In his nearly 25 years in the industry, Josh Birkholz has been driven to help turn tomorrow’s dreams into today’s realities. Philanthropy inspires him because “giving is the most tangible, collective, and inspiring demonstration of what it is to be human. To enable philanthropy is among the noblest of pursuits.”
From his seminal work on data strategy, Fundraising Analytics (Wiley 2008) to the most practical how-to book for frontline fundraisers, Benefactors (Wiley, 2022), and his decade plus contributions to Giving USA, Josh is a tireless advocate for excellence and possibility in the sector. He has been widely recognized for his contributions to the field, having received Apra’s Visionary Award, been ranked 4th among the “Top 40 Most Effective Fundraising Consultants” by Business of Giving, and earned CASE’s Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence.
At BWF, he works every day to instill values of empathy and tenacious helpfulness among the team. He sees that everything we do makes not only our clients better than they could imagine, but also changes the course for the whole ecosystem of fundraising. He advises BWF teams and client leadership on the next frontiers in areas such as multi-billion-dollar campaign design, high net-worth program development, AI and enterprise-wide data- and truth-driven strategies to achieve measurable and sustainable growth.
“How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never.’” Martin Luther
In his free time, Josh enjoys composing music, performing on the upright bass, collecting vintage action figures and comics, and fishing.
One of the most trending topics in fundraising in recent years is the rise of Donor Experience offices. What are charities doing to up their game for the benefit of donors? What are the factors that influence donor retention? This white paper explores the importance of these programs and provides insights for those crafting their own programs.
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Is generosity really decreasing? If so, why is it happening? In reality, aspects of generosity are decreasing, but they are also shifting. This article explores the trends in donor behavior, what the research is actually saying, and how fundraisers can adapt to this shift.
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BWF conducted a research project across the philanthropic landscape to gain contemporary views of campaigns. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, we landed on some overarching themes worthy of consideration.
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