Fundraising Episodes

105: The Nonprofit Leader’s Guide to Demystifying Donor Advised Funds (Catherine Warfield) SUMMARY While the knowledge required for successful nonprofit leadership is extensive, one area that can be challenging - and even intimidating - is legacy or planned giving. Complicating this subject are the various philanthropic vehicles many donors are using, especially the increasingly popular Donor Advised Fund. What are they? How do they work? How can your nonprofit better engage the d...

92: The 4 Stages of Nonprofit Leadership (Ben Mohler) SUMMARY Where do you fall within the different stages of nonprofit leadership? Our guest in episode #92 of the Path Podcast offers a fascinating view of career development in the charitable sector by breaking it into four distinct stages. Ben Mohler brings extensive experience in higher education leadership as well as his distinction as an ACFRE within the fundraising community. We had a great discussion about the different stages o...

85: How Can Nonprofit Leaders be More Authentic Fundraisers? (Jennifer Harris) SUMMARY Fundraising is one of the most important - but often dreaded - functions you have to contemplate as a nonprofit leader. You clearly believe in the mission of your organization, yet fundraising often feels disconnected and transactional. How do you get more comfortable assuring your nonprofit has the funding it needs to achieve its core purpose, and feel good about it at the same time?&nbs...

81: 3 Ways Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way (Kris Putnam-Walkerly) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you have multiple responsibilities to manage and often limited time to adjust to changing circumstances (case in point: 2020!). Complicating this leadership challenge are often self-imposed barriers that nonprofit leaders need to understand and avoid. In episode #81 of the Path Podcast, Kris Putnam-Walkerly helps not only identify ways nonprofit leaders stop themselves, b...

76: Fundraising During A Perfect Storm (Chris Carnie) SUMMARY How do you fundraise during a perfect storm? Nonprofit leaders are challenged in numerous ways right now, and face uncharted territory in terms of the fundraising environment in which they must operate. While Chris Carnie’s work originates primarily in the UK and Spain, he brings a global perspective to not only the elements of the storm we must understand, but also ways to better navigate through it. In episode ...

74: 4 Ways to Make Your Virtual Fundraiser More Successful (Jenni Hargrove) SUMMARY Every nonprofit is planning - or pondering - some sort of virtual fundraising event. Either adapting a previous live model, or trying something online for the first time. How confident are you in your design and potential for success? If a virtual fundraising event is in your future, Episode #74 of the Path Podcast is the perfect resource to guide your thinking. Jenni Hargrove brings her marketing,...

069: National Philanthropy Day: 3 Lessons for Every Nonprofit Leader (Penny Hawkins) SUMMARY While National Philanthropy day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate charitable giving, volunteer engagement and community spirit, but it also offers an opportunity for nonprofit leaders to strategically evaluate what each category means and how they might implement it within their organization. That’s exactly what my colleague Penny Hawkins and I discussed during Episode #69 of the Path P...

62: What Should We Learn from the Giving USA Report? (Melissa Brown) SUMMARY You’ve likely seen the numbers each year that represent philanthropic support in the United States through the Giving USA report. The question is, do you really understand what the numbers mean, and how they apply to you and your nonprofit? There is no one better suited to help us understand those questions than Melissa Brown, who has spent some of her stellar 30-year career literally editing the G...

60: Maximizing The Leadership Trio for Fundraising Success (Theresa Lee) SUMMARY Theresa Lee has enjoyed an exceptional fundraising career, doing some of her best work in the greater Boston area for institutions like MIT, Boston College and Holy Cross. Her advice on the critical “leadership trio” (the CEO/Executive Director, the Chief Development Officer and the Board Chair) is not only applicable to large institutions, but very relevant to any sized organization trying to maximi...

55: Recalibrating Your Fundraising Strategy as a Nonprofit Leader (Alison Singer) SUMMARY Like most nonprofit leaders, you are likely driven by passion for a cause that is meaningful to you. Alison Singer is certainly a great example of that drive, but she has also taken her lifelong commitment to serving individuals and families with Autism and turned it into a national nonprofit called the Autism Science Foundation. Her story is a fascinating one, and her podcast episode, #55 on the Path, als...

54: Building a Leadership Gift Culture at Your Nonprofit Organization (Chris McLeod) SUMMARY How do you assure your nonprofit is in a position to receive Leadership Gifts? Many nonprofit organizations dream of that type transformational donor investment, but fail to put themselves in a good position to receive one. Chris McLeod knows all about that challenge, and helped co-found the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership - and its signature program called Leadership Gift School – to help organiz...

049: 4 Tips for Effective & Efficient Fundraising (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Patton had an opportunity to be a guest on Dolph Goldenburg’s great podcast and discuss four key tips he’s found to help nonprofit organizations organize their fundraising efforts. This was also our first opportunity to participate in a “reverse podcast,” as this episode first appeared on Dolph’s feed on July 16, 2020, and now is included on our feed as well. Description from The Successful Nonprofits Podcast: Small and ...

034: The War for Fundraising Talent (Jason Lewis) SUMMARY Fundraising is on every nonprofit leader’s mind right now, and perhaps there is no one better to talk about that topic than Jason Lewis, who literally wrote a book about the topic, The War for Fundraising Talent. As Jason and I discuss, many of the topics he raised in the book are even more relevant right now. Why do so many organizations rely on “arms-length” fundraising tactics, and what can they do about it now? Why are more executive ...

027: Building A Culture of Philanthropy at Your Nonprofit (Stamie Despo) SUMMARY Despite her successful fundraising experience, Stamie Despo knew as a new Executive Director she would need the entire organization to embrace philanthropy for it to achieve the kind of mission success she knew was possible. That’s exactly what Stamie and I discussed during this episode. What exactly is a culture of philanthropy? What did she find when she began her role as Executive Director at the Susan G. Komen a...

022: Essential Skills for Nonprofit Fundraising Success (Joanne Beam) SUMMARY Like many of us, Joanne O’Brien Beam did not aspire to nonprofit leadership following her undergraduate days, but the lure of her alma mater and the skills she developed in the for-profit sector combined to make her a very successful fundraiser and a highly sought-after consultant and coach. Joanne and I had a great conversation about the wonderfully practical advice she received during her journey along the leadership...