When Fresh Data Meets Fresh Thinking: Inside Our First Epiphany Benchmarking Cohort
Last month, we gathered a group of public media fundraisers to do something we don’t get to do often enough: slow down, look at fresh data together and really talk about what it’s telling us. Over two virtual days, 15 organizations joined CDP and our partners at ROI Solutions for the launch of Epiphany Benchmarking’s first public media cohort meeting, sharing fundraising results, celebrating what worked in 2025 and being honest about what didn’t.
The data was timely, the questions were thoughtful, and the conversations moved quickly from “what are we seeing?” to “what might we do differently next?” As we reviewed historical trends, debated current practices, and explored early signals shaping 2026, it became clear that the real value wasn’t just in the numbers — it was in the shared perspective that comes from looking at them together.
Deeper than the Data
Epiphany Benchmarking is designed to take analysis a step further. For organizations already using CDP Insights, it’s an add‑on that pairs timely data with real peer context — allowing participants to benchmark against named organizations, explore performance in near real time and learn directly from others navigating similar challenges.
And when you put smart, curious fundraisers in a (virtual) room together, something interesting happens. The data becomes a starting point, not the end. Conversations deepen. Assumptions get tested. And ideas move more quickly from insight to action.
What We’re Talking About Right Now
Our first public media cohort jumped into topics that feel especially relevant as teams look ahead to 2026, including:
Rethinking Donor Advised Fund (DAF) reporting by shifting the focus from DAF accounts to the individual donors behind them, creating a clearer picture of donor behavior and long‑term value
What donor upgrading patterns tell us when multiple gifts are involved — and what that means for sustainable revenue growth
How stewardship strategies for higher‑level donors affect staffing models and where teams spend their limited time
The continued growth of online‑acquired donors, and how that channel is reshaping overall donor profiles
Early signals on retention performance for donors acquired in 2025, while there’s still time to adjust strategy
These weren’t abstract discussions. They were practical, honest and grounded in real experience — exactly the kind of conversations that help teams move forward with more confidence.
Why Epiphany Feels Different
Traditional benchmarking often asks you to wait. Wait for the data. Wait for the report. Wait until the planning cycle is already locked in.
Epiphany Benchmarking was built with a different mindset. By combining frequent data updates with structured peer conversations, it creates space to notice trends sooner, ask better questions, and learn faster — together.
Benchmarking is most powerful when it moves beyond isolated metrics and helps organizations understand their performance in real‑world context. Seeing how peers are responding to similar pressures makes it easier to explain results internally, spot opportunities earlier and make more informed decisions.
We’re Just Getting Started
Many thanks to the first group of public media organizations who joined us for the first Epiphany Benchmarking cohort meeting and helped shape what this community can be.
One of the things we’re most excited about — and one of the real strengths of our partnership with ROI Solutions — is the opportunity to build benchmarking cohorts across the nonprofit sector, not just within a single vertical. While public media organizations benefit tremendously from learning alongside one another, there’s also real value in expanding the lens.
By connecting cohorts nationally and across mission types, Epiphany Benchmarking opens the door to richer learning, new perspectives, and insights that may not surface when we only look inward. Public media teams can learn from peers tackling similar challenges in different contexts — and bring those ideas back with fresh energy and clarity.
Epiphany Benchmarking isn’t just about measuring performance. It’s about learning together, broadening our perspective, and heading into what’s next with more context, more confidence and a few new ideas worth testing.
If you value timely data, enjoy unearthing insights quickly and appreciate the opportunity to learn alongside peers, we’d love to have you join a future cohort.
Learn more about Epiphany Benchmarking here or reach out to us at cdp@cdpcommunity.org to let us know you’re interested in learning more.