Philanthropy Podcast: A Resource for Nonprofit Leaders and Fundraising & Advancement Professionals

The challenge we face: The COVID-19 pandemic flipped many workplaces upside-down and uncertainty has become a normal part of our fundraising world. There has been no shortage of professional development suggesting how we need to continue our work during this time, but what I felt was missing were discussions about how to lead in the current climate and in future occasions of uncertainty and stress. How can we reassure our internal team while keeping people motivated, how do we account for changes in expectations while not diminishing the need to raise funds, and how do we learn from this crisis to be better prepared for the next one. As successful nonprofits see record fundraising numbers, how can their leadership choose the messaging to share with donors to continue to inspire belief in their mission and what can other nonprofits learn from that, how do you retain top talent when jumping off points are everywhere, and how do you find the stories to share that capture the impact of your efforts when you might be removed from the direct service work of your organization? Lou Nanni discusses leadership during the time of COVID-19, how to motivate a team during times of great uncertainty and times of great success, the importance of adaptability, what are the greatest pressures on leaders today, how to hire people who will be “other focused”, and how to find and tell the great stories that connect people to your mission. In this episode we discuss:   How do we inspire teams when we’re facing circumstances we’ve never faced before?   How can outside the box ideas help institutions to focus campaign communication on the impacts they can have? How can you continue to motivate a team and stay grounded during periods of tremendous success? What opportunities come out of crises and how can you seize those opportunities? How can you keep your benefactor and prospects aware of your actions when circumstances are changing on a daily basis? How do you emphasize the need for effective and efficient work during COVID-19 while being understanding of changed circumstances for staff and donors? What are the most important skill sets to emphasize for your employees during times of crisis? Where do you find the information and stories to share with your internal time during times of stress and crisis? What makes for stories that motivate your benefactors? How do we find the best stories that best convey the mission of our organizations when our operation might look different now than it has in the past? What makes for a great vision for your organization? What are the greatest and most important pressures on leaders today? How do you identify great hires who have the values your organization desires?     How you can help your colleagues and friends in the field today:   If you know someone who would enjoy our show or benefit from hearing today’s episode, please share our episode through your podcast player, by passing along the link to www.thephilanthropypodcast.com, or be a great friend and teach them how to subscribe to podcasts and just make their life better all around!   Learn more about this episode’s guest: Lou Nanni Louis M. Nanni is the vice president for University Relations at the University of Notre Dame. In this role he oversees the University's efforts in development, advisory councils, special events and the Notre Dame Alumni Association. Prior to joining Notre Dame in 1999, Mr. Nanni had served for eight years as executive director of the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, Ind., establishing the center as a national model in addressing the complex issues involved in homelessness. As a leading authority on those issues, he addressed Congress during its debate of welfare reform measures and led training sessions for thousands of community service workers across North America, all the while continuing to form close personal relationships with the center's guests. Mr. Nanni graduated from Notre Dame in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in government and the Program of Liberal Studies. For two years following graduation he served as a lay missioner working in a Santiago, Chile, shantytown as part of the Holy Cross Associates program sponsored by Notre Dame's founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross. He then entered Notre Dame's pioneering international peace studies program, earning a master's degree in 1988. Mr. Nanni became director of the world mission office of the Catholic Diocese of Orlando, Fla., in 1988 and worked extensively in the Dominican Republic on issues of pastoral support and economic development. He was elected to Notre Dame's Board of Trustees as a three-year, young alumni member in 1990. Mr. Nanni and his wife, Carmen, a 1993 Notre Dame graduate, were presented one of three national exemplar awards by Notre Dame as part of a special University observance in May 1997. He previously served on the advisory council for Notre Dame's Institute for Church Life and in 1994 received the Notre Dame Alumni Association's Dr. Thomas Dooley Award for Humanitarian Service. The Nannis have five children, Isabela, Louis, Katia, Gabriel, and Sofia. Links: Mint Mobile Referral Link - $15 off your 1st month ($15 off for me too!) The Philanthropy Podcast - Website The Philanthropy Podcast - Instagram The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group The Philanthropy Podcast User Survey Lou Nanni Bio Lou Nanni: Twitter Notre Dame Boldly Campaign Website Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities Center for the Homeless Follow The Philanthropy Podcast on: Apple Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Radio Stitcher Google Play Music RSS Feed

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The challenge we face: Entrepreneurs often don’t fit the paradigms we use to assess the strength of a fundraising prospect. Their capacity to give doesn’t increase in a linear fashion like other professions, their time constraints around becoming involved are often the inverse of other donors, and the most tax advantageous way to make their gifts is often to give before they actually have experienced the large liquidity events around selling a company or going public. That said, entrepreneurs give 50% more than other professionals making the same income and they often make transformational gifts to organizations once they have the means. They also bring a perspective and approach to providing advice to organizations that is unique to their line of work.   Dee Dee Mendoza discusses how some organizations have approached engaged entrepreneurs in their pre-exit philanthropy stage through the use of founders’ pledges, recognition society engagement, and providing value to entrepreneurs that is needed at each phase of their company’s lifecycle. If your organization wants to provide for its long-term health and have a competitive advantage in your sector, this episode will be an important piece of information in building your entrepreneurial approaches.   In this episode we’ll discuss: Challenges around engaging entrepreneurs in traditional fundraising paths. The benefits organizations can offer to entrepreneurs during their company’s early phases. How tax implications affect entrepreneurs and their giving. What a Founders’ Pledge Society looks like. What people get wrong in engaging entrepreneurs. How to engage entrepreneurs while their wealth only exists on paper. How to book founders’ pledge gifts for your record keeping. Places you can find more research on entrepreneurs and philanthropy. Why it’s fun to work with entrepreneurs. How to get on the calendar of entrepreneurs in your portfolio or database. How to learn more from Dee Dee and stay up to date with the latest in this field.   How you can make your voice heard!   There will be two discussions in the Philanthropy Podcast Facebook group this week. The questions we’re asking are: Who are the entrepreneurs (and/or their companies) who have made a significant impact on your organization or just were great fun to work with? What’s the story behind your collaboration? Does your organization have any formal program for entrepreneurs? Take our poll and leave any details you’d like to share or questions you’d like to ask in the comments.   You can join our Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group to share ideas, get advice, and simply enjoy the company of other listeners.   Learn more about this episode’s guest, Dee Dee Mendoza: Dee Dee Mendoza is managing director of West Coast Advancement for Dartmouth College, where she works largely with alumni in startups and venture capital. Her background in major gifts goes back more than 15 years, primarily in Higher Education. She has led efforts to launch Higher Ed's two most prominent pre-exit philanthropy platforms: the Dartmouth Founders Project, and the award-winning Berkeley Founders Pledge, the first of a new wave of these programs that incorporates the unique model she developed. Her teams' work has been featured in Currents magazine and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She continues to advance the field through independent research and as an advisor to numerous emerging programs.Links: The Philanthropy Podcast - Website The Philanthropy Podcast - Twitter The Philanthropy Podcast - Instagram The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group The Philanthropy Podcast User Survey Dee Dee's Website - Website Dee Dee Mendoza - Twitter Dee Dee Mendoza - LinkedIn Additional research - Zoltan Acs Additional reading - Platform Revolution - Parker, Geoffrey; Van Alstyne, Marshall, & Choudary, Snageet UC Berkeley - Founders' Pledge Dartmouth Founders' Project Pledge 1% Founders' Pledge UK Inspired Money Podcast - With Andy Wang (Yeah, I linked to my appearance) Apple Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Radio Stitcher Google Play Music RSS Feed Follow The Philanthropy Podcast on:

Thanks for listening to today's episode. While it was short I really do want you to share those suggestions for me via: Email: ThePhilanthropyPodcast@gmail.com The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group The Philanthropy Podcast User Survey The Philanthropy Podcast - Website The Philanthropy Podcast - Twitter The Philanthropy Podcast - Instagram Follow The Philanthropy Podcast on: Apple Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Radio Stitcher Google Play Music RSS Feed

The challenge we face: The world of nonprofit fundraising is a place where uncomfortable realities surrounding sexual harassment and sexual violence need to be addressed. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 1 in 4 women in nonprofit fundraising have experienced sexual harassment and 1 in 14 men have experienced sexual harassment. The complexity of these realities can be illustrated by the fact that two-thirds of these incidents are committed by donors, one-third are committed by staff and of the incidents reported 35% are committed by board members. In a world where the #MeToo movement has empowered people to speak about sexual harassment and violence more openly, Sarah Beaulieu discusses our need to make our workplaces safer for our employees and volunteers by engaging in conversations to be proactively protective and supportive to ensure that everyone entrusted to our organizations knows that their safety is our most important priority in fulfilling our missions.   In this episode we’ll discuss: How preventing sexual violence begins with having uncomfortable conversations. The effect the #MeToo has had in nonprofit fundraising How to change from an unsatisfying culture for your staff to a culture of safety and respect Scenarios in which your team members might find themselves and how to prepare for them. Steps you can take when someone comes to you with a report of sexual harassment or assault Where to find sample organizational policies relating to sexual harassment and violence Transparency about reporting and how confidentiality is handled. Five key ideas for framing before you train: know the facts, accept that conversations will be uncomfortable, see the whole picture, embrace the practical questions, get curious, not furious Who should intervene if a donor is harassing a fundraiser? The power of media if board members and organizations aren’t responsive to a fundraiser’s claim of sexual violence or a culture of ignorance How to shift power dynamics in concerning situations through bystander interventions What to do when you find yourself questioning your own behavior and if you have crossed a line? How to handle tough circumstances around resolving harassment issues that might impact the success of someone’s career. How to address issues with donors and/or board members who are committing sexual harassment.   How you can make your voice heard!   There will be two discussions in the Philanthropy Podcast Facebook group this week. The questions we’re asking are: What have you seen work well in a place where you worked for ensuring that your employees and volunteers knew that the workplace was safe, that harassment wasn’t welcome, or that you had their full support? What was the nugget of gold you heard in this conversation or that you realized while you were listening to our conversation with Sarah?   You can join our Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group to share ideas, get advice, and simply enjoy the company of other listeners.   Learn more about this episode’s guest, Sarah Beaulieu: Sarah Beaulieu is an expert at engaging people in productive and meaningful conversations about sexual harassment and violence and founder of The Uncomfortable Conversation, a nonprofit that produces short-form videos that normalize conversations about consent, healthy relationships, advocacy and supporting survivors of sexual violence.Her 2016 TEDxBeaconStreet talk summarized five years of intensive research and over 100 interviews with men on sexual violence and harassment. Her opinion pieces have been published by Boston Business Journal, Providence Journal, Chronicle of Philanthropy. She has appeared on Fox News Providence, WHYY, Huffington Post Live, and Voice America. The Uncomfortable Conversation has been featured in the Philadelphia Metro, WHYY, NY Observer, AskMen and FoxNews, and at events like the Independent Television Festival, Civic Series, Calling All Crows 10th Anniversary Event, and an interactive screening event at HBO. Sarah frequently speaks with diverse audiences, including fraternity members, working professionals and students. Recent appearances include: Columbia University, Independent Television Festival, MIT, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, the Communications Network, SheGeeks Out, and Impact Hub NY.Sarah’s work reflects lessons she learned through an early foray into public conversations about sexual violence. Her graphic, The Truth About False Accusation, generated international discussion and debate after being featured (and critiqued) on The Guardian UK, Washington Post and Slate. Previously, Sarah held leadership roles in fundraising and communications at Brown University, Boston College, Be the Change and the GreenLight Fund. She is also a trained rape crisis counselor and served for five years on the board of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She has a B.A. from Brown University and an MBA from Boston College.Links: The Philanthropy Podcast - Website The Philanthropy Podcast - Twitter The Philanthropy Podcast - Instagram The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group The Philanthropy Podcast User Survey Sarah’s Beaulieu - Website Sarah Beaulieu - Twitter The Uncomfortable Conversation Chronicle of Philanthropy - Survey of Sexual Harassment Article Chronicle of Philanthropy - What Every Nonprofit Leader Needs to Know About Sexual Violence 7 in 7 Challenge Skills You Can Practice to Prevent Sexual Harassment 1 of 2 Skills You Can Practice to Prevent Sexual Harassment 2 of 2 The Uncomfortable Conversation - Facebook The Uncomfortable Conversation - Twitter The Uncomfortable Conversation - Instagram The Uncomfortable Conversation - Tumblr Apple Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify TuneIn Radio Stitcher Google Play Music RSS Feed Follow The Philanthropy Podcast on:

The challenge we face: Donors are becoming more sophisticated when it comes to charitable giving. One philosophy and social movement around philanthropy is effective altruism. Through effective altruism donors try to determine and support nonprofits that combine the most effective and cost efficient programming to impact our world. Fundraising professionals and nonprofit leaders need to be aware of this growing attitude toward funding nonprofits and ensure that our interactions with donors communicates clearly the value proposition of our organization. In this episode we’ll discuss: Effective altruism’s approach to thinking about charitable giving and philanthropy How the approach fundraisers take to donors might be affected by effective altruism Does your fundraising communication plan need to change to address new questions about effectiveness that go beyond concerns about the cost of overhead? How donors interested in effective altruism may change their donation habits over time Can fundraising be one of the ten most harmful jobs on earth? How effective altruism considers both effectiveness and cost effectiveness of your programs Whether nonprofit fundraisers need to consider the effectiveness of their nonprofit in deciding if their work lives up to their own ethical standards and desires How effective altruism shifts the focus from storytelling to research around nonprofits What mindsets are needed for a donor to employ an effective altruism approach to their charitable giving How you can make your voice heard! There are two polls in the Philanthropy Podcast Facebook group for this episode. We want to know your opinion about: Do you believe that fundraising for a below-average nonprofit qualifies as one of the ten most hurtful jobs? I invite you to leave your own opinion in the comments of that poll. Have you noticed the ideas behind Effective Altruism impacting the behavior of your donors? You can join our Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group to share ideas, get advice, and simply enjoy the company of other listeners. Learn more about this episode’s guest, Eric Freidman: Eric Friedman is an individual donor who has spent several years trying to understand how to maximize the impact of his giving, including traveling to Africa to see his giving in action. He is an actuary and graduated from Stanford University with majors in mathematics and economics. Links: The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Group The Philanthropy Podcast on Twitter The Philanthropy Podcast on Instagram The Philanthropy Podcast Listener Survey Reinventing Philanthropy: A Framework for More Effective Giving by Eric Freidman (Book) Reinventing Philanthropy Website Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others, Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices about Giving Back by William MacAskill GiveWell The Ten Most Harmful Jobs - on 80,000 Hours Website by Robert Wiblin Apple Podcasts Android Google Podcasts RSS Feed Follow The Philanthropy Podcast on:

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast This week, I’m going to go back to a topic that I interviewed a few guests about early on in the show, where we find joy in our work. As we near the end of many organizations fiscal years, that means reflecting on the year past, planning for the year ahead, and hopefully getting a jumpstart on some early success. Perhaps you’re coming off a great year where you hit your goals and then some, or you might be coming off a year where you came in under budget. Either way, it’s good to step back and remind ourselves why this work can be so meaningful and enjoyable. I interview Katy Hall about this topic in episode 3, John Chandler in episode 4, and Patrick Landry in episode 17, but today I'll take some time to give my answers to some of the questions I asked them and to reflect on some of the other reasons I love our work.   Links in this week's episode: Please take the Philanthropy Podcast Listener Survey! Episode 3 - The Joy of The Ask with Katy Hall Episode 4 - The Joy of this Vocation with John Chandler Episode 17 - The Joy of the Story with Pat Landry   Join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast Follow us on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod Join our LinkedIn group by following this link and feel welcome to follow me on LinkedIn but please send a note with your request so I know you’re a listener! If you would like to improve your meeting scheduling, Philanthropy Podcast listeners are receiving a special offer of two free weeks for ScheduleOnce, the scheduling tool I use for quickly and professionally scheduling meetings with my constituents.. Get your two weeks free at www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/scheduleonce Audible is offering a free 30 day trial with one free audiobook download if you visit www.audibletrial.com/philpod. Right now I'm listening to Radical Candor by Kim Scott as our office works on open and direct communication skills. Once again you can get your free 30 day trial and free audiobook download at www.audibletrial.com/philpod.

Today we talk about how 2017's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in December 2017 affects the work of nonprofit fundraising and the ways donors are incentivized or disincentivized to give philanthropically through the tax code. We'll discuss the charitable tax deduction laws, the standard deduction changes, the impact of changes in SALT (State and Local Taxes)  deductability, the increase of the estate tax exemption, the reduction in marginal tax rates, which businesses and individuals benefit from the tax law changes, whose giving is likely to increase and decrease, and what tools nonprofits can use to encourage wise giving methods from their donors such as Donor Advised Funds, shifting from seasonal giving appeals to cause and need-based giving appeals, and more. If you would like to improve your meeting scheduling, Philanthropy Podcast listeners are receiving a special offer of two free weeks for ScheduleOnce, the scheduling tool I use for quickly and professionally scheduling meetings with my donor prospects. Get your two weeks free at www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/scheduleonce Audible is offering a free 30 day trial with one free audiobook download if you visit www.audibletrial.com/philpod. Right now I'm listening to Getting Things Done by David Allen as I've realized I need to tweak my time management and organizational system with my new job and Getting Things Done was highly recommended by a friend. Once again you can get your free 30 day trial and free audiobook download at www.audibletrial.com/philpod.

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, Brian Gower, Vice President of Research at Ruffalo Noel Levitz discuss the modern phonathon and its place in your fundraising plan. Brian touches on what you need in place before launching your phonathon, how phonathons aid data collection, the returns you might expect, how to integrate the phonathon and social media, thank-a-thons, how your phonathon callers can build your pipeline to development staff hiring and more. If you think you know everything about the phonathon or think this fundraising tool is stuck in the age of landlines and boring scripts, listen to Brian and realize that like all programs, if your fundamentals are sound and you're willing to stay with the times, any program can be a success for your office.    If you would like to improve your meeting scheduling, Philanthropy Podcast listeners are receiving a special offer of two free weeks for ScheduleOnce, the scheduling tool I use for quickly and professionally scheduling meetings with my donor prospects. Get your two weeks free at www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/scheduleonce   With that, please consider joining our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast or following us on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod. You can also join our LinkedIn group by following this link and feel welcome to follow me on LinkedIn.    Links in this week's episode: Ruffalo Noel Levitz - Research and Papers - Research and Papers Fundraising Voices Podcast Brian Gawor - Twitter

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, we feature our first mini-episode, a preview of the 2018 Global Philanthropy Forum Conference with guest Jane Wales. Jane shares what sparked her interest in founding the Global Philanthropy Forum, what attendees can expect, and how to participate with the conference even if you are unable to attend through their online broadcasts.     This week's episode is brought to you by Audible. All listeners of The Philanthropy Podcast can receive a free month's trial of Audible and one free audiobook download at  http://www.audibletrial.com/PhilPod   You can join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast or follow us on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod. You can also join our LinkedIn group by following this link and feel welcome to follow me on LinkedIn.    Links in this week's episode: Global Philanthropy Forum Global Philanthropy Forum on: Twitter Global Philanthropy Forum on: Facebook Jane Wales: Twitter   Edelman Trust Barometer African Philanthropy Forum Living On One

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, Dale Nirvani Pfeifer, Founder and CEO of Goodworld, discusses how social payments and social giving. Dale touches on how technology is shifting the way that people interact with money, how that plays out in new forms of giving, how privacy and transparency are perceived differently by younger generations, how the giving patterns of these generations differ from previous ones, how our storytelling might need to catch up to new forms of content consumption and more.    I mention it briefly during our episode, but I'll be changing the approach I take to social media for the podcast this week. Previously I had approached our social media as a marketing tool and definitely spent time trying to make sure the posts were clear, catchy, and impressive looking. I'll be taking a much more authentic approach from here out so my posts will take a step down in formality, but hopefully a step up in fun.   With that, please consider joining our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast or following us on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod. You can also join our LinkedIn group by following this link and feel welcome to follow me on LinkedIn.    Signup for a free 14 day trial of ScheduleOnce to make your meeting requests more professional (Click here).   Links in this week's episode: Goodworld Dale Nirvani Pfeifer: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

In the last episode recorded for 2017 I want to thank you the listeners for all your support and give a quick end of the year wrap-up as well as a preview of some topics to come in 2018. Most of all, I just want to say thank you for tuning in!   We'll be back next week with an interview with Dale Nirvani Pfeifer of GoodWorld to discuss social media giving technology, changes in the way donors view privacy and transparency, and more. Have a great 2018 everyone!   As always, you can follow The Philanthropy Podcast on one of our social media outlets including: Twitter: @PhilanthropyPod Facebook: The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page Linkedin: The Philanthropy Podcast LinkedIn Group   Signup for a free 14 day trial of ScheduleOnce to make your meeting requests more professional (Click here).

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, Darius Jones, Vice President and General Manager of Garfield Produce discusses how a social venture can sometimes be the preferred model for having a lasting impact on a community, how social enterprises differ from nonprofits, how to think about scalability and replicability when you're launching your organization or expanding, and how to prepare for a large grant of social impact loan. Darius' story is inspiring and uplifting and his insights are important for anyone launching a new nonprofit or social enterprise, existing organizations thinking about how to scale operations, and anyone considering how new organizational structures might improve your ability to serve others.     Most weeks I try to ask one call to action from you in response to what you learn in our episode. This week though, no call to action from me. You may have noticed that the last few weeks my episodes haven't been coming out weekly. At first I thought I'd just catch up, but now I think I need to pull back to one episode every two weeks. I love doing the podcast and hosting these conversations for you, but the scheduling, social media, and editing really do add up. So I hope you'll understand and keep tuning it to The Philanthropy Podcast even if it's just one episode every two weeks. Also, if you're the type who'd be interested in helping me with our social media, with audio editing, or if you'd like to conduct some interviews and episodes yourself and be a cohost, let me know by emailing thephilanthropypodcast@gmail.com! You can be anywhere in the world and help with these things, but if you're in or around Chicago, we can talk in person about sharing the equipment to get up and running. Anyway, the long and the short of it is there's no call to action. It's a busy time of year for all of us, so just relax, enjoy the episode, and know I'm grateful for your loyal support.   Links in this week's episode: Garfield Produce Garfield Produce (Facebook) Garfield Produce (Twitter) Garfield Produce (Instagram) Garfield Produce (Youtube) Breakthrough Urban Ministries UTurn Permitted Chicago Botanic Gardens City Colleges of Chicago Benefit Chicago Darius Jones (LinkedIn)

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, Beathe Ogard, President of Studentenes og Akademikernes Internasjonale Hjelpefond (Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund) or SAIH shares with us SAIH's newest social media guidelines for volunteers and travelers as well as some background on SAIH's efforts to raise awareness of stereotypical representations of the beneficiaries of nonprofits and aid organizations worldwide. SAIH's past successes include Africa for Norway and the RadiAid awards. This episode features essential considerations for any nonprofit in their marketing efforts and ideas that are important for all nonprofit employees, board members, and volunteers to consider in how the represent and speak about their program beneficiaries and partners.      This week, I encourage you to share examples of organizations you feel follow these concepts and ideals well with me and our other listeners on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod and using #goodpartners for easy searching, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast or at our LinkedIn Group in the postings for this week's episode.   Links in this week's episode: SAIH Social Media Guidelines Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance Fund (SAIH) SAIH (Facebook) SAIH (Twitter) SAIH (Youtube) RadiAid Awards RadiAid Awards (Twitter) Africa for Norway (Video) Original BandAid (Video) Who Wants to Be A Volunteer (Video)

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, we're joined by Brenda Palms Barber, Executive Director of the North Lawndale Employment Network and founding CEO of SweetBeginnings a social venture which produces an all natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products while providing important transitional job opportunities for individuals who struggle with barriers to employment. Brenda and I discuss nonprofits and social ventures and hit on a range of topics including: her experience of launching a social venture from within the umbrella of her nonprofit organization, the pros and cons of being not-for-profit and for-profit, what lessons and metrics Brenda has brought from one world to the other, and how combining the two creates for some great opportunities for symbiotic relationships, and more.     This week, I encourage you to connect with me and our listeners on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thephilanthropypodcast or at our LinkedIn Group to join in conversations about our show.   Links in this week's episode: North Lawndale Employment Network North Lawndale Employment Network (Facebook) North Lawndale Employment Network (Twitter) Sweet Beginnings & Beelove Buzz Sweet Beginnings (Facebook) Sweet Beginnings (Twitter) Sweet Beginnings (Instagram) Forefront BenefitChicago Illinois Department of Corrections

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, I discuss donor retention, its importance, and what we can do to improve our organization's donor retention. I explore some of the systemic need for better retention efforts, how we can be donor-centric in our approach, and the latest research on donor retention in the non-profit sector.   This week, I want to remind you that if you find my work valuable and want to support me and The Philanthropy Podcast, you can do so by becoming a patron of the show on Patreon. You can click here to choose to make a donation to the show.   Anyone giving at the $5 per month level will be invited to a monthly conference call for patrons only in which you can ask me your questions.   As always, you can follow The Philanthropy Podcast on one of our social media outlets including: Twitter: @PhilanthropyPod Facebook: The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page Linkedin: The Philanthropy Podcast LinkedIn Group   Signup for a free 14 day trial of ScheduleOnce to make your meeting requests more professional (Click here).   Links from this week's episode: Fundraising Effectiveness Project Professor Adrian Sargeant's Research University of Plymouth's Center for Sustainable Philanthropy

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, I highlight fundraising resources available to you that are research based and which cite their methods and sources. This episode came as a result of searching for annual appeal techniques that are backed by evidence and struggling to find them. We look at four main resources, The Science of Philanthropy Initiative, the Lilly School of Philanthropy, the Social Innovation Review, and NextAfter to examine what each offers, how they might be useful to you in your practice, and how we can all contribute to a more evidence based approach in our field.   My one request from you this week is to follow The Philanthropy Podcast on one of our social media outlets including: Twitter: @PhilanthropyPod Facebook: The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page Linkedin: The Philanthropy Podcast LinkedIn Group   Signup for a free 14 day trial of ScheduleOnce to make your meeting requests more professional (Click here).   Links from this week's episode: Science of Philanthropy Initiative Lilly School of Philanthropy Social Innovation Review NextAfter

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, I share an update on my own life, the story of the new job I have with Horizons For Youth and some information about our amazing kindergarten through college programming. I also share some updates from behind the scenes in the MacCready household, including the nonprofit work of my wife that's making me so proud.   My one request from you this week is to leave a rating and review wherever you find podcasts. If that's iTunes, you can click here, login, and leave a review. If you find your podcasts elsewhere, please look into leaving a review wherever that may be. Thank you for taking the 2-3 minutes to leave a review, it means a lot to me.   Links from this week's episode: Horizons For Youth Horizons For Youth - Facebook Horizons For Youth - Twitter CROSO The Nonprofit Optimist Podcast Campbell & Company

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, we're joined by Tiffany Khan, Director of Sun Devil Giving at the Arizona State University Foundation. Tiffany and I discuss giving days and preparing for the challenges of an online giving day, building communications tools that help distribute ownership and engagement, choosing the date of your giving day, considering how to give other departments notice to prepare for the load they'll see, providing instant recognition for giving day donors, and more.    This week I'm asking that you consider participating in the spirit of International Podcast Day, and share a note about The Philanthropy Podcast on a social or professional network this week. To encourage others to try podcasts, think about sharing how you use this podcast and ask for their recommendations as well. I've included three links below to share a pre-written post to LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook with just a click. If you send me a screenshot or tag me, or The Philanthropy Podcast, in your show, I'll be sure to give a shoutout to your organization or an organization of your choosing on an upcoming episode. As always, you can subscribe to The Philanthropy Podcast if you haven't already by visiting www.thephilanthropypodcast.com for links to help you subscribe on iTunes, Android phones, or Windows phone or for a listing of the social media networks where you can find me.   Click to post to LinkedIn: "I listen to www.thephilanthropypodcast.com to find new fundraising ideas & tips. How do you find ideas to improve in your work?"   Click to tweet: "I listen to www.thephilanthropypodcast.com to find new #fundraising ideas & tips. How do you find ideas to improve?"   Click to share to Facebook: The Philanthropy Podcast Website   If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. Visit thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome to support the show.   Links in this week's episode: Tiffany Khan (LinkedIn) ASU Foundation (Facebook) ASU Foundation (Twitter) Campaign ASU 2020  Share The Philanthropy Podcast on LinkedIn  Share The Philanthropy Podcast on Twitter Share The Philanthropy Podcast on Facebook

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, we're joined by Jeff Cosgrove, Director of Politics, Advocacy, and Nonprofits at Conversant. Jeff and I discuss online advertising and cover a broad range of topics including: how nonprofits can cut through the noise in online advertising, what messaging is leading to increased fundraising success, how to help boards and directors believe in and invest in online advertising, segmenting and oversegmenting, how gift attribution policies need to be redefined to catch up with an online and social platform, how organizations can make the leap from being good in this area to great, and more.     This week, I encourage you to subscribe to The Philanthropy Podcast if you haven't already. You can visit www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/subscribe for links to help you subscribe on iTunes, Android phones, or Windows phone.    Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod or at our LinkedIn Group here to join in conversations with our show listeners   If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. Visit thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome to support the show.   Links in this week's episode: Jeff Cosgrove (LinkedIn) SAIH (Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund Radi-Aid Awards Rusty Radiator Golden Radiator Conversant Media Conversant Media (Twitter) Conversant Media (LInkedIn) Conversant Media (Facebook) Abacus - Epsilon Data Collaborative Epsilon Epsilon (Twitter) Epsilon (LinkedIn) The Data and Marketing Association The Data and Marketing Association NonProfit Federation

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast we discuss how to be a critical consumer of conferences you attend and I review the Data and Marketing Association NonProfit Federation's Conference. This is the first of a series of conferences reviews I plan to share throughout the year. I hope these conference reviews will help you plan your own professional development wisely and make informed decisions about how to plot your own professional growth to continue to grow as a respected leader in your field.    This week, I encourage you to join our LinkedIn group for discussions on topics covered in the episodes and sharing of articles of interest in the field. You can join our LinkedIn Group here to join in conversations with our show listeners.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod   If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. Visit thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome to support the show.   Links in this week's episode: The Data and Marketing Association The Data and Marketing Association NonProfit Federation The Data and Marketing Association NonProfit Federation Chicago Conference George Dennehy Website George Dennehy Twitter National Parks Conservation Association Website National Parks Conservation Association Twitter

The Philanthropy Podcast Website Email Sean at The Philanthropy Podcast   This week on The Philanthropy Podcast we discuss how to make the most of a professional development conference through networking and marketing yourself. This episode idea came up while I attended a conference last week and heard numerous attendees discuss the challenges that social anxiety created in networking and presenting yourself at a conference. I don't claim any clinical expertise for helping with social anxiety, but what I wanted to create was an episode to help people who cover the spectrum of comfort in these situations.    This week, I encourage you to join our LinkedIn group for discussions on topics covered in the episodes and sharing of articles of interest in the field. You can join our LinkedIn Group here to join in conversations with our show listeners.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners on Twitter at @PhilanthropyPod   If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. Visit thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome to support the show.

This week on The Philanthropy Podcast we discuss new and successful ideas in philanthropy, an upcoming conference with the Data and Marketing Association's Nonprofit Federation that I'll be attending, social ventures that I plan to have on the show in the near future, and an update on the state of The Philanthropy Podcast as of this, our 20th episode, including a request for you to complete some polls I hope I can use to improve the show.     This week, I encourage you to join our LinkedIn group for discussions on topics covered in the episodes and sharing of articles of interest in the field. You can join our LinkedIn Group here and all week I'll be answering any questions people post to our LinkedIn group.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. The Philanthropy Podcast - Other ways to support the show   Links mentioned in today's show:   PhilanthropyPodcast Polls Isidewith.com Chronicle of Philanthropy - 15 New Fundraising Ideas That Worked  Notre Dame Trailotre Dame Trail Data and Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation Agenda PhilanthropyNEXT - Use Promo Code Podcast10 for 10% off registration Benefit Chicago Forefront Garfield Produce SweetBeginnings AutonomyWorks

  Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Karen Osborne, Senior Strategist at The Osborne Group, newly published author, and philanthropy veteran. Karen shares her advice from a career in the field as we discuss the topic of managers and how to better identify, hire, train, and support them.    Karen offers great examples of how to use scenarios in interviews, how to ask questions that give insights into strategic thinking and other skills you hope to find in managers, the pressures of managing in development, finding a deeper applicant pool, professional development opportunities, when it's important to say no, and how managers can be fully present to their work and families. This is one of my favorite interviews for our podcast so far and I think you'll enjoy it as well.   This week, I encourage you to join our LinkedIn group for discussions on topics covered in the episodes and this week to join in on recommendations and discussions of books you've enjoyed related to your organization and our field. You can join our LinkedIn Group here and all week I'll be answering any questions people post to our LinkedIn group.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold. The Philanthropy Podcast - Other ways to support the show   Links mentioned in today's show:   Karen E Osborne - Professional Site Getting It Right - Karen's new book The Osborne Group The Osborne Group - Facebook Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Trinity College - Hartford, CT Jim Collins - Good to Great (Amazon) Oregon State University Karen Osborne - Goodreads Karen Osborne - Twitter

Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Todd Bol, creator and executive director of Little Free Library. Todd shares his advice from the growth of Little Free Library, how they collect and share stories from partners across the globe, and his advice for anyone who feels like they're close to quitting on a non-profit they've helped create or grow. Learning about Little Free Library is a great way to celebrate National Book Lover's Day today!   One item Todd and I don't specifically discuss, but which comes through in the interview and might be one of the most important lessons for fundraising professionals is the way that Todd uses stories to communicate his points and how he's able to tie Little Free Library's work to any number of stories and angles. As we think about how we present our stories, listeners will benefit from listening to how Todd and Little Free Library have adapted their story to appeal to many different audiences and to communicate many different aspects of their organization.   This week, I encourage you to join our LinkedIn group for discussions on topics covered in the episodes and this week to join in on recommendations and discussions of books you've enjoyed related to your organization and our field. You can join our LinkedIn Group here.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions     thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you or others in your work, then please visit and support my effort to bring high quality content in our field with a gift of $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold.   Links mentioned in today's show:   Little Free Library   Little Free Library Press Resources   Los Angeles Police Department Little Free Library Partnership   Little Free Library Twitter   Little Free Library Instagram   Little Free Library Facebook    

Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Patrick Landry, President of Notre Dame School of Milwaukee. Patrick provides great insights on how fundraisers can find joy in our work by appreciating the craft of storytelling. Patrick shares his ideas on both telling your story as well as your organization's story and the importance of listening and understanding how to connect your benefactors' stories to your cause.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, a great place to share articles and learn from your peers The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions   thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you do good better, then please visit and become a patron of the show at $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold.   Links mentioned in today's show: Notre Dame School of Milwaukee Maternity BVM Chicago St. Gall School Chicago The Story Factor by Annette Simmons   :      

This week's episode is a solo episode where I take a look at a recent experience that reminded me of the importance of finding what it is that not only motivates us in our work, but what provides us with the energy to do so enthusiastically.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at: The Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, a great place to share articles and learn from your peers The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions   thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you do good better, then please visit and become a patron of the show at $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold.

  Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Andrew Means, Head of the Uptake Foundation and Beyond Uptake as well as founder of Data Analysts for Social Good. Andrew provides an incredible interview on data use in nonprofits, how we can move beyond using data only for final evaluations, and how to start building a culture of using evidence within your organization, and more. Andrew's conversation will be useful to nonprofits just starting to think about using data better as well as organizations with robust data programs considering how to improve and continue to lead.   Our show features Andrew sharing examples of multiple organizations that started using data and have made dramatic gains in their effectiveness because of it. While Andrew sings the praises of others, he humbly tells the story about how Data Analysts for Social Good began as a happy hour he organized in an attempt to build a community of like-minded people and has now grown into an international movement with over 900 members and a robust conference in the Do Good Data conference and a partnership with Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society to put on the Digital Impact World Tour.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, a great place to share articles and learn from your peers The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions   thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome: If you think The Philanthropy Podcast has helped you do good better, then please visit and become a patron of the show at $1 per month or more. Be part of the community of people dedicated to helping share the message of new and innovative ways to better support the causes you support and the values you hold.   Links mentioned in today's show: Andrew Means on Twitter Andrew Means on Linkedin Data Analysts for Social Good Data Analysts for Social Good (Twitter) Beyond Uptake Beyond Uptake Data Fellowship Student Union Uptake Uptake (Twitter) Do Good Data Conference Digital Impact World Tour Digital Impact Lab Digital Impact Lab (Twitter) Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Twitter) Stanford University Stanford University (Twitter) University of Chicago Harris School for Public Policy University of Chicago Harris School for Public Policy (Twitter) University of Chicago University of Chicago (Twitter) One Goal (Twitter) Moneythink Moneythink (Twitter) Coursera Coursera (Twitter) Splash Splash (Twitter)   My thanks also go out to Life and Death Productions for editing and mixing this week's episode. You probably noticed an increase in the sound quality and I'll be sharing the original as I edited it, and their improved version, to get your input on quality and how it affects your listening enjoyment.       

The Philanthropy Podcast listeners can receive 10% when they register at PhilanthropyNEXT and use the promo code: PODCAST10.   Be sure to share this episode with colleagues and friends you believe might like to attend and save 10% especially those in Washington DC and along the east coast.     Our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Cody Switzer, Assistant Managing Editor and Director of Digital Products for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Cody explores with us the upcoming PhilanthropyNEXT Conference and why it is increasingly important to engage diverse donors in support of our organization, the value a diverse staff brings to an organization's fundraising, and more.    Our discussion with Cody reveals the way the Chronicle of Philanthropy approaches organizing the PhilanthropyNEXT conference, what attendees can expect to gain from attending, how to make the most of any conference you attend, and how nonprofits can improve our efforts in order to better engage and authentically appeal to diverse benefactors and staff members. The conference also features a special session on women's philanthropy and Cody discusses how attendees will be able to review their organization for implicit biases that might create obstacles to engaging women and their philanthropy. All that, a great podcast recommendation for fundraisers, and a 10% discount code for PhilanthropyNEXT can be found in our episode.   Remember, you can connect with me and our listeners online at:   The Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, a great place to share articles and learn from your peers The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page, another way to be part of the conversation around our episodes @PhilanthropyPod on Twitter for the latest news and interactions   thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome - If you think 52 episodes of The Philanthropy Podcast, each like a conference session delivered straight to you, is worth 1/100th the price of attending a conference, please consider visiting becoming a patron of the show at $1 per month or more! Your support is incredibly appreciated and honestly each patron has made me even more excited to continue to produce the show!   Links mentioned in today's show:   Cody Switzer on Twitter   The Chronicle of Philanthropy (Website)   The Chronicle of Philanthropy (Twitter)   Nonprofit AF Blog - How donor-centrism perpetuates inequity, and why we must move toward community-centric fundraising   The Turnaround - A podcast where interviewers are interviewed about the act of interviewing   PhilanthropyNEXT Speakers:   Adrienne Brooks of National Museum of African American History and Culture   Sonia Barnes-Moorhead of Astor Services for Children and Families   Lisa (Lynn) Bowman of United Way   Emmett D. Carson of The Silicon Valley Community Foundation   Catherine Craighead Briggs of the Dartmouth College Fund   Diana DeJesus-Medina of Latino Justice   Jeriah Ebling of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County   Jamel Jimerson of The Minority Inclusion Project   Kathleen Loehr of Kathleen Loehr & Associates   Jaye Lopez Van Soest of Public Justice   Felicity Meu of The Stanford Effective Philanthropy Lab   Birgit Smith Burton of Georgia Tech   Lynne Wester of The Donor Relations Guru

Today, our episode of The Philanthropy Podcast is a solo episode where I'll share 30 additional high impact questions to ask benefactors and prospects and 5 ways to say thank you at a very low cost. Also, learn about two causes to follow, one on Facebook and one on LinkedIn to see great examples of social media use from patrons of the show. Hear this, how you can support the show, a book recommendation, and more in today's episode. If you have high impact questions ideas or stewardship examples that can help a nonprofit stand out, please feel welcome to share them in the new Philanthropy Podcast LinkedIn Group, on our Facebook page, or on twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod. Also, if you enjoyed this show, please consider becoming a patron by supporting the show for as little as $1 per month to receive one of the nine remaining (as of 2017/07/03) mp3 files featuring 100 high impact questions recorded without commentary to aid in your preparation and execution of visits with benefactors and prospects. You can become a patron by visiting www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome Thank you and enjoy the show! Today's Links: St. Gregory's University, Oklahoma - LinkedIn examples St. Mark's in St. Paul, MN - Facebook examples The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (Affiliate link)    

Today, our episode of The Philanthropy Podcast is a solo episode where I'll share some analysis on the Giving USA 2017 Report. Every year The Giving Institute, in conjunction with the Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, produce a report on trends in giving in the United States. I'll share my insights from the parts of the report I've seen and a seminar I attended which reviewed this data. If you have questions about data contained in Giving USA 2017, please feel welcome to share them in the new Philanthropy Podcast Linkedin Group, on our Facebook page, or on twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod. Also, if you enjoyed this show, please consider becoming a patron by supporting the show for as little as $1 per month to receive one of the ten remaining (as of 2017/06/26) mp3 files featuring 70 high impact questions recorded without commentary to aid in your preparation and execution of visits with benefactors and prospects. You can become a patron by visiting www.thephilanthropypodcast.com/awesome Thank you and enjoy the show!    

Today's episode of The Philanthropy Podcast provides seventy high impact questions to cover each phase of the giving cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. With 70 questions you will better know your benefactors, what their values are in life, what they hope to accomplish in their philanthropy, and how your organization's needs align with their hopes. Also, we launch our Patreon page with a limited time giveaway of an mp3 version of these questions without commentary to allow for you to prepare on the way to your future donor visits. Whether you're flying, driving, taking a taxi or a bus, or walking, you'll be able to listen to these questions and be better prepared to have a meaningful conversation with your benefactor that helps them make a more meaningful gift that has a greater impact on your organization. That and a chance to contribute your high impact questions and receive a thank you on episode 13's show! Today's links: Become a patron and receive your limited time bonus gift on Patreon! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin

Today, our episode of The Philanthropy Podcast is a solo episode where I'll be exploring high impact questions as a tool in a questioning strategy. The ability to ask the right questions and guide someone’s exploration of their philanthropic goals and intentions is a great skill to develop in major gift work, corporate relationships, planned giving, alumni relations, or any other fundraising role where it's important that you connect with people. So I’ll share a few high impact questions, but also we’ll explore why and how you want to use them and some lessons I’ve learned from finding guests for the show.   Some high impact questions translate well across all non-profits and I’ll share a few of those in the episode but before going through a much larger list in our next episode, I wanted to start by explaining why using high impact questions is important and what we’re hoping to learn when we use them.   As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on Twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod and use the hashtag #philanthropypodcast or on Facebook at The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page. 

Today, our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Aly Hall, Director of Development at The Foundation for Endodontics. Aly helps us dive into a great discussion on Peer to Peer fundraising, goal setting, providing training and mentoring for volunteers and board members, and more.    Our discussion with Aly provides information about the advantages and disadvantages of a peer to peer fundraising model, the challenges of acknowledging and thanking volunteers who are spread out across the country, how to train volunteers in a way that isn't overwhelming and sets them up for success, and more. Aly provides a book recommendation for new board members: The Ultimate Board Member’s Book by Kay Sprinkel Grace.   As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on Twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod and use the hashtag #philanthropypodcast (click to tweet) or on Facebook at The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page. If you are willing, please visit The Philanthropy Podcast Feedback Page to provide your recommendations or what you've enjoyed or not enjoyed from the show to help guide my review and reflection episode next week. Thank you for listening to today's show. Be sure to join us next week when I'll share what I've learned from our first ten episodes, how I plan to improve the show in the future, and some fundraising insights I've learned from the interviews I've conducted and from having to reflect on my own practice for each interview.   Take care and have a great week! Sean   Today's Links:   Foundation for Endodontics   American Association for Endodontists    

Today, on The Philanthropy Podcast Patrick Van Der Tuin, Executive Director of St. Louis Bicycle Works shares his insights on running a nonprofit and how having a retail operation shapes organizational funding. Patrick discusses the pros and cons of having a retail side of the house, staffing issues that arise, board oversight, benchmarking, volunteer recruitment, and how Bicycle Works is able to generate unrestricted revenue from their retail effort. I think this is a great dive into a nonprofit model that makes a lot of sense for many nonprofits but might not be utilized as widely as it could be.  Our discussion with Patrick also shows how Bicycle Works and the other BWorks efforts help St. Louis’ youth learn valuable skills and take ownership in the mission of a nonprofit. Patrick also touches on the importance of self-care when you’re a nonprofit executive director and gives his advice for nonprofits thinking of dipping their toes into this space and those looking to dive into the deep end of launching a retail operation. As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on Twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod and use the hashtag #philanthropypodcast (click to tweet) or on Facebook at The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page.  Thank you for listening to today's show. Be sure to join us next week when I'll interview Aly Hall of The American Association of Endodontists Foundation about peer to peer fundraising in what is one of the most informative interviews I think we’ve had to date. Take care and have a great week! Sean Today’s Links: St. Louis BWorks St. Louis Public Library

Today, our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Pete Cullen Conway, Director of Major Gifts at Misericordia in Chicago. Pete shares with us some great major gift advice including how he utilizes introduction letters to open doors with benefactors, how he handles first visits, when and how to close the file on reaching out to a donor, and how he uses twitter to get supporters to start rowing the boat in the same direction.  Our discussion with Pete reveals a lot about how Misericordia, an organization with some of the most diverse ways of reaching out to the community, utilizes relationships to explore these avenues. Pete's ideas are great for putting into practice right away and also for simply keeping in mind as we go about our work. Pete shares a sentiment that I believe many of us share "I'm in the development office, but I work for the families" (Click to Tweet) and much more...   Pete shares a number of great ideas and we have some great discussions about making sure that you never let someone's age stop you from connecting with digital communications (Click to tweet), how to use Twitter to ensure that your benefactors are rowing along with us in the boat (click to tweet), and how to get your benefactors involved in advocating for your communications now that they're part of the team (click to tweet).   As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on Twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod and use the hashtag #philanthropypodcast (click to tweet) or on Facebook at The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page. If you share the show and tag us with #philanthropypodcast on Facebook or Twitter, sometime in the next two shows I'll try to give you or your organization a shout-out on air.   Thank you for listening to today's show. Be sure to join us next week when I'll interview Patrick Van Der Tuin of St. Louis Bike Works about how nonprofits can think outside of the box about funding as we explore @StlBicycleWorks and their amazing youth bicycle program which has now grown into Bworks to include computers and authorship as well!   Take care and have a great week!   Sean   Today's Links:   Misericordia Archdiocese of Chicago   Mercy Home for Boys and Girls   Christian Appalachian Project

Have you wondered where the right place is to begin your digital marketing efforts? Do you feel overwhelmed when trying to maintain a presence online? Have you ever felt like your digital marketing could be more engaging and more personal? Then today's show with Kara Buffardi of Craveity Marketing will provide some advice you can put to use right away.   Our discussion with Kara offers some great advice on what you need to do before launching your social media and email efforts, how to create content that tells the story of your organization and the people who make its mission come to life, and how to be sure you're putting content out on each medium that is appropriate and reaches your audience in the way you want to engage with them. If you'd like to download Kara's free guide, click here: Say Goodbye to Social Media Burnout    Instead of a loyal listeners' hashtag today, I'm asking for your recommendation on the best professional development conferences you've ever attended. Please tweet using #philanthropypodcast to share your recommendations or visit The Philanthropy Podcast Facebook Page to share with our Facebook users.   There's not too many links to share from today's episode, but honestly, I do recommend trying to discover if there are any Meetups in your area. I love Meetup.com, attend meetups often, and recommend starting one if you don't see what you'd like. Feel welcome to send me a message and I'll share how to get 50% off the cost of creating a Meetup.

Today, our guest on The Philanthropy Podcast is Kelly Klein, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  Kelly shares with us some of the questions she asks to determine how to be a good partner with corporations and foundations, what the GCFD can offer to further engage partners with their missions, and much more.  Our discussion with Kelly really reveals a lot of great concrete things an organization can do to be a better partner with funding organizations and other nonprofits with whom we collaborate. Kelly's way of viewing their partnership is also important to note as you'll hear her refer to the idea of being peers. This mentality is one that I think will serve nonprofits well and one that challenges us to be sure we're up to a high standard before we claim that status. As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on Twitter where I'm @PhilanthropyPod and use the hashtag #philanthropypodcast or the loyal listener hashtag that is provided at the end of the show. If you've been listening to the show for a few episodes now and have a feeling for how it's shaping up, you might have someone you think would make a great guest. In the next few months, I'll be in northern Indiana, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Anaheim, Milwaukee, Reno, if you know anyone in those cities, please feel welcome to nominate them through the link on the website. I also feature guests through recorded Skype interviews, so if there's someone outside those cities, please feel welcome to nominate them as well. Finally, thank you to everyone who are leaving reviews and sharing the show. We're at over 100 listeners per episode in the first two weeks and growing. I appreciate you recommending this to anyone in the field and I take some time to thank early supporters at the end of today's show. Next week we'll have Kara Buffardi of Craveity Marketing to give us a crash course on social media, email marketing, and touch on website design. Take care and have a great week! Sean

I'm excited to share with you an interview with John Chandler Vice President of Development at the St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago which you can find at www.ignatius.org. This is part of a set of interviews which will cover not only perspectives on work in philanthropy, but specifically the question of where do you find joy in your work and joy in making an ask.    John is truly an icon at St. Ignatius with over 42 years experience at the school and he has grown their development office into one that consistently exceeds $10 million dollars in fundraising annually. John has been an incredible mentor for me from my first day working with him at St. Ignatius to this day. In fact, we became so close that he was one of the groomsmen in my wedding. He's now one of the closest friends my wife and I have in the city and he's still helping me out at every opportunity as you'll hear in this interview.   John touches on a number of topics, but I think the thread to listen for is the idea of a man who has found his vocation as he'll put in his own words. John goes into ideas around retention of employees, the joy of gifting, educating board members, and you'll also hear him express an idea about involving people beyond alumni and families which I think has been vital to his success. Finally, John is a man of incredible faith and listening to how his beliefs motivate him is a good reminder to all of us to find a cause in line with our own beliefs.   As you enjoy the show, remember you can connect with me on twitter where my username is @PhilanthropyPod and where I monitor the hashtag #philanthropypodcast

In this episode we have an interview with Katy (Hall) Orenchuk, Vice President of Development at the Newberry Library, Chicago's independent research library. This is the first of a set of interviews which will cover not only perspectives on work in philanthropy, but specifically the question of where do you find joy in your work and joy in making an ask. Katy shares amazing ideas including how to market yourself when looking for new job opportunities, how to grow into a skill set which might not come to you naturally, how taking good notes is a matter of being respectful to donors, the importance of a good work/life balance, and how to graciously receive a no and not let that deter you from your work. Remember, you can easily share thoughts, questions, and comments about this show using #philanthropypodcast on Twitter. You can also follow me @PhilanthropyPod If you prefer Facebook, join the conversation by liking The Philanthropy Podcast Finally, you can also use the Loyal Listener hashtag mentioned somewhere near the end of the show so I can respond to your questions and comments first. Links to organizations mentioned in this episode: National Marionette Theater Prague - It definitely looks more legitimate than I remember, but tripadvisor points out the theater for the marionette (not puppet) show is in an attic, so I'm definitely not off base. Youtube - Don Giovanni performed by marionettes - In case you can't imagine what I described. It's real. Houston Grand Opera The Kennedy Center Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Chicago Symphony Orchestra Lyric Opera of Chicago

Today's show is one where I'll give you a bit of my background so you understand who you're listening to and what informs my experiences. I hope this is valuable to you as you listen to future episodes aAnd can understand my strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Hopefully you get more from the show with that context. I'll also share some of my philosophy of philanthropy, which is always a work in progress. This comes predominantly from my experience as a fundraiser, but also some from my experience as a donor. I know this is a work in progress for myself and for everyone, but I thought it's important to lay out before I bring other people on to the show and ask them to do the same. You'll hear some of the key ideas behind how I approach my work. Many are influenced by The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen, an easy and quick read, that's dense with great ideas and only $7.24 on Amazon. If you're interested in buying the book, consider going through the link in this post. It's an affiliate link and I'd receive a (small) commission to support the podcast. Finally, you'll hear my ideas about the attitude that permeates all my work which is a big part of why I find such joy in my calling. Some links from this episode: Anthropology - A quick primer on a major I definitely recommend for students interested in this career. Youth Horizons - The Irish tutoring program that put me on the path to working in education. Youtube - Introduction to Hurling - For anyone looking for an incredible sport to watch. LU-CHOICE - The volunteer teaching program I joined in Chicago. The Impact of Connectedness - An article discussing the effects of giving and belonging to causes vs purchasing

Welcome to the first episode of The Philanthropy Podcast! Today, we have a brief introduction to me and what prompted me to start a podcast. I'll discuss the concerning things I kept hearing from schools leaders and non-profits directors that prompted me to speak at 2017's National Catholic Education Association Convention and present a session entitled: "Pre-K through Ph.D.: How School Leaders & Advancement Officers at Any Level Can Learn to Love Making an Ask." I was fortunate co-present with a friend and former classmate of mine, Zach Zeckser, principal of St. Mark's Catholic School in St. Paul, MN. Zach's a great example of how someone who doesn't start out in development can become a great fundraiser if their heart and mind are in the right place. I also share my vision for The Philanthropy Podcast and what kind of episodes, show formats, guests, and ideas I hope to discuss. I mention that there are a few ways you can invest in the show that will make for a much better product as it grows. Please consider: Nominating someone to appear as a guest on the show Providing feedback on what you enjoyed or didn't enjoy and suggesting possible show topics Supporting the production of the show, its editing, and costs Sharing the show with people you think would be interested on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, or via Email through the social media links. I plan to to link to the organizations I mention for the first time in an episode since we all benefit from increased awareness. Today's episode includes discussions of: National Catholic Education Association 2017 Convention in St. Louis St. Mark's Catholic School in St. Paul, MN (an amazing example of a Catholic school website) The Archdiocese of Chicago (Where I just joined an amazing team)  The University of Notre Dame (Where I was surrounded by one of the best development teams in the country) St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago (Where I really found my legs and my mentor in fundraising) St. Agnes of Bohemia School (Where I got my start in development)