Just Ask - Rethinking Development

Bryan challenges the unspoken status quo of the non-profit world: spend as little money as possible.Find out why you may be stunting the growth of your mission by striving to spend as little as possible under the pretense of “good stewardship.”

Are you comfortable giving your donors the honest truth?Bryan discusses the necessity of honesty it comes to fundraising. On the surface, this sounds like a no brainer. However, in practice, there are a few obstacles you must be prepared for if you want to stay honest in fundraising.

We've all been in work meetings that took up massive amounts of time and accomplished very little.Greg proposes one essential question to ask in every meeting. This question is your key to more purposeful meetings. Spoiler: there may even be a surprise bonus question at the end.

Raiser's Edge, Bloomerang, Donorbox, and every other database. What do they have in common?Greg explains why one rule applies to each and every database.

What would happen to your fundraising if you listened to your people?Greg discusses the timeless need to listen within your organization. Discover what holds employees back from sharing some of the best ideas leadership has never heard. Learn what you can do to listen more effectively.

Have you ever received a great gift that was unexpected or unusual?Greg and Bryan shares their experiences of coming face to face with “miraculous” gifts.

Bryan and Greg are the Just Ask dynamic duo. From the outside, it may seem like they have fundraising all figured out. But even they face times where they need to take their own medicine.Bryan dives into the necessity to re-commit to successful fundraising practices.

What will it take to revitalize Catholic schools?Greg continues his search for the answer with Daniel Baillargeon from Mission Driven Catholic.This is part two of a two part series.To find out more about the work of Mission Driven Catholic, visit https://missiondrivencatholic.com/

How can Catholic schools be revitalized? To answer this question, Greg sits down with Daniel Baillargeon, founder and President of Mission Driven Catholic. Their mission is to help Catholic schools become centers of evangelization. As a nonprofit, they do this by working with Catholic schools to recruit, form, and equip leaders.Listen to part one of a two part discussion on the key components needed for a revitalization.Find out more about the work of Mission Driven Catholic at https://missiondrivencatholic.com/

An unfortunate belief is that non-profits are, by nature, non-efficient.Bryan discusses with Greg why people have come to believe this and how we, as non-profits, can work to change this view.

The newsletter: is it still relevant to fundraising today? Are there better ways to keep donors engaged? Listen as Greg shares his take on the need for fresh perspectives in donor engagement.

When it comes to fundraising, it should not come as a surprise that the more consistent you are, the more successful you will be.But, even the best fundraisers have days where you come to work, and you just don't feel like doing it. Bryan shares three ways to fundraise more consistently.

One thing matters when choosing a fundraising consultant.

Listening to what donors tell you they “want” can be dangerous. Why? In this episode, Bryan makes the case that donors don't know what they really want, and you will fundraise more when you invest in actions that really matter.

We apologize for the cutoff audio last time! Enjoy the complete episode here.Greg tackles the dysfunction of putting loyalty to an individual above the overall well-being of the organization.Some organizations have employees who are simply not right for their job — but leadership turns a blind eye. Learn how to address this situation in a way this is kind to the underperforming employee and fair to the co-workers who likely have been picking up the slack. We'll be back Monday with a new episode!

Today Greg tackles the dysfunction of putting loyalty to an individual above the overall well-being of the organization.Some organizations have employees who are simply not right for their job — but leadership turns a blind eye. Learn how to address this situation in a way this is kind to the underperforming employee and fair to the co-workers who likely have been picking up the slack.

Is your timely execution of plans hampered by a boss or peers who agonize over decisions? Today, Greg discusses what lies at the root of why some people find themselves unable to just make a decision. Find out how you can still move the ball forward.

Is your boss a micro-manager? Understand what drives that behavior and what you can do about it.Last week, Greg dived into topic of what causes a Dysfunctional Organization. Now Greg discusses the behaviors at the root of dysfunction. This is part one of a three part series on Dysfunctional Behaviors.

Are there days where it feels like you work in a dysfunctional organization?Greg shares the one thing you need to know to begin to deal effectively in this situation.

When is the right time to hire a Development Director?You are a non-profit facing a tight budget with a need to raise greater funds. But with a tight budget, can you really afford to hire someone for development?Bryan shares some advice for when you know you are ready to hire a Development Director.

Bryan issues a challenge for fundraisers in 2025, and no it's not applying to more grants. Listen as Bryan and Greg discuss an audacious goal that will set up you and your nonprofit to have your best fundraising year yet.

At the heart of any true and lasting relationship, you find what? Love.Fundraising is all about relationships. Today, Bryan and Greg discuss the importance of learning your donors' love languages. Knowing this can help you to better serve and connect with benefactors in a meaningful way.

Bryan discusses an important truth in fundraising: you may be sowing seeds you never reap. In any profession, it can be discouraging to act but not see immediate fruit. How do you persevere when success doesn't seem to follow your hard efforts?

Greg asks a sincere question: how do you engage more millennials in philanthropy?

Are mailed appeals effective?Greg takes Bryan on journey through his daily fundraising mail. He shares insights into the world of mailed appeals from the person who matters most: the donor!

Greg explains the history behind the term “development.” Understanding the history makes all the difference in how you approach your work.

Instead of answering more frequently asked questions, Greg flips the script and shares some Frequently Stated Assumptions about fundraising. These are assumptions people who are not fundraisers make about fundraising, and they are notoriously untrue. Greg even shares his #1 false assumption from

Bryan and Greg continue their answers for the Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions. Find out:- how many appeals are too many appeals?- did we hire the right fundraiser?- what excuses can a fundraiser never make?- are we ready for a capital campaign?This is part 2 of a 2 part series.

Bryan and Greg discuss and answer some of the Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions they receive. Today you'll find the answers to:​Why won't donors return my calls?​How many times should I call for an appointment?​How much should I ask for?​What's the deciding factors in setting the ask amount?This is part one of a two part series.

Did I ask for too much? Fundraisers often grapple with after this thought after presenting proposal. But is there merit to this line of thinking? Can you really ask for too much?Listen as Bryan and Greg discuss how to be confident in the ask you put before a donor. In this episode you'll discover:- why its difficult to ask for too much- how people tend to think in their own league - the questions you should be asking donors to uncover the right number to ask for

Bryan discusses his recent experience making it to the Semi-finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking hosted by Toastmasters International.Fresh off this experience, Bryan shares with Greg why public speaking can be an invaluable skill for any fundraiser to develop.

Can a school or non-profit leader really lead successfully and yet be ignorant of fundraising?Isn't there someone else we can hire to do the fundraising? These are the questions Bryan and Greg tackle in today episode about the relationship between leadership and fundraising.

Greg and Bryan answer a question from a listener: How do you go about finding your first donors? Put another way, how do you build a donor base when you work at a new nonprofit or school?What you'll learn in this episode:Is having an event a good idea to start ​Why you should set big goals​How to involve volunteers in the process

New episodes coming in September![Original release June 2022]One of the most terrifying terms in development is the “cold call”. How can you take the “cold” out of the critical discovery call in relationships. There can be no relationship or support for your cause without making the discovery call. Today, Bryan breaks down the steps to master this skill and get more appointments.

After the Campaign. You've reached the top of the mountain. So what happens now? Bryan and Greg discuss 3 things you need to do when the capital campaign wraps up.

After the Campaign. Bryan and Greg discuss 3 things you need to do when the capital campaign wraps up.

Silent Phase? Advance Phase? What should one call the first solicitation phase of a campaign? It matters because it changes how you think about the task at hand. Bryan and Greg walk through the ins and outs of how to approach the Leadership phase of a campaign.

When it comes to making great marketing and fundraising copy, we feel it's all on us to create something amazing. This especially true for Catholic nonprofits, as they seek to lean on 2000 years of faith and tradition. As the saying goes, “worry smarter not harder.” Greg talks about the inspirational language of our Church documents. Familiarity with them will give your school marketing the aspirational language needed to inspire enrollment growth.

“Get stuff done.” How many times has this been your mindset to start the day, only to be derailed by the multitude of tasks faced at a nonprofit. Greg shares three tips to become incredibly more efficient in your work.

Alumni Participation in the Annual Fund. Why do so few graduates support their alma mater? What can be done? Greg and Bryan brainstorm ideas for building alumni participation.

The President's Role. Formerly a teacher and principal, you've just accepted a job as president of a Catholic high school. What does this new job entail? How is it different than principal? Greg leads a discussion about how to take on this key role.

Are foundation appeals just another beauty contest? Bryan shares his take regarding the return on investment of pursuing grant dollars.

Bryan explores a question with Greg: why do so many development professionals leave the non-profit world or turn to consulting jobs? Listen as they diagnose what is causing fundraisers to “get out or sell out.”

Why do people give? On a basic level, most people of us know the answer. Because you asked! But in practice, how many nonprofits ask and ask well? Bryan shares a success story that highlights the fine art of asking.

If your non-profit is out to change the world, just about the last thing you want your cause to be referred to as is “nice.” Bryan discuss with Greg how you can avoid being just another “nice” charity.

A common pitfall non-profits fall into is the tendency to confuse money with relationships. What do we mean? When searching for A Team volunteers, don't default to the ones you know will say yes. Greg explains why nonprofits often get this wrong and how they might better approach volunteer recruitment.

How do you attract “A level talent” as volunteers? What would it mean for your charity to have the right benefactors involved on a high level? Greg shares five things you need to know for building the A Team.

Have you ever found yourself in the “Friendzone?” How about the “Fundraising Friendzone”. This is where a fundraiser has the perfect person to partner with their mission, but they somehow never get around to asking for support. They're stuck in the Friendzone. Bryan and Greg discuss 3 ways you can fight your way out of the Friendzone and start partnering with the benefactors your cause needs.

Welcome back to the Mission Effectiveness finale! In part four of a four part series, Greg and Bryan tackle the concept of Wise Stewardship. Stewardship is a term we hear often in the non-profit world. Greg and Bryan break down what constitutes good stewardship. The inspiration for this series came from an article by Jake Stanley from the Amazing Parish that was featured in the October 2023 issue of Catechetical Review. The article dealt with Ministry Burnout.

Welcome back to part three of a four part series on Mission Effectiveness! There is one element to Mission Effectiveness that often gets overlooked: Courage.

Welcome back to part two of a four part series on Mission Effectiveness! In this episode, Greg takes us into the importance of organization having a strategy. Strategic is a word that gets thrown around. What makes a decision truly strategic? Once you have that, how do you ensure it gets implemented? Greg shares how strategy can elevate your team.