Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast

Over my 25-year fundraising career I’ve often heard it said, “fundraising is like farming — you plant the seed, allow time to take hold, and then eventually reap the harvest.” But as Joel Eaton, Founder of Preface and I discussed, there are a multitude of other ways that fundraising and farming are similar. In this […]

“If we believe so much in our missions and what we’re trying to accomplish, we have a moral obligation to provide the time and space for our employees to get the continuing education necessary to be the best they can at their jobs.” I loved this quote from Andrew McIndoe, Vice President at The Heritage […]

“If we believe so much in our missions and what we’re trying to accomplish, we have a moral obligation to provide the time and space for our employees to get the continuing education necessary to be the best they can at their jobs.” I loved this quote from Andrew McIndoe, Vice President at The Heritage […]

If you’ve spent any time at all in the nonprofit sector, you know there are some subjects that are taboo. Some subjects that are difficult to discuss in public spaces, and others that are purely unpopular.  Our guests today refer to those topics collectively as “Nonprofit F-Words.”  No, not THAT F-Word. I promise.  In this […]

If you’ve spent any time at all in the nonprofit sector, you know there are some subjects that are taboo. Some subjects that are difficult to discuss in public spaces, and others that are purely unpopular.  Our guests today refer to those topics collectively as “Nonprofit F-Words.”  No, not THAT F-Word. I promise.  In this […]

Gift planning and legacy giving conversations don’t just have to be about death and mortality. In fact, they can and should be beautiful conversations about how donors can care for the long-term needs of their families, AND, how they can make significant impact for the causes they care most about.  Kristi Brennan, Chartered Advisor in […]

Gift planning and legacy giving conversations don’t just have to be about death and mortality. In fact, they can and should be beautiful conversations about how donors can care for the long-term needs of their families, AND, how they can make significant impact for the causes they care most about.  Kristi Brennan, Chartered Advisor in […]

Everyone pretty much everywhere is talking about change right now. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, change seems to be the word of the day. And if you’re not talking about change, you might be talking about transformation. That’s just bigger change, right?  What so many of us get wrong about change and transformation efforts […]

Everyone pretty much everywhere is talking about change right now. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, change seems to be the word of the day. And if you’re not talking about change, you might be talking about transformation. That’s just bigger change, right?  What so many of us get wrong about change and transformation efforts […]

What’s the role of social media in today’s nonprofit landscape?  Why do you need to think about social media within the broader context of your overall marketing and fundraising strategy, instead of as a stand-alone effort?  Should social media replace your other marketing tactics, or should it augment your existing plan?  How should your nonprofit […]

What’s the role of social media in today’s nonprofit landscape? Why do you need to think about social media within the broader context of your overall marketing and fundraising strategy, instead of as a stand-alone effort? Should social media replace your other marketing tactics, or should it augment your existing plan? How should your nonprofit […]

Dr. Patton McDowell has spent his entire professional career leading organizations and developing high-performing leaders across the nonprofit sector.  You might have caught my conversation with Patton a few weeks ago on his show, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. If you didn’t, you should check it out. We had an in-depth conversation on the impact […]

Dr. Patton McDowell has spent his entire professional career leading organizations and developing high-performing leaders across the nonprofit sector. You might have caught my conversation with Patton a few weeks ago on his show, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. If you didn’t, you should check it out. We had an in-depth conversation on the impact […]

Katie Lord is Vice President of Nonprofit Development at Proof Positioning, a market research company that uses emotional research to better understand donors and motivate them to act for nonprofits.  Katie and I talked recently about the disconnect between marketing and fundraising in nonprofits, as well as the impact of behavioral economics and emotional research […]

Katie Lord is Vice President of Nonprofit Development at Proof Positioning, a market research company that uses emotional research to better understand donors and motivate them to act for nonprofits.  Katie and I talked recently about the disconnect between marketing and fundraising in nonprofits, as well as the impact of behavioral economics and emotional research […]

Jenny Soderholm has invested her entire career in healthcare philanthropy. As Chief Development Officer at Children’s Minnesota and President of Children’s Minnesota Foundation, Jenny is focused on fostering a broad and deep culture of philanthropy that advances her organization’s ability to serve more children and families across Minnesota.  As we talked recently, Jenny shared some […]

Jenny Soderholm has invested her entire career in healthcare philanthropy. As Chief Development Officer at Children’s Minnesota and President of Children’s Minnesota Foundation, Jenny is focused on fostering a broad and deep culture of philanthropy that advances her organization’s ability to serve more children and families across Minnesota.  As we talked recently, Jenny shared some […]

What does a Bay Area pastor know about nonprofits and charitable giving?  Turns out he knows quite a lot.  At least if that guy is Vance Roush.  Vance is Founder of Overflow.co, a platform created to help unlock generosity across the globe.  Overflow is a platform that helps generous individuals give to charities and ministry […]

What does a Bay Area pastor know about nonprofits and charitable giving?  Turns out he knows quite a lot.  At least if that guy is Vance Roush.  Vance is Founder of Overflow.co, a platform created to help unlock generosity across the globe.  Overflow is a platform that helps generous individuals give to charities and ministry […]

Do you have a theology of fundraising?  This was a fascinating question that Michael Mitchell posited on the show recently, and it led to a great conversation about what’s really important in our craft.  Michael is Director of Development and Discipleship at Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO).  In our conversation, Michael talked a lot about […]

Do you have a theology of fundraising?  This was a fascinating question that Michael Mitchell posited on the show recently, and it led to a great conversation about what’s really important in our craft.  Michael is Director of Development and Discipleship at Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO).  In our conversation, Michael talked a lot about […]

.elementor-219064 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9c2cd26{--divider-border-style:solid;--divider-color:#000;--divider-border-width:1px;}.elementor-219064 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9c2cd26 .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;}.elementor-219064 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9c2cd26 .elementor-divider{padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;} Rebecca Hendrix is Chief Development Officer at Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas. She joined us on the podcast recently to talk about food bank fundraising, engaging donors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to deal with the various challenges facing the nonprofit sector today.Some of the highlights from our conversation include:Understanding

Rebecca Hendrix is Chief Development Officer at Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas. She joined us on the podcast recently to talk about food bank fundraising, engaging donors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to deal with the various challenges facing the nonprofit sector today. Some of the highlights from our conversation include: Understanding the complexity and challenges that arise with engaging donors in a purely virtual environment Navigating crises at your organization and caring well for your people in the process Helping fundraisers balance the desire to remain remote with the need to engage directly and deeply with donors Why fundraising is “the highest form of sales” The key traits for successful nonprofit leaders What your organization can do to meet donors where they are today and engage them well for the future

Kevin Feldman is Director of Development at The Salvation Army, Lake County, Indiana. He also advises small and emerging nonprofits on all things fundraising-related. Kevin also runs a one-person development shop and has spent years fine-tuning his approach to donor engagement and fundraising. We sat down recently to discuss the state of fundraising amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and how that’s changing the nonprofit landscape. Kevin had some great insights about the work and how we ought to be thinking about it. Here are some of the key insights we discussed: The number one factor in driving success for fundraising in an organization is the leader’s passion for the cause. Being “fearlessly sold out” for the mission is critical. This trait drives everything else, keeps you motivated in challenging times, and helps to define the culture for everyone else in the organization. Managing internal expectations around fundraising, donor relationships, revenue and expenses is equally as critical as managing your external donor expectations. In fact, bringing the board and other leaders into your fundraising plan — essentially making it their plan — will help bring shared ownership and greater success than trying to go it alone. For the one-person shop, determining where to spend your time and energy is the most important decision-making challenge. Think about that decision from the perspective of, “will this activity help me retain more donors, grow the organization’s relationship with more donors, increase giving, or add more new supporters to our cause?” If yes, then do it. If no, pass on it. As COVID-19 and other social issues conti

Kevin Feldman is Director of Development at The Salvation Army, Lake County, Indiana. He also advises small and emerging nonprofits on all things fundraising-related. Kevin also runs a one-person development shop and has spent years fine-tuning his approach to donor engagement and fundraising. We sat down recently to discuss the state of fundraising amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and how that’s changing the nonprofit landscape. Kevin had some great insights about the work and how we ought to be thinking about it. Here are some of the key insights we discussed: The number one factor in driving success for fundraising in an organization is the leader’s passion for the cause. Being “fearlessly sold out” for the mission is critical. This trait drives everything else, keeps you motivated in challenging times, and helps to define the culture for everyone else in the organization. Managing internal expectations around fundraising, donor relationships, revenue and expenses is equally as critical as managing your external donor expectations. In fact, bringing the board and other leaders into your fundraising plan — essentially making it their plan — will help bring shared ownership and greater success than trying to go it alone. For the one-person shop, determining where to spend your time and energy is the most important decision-making challenge. Think about that decision from the perspective of, “will this activity help me retain more donors, grow the organization’s relationship with more donors, increase giving, or add more new supporters to our cause?” If yes, then do it. If no, pass on it. As COVID-19 and other social issues conti

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Anthony Jones is Founder of LinkedInOnePercentClub and formerly led all digital marketing, fundraising and social media strategy at Ducks Unlimited. He’s one of the most prolific digital marketers in our sector, and an all-around great guy. Recently, Anthony made a HUGE move, leaving a 15-year career at Ducks Unlimited and launching his own company to help people like you and me improve our personal brands on LinkedIn. In this conversation, Anthony and I talk about the importance of building your personal brand, why LinkedIn is the most important platform for personal branding, and how nonprofits can leverage LinkedIn for growth as well. Our conversation hit key topics including: Why focusing on your personal brand on LinkedIn can put you in the top 1% of users on the platform. What content is and isn’t “LinkedIn appropriate”. How your nonprofit can gain attention and engagement on LinkedIn. Why nonprofits shouldn’t be afraid of their employees building personal brands on LinkedIn. Understanding how an employee’s personal brand can help build and grow your organization’s credibility. How best to engage donors, potential board members, and future employees on LinkedIn (and how not to). Don’t forget to check out Anthony’s FREE mini-course on personal branding on LinkedIn.

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In our first episode of 2022 we sat down with Andy Carr, Vice President of Development and Marketing at Feed My Starving Children. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian international hunger relief organization that will provide 370 million meals to people in need across the globe this year. That’s more than 1 million meals per day. In our conversation with Andy, we covered many topics, including: The philanthropic power of an engaging volunteer experience. Crafting easily shareable messages. Why talking about the “big” problem actually keeps people from acting, and how you can boil the big problem down to a single key point. How to use a low-cost, tangible entry point to introduce supporters to your organization in a meaningful way. The value of creating blended live/virtual fundraising events. Andy is a dynamic, engaging speaker who is leading monumental growth at Feed My Starving Children. Take a listen — we’re sure you’ll find value in this conversation!

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We recently sat down with Tom Kilgannon, President of Freedom Alliance. Freedom Alliance is a nonprofit organization founded to support our nation’s combat wounded and deployed troops and their families. One of their greatest contributions to the military community is their scholarship fund for the dependents of military personnel who have been severely wounded or killed in combat. To-date, Freedom Alliance has given out $20 Million in college scholarships to the dependents of America’s fallen and injured heroes. In our conversation with Tom about Freedom Alliance’s fundraising strategy and how they achieved this huge accomplishment of funding $20 Million in scholarships, here are some of the great insights Tom shared: An integrated approach to fundraising allows them to speak to each donor in the way that donor needs to hear the message in order to inspire generosity in their hearts. Some fundraising offers / asks for support work better in-person, while others work better at major events, and even still, some messages resonate best when delivered via direct mail or email. You need to activate all viable channels to drive the greatest return for your organization. The more you listen to your donors — to truly understand — not just to respond, the more likely you are to secure major investments from your supporters and investors. During the pandemic, they were able to activate significant support for the organization and those they support by regularly engaging donors, checking in on their supporters’ needs, and sharing stories of impact. Focus on your donors’ needs and desires, and let those items drive how you engage and approach giving opp

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast! I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit with Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP for this milestone episode. If you know Dr. James, you know this will be a great conversation. If you don’t know him yet, you’re in for a real treat! Dr. James is Director of graduate studies in charitable planning in the Division of Personal Financial Planning in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University. His research into human behavior and charitable giving has shaped how institutions large and small engage major donors and maximize revenue all across the U.S. Dr. James recently published a five-book series, the Fundraising Myth and Science Book Series. In our conversation, we talk extensively about one of those books, The Storytelling Fundraiser. This new book series is also the foundation of a great new training program that Dr. James and Greg Warner at MarketSmart have partnered to bring to market. We covered so much ground in this conversation. It’s an in-depth review of the book and the foundational thinking that went into it, including: The One Big Thing in fundraising, and why it’s something you might not expect. The difference between donor-centered and community-centered fundraising, and why organizations that want to secure transformational gifts should double down on donor-centered fundraising. The neuroscience behind high-impact philanthropic activity, and how your organization and your donors can benefit from it. Why talking to donors about giving from their wealth (assets) vs. their disposable income is critical to your organization’s long-term financial security and growth. The exact phrase(s) you should adopt to help your supporters unlock transformational generosity. How philanthropy is both altruistic and self-serving at the same time, and what you need to understand to effectively navigate these differences. The key decision-making processes that people go through when deciding to give a charitable gift, and how focusing on asset-based giving can help your donors make better decisions (for them and you!). Why fundraisers have a difficult time talking with donors about legacy giving, and the exact language and tools to help overcome those difficulties (including his 65 video trainings available for FREE). Why wading into math conversations with your donors may not be the best idea, and how to use storytelling to make key financial points that will motivate your donors to act. The interconnected role of overhead and restricted giving in philanthropy, and how you can navigate these to unlock significant giving from your

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast! I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit with Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP for this milestone episode. If you know Dr. James, you know this will be a great conversation. If you don’t know him yet, you’re in for a real treat! Dr. James is Director of graduate studies in charitable planning in the Division of Personal Financial Planning in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University. His research into human behavior and charitable giving has shaped how institutions large and small engage major donors and maximize revenue all across the U.S. Dr. James recently published a five-book series, the Fundraising Myth and Science Book Series. In our conversation, we talk extensively about one of those books, The Storytelling Fundraiser. This new book series is also the foundation of a great new training program that Dr. James and Greg Warner at MarketSmart have partnered to bring to market. We covered so much ground in this conversation. It’s an in-depth review of the book and the foundational thinking that went into it, including: The One Big Thing in fundraising, and why it’s something you might not expect. The difference between donor-centered and community-centered fundraising, and why organizations that want to secure transformational gifts should double down on donor-centered fundraising. The neuroscience behind high-impact philanthropic activity, and how your organization and your donors can benefit from it. Why talking to donors about giving from their wealth (assets) vs. their disposable income is critical to your organization’s long-term financial security and growth. The exact phrase(s) you should adopt to help your supporters unlock transformational generosity. How philanthropy is both altruistic and self-serving at the same time, and what you need to understand to effectively navigate these differences. The key decision-making processes that people go through when deciding to give a charitable gift, and how focusing on asset-based giving can help your donors make better decisions (for them and you!). Why fundraisers have a difficult time talking with donors about legacy giving, and the exact language and tools to help overcome those difficulties (including his 65 video trainings available for FREE). Why wading into math conversations with your donors may not be the best idea, and how to use storytelling to make key financial points that will motivate your donors to act. The interconnected role of overhead and restricted giving in philanthropy, and how you can navigate these to unlock significant giving from your

Diana Zhang left a lucrative career as a hedge fund executive in the midst of the pandemic to co-found NeighborShare, a new platform created to support front line heroes in the nonprofit sector, allowing them to match real community needs with donors interested in supporting them. Discovering that 40% of American families can’t afford even a $400 emergency, Diana and her partners launched an organization designed to help provide this kind of emergency bridge funding to individuals in need, through everyday community heroes like nonprofit case managers, social workers, nurses, etc. She and her team of 25+ volunteers are on a mission to both disrupt and support the nonprofit sector by thinking differently about solving emerging needs in communities across the U.S. As a first-time founder of a nonprofit, and career for-profit executive, Diana and her team are applying start-up business principles to NeighborShare while diving deep into community-building, connectivity, and honing their values to deliver the greatest value possible for local nonprofits and the individuals and families they serve.

Diana Zhang left a lucrative career as a hedge fund executive in the midst of the pandemic to co-found NeighborShare, a new platform created to support front line heroes in the nonprofit sector, allowing them to match real community needs with donors interested in supporting them. Discovering that 40% of American families can’t afford even a $400 emergency, Diana and her partners launched an organization designed to help provide this kind of emergency bridge funding to individuals in need, through everyday community heroes like nonprofit case managers, social workers, nurses, etc. She and her team of 25+ volunteers are on a mission to both disrupt and support the nonprofit sector by thinking differently about solving emerging needs in communities across the U.S. As a first-time founder of a nonprofit, and career for-profit executive, Diana and her team are applying start-up business principles to NeighborShare while diving deep into community-building, connectivity, and honing their values to deliver the greatest value possible for local nonprofits and the individuals and families they serve.

.elementor-136853 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9cf4637{--divider-border-style:solid;--divider-color:#000;--divider-border-width:1px;}.elementor-136853 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9cf4637 .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;}.elementor-136853 .elementor-element.elementor-element-9cf4637 .elementor-divider{padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;} Every industry has experienced disruption over the last few years. The nonprofit sector wasn’t immune. One area where our sector has seen significant change (not just because of Covid, but even before) is in the way nonprofits engage and are served by agencies. That’s why I was excited to sit down with Dan Sonners, Vice President at Conrad Direct, Board Member at DMAW, and host of the Dynamic Nonprofits podcast.We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, including:How consultants and agencies that serve nonprofits need to evolve to become more collaborative and supportive of nonprofitsWhy industry collaborations and engagement across service firms could be smart for nonprofits, and how to do this wellEstablishing shared goals and objectives and defining clear swim lanes in collaborative engagementsThe value of multi-channel supporters, and the challenges in building and running multi-channel programsWhy attribution modeling is difficult, and how best to think about attributionWhy you need flexibil

Every industry has experienced disruption over the last few years. The nonprofit sector wasn’t immune. One area where our sector has seen significant change (not just because of Covid, but even before) is in the way nonprofits engage and are served by agencies. That’s why I was excited to sit down with Dan Sonners, Vice President at Conrad Direct, Board Member at DMAW, and host of the Dynamic Nonprofits podcast. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, including: How consultants and agencies that serve nonprofits need to evolve to become more collaborative and supportive of nonprofits Why industry collaborations and engagement across service firms could be smart for nonprofits, and how to do this well Establishing shared goals and objectives and defining clear swim lanes in collaborative engagements The value of multi-channel supporters, and the challenges in building and running multi-channel programs Why attribution modeling is difficult, and how best to think about attribution Why you need flexibility in your budgeting process The role and responsibility of board and executive leaders in healthy nonprofits

.elementor-135447 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0f83adc{--divider-border-style:solid;--divider-color:#000;--divider-border-width:1px;}.elementor-135447 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0f83adc .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;}.elementor-135447 .elementor-element.elementor-element-0f83adc .elementor-divider{padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;} If you’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 10 minutes, you know just how incredibly difficult it is to find and keep great people. The staffing challenges in our sector aren’t new, but it seems like the challenges have become more pronounced over the last few years. At least that’s what I keep hearing from clients and friends in our sector. Recently, my friends at Dickerson Bakker & Associates commissioned a new study on this topic, HELP WANTED: A National Study of Staffing Challenges in Nonprofit Fundraising. We sat down with Derric Bakker, President/CEO to discuss the findings, which I think you’ll find fascinating and helpful in your work (and you just might take comfort in having some hard data that validates what you’ve been feeling too!). Here are some of the key learnings from this new study:1. Our sector is indeed facing a severe shortage of qualified fundraisers in the marketplace (this most significantly impacts major gift fundraisers)2. The idea of the 18-month turnover cycle is largely a myt

If you’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 10 minutes, you know just how incredibly difficult it is to find and keep great people. The staffing challenges in our sector aren’t new, but it seems like the challenges have become more pronounced over the last few years. At least that’s what I keep hearing from clients and friends in our sector. Recently, my friends at Dickerson Bakker & Associates commissioned a new study on this topic, HELP WANTED: A National Study of Staffing Challenges in Nonprofit Fundraising. We sat down with Derric Bakker, President/CEO to discuss the findings, which I think you’ll find fascinating and helpful in your work (and you just might take comfort in having some hard data that validates what you’ve been feeling too!). Here are some of the key learnings from this new study: 1. Our sector is indeed facing a severe shortage of qualified fundraisers in the marketplace (this most significantly impacts major gift fundraisers) 2. The idea of the 18-month turnover cycle is largely a myth (though there’s a small group of habitual job-hoppers that muddy the water on this topic) 3. Sadly (and of great concern), only 12% of survey respondents strongly affirmed their Board and executive leadership were actively involved in raising organizational support 4. Turnover is a big problem (mostly) for small(er) organizations 5. If we want to fix these problems, nonprofit hiring strategy and practices need to change significantly. After all, retaining your best talent starts with making the right hiring decision in the first place (and this is NOT just about the candidates) 6. Too few organizations are addressing the key issues that lead to the departure of fun

.elementor-125094 .elementor-element.elementor-element-e028617{--divider-border-style:solid;--divider-color:#000;--divider-border-width:1px;}.elementor-125094 .elementor-element.elementor-element-e028617 .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;}.elementor-125094 .elementor-element.elementor-element-e028617 .elementor-divider{padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;} This conversation with Rev. Jeremy Montgomery, MBA-MA, President/CEO at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in Philadelphia, PA, is a deep-dive into change leadership like you’ve never heard before! When he took the helm at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in 2018, the organization was barely surviving. Philadelphia is the 5th largest city in the U.S., and also the poorest large city in the country. The Mission is the city of Philade

This conversation with Rev. Jeremy Montgomery, MBA-MA, President/CEO at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in Philadelphia, PA, is a deep-dive into change leadership like you’ve never heard before! When he took the helm at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in 2018, the organization was barely surviving. Philadelphia is the 5th largest city in the U.S., and also the poorest large city in the country. The Mission is the city of Philadelphia’s largest provider of men’s shelter services in the city. When he arrived, the Mission was engulfed in gang and drug activity — local gangs were actually dealing drugs right outside their doors. The challenges they faced at the Mission were significant. From the external environmental risks of gangs and drugs to an internal culture that lacked clear communication, team members who didn’t understand what the goals were, how to achieve success, or how to partner and collaborate together to effectively achieve their mission. In this podcast episode Jeremy walks us through what it was like to come into an organization like this, how he approached guiding and leading the organization through significant change, and the difficult decisions he had to make to help the organization go from surviving to thriving. You’ll learn a ton about leading and navigating change in this conversation with Jeremy.

.elementor-115157 .elementor-element.elementor-element-7be593b{--divider-border-style:solid;--divider-color:#000;--divider-border-width:1px;}.elementor-115157 .elementor-element.elementor-element-7be593b .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;}.elementor-115157 .elementor-element.elementor-element-7be593b .elementor-divider{padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;} Glenn Cranfield is President and CEO at Nashville Rescue Mission, and Host of the Real Hope podcast. In this conversation, Glenn talks with me about four key values that guide his work and ministry at Nashville Rescue Mission, including:Extravagant Faith – Sometimes we’re forced into situations where all we have is faith. Impossible situations where people think there’s no hope.