Cunningham will discuss the steps required to begin the planning phase.

FR: Meeting with a Major Donor w/ Karla Baldelli

A major donor at your organization has agreed to meet with you over lunch or coffee. This is a tremendous opportunity to strengthen this critical relationship, so how can you set yourself up for success? In this 20-minute webinar, Vice President of Donor Engagement Karla Baldelli will discuss how to create a “meeting flow” that covers what’s important to the donor in the time allotted.

FR: Don't wait: Set up measurements in Google Analytics 4 now w/ Charles Lehosit

On July 1, 2023, Google will stop supporting Universal Analytics and fully switch over to Google Analytics 4. This is not a simple swap, and nonprofits must act now to set up tracking and measurement. In this 20-minute webinar, Vice President of Technology Charles Lehosit reviews which fundraising metrics nonprofits should be monitoring.

FR: How to incorporate people-first language into fundraising w/ Erin Albitz

Nonprofit organizations understand the importance of using people-first equitable language to create an environment of dignity and respect around their constituents. But this approach doesn't have to clash with your fundraising messaging. In this 20-minute webinar, Creative Director Erin Albitz will share some advice on how to be inclusive while still motivating donors.

FR: Do you have good age data on your donors? w/ Trent Johnson

Nonprofits must deliver the right message to the right donor at the right time. We know different generations respond in different ways, so understanding the age of your donors is key to connecting with them. In this 20-minute webinar, Data Solutions Architect Trent Johnson will review where nonprofits can find this age information and how to maintain it over time.

FR: Go beyond NCOA appends for squeaky clean data w/ Krissy Niemczura

We all know data is essential to marketing success--but only if it's good data. Many nonprofits run NCOA appends to clean their mailing files, but there are many more options to ensure that your mail reaches the right people. In this 20-minute webinar, Vice President Krissy Niemczura looks at a few additional appends every nonprofit should be using.

Fundraising Refreshments: How to build a data governance guidebook w/ Karin Beauclair

With employees coming and going so frequently at nonprofits, how do you ensure that data processes and rules are transferred from the old guard to the new? The answer is simple: create a data governance guidebook. In this 20-minute webinar, Senior Director of Data Management Strategy Kari Beauclair will go over some industry best practices to get you started.

Fundraising Refreshments: Save time and get more out of Luminate Online w/ Evan Arcoria

Blackbaud Luminate Online is a popular digital fundraising platform among nonprofits. However, many organizations aren’t taking advantage of all the tools it offers. In this 20-minute webinar, Digital Strategist Evan Arcoria will share a few key tips to save some time and get the most out of Luminate’s capabilities.

FR: 'Spice Up' Your Food Bank's Digital Media Mix w/ Emily Ajalla & Griffin Miller

The influx of online donors in the last two years has awakened food banks to their tremendous potential to reach new audiences. Now, many organizations are looking to continue the conversation (and start new ones) through digital media. In this 20-minute webinar, we’ll go over the right balance of investment for adding a little “spice” to your media mix.

The Basics of Connecting Your Digital Donor Data w/ Charles Lehosit

Connected data is the key to digital advancement, but where do you begin? In this 30-minute webinar, Charles Lehosit goes over the basic steps you need to get started. With the right foundation, you can build a more mature digital program that meets donors where they are.

Lets Clean Up Your Mail Restriction Coding w/ Lynn Howes

What should you do when a donor is listed as "don't mail ever" and "mail only in January"? What about a donor who wants to be mailed once per year but hasn't given in five years? In this 20-minute webinar, Lynn Howes reviews data hygiene and offer steps on how to set yourself up for success.

Emails Every Nonprofit Needs in 2022 w/ Jenn Thompson

2021 Webinars

How Food Banks Can Create a Sustainable Post-Pandemic Future

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks have seen unprecedented generosity from donors across North America. These organizations now have a tremendous opportunity to transform and modernize their fundraising and marketing.

Add Data Hygiene to Your Spring Cleaning Checklist

With flowers blooming and birds chirping, spring is about new beginnings. In the spirit of the season, we think it’s time to take a fresh look at your data hygiene processes.

How Gift Catalogs Create Valuable Superdonors

More to Give Donor Sentiment Toward 2020 Year-End Giving

The big question on every fundraiser’s mind today is: What will year-end giving look like? Rather than gaze into a crystal ball, we decided to go right to the source. We asked donors.

Digital Media A Layered Strategy for Year-End Giving

2020 has been a wild ride already, and the year-end giving season will be upon us in no time. We’re here to show nonprofits how to layer a digital media strategy that will help you close out this turbulent year on a high note. In this webinar, Emily Zipko, Associate Director of Digital Strategy, and Alexis Shankle, Digital Media Manager, Strategy, will discuss strategies and tactics for display, paid search, Facebook and Google Ad Grants with a focus on: - Maximizing engagement - Increasing conversions - Boosting net revenue

The Ultimate Guide to Planning and Hosting a Successful Giving Day

With the annual growth of Giving Tuesday and the success seen earlier this year with Giving Tuesday Now, nonprofits across the country are beginning to see the tremendous benefits of large digital campaigns centered around giving days. That’s why we believe now is an ideal time to create your own giving day. Don’t believe us? Here’s your chance to ask the experts. In this webinar, we’ll facilitate a discussion with six nonprofit organizations who recently hosted their own giving days or participated in regional days. Our conversation will cover: - How to decide if this is right option for you - Hosting your own giving day vs. participating in a regional giving day - How to participate in multiple giving days throughout the year - Balancing Giving Tuesday with additional giving days

Reaching a New Breed of Food Bank Donors

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has caused charitable giving to food banks to skyrocket. But what do we really know about the people who have stepped up to help their local communities?

Don't Cut Acquisition

As we turn our attention to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit organizations are looking for ways to reduce their expenses. Cutting direct mail acquisition may seem like an easy choice on the surface, but we’ve learned from previous recessions that this is a major mistake in the long run. The key to weathering the economic storm is using data and analytics to optimize your acquisition efforts.

You Don't Need a Goat for Symbolic Giving to be Successful

Organizations like Heifer International have turned online gift catalogs into a huge fundraising success, but some nonprofit organizations are hesitant to try them. One of the biggest roadblocks is uncertainty about how to translate their services into “products” that people can donate. Duke Smith, Senior Vice President, Client Services, says you don’t need a goat for symbolic giving to be successful. Print and digital catalogs provide a “wow” experience for donors and additional year-end revenue for nonprofits. In this webinar, Duke will discuss: - How a symbolic giving program works in conjunction with direct mail - Retention benefits of gift catalog donors - The art and science of what makes a good gift catalog work

Digital Transformation Building a Program for the Road Ahead

Justin McCord and Cody Mains, take a closer look at how digital transformation is crucial for building a successful fundraising program for the years ahead.

Preparing for an Economic Downturn

Mid-Major Donors: The Key to Your Fundraising Future

How to Maintain Disaster Donors

Group Thinkers Podcast

Season 6 – Emily Haynes thinks about Gen Xers as monthly donors

Emily Haynes is a Staff Writer at The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Season 6 – Chris Ihrig thinks about Gen X stepping into leadership

Chris Ihrig is the Chief Engagement Officer of Fired-Up! Culture and author of the book "Own It!"

Season 6 – Dave French thinks about Gen X coming into the marketing spotlight

Dave French is the President and Chief Marketing Officer at Memphis Brand.

Season 6 – Jarred Schremmer and Tim Kachuriak think about Gen X’s digital divide

Jarred Schremmer is the Vice President of Strategy and Digital Media at RKD Group. Tim Kachuriak is the Chief Innovation & Optimization Officer at NextAfter.

Nonprofit Marketing Webinar Hub

Upcoming Fundraising Refreshments:

AI tools you can use to boost your fundraising

With Charles Lehosit, VP, Digital Technology

Thursday, Sept. 28, 1:30 p.m. CDT

Nonprofits: Get more out of GA4

With Jenn Thompson, VP, Digital Strategy, and Kord Hickson, Software Engineer

Thursday, Oct. 12, 1:30 p.m. CDT

Last-minute tips for Giving Tuesday success

With Evan Arcoria, Senior Digital Strategist

Thursday, Oct. 26, 1:30 p.m. CDT