David Blyer is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Arreva, a leading provider of fundraising and donor relationship management software for nonprofits. With over three decades in the industry, he’s passionate about helping organizations strengthen donor engagement through technology and innovation.

He previously founded DonorCommunity, the first all-in-one fundraising software for nonprofits, and co-founded Arreva through a merger with Susan Packard Orr’s company, Telosa. Earlier in his career, David led Vento Software, later acquired by SPSS and IBM. He also serves on NonProfit PRO’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Key Takeaways:

• Donor acquisition and retention decline not because people stop caring—but because organizations often fail to acknowledge and engage donors quickly and personally.
• Fragmented systems hurt relationships. When fundraising, events, and CRM data don’t “talk” to each other, nonprofits lose time, insight, and donor trust.
• Integration and automation empower nonprofits to respond faster, personalize communication, and strengthen long-term loyalty.
• Timely gratitude matters: reaching out within 48–72 hours after an event or donation dramatically increases donor satisfaction and retention.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising, when integrated into a nonprofit’s ecosystem (unlike GoFundMe), helps acquire new donors, foster engagement, and turn supporters into ambassadors.
• A donor-centric website and seamless online giving experience—especially mobile-friendly—serve as the foundation of modern fundraising success.

"I can honestly say I'm so proud of the team that I have. I've never had the opportunity to work with a collective team like this and and be so proud of them every single day."

"When you're a nonprofit, I caution you do not use GoFundMe, because I'll tell you why, what you want to have, and I go back to software you want to have a pit. I'll call it, as opposed to a GoFundMe. I look at that as what I will call the peer to peer fundraising."

"But my challenge has always been and now I'm very frustrated that my last tribute gift and I just gave another one, but my last tribute gift, it's been four months. I didn't get any acknowledgement that the person I gave a tribute gift to...was acknowledged."

"61% of donors worldwide prefer giving online. So if you're giving your volunteers, if you're giving your board members, maybe even your active donors, the ability to send something out online, there's a better chance of them raising more money and an easier way of doing this."

- David Blyer

Reach out to David Blyer at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arreva/

Website (Company): https://www.arreva.com/

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• True leadership often means loosening your grip. You cannot force outcomes, timelines, or people, but you can release and lead with trust. Surrender opens space for wisdom and growth.
• Surrender is not weakness but strength in disguise. Rest becomes a strategic act when we allow it to restore us. In slowing down, we sharpen clarity and courage.
• Perfection and rigid plans weigh leaders down. Balance is found in the natural rhythm of effort and rest. Honoring both flow and pause leads to sustainable impact.
• Leadership is not a solo journey but a shared one. Trusting your team and support network empowers them to rise higher. In giving space, you multiply strength together.

“Surrender isn't weakness. It's wisdom. Choosing rest is a strategic decision.”

“Let go of perfection and timelines. Whatever you missed happened anyway. It's all okay, nothing's going to pass you by.”

“Balance comes from rhythm, not rigidity. Leadership is expansion and contraction. Go with the flow… honoring the rest as much as the pushes, honoring the ebb and the flow.”

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

A Canadian direct response strategist, designer, and author with over 25 years of experience. He champions donor-centered approaches that prioritize authenticity and emotional connection. His 2022 book, Creative Deviations, has inspired fundraisers worldwide to embrace creativity in storytelling and communication. John brings warmth, insight, and a human-first philosophy to every stage. Empowering fundraisers to build more meaningful donor relationships.

Key Takeaways:

• Donor relationships thrive when leaders allow open, honest dialogue rooted in empathy. Vulnerability invites trust, making it easier for supporters to share openly and feel truly heard.
• Engagement comes not from polished presentations but from being human. Dropping the “professional bubble wrap” allows values-driven conversations that foster deeper bonds.
• Direct mail and appeals work best when they feel one-to-one, conversational, and emotionally compelling. Donors respond when a message feels like it was written just for them.
• Great fundraising relies on trusting experienced people and never losing vulnerability. Staying passionate and authentic ensures both donors and leaders stay connected to the deeper “why.”

“We’re being emotional. We’re connecting with each other as humans. That’s how we create engagement with donors. … Not by me showing up a suit and tie and in a big desk with gold stuff around me.”

“The more mail looks personal and looks like I sent it to you, the better it performs all the time…”

“We want donors feeling something. It’s the emotions that make us take action. And it can be joy, it can be anger, it can be sadness, whatever it is.”

- John Lepp

Reach out to John Lepp at:

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/johnlepp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnlepp_aog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgentsofGood/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/agentsofgood

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker