Donor Organizer Hub is a launchpad and support network for donor organizers, people who fundraise for movement causes from their communities: their friends, family, and extended networks. A fundraising ask is an accessible welcome for new people into our movements, and donor organizing provides a relationship- and values-centered approach to that welcome.

We support donor organizing capacity at multiple levels:

  • Individuals seeking support in implementing their donor organizing work (volunteers, donors, board members, staff) through 1:1 coaching and group training

  • Organizations and coalitions in building their donor organizing programs and capacity (volunteer fundraising teams, membership models, peer-to-peer programs, donors circles)

  • Movements in strengthening their resourcing coordination and collaboration through convenings and communities of practice

The Hub’s mission is to build the leadership of lifelong donor organizers that support a resourced and thriving progressive ecosystem. We provide comprehensive training, coaching, resources, and a network of experienced donor organizers to expand organizing capacity, develop leadership skills, and promote collaboration for impactful fundraising actions.

We focus on organizing donors not invited to major donor white glove services (traditional donor networks, 1-on-1 cultivation and stewardship, galas). This can range from someone donating $1 to join the donor class for the first time to an upper middle class individual shifting their resourcing strategy from one-off $20 panic donations to their first 4-figure check.

How to explain Donor Organizer Hub to a 5 year old

Imagine you and your friends really love playing at the park, but there's a problem. The park needs some new swings, slides, and toys. Donor Organizer Hub helps all of you and your friends come together to raise money for the park - something you haven’t done before!

You discover you can set up a lemonade stand, organize a bake sale, or do other fun activities like a bike-a-thon where people sponsor you to ride your bike. Instead of asking just one person or a big company for money, everyone chips in a little bit. All the money you raise goes towards buying the new swings, slides, and toys for the park.

This shows how working together as a team (and having fun while doing it) can make a big difference in making the world we want to see come true!

Fundraising is organizing, and anyone can do it!

It’s just a matter of finding a style that suits your values, resources, and capacity. You're welcome to come to one of our free events, or we can come to you.

 
 
 

Our Values

Relational fundraising asks are an invitation to our movements.

Our movement needs both more resources and people power than ever. But our supporters have become increasingly alienated: instead of being asked to bring their skills, relationships, and resources to join us, they’re being asked to all-caps DONATE $3 OR THE PLANET WILL BURN TOMORROW! Donor organizers cut through this doomsday cycle by providing context, support, and an invitation to people who know and trust them.

Everyday people-powered movements should be, can be, and for most of organizing history has been resourced by everyday people.

From grassroots disengagement and widening wealth gaps, our movements are increasingly funded by high-net-worth institutions and individuals. This focus can shift movement organizations’ priorities from experimenting and scaling their work to spending time on activities that service funder-focused metrics and reporting. Building donor organizer capacity allows us to move back toward our grassroots origins of building people power through resourcing.

There is countless untapped potential for creativity, joy, and fun in fundraising.

Traditionally, the movement’s defining traits of a donor organizer have been cookie-cutter fundraising event hosts and “extroverted” bundlers. However, from Valentine’s Day parties to deadlifting in drag to email matching challenges, there are countless ways an everyday person can fundraise their communities and have fun while doing so!

We mobilize a bigger base and more resources through organizing campaign cycles of learning: planning-doing-reflecting.

Planning, doing, and reflecting on new things allows us to learn what is or isn’t working in our current conditions and for our communities. We can scale what works, avoid reinventing wheels and chasing tails, and pause what isn’t working.

Developing donor organizing capacity builds movement leadership.

This allows everyday people to hone in on engagement ladders they can offer to people in their community, bringing in new members to our movements. They take bolder risks (asking someone for their first 3-4 figure gift! to join their team as a donor organizer!), have increased flexibility in what they’ll do in unpredictable and ever-changing conditions, and build leadership in others to do the same. In addition, donor organizers can take these leadership lessons to other roles in our movements beyond resourcing or deeper into resourcing as staff, advisors, and other high leadership roles.

Leadership

Haley Bash (they/she) ∙ Founder & Executive Director

Haley Bash

Haley Bash is a distributed organizer, grassroots fundraiser, facilitator, and proud cat parent with 10+ years of experience in the social impact sector.

Previously, they were co-founder of VDAs (“Volunteer Donor Advisors”) Together, a preliminary research and pilot donor ecosystem project to test out many of the ideas put into place at Donor Organizer Hub.

During 2018-2020, Haley built the largest volunteer-run texting program for down-ballot candidates as Organizing Director at Red2Blue Texting. They also supported The States Project in scaling their giving circle programs for the 2020 election.

Haley previously served on volunteer leadership for Showing Up for Racial Justice Bay Area’s fundraising team, launching their first-ever peer-to-peer fundraising program. They currently serve on the steering committee for the Grassroots Fundraising Network and are a Capacity Coach for Transgender Strategy Center.

Their style of donor organizing is having one-on-ones with friends and sending out BCCed emails to a list of 150 people 2-3 times per year. Haley is passionate about helping each donor organizer build their team to raise for under-resourced movement causes!

Ehli Sayavedra (they/them) ∙ head of operations

Ehli Sayavedra is an auDHD Latine queer dedicated to serving their community through the behind-the-scenes work they thrive in. At their previous role as Intake and Operations Specialist at the University of Oregon Academic Advising Office, their proudest accomplishment was the creation of text outreach campaigns to help high-risk students access academic advising and register for classes. Ehli first connected with Haley through their work with Red2Blue Texting, where they organized dozens of text campaigns for candidates.

Ehli’s personal donor organizing work includes spearheading projects like the Gay Chaos Run 4 Abortion (for which they provided operations and social media management from the comfort of their couch) and Pride Box, which raised funds for trans community members’ name change fees. They also serve their community by compiling local resources such as inclusive healthcare professionals and financial aid opportunities, and connecting individuals in need with these resources.

Outside work, Ehli is a devoted cat dad to Hank and Sage. They find joy in cozy hobbies like gaming and reading during rainy months, and embracing outdoor activities such as gardening, canoeing, and patio beers in the summer.

Advisors