Fundraising Episodes

211: Is Philanthropy in a State of Crisis? (Nathan Chappell & Brain Crimmins) SUMMARY Is philanthropy in a state of crisis? In episode #211 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Nathan Chappell and Brian Crimmins, co-authors of the book, The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity’s Greatest Challenges, offer a wake-up call to nonprofit leaders everywhere, but also suggest solutions to the downturn they see, and will help you re-establish the interconnection t...

207: Embracing the Art & Science of a Capital Campaign (Bob Pierce) SUMMARY Will you be ready when it’s time to conduct a fundraising campaign at your organization? Nearly every nonprofit is in some stage of campaign planning: thinking about one, implementing one or recovering from one! As a leader, you will likely have to manage a campaign at some point in your career. In episode #207 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we turned to the leader of the University of Alabama’s hig...

206: Staffing Your Grants Program: Employee or Consultant? (Holly Rustick) SUMMARY Grant writing is more than just a process, it’s a skill. And like any skill, we must perfect it with time and practice. So how do you evaluate if you should outsource this aspect of your fundraising program or invest internally? In episode #206 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we speak with funding and grant writing expert Holly Rustick to help determine which is worth more to your organization – the tim...

201: Key Fundraising Trends Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know (Matt Nash) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, are you aware of the unique motivations many Donor Advise Fund (DAF) givers share? Do you target stewardship efforts to this group of individuals specifically? In episode #201 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Matt Nash, who has been on the cutting edge of recent key fundraising trends in the philanthropic sector shares his extensive knowledge about the rise of this donor group. Learn m...

198: Dirty Little Secrets of Direct Response Fundraising (Andrew Olsen) SUMMARY What is direct response fundraising? Is it part of your overall fundraising plan and are you getting the returns you expect? In episode #198 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Andrew Olsen returns to the podcast and explains why you need a better way to fundraise. Many nonprofits coming out of Covid are achieving their highest levels in giving. However, Andrew explains why giving patterns over the last decade...

194: 3 Essential Characteristics for Nonprofit Leaders (Jama Campbell) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader looking for specific program funding, are you aware of all your opportunities and what those potential funders are specifically looking for when considering where to invest? In episode #194 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with SECU Foundation Executive Director Jama Campbell about key leadership attributes they look for when choosing projects and programs to fund. She shares th...

181: What Are Your Donors Thinking? (Derric Bakker) SUMMARY After record-level giving during Covid, what are your donors thinking with uncertain economic conditions ahead? In episode #181 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with Derric Bakker, a 30+ year expert fundraiser and founder of the annual Donor Insight Study, about what donors are likely to do in the year ahead. After multiple years studying the economic indicators that affect philanthropic behavior, Derric shares h...

172: 3 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Inspire Greater Investment (Deepa Naik) SUMMARY How do you make a successful case for funding given the increasing number of urgent needs in your community? Your donors certainly have many great causes to consider. In episode #172 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with Deepa Naik, a former fundraiser and consultant who now works with The Merancas Foundation, about what she sees as she reviews dozens of proposals. Have you ever wished you could ask ...

170: How Can Your Nonprofit Be More Effective Seeking Grants? (Gauri Manglik) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, are you focused on the most important elements that help you generate more funding? In episode #170 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, learn how to better train your staff, measure the impact of your team, and choose the best tools for your nonprofit from Gauri Manglik, creator of a barrier-breaking grant discovery, research, and tracking tool. Aside from your mission, the talent ...

169: How to Assess the Philanthropic Culture of a Nonprofit Organization (Armando Chardiet) SUMMARY Does your organization have a philanthropic culture? How do you know? Armando Chardiet discusses exactly that in episode #169 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and provides recommendations to best stand out as you seek philanthropic support. He also shares what he looks for in recruiting talent, and why mentorship has been the most significant asset during his nonprofit career. Armand...

167: Horror Stories of Fundraising: What Would You Do? (Jay Frost) SUMMARY Think you're the only one to experience a fundraising horror story? Well, Jay Frost is here to assure you’re not alone and there are ways you can avoid these scary situations. In episode #167 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, he shares the critical importance of having policies and procedures in place to avoid your own horror stories and sustain your strategic plan. Learn how often to review and with whom the...

156: Everything You Believe About Small Nonprofit Fundraising is Wrong (Zoot Velasco) SUMMARY Is your small nonprofit still trying to raise money through special events? Modeling your fundraising plan on what large nonprofits are doing is among several critical mistakes Zoot Velasco will help you avoid. In episode #156 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, he tells us why those special events, big galas, grant writing and even courting major donors are not the most important things on w...

153: Why Diversification is Vital to Your Fundraising Plan (Holly Rustick) SUMMARY Is your nonprofit organization writing competitive grants that grow your funding capacity? In episode #153 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership we speak with Holly Rustick, a grant writing expert with over 15 years of winning more than $30 million in grant funding, on how nonprofit leaders can enhance their grant writing skills and increase funding to advance their organization’s mission. Holly sha...

150: Developing the Right Mindset to be an Effective Fundraiser (Rhea Wong) SUMMARY Do you struggle with fundraising? Have you truly reflected on why? In honor of our 150th episode of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we discuss what it takes to maximize your fundraising with a leading expert, Rhea Wong. If your fundraising isn’t a strategy as much as it’s a mix of tactics and tools cobbled together, then listen as Rhea introduces her unique and innovative program called The Fun...

143: Elevating Your Grants Program as a Nonprofit Leader (Autumn Keck) SUMMARY Is your overall fundraising plan built on a solid foundation of a comprehensive grant writing program? If not, can you identify the vital readiness steps necessary to best prepare your organization for success? In episode #143 of the Path Podcast, Autumn Keck, a fundraising expert with over two decades of experience in grant writing and major gifts solicitation, addresses these questions and more....

134: Why Corporations Should Look at Philanthropy in a New Way (Holly Welch Stubbing) SUMMARY Nonprofit organizations worldwide study ways to capitalize on corporate relationships in their fundraising efforts. Having been on both sides of this equation, Holly Welch Stubbing, the President & CEO of E4E Relief, identifies specific challenges she sees as nonprofits try to connect with corporate leaders. She shares her thoughts on how corporations can look at philanthropy differently gi...

132: The Power of Donor Stewardship as a Nonprofit Leader (Caitlin Donley) SUMMARY Fundraising is more than simply communicating your mission effectively to your donors and asking for support. The real magic happens after the gift is received, and doing more than just saying “thank you” means a nonprofit leader has an intentional strategic plan around donor stewardship. In episode #132 of The Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Caitlin Donley introduces us to three distinct categories nonprofit lea...

126: Finding the Resources You Need as a Nonprofit Leader (Stephanie Minor) SUMMARY The best nonprofit leaders embrace the concept of life-long learning because they know they must stay on top of the issues that face their organization and the sector in which it operates. Managing issues of fundraising and philanthropy, human resources, mental health, diversity, equity & inclusion, strategic planning, finance, human resources and countless other topics can easily become overwhelmi...

122: How Nonprofit Leaders Can Jumpstart the Funder Partnership (Kelly Chopus) SUMMARY The partnership between nonprofit leaders and their counterparts at grant-making organizations is a critical one, and Kelly Chopus understands both sides of this collaborative dynamic. In episode #122 of the Path Podcast, Kelly and I discuss what makes a nonprofit more attractive to funders, and what nonprofit leaders can do to better demonstrate their ability to maximize investments in their communities. K...

118: Embracing the Power of Philanthropy as a Nonprofit Leader SUMMARY Philanthropy is the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations, but the acquisition of charitable dollars can be a motivational barrier for many nonprofit leaders. We all have hang-ups about money, and that can hurt our enthusiasm to actually ask for funds for the causes we care deeply about. Charles Thomas has been on both sides of philanthropy, as an executive director of two organizations, and now the Program Director f...

116: Is It Time for a Capital Campaign? (Cindy Clark) SUMMARY As we move through the pandemic, numerous factors are influencing nonprofit leaders to consider whether now is the time to launch a capital campaign. Pent up demand, relatively good economic conditions, competition from other nonprofits - and just a restlessness from staff and board - may all be pushing you to what feels like an inevitable fundraising effort. But are you and your nonprofit really ready? My colleag...

114: Leadership, Track Record & Sustainability: How Does Your Nonprofit Stack Up? (Tom Lawrence) SUMMARY It’s common for a nonprofit leader to wonder what a prospective funder is thinking as he or she evaluates your organization for a potential investment. Fortunately, Tom Lawrence is happy to share the framework The Leon Levine Foundation uses to evaluate hundreds of grant applications it receives every year. Tom serves as the President of the Foundation, and he and his team ...

108: What is Giving Done Right? (Phil Buchanan) SUMMARY What are the critical issues facing nonprofit leaders right now, and how do they impact the funders that support their efforts? That’s exactly the question I posed in this bonus episode #108 of the Path to Phil Buchanan, who has led the Center for Effective Philanthropy for nearly 20 years. CEP has studied many of the key issues facing our sector, and Phil is uniquely qualified to identify the key trends that will affect nonprofit leader...

107: How To Engage The 3 Distinct Types of Funders (Sybil Ackerman-Munson) SUMMARY Every nonprofit leader rehearses their perfect case for support in anticipation of a donor meeting. And while the ability to deliver a clear and compelling vision for your organization is critical, an often-overlooked part of your preparation is considering exactly what type of major donor you are about to encounter. Sybil Ackerman-Munson offers a fascinating assessment of the three types of donors you’re...