Annual Giving by Design™
Build Annual Giving Campaigns That Work Together.
A practical framework for creating more intentional, integrated, and sustainable annual giving programs.
Annual Giving by Design™ helps nonprofit fundraising professionals move beyond disconnected tactics and build campaigns as integrated ecosystems. Through the 5M Architecture™, practical tools, the Annual Giving by Design™ playbook, and team workshops, fundraisers can connect strategy, audience, messaging, execution, and learning into one cohesive approach.
The Framework
The 5M Architecture™
The 5M Architecture™ is the strategic framework at the center of Annual Giving by Design™. It brings five essential dimensions of a campaign together—Mission, Market, Message, Momentum, and Measurement—so fundraising teams can design campaigns with greater confidence, clarity, relevance, connection, and sustainability.
01
Mission
Mission establishes the purpose behind the campaign and clarifies why it matters now.
02
Market
Market defines who the campaign is trying to reach, and what matters to them.
03
Message
Message translates the campaign’s purpose into donor-centered communication.
04
Momentum
Momentum is how the campaign comes to life over time, before and after the ask.
05
Measurement
Measurement turns campaign activity into learning that strengthens the next campaign.
Annual Giving Assessment™
How Healthy Is Your Annual Giving Ecosystem?
Before you can strengthen your annual giving program, you need a clear picture of where it stands today. The Annual Giving Assessment™ helps you evaluate the systems, practices, and behaviors that shape long-term fundraising success.
The assessment examines six areas: Mission, Market, Message, Momentum, Measurement, and Integrated Fundraising. After completing it, you can calculate your score, identify strengths and gaps, and interpret your results using the Annual Giving Maturity Model™.
Get the Assessment
Enter your name and email and we’ll send you the Annual Giving Assessment™ PDF.
The Playbook
Annual Giving by Design™: The Integrated Fundraising Playbook
A practical guide for nonprofit professionals who want to build stronger annual giving programs without relying on isolated appeals, emails, events, and tactics. The playbook introduces the 5M Architecture™ and shows readers how to apply it to real campaigns.
$39.99
About
Created by Dakota Davis, PhD
Created by fundraising and philanthropy professional Dakota Davis, Annual Giving by Design™ is grounded in hands-on experience leading annual giving, donor engagement, integrated campaigns, recurring giving, direct response, and cross-functional fundraising strategy in the nonprofit sector.
Workshops
Put the Framework to Work.
Turn the framework into action through facilitated team workshops. Workshops help development teams apply the 5M Architecture™ to an upcoming campaign and leave with a clearer, more integrated plan they can begin executing immediately.
Resources
Practical Tools and Thinking.
Articles, downloadable tools, and carefully selected industry resources for fundraising professionals building more integrated annual giving programs.
Design Better Campaigns. Build Stronger Annual Giving.
Join the Annual Giving by Design™ email list for practical fundraising insights, new resources, workshop updates, and tools for building more integrated annual giving campaigns.
Start Designing a Stronger Annual Giving Program.
Learn the framework, get the book, or bring the 5M Architecture™ to your team.