Our Top 10 LinkedIn Posts of the Year

As we tallied our most-viewed LinkedIn posts from 2023, a few themes jumped out immediately from those in the Top 10. So, this year, instead of presenting them in ranking order, we’re sharing them by topic so you can visit (or revisit) those that resonate with you the most:

Philanthropy Education

We both wrote about student philanthropy in higher education following Harvard’s announcement that it would cancel its senior class gift program. Lots of you agreed with our proposals to weave philanthropy education into the student experience. But this isn’t just a higher ed matter. Other nonprofits can benefit from greater transparency and education around their finances, especially when it comes to endowments.

Messaging

Robert cautioned fundraisers and development communicators about the pitfalls of writing solely for a handful of elite donors.

Stewardship

This was quite the popular topic with Emily’s #1 post of the year, along with Robert’s #3. At the core of both was a reminder that stewardship is never “one and done.” 

Donor Recognition

Perhaps our assertions about ongoing stewardship are what drew readers to our posts on a really cool donor wall and important considerations for naming opportunities.

True Stories

Two of our more personal posts struck a chord. Robert shared advice from his own experience as a former academic working in fundraising while Emily wrote about her encounter with antisemitic language in a colleague’s LinkedIn post. (Bonus take-away: Personal narratives always resonate. Let your donors and other audiences tell their own stories!)

Celebration

Finally, Emily’s post celebrating the 4th anniversary of Weiswood Strategies (and a bit of a love letter to national parks) inspired many readers to celebrate along with us. And why not? It’s been a great year! Robert joined the firm as vice president and partner. We worked with a dozen fantastic clients in higher ed, healthcare, conservation, advocacy, and other fields. And we engaged with many of you here, on LinkedIn, on Zoom, and in person. We are so grateful for your collegiality. Thank you.