Responsive Fundraising: Recent Episodes
Virtuous Software
The Responsive Fundraising Podcast is a show where we talk with nonprofit leaders and fundraising experts to uncover how today’s top nonprofits craft remarkable donor experiences and build lasting relationships at scale.
In this episode, Matthew and Noah discussed:
- Changing traditional models of fundraising to engage modern donors
- Generational shifts in expectations and wealth
- Monthly and recurring donations
- Shifting from traditional events to meaningful experiences
- Creating partnerships with donors
- Measuring ROI
Global philanthropy consultant Kris Putnam-Walkerly has advised top philanthropists for over 20 years, transforming their giving and catapulting their impact. As a sought after philanthropy advisor, expert and award-winning author, she's helped hundreds of wealthy families, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, Giving Pledge signatories, and wealth advisors strategically influence and allocate over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts. She is the author of Delusional Altruism, Confident Giving, and The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors.
Nonprofit executive coach and fundraising consultant Mallory Erickson joins Noah Barnett to talk about being a more effective fundraiser, changing your mindset, and unlocking new potential to fuel your mission.
Since 2018, Mallory has successfully coached over 50 fundraisers and organizations to increase their fundraising capacity by powerfully combining her tactical fundraising expertise with the best executive coaching tools out there. This combination allow her clients to identify both internal and external barriers to success and overcome them. She is the creator of the Power Partners Formula
Ariel Glassman, purpose-driven fundraising consultant, joins Noah Barnett to talk about pivoting between traditional strategies to responsive fundraising, trends in events, and donor cultivation.
Ariel's expertise includes customizing fundraising strategy, tactical development planning, building systematic and intentional donor engagement programs, defining staffing needs and structuring development teams, building and refining infrastructure and tools, donor data analytics and donor surveys, and donor communications. She helps organizations build connective tissue between their fundraising strategy, technology and operations, staff capacity, and donor relationships.
Nonprofit technology veteran Kent Woodyard joins Noah Barnett to discuss nonprofit technology, what nonprofits can learn from Amazon, and how organizations can adopt a "Day One" mindset.
Ray Taylor, Director of Advancement at Franciscan Media joins Noah Barnett to talk about his Six Sigma-style approach to nonprofit leadership, designing fundraising campaigns and building fundraising systems.
Franciscan Media is a sponsored ministry of the Franciscan friars of St. John the Baptist Province. They strive to inspire a loving world that embraces the Franciscan spirit of harmony, joy, and simplicity.
Dana Snyder of Positive Equation joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss social media and digital strategy for nonprofits. During our conversation we covered the dance marathons that first sparked her interest in college, how to make your mission stand out in the busy online landscape, and how to connect more deeply with your supporters.
Dana Snyder is the founder and CEO of Positive Equation, a digital consultancy focused on helping nonprofits cultivate a passionate online following of donors, volunteers, and advocates.
Casey Davis, the Executive Director at the Diabetes Research Connection, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss her experience leading a growing nonprofit through transition and trials. During our conversation we discuss Casey’s “partner with” fundraising approach, the importance of having a holistic fundraising strategy, and why Casey is optimistic about the industry’s future.
Diabetes Research Connection empowers people affected by type 1 diabetes and supports highly innovative research, for which seed funding is notoriously hard to obtain. This unique, disease-specific crowdfunding platform was established by leading diabetes scientists and advocates. This one-of-a-kind community is uniquely focused on funding innovative, discovery research and supporting early career scientists in type 1 diabetes research.
Chris Hammond and Jen Linck of CGC joined The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to get deep into the practical details, steps, and strategies of crafting an effective nonprofit marketing plan.
Chris Hammond founded CGC in order to simplify the giving process between nonprofits and corporations. He developed this unique concept as a result of his experience in working in fundraising and nonprofit consulting management. By means of his pursuits as a nonprofit fundraising consultant, he recognized the need for an all-encompassing company that would utilize the “four pots of fundraising”: event management, grant writing, individual and corporate giving. Chris has 8+ years of event management and 6+ years of nonprofit fundraising consulting & leadership experience. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University.
Jen Linck, CMO, came to CGC after twenty years of marketing experience in the entertainment industry, working in book publishing, television, and film. A driven marketing professional with a passion for innovation and a reputation as a highly analytical consumer engagement expert with proven project management skills, Jen is responsible for leading the marketing strategy for CGC and its nonprofit consulting clients. Jen holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from James Madison University and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University where she graduated with honors and now serves as adjunct faculty teaching marketing at the business school.
JB Stark (they/them) joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about leading their team to resiliency and growth during COVID-19 and beyond.
JB is the Director of Individual Giving at The Trevor Project and is honored to work with Trevor’s family of donors who support the organization’s operations and growth. Prior to this, JB worked at the NYU Stern School of Business on the Development and Alumni Relations Team, working with alumni to bring the Dean’s vision to success by raising critical funds for programs and scholarships. JB has years of experience working in fundraising and nonprofit leadership in economic empowerment, education, and LGBTQ youth advocacy spaces. As the Deputy Executive Director of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition, JB worked on LGBTQ youth community mobilization, health education, disease prevention, and engagement initiatives across the country.
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people. The Trevor Project offers a suite of 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention programs, including TrevorLifeline, TrevorText, and TrevorChat as well as the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, TrevorSpace. Trevor also operates an education program with resources for youth-serving adults and organizations, an advocacy department fighting for pro-LGBTQ legislation and against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric/policy positions, and a research team to discover the most effective means to help young LGBTQ people in crisis and end suicide.
Donate here. Find the resources JB mentioned here.
Stacy LeBaron joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about delivering animal welfare services during times of crisis and the power of pivoting.
Stacy has been involved in animal welfare for over 20 years. She is the host and founder of Community Cats Podcast, a 5 day a week podcast show where she interviews nationally and internationally renowned experts helping with the problem of cat overpopulation and cat welfare. In addition to the podcast, Stacy is committed to the model of virtual education by holding weekend conferences and day long educational sessions. Prior to the podcast, Stacy served for 16 years as president of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, and then directed the Mentoring Program at that organization.
Brian Numainville, consultant, speaker, and author joins the Responsive Fundraising podcast to discuss his observations from 2020, where nonprofits might be missing opportunities, and his future outlook.
Nonprofit Surveys: Your Nonprofit Needs to Ask Questions
An accomplished consultant and the president of NUMINSIGHTS LLC, as well as a principal with Retail Feedback Group, Brian partners with organizations throughout the United States to design and execute a wide range of research and feedback programs, as well as advises on public relations and communications efforts. Brian is also the co-author of Feedback Rules!
Cameron Ripley joins the Responsive Fundraising podcast to discuss the latest trends in nonprofit marketing. During our conversation we discuss the lessons learned from hundreds of nonprofit marketing campaigns in 2020, the essentials of successful, digital-first fundraising plans, and what organizations must double down on as they plan their go-forward digital strategies.
Cameron is the CEO and Founder of Community Boost Consulting, a digital marketing agency that exists to empower social ventures changing the world. Trusted by the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Foundation, the Trevor Project, United Ways, Humane Societies and hundreds of other great causes from around the world, Community Boost has been committed to helping nonprofits drive more meaningful conversions online since 2012.
Additional resources:
- Nonprofit Marketing Summit
- Nonprofit marketing resources
Sarah Landman joins the Responsive Fundraising podcast to discuss personalized donor stewardship. During our conversation we discuss the tie between theatre and fundraising, key donor signals nonprofits must tune in on, and how you turn signals into more personalized cultivation plans, especially in 2021.
Sarah is the Sr. VP of Philanthropy Services at NewsBank / Insightful, a web-based platform to help nonprofits know more about their donors that lead to deeper relationships.
Sarah is an experienced fundraising and business executive with a 15 year history and successful results working in the fundraising industry. Skilled in major gift fundraising, business development, marketing, capital campaign consulting, women's philanthropy and legacy planning. M.A. in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
https://www.insightfulphilanthropy.com/home
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjanelandman/
Gabe Cooper, Virtuous' CEO and founder joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss what we can glean from the events of 2020 and how fundraisers should pivot to maximize the potential of 2021.
2020 has been a year of ma
Gabe Cooper, Virtuous' CEO and founder joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss what we can glean from the events of 2020 and how fundraisers should pivot to maximize the potential of 2021.
2020 has been a year of massive change for nonprofits. From entire teams going remote overnight, to a chaotic election season, to a civil rights movement driving systemic change, to the devastating impact of COVID-19, everything has changed.
During the discussion Gabe shares six fundraising strategies nonprofit teams can carry forward into 2021.
6 Fundraising Strategies To Help You Grow
1) You must know your donors. And in order to know them, you must listen.
One of the silver linings of 2020 is that nonprofits are increasingly committed to better listen to donors. When COVID-19 hit our shores and lockdowns began, a lot of fundraisers wondered if they should even be asking for money. What are my donors thinking? Do they still care about my cause? These questions inevitably raised a larger existential question: why don’t we already know what our donors are thinking? Why don’t we have an open line of communication with our donors already?
Many leading nonprofits have quickly pivoted in 2020 to better listening to donors and trying to build more authentic relationships. Giving to a great cause is deeply personal and requires a two-way relationship. If you don’t have that personal relationship, then generosity is never going to happen at scale. Most nonprofits have a direct connection to major donors but “everyday” small and mid-tier donors are often just a name in the database. To create predictable generosity and impact, nonprofits can’t afford to abandon the everyday donor. They must strive to adopt systems and strategies that listen to the needs of donors at scale and treat every donor personally. The more you listen, the more you begin to understand areas of interest, giving opportunities, and how each person wants to connect with the cause. Responsive fundraising is fueled by these signals and equips you to deepen relationships as you move each donor through a journey with your cause. The increase in generosity we’ve seen this year can be the new normal, but it does require a commitment to being massively personal and earning trust at scale.
2) Generosity begets generosity.
When you are given an incredible gift, isn’t it instinctual to ask “how can I give back?” This truth has to be top of mind for nonprofit. You have to think about how you deliver value to your donors before ever making an ask. Think deeply and carefully about what your donors want. What makes their heart beat faster? What do they get excited about? What are they passionate about? Deliver value around those things. How do you love on your donors and deliver value with no strings attached? If you can do that well you can unlock a new level of generosity.
It’s also deeply important to begin breaking down silos at your organization in order to bring your donors closer to the impact of their gift. We work with several organizations that have their program team call donors every month. They don’t ask for money; they just say “thank you.” They ask if there are any questions they can answer. And then they tell stories about the great work the organization is doing. This makes generosity cultural across the whole organization. COVID has afforded us an opportunity to dismantle silos across organization lines. As a result, many organizations are beginning to shorten the distance between their donors and the good that they’re doing in the world. Removing those silos brings the donor in very close.
3) Let 2021 be the year you get educated on donor advised funds and planned giving.
We have a massive amount of aging wealth in this country, and many fundraisers don’t yet have a robust strategy for planned giving. This has to be a part of your fundraising approach. Be courageous enough as a nonprofit to have that conversation about donor advised funds, planned giving options, and tactics to protect wealth that enable more generous giving.
We live in a tech-driven world where social feeds, news feeds, and web/email experiences are hyper-personalized to our individual interests or community. We’ve seen platforms like GoFundMe leverage this personalized, community-driven technology to create a new kind of giving experience – because it’s so much easier to give to a family down the street that’s hurting than it is to give to some big nameless, faceless organization. Leading nonprofits are now acknowledging this change in the way donors are choosing to give. And then stepping in to create more personal experiences for their constituents. The organizations that flourish in 2021 and beyond are the ones that are able to create those more personal relationships at scale, not just with major donors, but with all donors.
4) Don’t let the crisis go wasted.
Crisis is a great driver of innovation. This is a great time to reset, to make some hard decisions, and put ourselves on a trajectory for flourishing in the next decade. It’s been really exciting to see organizations that were previously stuck, but are now focused on making innovative changes to move their cause forward. Before this year, their donor retention was slightly worse than their new donor acquisition. They were losing five percent a year and scared to death of change. COVID has been a wake up call. They’ve been forced to innovate. They’re listening to their donors. And they’ve righted the ship. If your organization hasn’t taken this important step, take this moment to step back and ask hard questions about the changes needed to increase your impact.
5) Double down on your efforts to generate sustainable revenue.
If you want to make a predictable, sustainable difference in the world, you have to have predictable, sustainable revenue. And you don’t get predictable, sustainable revenue from one-off big checks. You get predictable, sustainable revenue from an army of several thousand donors giving $100 a month. I want to challenge you to create monthly giving products that deliver value to the donor and help them engage. Donors who are excited to give $100 a month for the next ten years create a predictable mechanism for sustained impact. Not only do monthly giving products create predictable, sustainable revenue, they also build an army of advocates for your cause. There’s nothing like an army of several thousand donors who just won’t shut up about the difference they are making through your organization.
6) Plan out your strategy, but do it with a pencil, not a pen.
2020 has served as one giant reminder that we don’t know what awaits us. It’s important to have a strategy, but we need to hold our plans loosely while we start executing. Waiting for the pandemic to be over is not the right solution. You have to be courageous enough to act now to make strategy changes.
It’s time to act. Create a best case plan and a worst case plan. Then think carefully about your expenses and your staff, knowing that you can go with the worst case plan, if necessary. Align your team around big goals to accomplish on a quarterly basis. In our changing world, a quarterly cadence of setting big, hairy, audacious goals, and then having the permission to reset those goals quarterly is a really healthy way to approach 2021.
2020 has tested us all, not least of which nonprofits and fundraisers. But if you can sift through the challenges, find the lessons, and apply them to 2021, then the sky is really the limit for your organization. Let’s go change the world.
https://www.virtuous.org/blog/2021-fundraising-strategies/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabecooper/
ssive change for nonprofits. From entire teams going remote overnight, to a chaotic election season, to a civil rights movement driving systemic change, to the devastating impact of COVID-19, everything has changed.
During the discussion Gabe shares six fundraising strategies nonprofit teams can carry forward into 2021.
6 Fundraising Strategies To Help You Grow
1) You must know your donors. And in order to know them, you must listen.
One of the silver linings of 2020 is that nonprofits are increasingly committed to better listen to donors. When COVID-19 hit our shores and lockdowns began, a lot of fundraisers wondered if they should even be asking for money. What are my donors thinking? Do they still care about my cause? These questions inevitably raised a larger existential question: why don’t we already know what our donors are thinking? Why don’t we have an open line of communication with our donors already?
Many leading nonprofits have quickly pivoted in 2020 to better listening to donors and trying to build more authentic relationships. Giving to a great cause is deeply personal and requires a two-way relationship. If you don’t have that personal relationship, then generosity is never going to happen at scale. Most nonprofits have a direct connection to major donors but “everyday” small and mid-tier donors are often just a name in the database. To create predictable generosity and impact, nonprofits can’t afford to abandon the everyday donor. They must strive to adopt systems and strategies that listen to the needs of donors at scale and treat every donor personally. The more you listen, the more you begin to understand areas of interest, giving opportunities, and how each person wants to connect with the cause. Responsive fundraising is fueled by these signals and equips you to deepen relationships as you move each donor through a journey with your cause. The increase in generosity we’ve seen this year can be the new normal, but it does require a commitment to being massively personal and earning trust at scale.
2) Generosity begets generosity.
When you are given an incredible gift, isn’t it instinctual to ask “how can I give back?” This truth has to be top of mind for nonprofit. You have to think about how you deliver value to your donors before ever making an ask. Think deeply and carefully about what your donors want. What makes their heart beat faster? What do they get excited about? What are they passionate about? Deliver value around those things. How do you love on your donors and deliver value with no strings attached? If you can do that well you can unlock a new level of generosity.
It’s also deeply important to begin breaking down silos at your organization in order to bring your donors closer to the impact of their gift. We work with several organizations that have their program team call donors every month. They don’t ask for money; they just say “thank you.” They ask if there are any questions they can answer. And then they tell stories about the great work the organization is doing. This makes generosity cultural across the whole organization. COVID has afforded us an opportunity to dismantle silos across organization lines. As a result, many organizations are beginning to shorten the distance between their donors and the good that they’re doing in the world. Removing those silos brings the donor in very close.
3) Let 2021 be the year you get educated on donor advised funds and planned giving.
We have a massive amount of aging wealth in this country, and many fundraisers don’t yet have a robust strategy for planned giving. This has to be a part of your fundraising approach. Be courageous enough as a nonprofit to have that conversation about donor advised funds, planned giving options, and tactics to protect wealth that enable more generous giving.
We live in a tech-driven world where social feeds, news feeds, and web/email experiences are hyper-personalized to our individual interests or community. We’ve seen platforms like GoFundMe leverage this personalized, community-driven technology to create a new kind of giving experience – because it’s so much easier to give to a family down the street that’s hurting than it is to give to some big nameless, faceless organization. Leading nonprofits are now acknowledging this change in the way donors are choosing to give. And then stepping in to create more personal experiences for their constituents. The organizations that flourish in 2021 and beyond are the ones that are able to create those more personal relationships at scale, not just with major donors, but with all donors.
4) Don’t let the crisis go wasted.
Crisis is a great driver of innovation. This is a great time to reset, to make some hard decisions, and put ourselves on a trajectory for flourishing in the next decade. It’s been really exciting to see organizations that were previously stuck, but are now focused on making innovative changes to move their cause forward. Before this year, their donor retention was slightly worse than their new donor acquisition. They were losing five percent a year and scared to death of change. COVID has been a wake up call. They’ve been forced to innovate. They’re listening to their donors. And they’ve righted the ship. If your organization hasn’t taken this important step, take this moment to step back and ask hard questions about the changes needed to increase your impact.
5) Double down on your efforts to generate sustainable revenue.
If you want to make a predictable, sustainable difference in the world, you have to have predictable, sustainable revenue. And you don’t get predictable, sustainable revenue from one-off big checks. You get predictable, sustainable revenue from an army of several thousand donors giving $100 a month. I want to challenge you to create monthly giving products that deliver value to the donor and help them engage. Donors who are excited to give $100 a month for the next ten years create a predictable mechanism for sustained impact. Not only do monthly giving products create predictable, sustainable revenue, they also build an army of advocates for your cause. There’s nothing like an army of several thousand donors who just won’t shut up about the difference they are making through your organization.
6) Plan out your strategy, but do it with a pencil, not a pen.
2020 has served as one giant reminder that we don’t know what awaits us. It’s important to have a strategy, but we need to hold our plans loosely while we start executing. Waiting for the pandemic to be over is not the right solution. You have to be courageous enough to act now to make strategy changes.
It’s time to act. Create a best case plan and a worst case plan. Then think carefully about your expenses and your staff, knowing that you can go with the worst case plan, if necessary. Align your team around big goals to accomplish on a quarterly basis. In our changing world, a quarterly cadence of setting big, hairy, audacious goals, and then having the permission to reset those goals quarterly is a really healthy way to approach 2021.
2020 has tested us all, not least of which nonprofits and fundraisers. But if you can sift through the challenges, find the lessons, and apply them to 2021, then the sky is really the limit for your organization. Let’s go change the world.
https://www.virtuous.org/blog/2021-fundraising-strategies/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabecooper/
Steven Aguiar joins The Responsive Fundraising podcast to discuss how nonprofits can grow their donor base through digital acquisition and paid campaigns. During the conversation we discuss essential elements of digital marketing campaigns and why a growth blueprint should replace your traditional fundraising plan.
Steven is the founder of Good Goes Further, a company that helps nonprofits create and execute a plan for digital growth. He is a full-stack digital marketer with experience running all aspects of a company's digital marketing and is now using his experience for good by focusing completely on growing nonprofits. Over the past four years, Steven has helped dozens of businesses scale and activate digital audiences and with Good Goes Further, he hopes to bring all of those growth marketing capabilities directly to nonprofits.
https://goodgoesfurther.com
Lindsay Voltz, the Sr. Director of Major Gifts at the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF), joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss donor stewardship strategies and what today's donor is looking for from fundraisers. During the discussion we unpack what's top of mind for today's philanthropist, how you navigate the balance between what a donor desires to do with your nonprofit's mission, and the importance of improv within fundraising.
Lindsay Voltz, CFRE currently serves as Senior Director, Major Gifts at the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) overseeing a team of frontline major gift fundraisers and DRIF’s expansion to a regional major gift model. Prior to joining DRIF, Lindsay was the Director of Major Giving, Southeast at the Parkinson’s Foundation. While with the Parkinson’s Foundation, Lindsay led major gift efforts for the southeast region of the U.S. and built a robust pipeline of major donors across nine states.
Lindsay has been in the nonprofit sector for more than thirteen years, with a focus on development and major gift fundraising for the majority of her career.
Prior to her role at the Parkinson’s Foundation, Lindsay raised crucial funds for cancer research for Moffitt Cancer Center. Lindsay held a number of roles while at Moffitt, including as a Development Officer building a midlevel giving program, Associate Director of Principal Gifts during which time she secured multiple six and seven-figure gifts and as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations overseeing the CFR program. Lindsay began her nonprofit career with Obesity Action Coalition, a national patient advocacy organization, where she initially served as Marketing Manager, followed by her role as Director of Development and Engagement Initiatives.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayvoltz
https://www.diabetesresearch.org/
David J. O'Brien and Matthew D. Craig join The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss the insights from their new book Building Smart Nonprofits. During the conversation we dig into alternative funding models, how to move beyond golf tournaments, galas, and grants, and ask the question whether there are too many nonprofits. Many contrarian notes, but insightful.
Building Smart Nonprofits: A Roadmap for Mission Success is a handbook of best practices nonprofits can use to improve sustainability - a book of knowledge and know-how distilled from interviews with over 60 industry leaders who are in the nonprofit trenches every day—as executives, leaders, board members, funders, publishers, and service providers.
David J. O’Brien and Matthew D. Craig provide real-life examples of nonprofits deploying best practices and emerging industry trends – such as the rise of socially conscious investing – to position their organizations for the long term. Topics include, among others, funding models, impact investing, compensation, strategic restructuring, leadership, full-cost grantmaking, program evaluation, storytelling, and financing. Readers learn how to best position their non-profit organization for a sustainable and long-term future.
https://requiemforthegala.org/our-book/
Bridget Jones and Kelly Hayman join The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how they help transform the Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley fundraising programs in light of tremendous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the conversation we take a step back to March 2020 to recall how Bridget, Kelly, and their team's decision making process amidst the chaos and upending that COVID-19 had on their fundraising channels which was in contrast to the rapid growth in demand for their programs.
Bridget Jones started as a part time Youth Development Worker with Boys & Girls Clubs in her hometown of Greeneville, TN.
With a degree in education from Carson Newman College, a passion for young people and a love of gathering people together, she was able to use her skillset as the Director of Development & Corporate Events to raise funds to support the mission and vision of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee.
Her heart truly desires to serve young people who need us most and provide them with life-changing opportunities each time they enter the BGS doors.
Kelly Hayman came to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in 2006 as an Education Director in one of the school based sites. Over the next fourteen years, Kelly progressed into leadership positions such as Technology Director, Club Director and Executive Director. He was moved into the role of Annual Gifts Officer in 2019.
In his current role, Kelly is responsible is responsible for developing and stewarding both annual and recurring gifts. His role allows for him to work with both small and mid-level donors.
Kelly began his Boys & Girls Club career in 1995 when he was hired to work as a summer staff member for the Boys & Girls Club of Valdosta, GA. Becoming the Club Director in 2003, he led the Lake Laurie facility from serving 75 members to more than 140 members in 2005.
https://bgctnv.org/leadership/
Dan Reed joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share his first-hand experience scaling digital fundraising campaigns. During the conversation we discuss why digital fundraising is the future of fundraising, what makes monthly giving programs scale, and the power of blending community with giving.
Dan started his digital fundraising career at Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, developing peer-to-peer activities for two annual Greater Chicago Prostate Cancer Run Walk & Rolls. From there, Dan spent seven years at the Smithsonian Institution, managing the digital components of the Friends of the Smithsonian direct response program, mid-level donor program and working across the different Smithsonian units, supporting their digital fundraising efforts. While at the Smithsonian, Dan earned his Masters Degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy. Next, Dan moved to World Food Program USA, building out their digital fundraising program from the ground up and developing an award winning monthly donor program over the course of three years.
Dan sees working at Media Cause as an opportunity to work with a wide variety of nonprofits that are working to make the world a better place. He knows he'll be inspired on a daily basis helping passionate clients achieve their fundraising goals.
https://mediacause.org/about-us/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-reed-5a336b104/
https://www.virtuous.org/modern-nonprofit-fundraiser-podcast/
Gordon Pont, the Partner and Strategy Director at Collab Agency in Australia, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about brand and marketing strategy, and the necessity to stand for something to ensure you stand out from the crowd.
During our conversation we pull on Gordon's experience in consumer marketing and nonprofit advocacy and uncover essential traits nonprofit brands need to be remarkable and attract support.
Gordon is a strategically led commercial marketer and business owner. With 20+ years of building brands, across B2C and B2B markets he promises to effectively collaborate so that your business grows. His experience includes senior Marketing, Sales, Category Management, Innovation and Directorship roles. Having also worked across most communication channels in traditional and digital media. He's passionate about working together with teams looking to grow and brings a breadth of capability, leadership and insight.
https://www.collabagency.com.au
https://opportunity.org
Jake Smith, the Executive Director of Blood:Water, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss his path to leading his organization through uncertain times, the importance of history and rediscovering old truths with new value, and how a focus on people and execution has paved a path to help them grow 25% YOY despite the challenges of 2020.
Blood:Water is an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the water and HIV/AIDS crises. We do this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. We provide technical, financial, and organizational support so that African civil society organizations have expanded reach and effectiveness in the communities they serve.
www.linkedin.com/in/igobyjake/
www.bloodwater.org
Catherine Moore joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about change management and its importance as nonprofits navigate constant change. During the conversation we discuss the balance between people, processes, and platforms during systems change and the value of personal resilience that's required for successful change leadership.
Catherine has served the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, defining and guiding the strategic pathway for technology, marketing, and fundraising at the Canadian Cancer Society and others. She is skilled at understanding and addressing the human concerns that arise during a project as well as the technical challenges that any system transition will bring. Outside of her professional life, Catherine is passionate about STEM education for children and enjoys the privilege of mentoring other women and young professionals.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineemoore/
https://teamheller.com
Vance Roush joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how our relationship with money impacts the way we fundraise, the importance of taking a holistic approach to donor development, and how you build a community of generosity through your communications.
Vance is an ex-Googler, engineer, pastor, and now the founder of Overflow.co, a technology company committed to building the infrastructure to ensure generosity is frictionless.
https://www.overflow.co
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanceroush/
Sherry Quam Taylor joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share her philosophy for helping nonprofits get fully funded. Sherry teaches nonprofit leaders how to pivot from a heavy dependence on program, government, and event gifts and into securing large, investment-level donations from individuals so they can finally fund their missions.
The leaders Sherry works with are experts in their field, but when it comes to individual donor fundraising, they’ve simply never been trained on how to do it, so it feels uncomfortable and frustrating. She helps them learn the exact steps to launch a mid- and major level gift program that feels comfortable, involves less dread, and fully funds their mission for the long-haul. She does this nationally through her private coaching and her 90-day LET’S GROW fundraising accelerator.
https://www.quamtaylor.com/about-us
https://www.quamtaylor.com/letsgrow
Jake Smith, the Executive Director of Blood:Water, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss his path to leading his organization through uncertain times, the importance of history and rediscovering old truths with new value, and how a focus on people and execution has paved a path to help them grow 25% YOY despite the challenges of 2020.
Blood:Water is an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the water and HIV/AIDS crises. We do this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. We provide technical, financial, and organizational support so that African civil society organizations have expanded reach and effectiveness in the communities they serve.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/igobyjake/
https://www.bloodwater.org
MaryEllen Dickey, CFRE, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share what she's learned by leading donor development teams for the last two decades across social service, education, and healthcare nonprofits.
We also discuss the balance between donor retention and acquisition, the importance of channel-donor fit and multi-channel fundraising, and how to lead a donor development team well to prevent burnout.
MaryEllen, is Senior Vice President of Advancement for Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries. As such, she oversees a range of giving programs, including grants, major gifts, planned giving, corporate giving, endowments, and special capital projects, to support Diakon’s mission to serve those in need.
Before joining Diakon the beginning of 2007, MaryEllen was Vice President for Development at Good Shepherd Hospital and Rehabilitation Network, Allentown. In addition to completing a successful $40 million capital campaign that resulted in $52 million in giving, her department focused on creating its first chair, expanding numerous program endowments, and supporting the development of a health and technology center. She also has held planned giving and executive director positions with Lafayette College, Easton, and Lehigh University, Bethlehem.
Missy Gale and Jill Bruner join the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss the unique challenges nonprofit teams must overcome in 2020, the importance of listening to fuel fundraising activities, and how organizations must pivot plans and shift strategies to increase impact.
M. Gale & Associates is a fundraising consulting firm with more than a decade of experience collaborating with mission-driven nonprofit organizations in North Texas and the Southwest. They help them reach their full potential by delivering strategic philanthropic solutions that are insightful, implementable, and successful.
Two experienced development leaders from Catholic Extension join The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share strategies to deepen donor relationships and unpack the needed partnership required between annual fund and major gift development teams.
Tony Smercina, the AVP of Development, and Travis DeRamcy, the Sr. Director of Development, both have an array of experience managing and growing development programs. During the conversation, we discuss the difference yet synergy between annual fund and major donor development programs, the 12 step program they use to steward donors, and how they've continue to deepen donor connection in spite of the distance COVID-19 has forced.
Catholic Extension is a fundraising organization that helps ensure that all American Catholics can practice their faith within vibrant faith communities. Together with their donors, they connect poor and remote Catholic communities with essential financial support, educational partnerships, and infrastructure.
https://www.catholicextension.org/
https://www.virtuouscrm.com/modern-nonprofit-fundraiser-podcast/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonysmercina/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisderamcy/
Kelsie Ruff Smith joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share the inside view on the opportunities nonprofits have access to through collaboration with community foundations, corporations, other nonprofits, and local community philanthropists. We discuss what modern philanthropists are looking for in nonprofits they partner with, how to avoid duplication, and how you can build a culture of philanthropy within your donors and the broader community you engage.
Kelsie is the Director of Programs at the Community Foundation for Ocala Marion County, which connects the charitable interest of the donor to build a strong community, and the Executive Director of Blissful Life Corporation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 donation-based yoga studio
https://www.ocalafoundation.org/
https://www.virtuouscrm.com/
Ryan Brown, stock broker turned nonprofit development professional, joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how Food for the Hungry cultivates lasting donor relationships. We discuss the power of "full heart" donor development, the need to continually pivot to stay relevant, and why waiting for "normal" will lead you to focus on the wrong tactics.
Ryan is the acting CDO at Food for the Hungry (FH) and serves out of its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona.
Prior to joining FH, Ryan spent time as a stockbroker, singer/songwriter, concert promoter, and for a short time, ran a small Christian music record label.
Ryan earned two bachelor’s degrees in English and Business from Arizona State University. He currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife Suzan and their three children.
Justin Ellis joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast and takes us into the trenches and see how a successful VP of Development approaches their work amidst uncertain times.
We discuss the importance of development staff being data-driven decision makers, the difference between transactional and transformational, and how to transform asks into investment invitations.
Justin, the VP of Development at Thompson, oversees fundraising and relationship development of all the many individuals and organizations that support the mission and vision of Thompson.
He leads a team that is engaging in vision building initiatives, and works to enlarge the footprint and deepen the impact from those that stand in the gap with us in our communities. He received a Bachelor of Missions and Ministry from Gordon College. He brings over 10 years of experience in Non-profits and fundraising work.
Matt Mundt joins The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how CURE bridges the giver and good gap by integrating story into every donor touchpoint.
We discuss the balance of empathy and explanation during the current crisis moment, how donor experience is the key differentiator in today's connected economy, and how CURE uses multiple medias to connect people with their purpose.
Matt serves as the Senior Director of Marketing for CURE International. In this role, he is collaborating daily with his team to come up with the most creative and authentic ways to let more people know about CURE’s transforming work. For the past 20 years, Matt has led the digital marketing efforts and strategy for organizations like K-LOVE & Air1 Radio networks, SPIRIT 105.3 in Seattle, Tooth & Nail Records, and the Provident Label Group. He loves when technology, media, and storytelling converge to help spread the good news of Jesus.
If you ever meet Matt in person, it will more than likely be over a great cup of coffee that he home-roasted, and he will try and convince you why the city of Seattle and the Seahawks are the best! (or the Washington Huskies, whoever is winning more at the time). Also, you have to check out his video winning a new car on The Price Is Right.
Matt and his wife Rebecca have two amazing, active children. They enjoy going on many weekend adventures and try not to overshare on social media!
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Beth Fisher joins us to discuss lessons nonprofits can glean from how for-profit businesses approach growth, the importance and primary characteristics of good leaders, and how vulnerability at work can help unlock your team's full potential.
Beth is currently the VP of Advancement & Communications at Meltrotter Ministries and is a sought-after speaker and life coach who knows how to get through life’s decisions & challenges, as she herself has persisted and persevered amidst a sea of uncertainty and life changing seasonal transitions.
She has spent the past two decades coaching, teaching, and motivating thousands of people working within some of the largest Fortune 500 companies to help them “re-engineer” their business processes. All along the way, what she was truly helping them do was make decisions – showing them how to take action in the now to get to the big picture later – in an effort to be better, both personally and professionally.
https://bethfisher.com/meet-beth/
https://www.meltrotter.org/
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Rubin Singh, the CEO & Founder of OneTenth Consulting, joins us to discuss the obstacles nonprofit leaders need to navigate as they adopt new technology, common mistakes that drive many CRM implementations to fall flat, and the needs related to people and process that must be central to your platform adoption plan.
Rubin is a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience in the CRM (constituent relationship management) space, and over ten years in the nonprofit sector. Throughout his career, Rubin has pursued his passion for social impact through empowering and enabling nonprofits through a variety of roles in technology, strategy and organizational management.
As a Senior Solution Manager at Merkle, Rubin managed the database needs for large direct mail programs with Susan G. Komen and the AARP Foundation.
https://onetenth.consulting/about
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Andrew Olsen joins us to talk about the decreasing trust that Americans have in NGOs to "do what is right", what nonprofits should do to proactive build donor trust, and his suggestions on how a nonprofit's posture toward donors directly impacts their ability to deliver on the mission.
Andrew is a #1 Best Selling author, speaker, and nonprofit marketer. He’s helped raise more than $250 million for nonprofits. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, he currently advises nonprofit leaders, boards, and development teams through strategic consultation, coaching, and classroom instruction. Andrew is a Senior Vice President at Newport ONE and a frequent speaker at nonprofit industry events.
https://andrewolsen.net/
https://andrewolsen.net/no-thank-you/
https://www.newportone.com/
https://andrewolsen.net/rainmaker-podcast/
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Javan Van Gronigen joins Gabe Cooper to talk about the power of story to bridge the gap between givers and the good you're making in our world, the importance of pivoting to think of donor cultivation less like a funnel and more like a network, and more.
Javan is the Founder and Creative Director at Fifty & Fifty. When not directing the path of his creative team, he's driving strategy to roll out new solutions for the nonprofit world through web design. With previous professional experience as the Art Director for companies like Digitaria and Invisible Children, he founded Fifty & Fifty in 2009 to put nonprofit web design and branding on the same playing field as Fortune 500 brands.
Javan and his wife Candice have sons named Sebastian and Graeme along with a brindle Boxer named Brutus...who is inadvertently (or advertently) the office mascot.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/javanvangronigen/
https://fiftyandfifty.org/about/
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Oli Bridge joins us to talk about the power of personalization, and how nonprofits are using personalized video to close the gap between givers and the good and increase giving. Oli heads up Bonjoro’s marketing team. He has worked in SaaS for the last 12 years - his first job was in Customer Success with a media startup, Gorkana, who made a successful exit to Cision for £25m during his time there. After starting and failing with his first solo venture, Oli joined Bonjoro in 2016, sold by the founder’s vision to grow Bonjoro into a global success and customer-centric company in the grain of Zappos. Oli spends his time thinking of new ways to spread the simple ethos of Bonjoro: automate processes, not relationships. https://www.linkedin.com/in/olibridge/ https://www.bonjoro.com/videofunnelplaybook -----
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Dawn Crawford joins us to share her insights on how nonprofits can craft communications that bridge the gap between donors and the cause, leading to increased connection and engagement.
Dawn is the engine behind BC/DC Ideas, Dawn has dedicated her career to good. Before launching BC/DC Ideas in 2010, she earned her chops in 10+ years of communications leadership roles for public health, healthcare and youth-focused nonprofits. Working for nonprofits is Dawn’s dream job, and she loves that her 40+ hours a week make the world a better place.
These days Dawn brings her considerable experience and expertise to helping elevate the nonprofit sector. Our team’s lead strategist, Dawn is often seen leading our IdeaStorms, penning communications plans, or checking in with clients.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Martin Leifield joins us to share his insights and experience, while also highlighting the characteristics of an effective fundraiser and the GCC methodology that helps you cultivate deeper donor relationships.
Martin would sit in his car rehearsing his ask with sweaty palms praying he wouldn’t get another rejection. Determined to master his craft he learned the power of embracing discomfort and through powerful human behavior techniques was able to raise over $500 Million for 3 organisations! Martin served as vice chancellor for university advancement at the University of Missouri–St. Louis for ten years. While there, he led a dramatic increase in fundraising, averaging $26.4 million per year. Prior to joining UMSL, Martin was associate vice president or university development at Saint Louis University where he led his team raising $158 million in 3 years.
Raising money became his #1 passion and Martin has since been able to distill the art of fundraising into core fundamental principles and a clear formula that anyone can learn. http://www.martinleifeld.com/ -----
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Barbara O’Reilly, CFRE joins us to talk about the challenges facing nonprofit leaders today and what we should be focused on, how we must balance empathy and urgency in our messaging, and her approach to navigating through each stage of a crisis: the response (our current phase), recovery, and resilience building.
Barbara brings to her clients more than twenty-five years of annual fund, major gifts, and campaign fundraising experience at major non-profit organizations including Harvard University, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Oxford University in England, and the American Red Cross.
Whether it was leading record-setting reunion classes, securing tens of millions of dollars from global corporations following some of the most devastating natural disasters around the world, or overseeing a team that grew donor engagement of major individual donors committed to historic preservation, Barbara understands that fundraising is much more than just raising money. It’s about enabling donors to realize their philanthropic dreams for issues that are most important to them and to be part of the change they want to see in the world.
She serves as president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Washington DC Metro Chapter and as a former member of the Advisory Panel for Rogare, The Fundraising Think Tank in the U.K.
Her firm, Windmill Hill Consulting, helps non-profit organizations of all sizes cut through the noise and develop a profitable fundraising strategy that focuses on the resources, skills and tactics they need to build more effective donor relationships and catapult their revenue.
https://www.whillconsulting.com/bio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/boreillywhc
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Sophie W. Penney, Ph.D. joins us to talk about the challenges facing nonprofit leaders today, why fundraisers should adopt a teacher's mindset, and a framework to identify and isolate challenges to ensure you navigate them well.
Sophie is the Director of Foundation Relations for Penn State University and the founder and President of i5 Fundraising and a dynamic development leader with extensive expertise in building strategic fundraising initiatives within higher education and non-profit sectors. Sophie is also the author or co-author of numerous books, articles, and reports including: Dollars for Dreams: Student Affairs Staff as Fundraisers (NASPA 2001) and Student Affairs Fundraising: Raising Funds to Raise the Bar (NASPA, 2019).
She is a sought after facilitator, teacher, and coach for aspiring and current fundraising professionals. In 2019 Sophie was recognized by the Allegheny Mountains Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the Fundraiser of the Year.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Sarah Olivieri joins us to share lessons learned from over 15 years of nonprofit leadership, how vulnerability and respite help nonprofits thrive, and a simple, yet effective framework that prioritizes process and two-week sprint cycles to laborious strategic planning as fuel for improvement and growth.
Sarah Olivieri is a nonprofit business strategist, #1 International Best Selling author, and former Executive Director. She has been featured on over 30 podcasts and is the creator of the Impact Method™ - a framework that helps nonprofits simplify their operations, build aligned teams, and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
On this episode, we're joined by Gabe Cooper and Mckenna Bailey to discuss their new book Responsive Fundraising: The Donor-Centric Framework Helping Today’s Leading Nonprofits Grow Giving
Gabe Cooper is the Founder and CEO of Virtuous, a software platform helping nonprofits grow giving. Gabe has a true passion for creating market-defining software and helping charities reimagine generosity.
Throughout Responsive Fundraising, readers will learn what the data tells us about the modern donor and their generosity habits. They will receive step-by-step responsive fundraising plays they can implement right away to improve their current fundraising tactics. Plus, they’ll get a look into how responsive nonprofits are shifting their internal teams to create a more collaborative, successful organization.
Get a free copy of the book here ~ https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsivebook/
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Shannon McCracken joins us to talk about the current fundraising landscape, why trust and relevancy our essential now more than ever, and her take on what nonprofit leaders should focus on amidst times of crisis and uncertainty.
Shannon has a unique vantage point, as she's the CEO of The Nonprofit Alliance, leading the association through rapid growth since its launch in 2018. Previously she spent two years as Charity Navigator’s Chief Development Officer, facilitating communication with nonprofit organizations and dramatically increasing resources to support successful implementation of a new strategic plan. She now serves on their board of directors. She spent 17 years with Special Olympics International, most recently as Vice President of Donor Development, building and managing a multichannel individual fundraising program.
Shannon has been an engaged member of the DMA Nonprofit Federation, with past roles as Chairperson of the Advisory Council and Chair of the Ethics Committee.
https://tnpa.org/membership/telluswhatyoulove/
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Julia Campbell, author, speaker, and digital strategist to mission-driven organizations, joins us to talk about the current state of social media, how nonprofits should be maximizing social channels, and the dos and don'ts on how to use social engagement for fundraising.
Julia wrote her book Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits as a roadmap for social change agents who want to build movements using engaging digital storytelling techniques. Her second book, How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit, was published this year.
Julia launched Social Media for Social Good Academy, the first online training course for nonprofit social media managers. She also founded and organizes the annual Nonprofit Social Media Summit, a live event for nonprofits.
www.jcsocialmarketing.com/firstdibs
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Chad Williams joins us to talk about the five mindsets of a modern fundraising strategy, how infusing personalization into your messaging drives up results, and a simple framework for donor engagement in 2020 and beyond.
Chad is the CEO of Five Q and has been involved with the Internet since 1995. His company provides a full suite of software development and interactive marketing solutions, including ground-breaking personalization platform, Journity. Chad and Five Q serves dozens of non-profit organizations, including homeless shelters, national faith-based nonprofits, city and county governments and many others.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Brian Sooy, the president of AESPIRE, joins us to talk about uncovering and clarifying your nonprofit's story, the art of focus, and why supporter-centered storytelling is a must.
Brian is the author of “Raise Your Voice: A Cause Manifesto,” the top-rated book that helps mission-driven leaders create thriving organizations. As a StoryBrand Certified Guide, Brian knows that when leaders find the clarity, they multiply their impact and their business thrives.
Here are a few additional resources that complement our conversation:
- Raise Your Voice: A Cause Manifesto —Amazon’s top-rated guide to help mission-driven organizations nurture a culture of generosity that engages supporters and builds a mission-driven brand
- Download the Brand Clarity Credo, inspired by Raise Your Voice: A Cause Manifesto — and receive 12 months of free insights from Aespire to help you achieve clarity and build a powerful relationship brand.
- Download a free guide to help you Master the Art of Donor Storytelling
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
On this episode, we're joined by T. Clay Buck, a recovering actor and reluctant data geek, and we discuss what fundraising leaders should be focused on as we wade into 2020 and beyond. He is the Founder and Principal of Tactical Fundraising Solutions, a fundraising consultancy that helps fundraisers and nonprofits raise money more effectively through a systems-thinking approach to fundraising.
Clay has thirty years of experience in fundraising from individual donors and particular expertise in annual giving, database management, prospect research and development operations. He was the Vice President of Client Services for the highly respected consulting firm, IDC and has held the CFRE certification since 2010. He was a co-author of the Rogare Critical Fundraising Report for the United States, teaches fundraising and storytelling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was recently named one of the top 20 Charity Influencers online.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Dan Reed, the CEO and Founder of Seed Fundraisers join us again to talk about growing generosity at scale across various fundraising channels. He also shares practical tips on how you can activate and inspire generosity within annual giving campaigns, major gifts, and event fundraising.
Seed Fundraisers is a training and coaching organization focused on fundraising and program design. Furthermore: Seed is an ambitious group of problem solvers, institution-builders, and activators, more interested in the rigorous pursuit of generosity-fueled impact than the comforts of self-serving work.
Dan Reed is a philanthropy executive with over 15 years of frontline and leadership experience in philanthropic fundraising. He has helped raise over $50 million dollars in private philanthropy, led teams of up to 15 fundraisers, and supported leaders through significant organizational change.
Dan served the Denver Public Schools Foundation for three years during a time of major transition, and then joined Morris Animal Foundation as the Director of Corporate Sponsorships. Dan was promoted to Chief Development Officer and served in this role until 2016 when his passion to coach fundraisers led him to launch Seed Fundraisers, a training and coaching organization focused on fundraising and program design. Since its founding, Seed has partnered with over 45 organizations, bringing clarity and strategy to their greatest challenges.
Dan’s passion for philanthropy has guided his conviction for the occupation of fundraisers and the belief that fundraisers serve the world as intentional catalysts of generosity.
Dan has recently returned to his hometown of Beaver, PA where he now lives with his wife and two children. Together with his wife, he is building new relationships with old neighbors and raising his children to love curiosity, poetry, and someday, whiskey.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Dan Reed, the CEO and Founder of Seed Fundraisers join us to talk about growing generosity and vocational conviction. He also shares what he believes the true purpose of a fundraising professional is, and a few tips on how to evolve your posture toward your nonprofit's donors.
Seed Fundraisers is a training and coaching organization focused on fundraising and program design. Furthermore: Seed is an ambitious group of problem solvers, institution-builders, and activators, more interested in the rigorous pursuit of generosity-fueled impact than the comforts of self-serving work.
Dan Reed is a philanthropy executive with over 15 years of frontline and leadership experience in philanthropic fundraising. He has helped raise over $50 million dollars in private philanthropy, led teams of up to 15 fundraisers, and supported leaders through significant organizational change.
Dan served the Denver Public Schools Foundation for three years during a time of major transition, and then joined Morris Animal Foundation as the Director of Corporate Sponsorships. Dan was promoted to Chief Development Officer and served in this role until 2016 when his passion to coach fundraisers led him to launch Seed Fundraisers, a training and coaching organization focused on fundraising and program design. Since its founding, Seed has partnered with over 45 organizations, bringing clarity and strategy to their greatest challenges.
Dan’s passion for philanthropy has guided his conviction for the occupation of fundraisers and the belief that fundraisers serve the world as intentional catalysts of generosity.
Dan has recently returned to his hometown of Beaver, PA where he now lives with his wife and two children. Together with his wife, he is building new relationships with old neighbors and raising his children to love curiosity, poetry, and someday, whiskey.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Greg Warner, the CEO of MarketSmart, to talk about his personal experience as a disgruntled donor, what today's donor really wants from nonprofits, and engagement strategies he's seen nonprofits tap to build authentic relationships with their donors.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Hilary Noon joins us to talk about the first-ever Donor Loyalty Benchmark Study, why donor loyalty is a metric fundraisers should be pursuing, and a few practical insights nonprofits can use to cultivate donor loyalty.
Hilary has committed her entire working life to serving with and on-behalf of nonprofits. She is now the Executive Vice President of Insights Analytics and Experience at Pursuant. She's been at Pursuant for 4 years having come from the American Cancer Society where I ran Analytics and Insights at the National level.
Pursuant is a mid-size, comprehensive fundraising and marketing agency that works exclusively with non-profit organizations to drive engagement and growth. They focus across the entire donor pyramid using strategic services, creative storytelling, analytics and human insights to drive greater connection between causes and their donors. And, they power those services efficiently through their technology platforms.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
We’re changing things. We’re creating a space where ideas and people focused on fundraising for our world’s most important causes can collide. Why?
The world your nonprofit is fundraising in has changed. This has shifted what today’s donor expects and they’re voting with their giving (engagement and dollars).
Yet, nonprofits are handcuffed to models that were designed for donors that no longer exist. You need a new approach. And, Gabe Cooper, the founder and CEO of Virtuous, talks about how that new approach should be responsive fundraising.
Responsive fundraising puts the donor at the center of fundraising activities, personalizes engagement, and treats ALL donors like major donors.
We know a world where nonprofits are more responsive is one that is better for the entire generosity ecosystem and will grow giving and social impact. So, we’re curating conversations with nonprofit leaders and top fundraising thinkers to illuminate responsive fundraising strategies and highlight how modern nonprofits are becoming responsive
Mark Santiago joins us to talk about the where, what and how of harnessing the power of social media for your nonprofit.
Hear from an expert about how your organization can utilize digital marketing tools to achieve your goals, grow your donor base & increase the good you do in the world.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Carter Crockett joins us to talk about the teachings of ancient philosophers and how they can help today's entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders.
Learn the difference between winning and flourishing, plus how creating a culture of excellence can help drive your nonprofit forward.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
The newest episode of The Modern Nonprofit Fundraiser Podcast features Ryan Corry, Director of Development at St. Vincent de Paul. Ryan offers personal stories and specific examples of what inspires generosity in all donors: your own generosity. He talks about building authentic donor relations and how to create a vision for the future of your nonprofit.
Find out more about Ryan and St. Vincent de Paul on their website.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
On the newest episode of The Modern Nonprofit Fundraiser Podcast, we feature Taylor Shanklin, the V.P. of Marketing at Pursuant. Taylor offers practical advice for nonprofits who want to use the same growth hacking strategies that make startups successful. She provides tips for successful growth, how to grow a stronger team at your nonprofit and more. Listen to the whole episode here.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Most nonprofit organizations understand that a website is a key communication tool that helps them state their mission, share their successes, and keep their donors up to date. A nonprofit website is also a central tool for growing the donor base. That’s why it’s not enough to just check the box: “Yeah, we have a website.” To be the most successful in the digital age, nonprofits need to strive to develop a great website.
In this episode of our podcast, we connected with Adam Walker. He’s co-owner at Sideways8, a web design company that helps nonprofits develop websites to reach the right people, increase donations and membership, and ultimately make a bigger impact on the world.
When it comes to designing websites for nonprofit organizations, Adam is the one to talk to. So we did.
You can follow Adam on Twitter at @AJWalker and read his personal blog at AdamJWalker.com. Want to see something really cool? Check out 48 in 48, in which Adam and his team host events to build 48 nonprofit websites in 48 hours—for free.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Storytelling is a major part of how brands connect with their audiences, but nonprofit storytelling is unique. It can be a major challenge to do it well so that you do more than just grow your donor base. We spoke with Beth Guckenberger who has been using storytelling to build relationships with her donors in order to connect them to the work of her nonprofit.
Beth is co-executive director at Back2Back Ministries. Along with her husband, Todd, they have been focused on international orphan care since 1997. They have been able to grow their reach by mastering how to use storytelling for fundraising.
The Guckenbergers have found that it often feels like the nonprofit is the medium between the donor, who funds the cause, and the cause itself. Despite the organization’s best intentions, it can actually widen the space between the donor and the work they wish to fund. At Back2Back, they want to shorten the distance between what’s happening in the field and the donor. Great storytelling shortens that distance, makes the donor feel caught up in the story and part of it.
Their goal is to build relationships between the donors, the nonprofit, and the cause. That’s why the most important thing is to use stories to build those relationships.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
We talk to Brady Josephson of Next After about his experience helping nonprofits grow and improve donor relationships.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Our guest is John Lyon, the President and CEO of World Hope International (WHI). World hope is a Christian relief and development organization that works with vulnerable and exploited communities to alleviate poverty, suffering and worldwide injustices.
John has worked with the organization for more than 18 years and is considered an expert in global development. He has more than 12 years of experience in international law and shared some of his best insights on planning for the unexpected, leveraging technology to connect with your donors and how to find balance in the midst of all the chaos.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
In this episode, Gabe Cooper talks to Heather Hiscox - Co-founder and Co-director at Moves the Needle - about innovation and challenging how nonprofits think about growth, risk and continuous improvement.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Kendra Jeffreys is the Sr. Director of US Operations at Mission to the World. This week, Kendra joined the podcast to discuss innovation, change management, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement at nonprofits.
I always say this to my team: ‘Start at the end first. I want know your desired future state. Where do you want to be?’ And then we’re going to figure out how to get there.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Dave Raley talks to us about how donor data, donor signals and an innovative philosophy help nonprofits grow exponentially through connection with the modern donor.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Carly Berna talks to us about the ways her team was able to grow Jewish Voice through dedicated relationships with donors.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Brad Davies talks to us about the strategies and tactics he used to get closer to the modern donor and grow giving.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Trent Dunham gives practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to grow giving and bring their donors closer to the cause.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Nicole Johansson and Sheryl Root share their experiences for growing OneHope through lofty goal-setting and software designed for growth.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Emily Lesko stops by to discuss how technology can help support leading nonprofits grow predictable revenue from modern donors.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Steve Cook talks to Gabe Cooper about the ways he's been able to leverage volunteers to run a leading nonprofit.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Stephen Boudreau talks to Gabe Cooper about the benefits of investing in powerful software as a nonprofit.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Josh Tijerina provides important strategies for leading nonprofits to leverage digital marketing to grow giving.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Jenni Chacko stops by to talk to Gabe Cooper about important fundraising strategies.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Jon Burgess talks effective fundraising strategies for nonprofits today.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Nate Hughes talks to Gabe Cooper about responding to donors' needs to grow 1MISSION.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Francis Tao stops by to talk all things fundraising with Gabe Cooper of Virtuous.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Larry Johnson offers important fundraising philosophies for modern nonprofits.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Justin Narducci talks to Gabe Cooper about the ways to connect with your donors at the right time to maximize generosity.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.
Christ Horst joins us to discuss the strategies his team used to scale fundraising for HOPE International.
Learn more about the tools Virtuous provides leading nonprofits to grow giving at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/.
Get an in-depth guide to responsive fundraising to help your organization grow generosity from the modern donor at: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/responsive/.