Dan Sonners

About Dan Sonners

18 years ago I discovered the fundraising industry that powers philanthropy and the impact of the non-profit sector. That discovery led me to a deep passion for helping non-profit organizations find new donors, raise more money, and optimize their programs with innovative ideas. Over the course of my career, I’ve hand crafted acquisition strategies which have helped acquire millions of donors and produced hundreds of millions in revenue. Since no two organizations or campaigns are alike, I strive to approach each with customized solutions based on the mailer\'s mission, goals, offer, ask, and market trends - In addition to results analysis. While big data and automation have revolutionized fundraising, personal attention and intuition are the ingredients for the \"secret sauce\" that helps mailers discover new opportunities and stay ahead of the fundraising curve. As Vice President at Conrad Direct I oversee acquisition for a diverse group of non-profit organizations. Using a data driven approach, we provide mailers with list / media recommendations along with personalized solutions for growing their acquisition programs but being a premium list broker about much more than picking good mailing lists. I have a hands on role in most aspects of the donor acquisition process including results analysis, list planning, data segmentation, list modeling, co-op management, A/B test strategy, merge/purge, multi-channel expansion ideas, and more including added value consultation about package selection and copy development. I\'m a principled believer in an added value approach to client services. Much of my time these days is spent educating clients about market trends, helping them make valuable connections, and brainstorming new initiatives to expand their programs. Modern donors are active across channels which means modern consultants need to be as well, no channel stands alone in a hyperconnected world. Outside of fundraising, I\'m a proud father, husband, & German Shepherd owner who is a passionate New York sports fan and loves to and travel. I also host the Dynamic Nonprofits podcast which advocates for an unsiloed approach to fundraising. Specializations: direct marketing, direct mail, list brokerage, donor acquisition / retention, fundraising, DTC acquisition, multi-channel marketing, client relations, new business development, co-op management, emerging data trends, direct response analysis and strategy, demographic marketing, taking abstract concepts and turning them into action.

Experience

1. Director of Direct Marketing

   Judicial Watch

   Jul 2025 — Present · NJ, US

Education

• Montclair State University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Broadcast Communications

  2001 — 2006

Skills

• B2b Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• Non-Profits
• Customer Retention
• Online Lead Generation
• Non-Profit Program Development
• Nonprofits
• Online Marketing
• Online Advertising
• Ppc
• Web Analytics
• Integrated Marketing
• Political Campaigns
• Data Acquisition
• Direct Mail
• Advertising
• Statistical Data Analysis
• Lead Generation
• Direct Response
• Customer Acquisition
• Email Marketing
• Political Science
• Digital Strategy
• Fundraising
• Marketing Strategy
• B2b
• Direct Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Sales
• Database Marketing
• Marketing
• Digital Marketing
• Relationship Marketing
• Strategic Planning
• Interactive Marketing
• Account Management
• Campaign Management
• Media Planning
• Media Buying
• Affiliate Marketing