Preacher’s Son: A Conversation with Derric Bakker, CEO of DickersonBakker

Derric Bakker is founder and CEO of DickersonBakker, fundraising strategist, consultant, speaker, and author of A Better Way to Fundraise: Treat Every Donor Like a Major Donor.
For more than three decades, Derric has helped nonprofit organizations strengthen their fundraising, leadership, strategy, and capacity for impact. What began almost by chance with his first fundraising position in 1990 grew into a career spanning frontline development, major gifts, capital campaigns, organizational leadership, and consulting.
Today, Derric leads a national team of more than 50 professionals serving nonprofits across the country. He is also a leading advocate for reimagining relationship-based fundraising by using AI and emerging technologies to extend the principles of major gift fundraising across the entire donor base.
In this episode, we talk about Derric’s journey from his childhood as an itinerant pastor’s son to the McDonald’s breakfast that changed his future trajectory, the work in fundraising that shaped his professional life, and his thoughts on living a life of purpose.