Biggest Nonprofit Fundraising and Marketing Takeaways from Bridge and BridgeTECH 2025

Thousands of nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and marketers convened at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, for the 20th annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference. Over three days, attendees gained insights, strategies, and practical takeaways to strengthen donor relationships and elevate mission-driven work.

Hosted by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Washington DC Metro Area Chapter (AFP DC), the conference once again featured robust pre-conference programming for nonprofit tech enthusiasts and for faith-based fundraising professionals. The main event followed, with two full days of sessions exploring everything from cutting-edge digital tactics to timeless best practices. NonProfit PRO was on site to cover it all. Here’s a recap in case you missed it.

‘4 Actionable Lessons on Artificial Intelligence for Nonprofits’

Artificial intelligence was front and center at BridgeTECH, a pre-conference event co-presented by NonProfit PRO that focuses on the latest tools and strategies driving nonprofit technology. Multiple sessions, including “AI Real Talk: What Your Donors and Competitors Are Saying (and What They’re Actually Doing)” and “Powering Your Audiences With Extensive Data and AI Modeling,” unpacked how nonprofits can move beyond buzzwords to start implementing AI tools effectively.

We broke down four lessons for fundraisers to introduce AI responsibly and sustainably with help from the sessions’ presenters:

• Tareq Alani, co-founder of Chorus AI.
• Valeria Sosa Garnica, senior director of learning and impact at Progressive Multiplier Fund.
• Shane Marple, vice president of audiences and data analytics at SimioCloud.
• Tim Maxton, senior director of annual giving at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
• Marc Ruben, partner at M+R.

‘How Donor-Advised Funds Are Bringing Big Results to Fundraising Across the Board’

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are reshaping philanthropy, and nonprofits are learning how to adapt. Various Bridge Conference sessions explored evolving strategies to tap into DAFs.

Danielle Felico, production manager for the President’s Circle mid-level giving program at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Tara Kowsaluk, associate vice president at MissionWired, covered mid-level donor strategies in “Are You Engaging Your DAF Donors? Strategies for Leveraging DAFs for Mid-Level Growth.”

Meanwhile, Elon Packin, head of partnerships at Chariot, delved into peer-to-peer donor tactics during “DAFs and Peer-to-Peer: How the Largest P2P Fundraisers Are Finding Their Biggest Source of Growth With Donor Advised Funds.”

Panelists also shared real-world examples of organizations successfully using DAFs to diversify revenue and deepen donor loyalty.

‘How Direct Mail and Donor Data Can Help Build Your Major Gift Pipeline’

Direct mail remains a vital channel for connecting with major donors — especially when combined with robust data analytics.

Margaret Carter, senior account director at O’Brien Garrett, and Ryan Treacy, integrated fundraising specialist at The Seeing Eye, demonstrated how to leverage direct mail campaigns to cultivate stronger donor relationships and expand major gift pipelines in “How Direct Response Can Support Major Donors.”

Then, Gabrielle Anthony, development operations lead at Movement 4 Black Lives, and Marissa Maybee, director of nonprofit customer success at Windfall, touched on the effectiveness of donor segmentation and modeling for identifying top prospects during “How Movement 4 Black Lives Uses Modern Wealth Data to Drive Its Major Gift Program.”

‘How RCS Can Elevate Nonprofits’ Text Messaging’

Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging offers nonprofits a new way to interact with supporters. In the session, “RCS: The Future of Messaging,” Krishna Ghodiwala, partner at Message Digital, highlighted case studies where RCS enabled nonprofits to deliver richer, more interactive messages that outperformed standard SMS campaigns. The BridgeTECH presentation showed how nonprofits can incorporate RCS into their engagement strategy to boost donor responsiveness and loyalty.

What’s Next?

As we close the books on another successful Bridge and BridgeTECH, we’re already looking ahead to our next gathering: NonProfit POWER, NonProfit PRO’s signature event slated for Dec. 1 to 3 in Baltimore. There, nonprofit executives will connect with sector service providers and vendors to share solutions, explore innovation and chart the future of fundraising and marketing. Express your interest to join us at NonProfit POWER to see if you’re qualified.