About
Practical Strategy for More Integrated Fundraising.
Annual Giving by Design™ was created to help nonprofit fundraisers connect the many moving parts of annual giving into a strategy that is intentional, practical, and sustainable.
Biography
Dakota Davis, PhD
Dakota Davis is a philanthropy and annual giving professional, strategist, author, and facilitator whose work focuses on building integrated fundraising experiences that strengthen donor engagement and organizational sustainability. Her experience spans annual giving strategy, direct response, donor communications, digital fundraising, recurring giving, campaign development, faith and community engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.
Throughout her career, Dakota has worked at the intersection of fundraising strategy and execution—bringing together messaging, audience segmentation, creative development, digital channels, direct mail, stewardship, data, and internal partnerships to create campaigns that function as connected ecosystems rather than isolated tactics.
She is the author of Annual Giving by Design™: The Integrated Fundraising Playbook and the creator of the 5M Architecture™, a practical framework that helps fundraising teams align Mission, Market, Message, Momentum, and Measurement. Her approach is designed for nonprofit professionals who need strategy that can move from a planning document into real-world execution.
Dakota holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, an MBA in Management and Leadership, and a PhD in Organizational Leadership. Born and raised in San Diego, California, she is passionate about servant leadership, authentic leadership, social impact, and helping mission-driven organizations build stronger systems for generosity.
Philosophy
Making the Right Things Work Together
Strong annual giving is not created by doing more things. It is created by making the right things work together. Annual Giving by Design™ approaches fundraising as an integrated ecosystem in which strategy, audience, communication, execution, and learning reinforce one another. The goal is not simply to produce another campaign—it is to build a repeatable way of thinking that helps teams make stronger decisions, collaborate more effectively, and create donor experiences that are both meaningful and sustainable.
Areas of Expertise
- Annual giving strategy and program development
- Integrated fundraising campaign design
- Direct mail and digital fundraising
- Donor engagement, stewardship, and retention
- Recurring giving strategy
- Audience segmentation and donor-centered messaging
- Campaign planning and cross-channel coordination
- Nonprofit leadership and cross-functional collaboration
- Team workshops and facilitated campaign planning
Credentials
- Author, Annual Giving by Design™: The Integrated Fundraising Playbook
- Creator of the 5M Architecture™
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- MBA in Management and Leadership
- PhD in Organizational Leadership
- Professional experience leading annual giving, philanthropy engagement, donor communications, and integrated nonprofit campaigns
Bring the 5M Architecture™ to Your Team.
Explore the framework, read the playbook, or schedule a workshop for your development team.