Beyond Generational Stereotypes: Using Data to Understand What Actually Motivates Your Donors Across Age Cohorts

Advancement teams often rely on broad generational assumptions when segmenting donors — but what if your CRM data tells a different story? In this session, Tim DeCelle, Senior Director of Advancement Services at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, will demonstrate how real giving behavior across age cohorts can reveal deeper, more actionable insights than demographics alone.

Tim will share practical approaches for uncovering meaningful patterns in donor behavior, challenging common generational myths, and building segmentation strategies grounded in evidence rather than assumptions. As a leader at an institution that leverages Raiser’s Edge NXT and Almabase to strengthen engagement, Tim brings firsthand experience in how modern advancement teams can turn behavioral insights into smarter, more personalized outreach — whether you’re already using these platforms or evaluating the right solution for your university.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to identify key behavioral trends across donor age cohorts using your CRM

• Why generational myths fall short — and what real institutional giving data reveals instead

• How to create data‑driven engagement strategies aligned with donors’ true motivations and behaviors