Hubbub Insights #16: February's Round Up

We have been reviewing a wide range of recent conversations across the fundraising sector. The articles and podcasts below, grouped thematically, offer a useful snapshot of how fundraising practice continues to evolve - particularly around digital strategy, trust, data, and emerging technology.

Sharpening the Axes: Digital Strategies

Digital strategy remains central to modern fundraising. Nonprofit Tech for Good explores personalised giving in 6 Smart Ask Amount Best Practices Every Nonprofit Should Follow, outlining how tailored suggested gift levels can increase response and mirror techniques long used in e-commerce.

Trust in digital channels is also under scrutiny. Colleen Dilenschneider’s Know Your Own Bone reflects on this challenge in The 2026 Social Media Dilemma: High Usage, Low Trust, highlighting the growing gap between audience reach and perceived credibility on social platforms.

Meanwhile, Nonprofit Hub introduces a less familiar opportunity in The Hidden Power of Unsold Ads in Streaming TV, suggesting that nonprofits may benefit from exploring underused advertising channels beyond traditional digital media.

The Human Touch: Keeping Donor Relationships Alive

Despite technological advances, relationship-building remains foundational. Clairification explores personalisation in Show Me You Know Me - 5 Strategies To Sustain Donor Relationships, emphasising recognition and relevance as drivers of loyalty.

This theme continues in Future Fundraising Now’s 6 Tips for Powerful Thank-You Messages, which reminds fundraisers that appreciation is not an administrative step but a core part of stewardship.

Data: The Invisible Force

Data practice is also evolving. In Is Your Quality Data 3008 or So 2000 and Late?, The Agitator encourages organisations to move beyond descriptive metrics toward predictive insight. The implication is clear - effective campaigns increasingly depend on understanding behaviour patterns rather than simply reporting past activity.

AI: The New Frontier

Artificial intelligence continues to gain traction within the sector. Nonprofit Tech for Good highlights growing interest in training and practical adoption in [On Demand] Our 2026 Certificate in AI for Marketing & Fundraising Program. The broader shift suggests that AI is moving from experimentation to operational tool, particularly in segmentation, messaging support, and supporter journeys.

Looking Ahead

Taken together, these perspectives point toward a fundraising environment that is increasingly personalised, data-informed, and digitally diverse, yet still fundamentally dependent on trust and human understanding. The most effective strategies are likely to be those that combine technical capability with thoughtful communication, using new tools to deepen relationships rather than replace them.

Staying informed and reflective remains one of the sector’s strongest advantages. By sharing learning and challenging assumptions, fundraisers can continue to adapt confidently to a changing landscape.