Blog

On donor retention, data science, and building things that work for organizations with a mission.

August 2026

Why off-the-shelf retention tools fail mission-driven organizations

A $135,000 platform lost to a model built in-house by one person. Here's why that's the rule, not the exception.

August 2026

The 60% problem

Most nonprofits lose 60% of their first-time donors and never diagnose why. What that number actually costs, and why foundations are better positioned to fix it than any single grantee is.

August 2026

Process beats technical skill

The best model in the world fails if it's bolted onto a mess. Why I map before I build, and what that actually looks like in the first two weeks of an engagement.