People standing on a tiled floor, with shadowed spots and the words "PASSION LED US HERE" written in red.

IT started with a magnolia…

In 2023, a group of professionals from diverse backgrounds and experiences came together in a Slack channel with the sole purpose of planning an annual regional industry conference.

After working together and recognizing each other’s passion for donor relations, we created The DRX Collab, a space where our skills, knowledge and talents offer innovative solutions, ideas, and networking opportunities for our peers in the non-profit space. We are donor experience and donor relations collaborators from higher education, healthcare and community grassroots organizations in the non-profit sector.

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the DRX collaborators

  • A woman smiling and standing with her hands on her hips in front of a wooden wall, wearing a black sweater, blue jeans, and a red flannel tied around her waist.

    Eileen Amaro Bastien

    SETON HALL UNIVERSITY

    With a transformative journey from the fashion industry to the heart of donor relations, Eileen is honored to have played a role in building bridges, nurturing relationships, and witnessing the remarkable outcomes that emerge when passionate individuals come together to create positive change in higher education. Leveraging her experience to inspire continuous growth and transformative impact through personalized stewardship programs, Eileen believes that the power of philanthropy is not just a career but a calling.

  • Professional woman with natural hair wearing a pink blazer and orange top, standing in front of a grid-patterned window.

    Victoria Blunt

    COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SC

    Focusing on cultivating strong relationships, Victoria ensures the sustained growth and impact of her organization by fostering a sense of connection and loyalty among donors. Victoria not only develops and implements effective stewardship and donor engagement strategies but also plays a key role in stewarding new gifts, ensuring that donors feel valued and appreciated for their contributions. Victoria believes that fostering strong donor relationships begin with empathy, utilizing research and active listening to create a customized donor experience.

  • A woman with blonde hair, wearing a colorful plaid dress, smiling, holding an orange folder, in a park with trees and a building in the background.

    Melissa DeClue

    AMPLIFY MISSIONS

    Melissa coaches and empowers new and existing passionate non-profit founders to amplify their mission by creating transformative donor experiences through community-centric strategies. A dancer at heart, Melissa infuses her creative mindset into her work, cultivating spaces that authentically connect with individuals, fostering trust, and nurturing a shared purpose among a community of advocates. Melissa believe that every advocacy deserves a chance to be seen and creating transformative donor experiences is how we can achieve that.

  • A woman with long light brown hair and brown eyes smiling at the camera, wearing a patterned jacket or top, standing outdoors with a white wall and greenery in the background.

    Flora Fox

    UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

    A dedicated donor experience professional, Flora focuses on impactful endowment reporting and close collaboration with scholarship recipients to amplify their messages of gratitude. Flora believes that donor experience and donor relations are fundamental to fundraising; showing gratitude and the impact of donors’ philanthropy are the basic elements of stewardship and should not be overlooked on the path to the next ask.

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with blonde hair, wearing a red top, a shell necklace, earrings, and a pink ring, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

    Debbie Meyers

    RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

    Much of Debbie’s work in advancement is centered around higher education, creating and enhancing operations, communications, donor relations and stewardship programs. In addition to being a donor relations consultant and freelancer, she is also chief inspiration officer at EDiT!, providing editorial direction, inspiration and training to advancement professionals.

  • A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling outdoors in front of a grassy area and trees, wearing a sleeveless dress with a purple, black, white, and blue geometric pattern.

    Riviere P. Moody

    THE CITADEL FOUNDATION

    Transitioning from front-line fundraising to donor relations has opened Riviere’s eyes to the world of possibilities. Her experience in this role has allowed for creativity and critical thinking to blossom while using data to enhance donor relations at every stage. Riviere believes that donor relations is not just at the end of the gift, it’s one part of the entire gift cycle.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO our fellow collabs:

Dana Lackore

Lauren Shoore

Three women sitting around a laptop engaged in discussion. One woman is showing something on her phone to the others. They are seated in a cozy indoor setting with pillows behind them.