Episode #102 | The New Digital Marketing Landscape for Nonprofit Fundraising with Aleksander Levental

In this episode, Aleksander Levental, Co-Founder and CEO of Feathr, discusses why digital marketing is essential for nonprofits in 2026. With federal funding decreasing and donor attention harder to capture, he makes a compelling case for why nonprofits should look at utilizing some of the same marketing tools and competitive mindset as for-profit companies.

Our conversation breaks down how different tools serve distinct purposes: websites act as signal collectors tracking what visitors care about, email serves as both a signal generator and activation tool, social media provides the cheapest way to gain attention and test content, and digital advertising delivers the final push to convert interested prospects into donors. The episode demystifies advanced tactics like drip campaigns, retargeting, and geofencing. Throughout, Aleksander challenges nonprofits to adopt a growth-focused, marketing-savvy culture. Tune in for ideas about incorporating these tools into your own organization.

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This Episode Brought to You by: 

Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com

Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events. 

 

The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/

As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year. 

 

Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw

Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.

 

Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/

Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.

 

Speakers

Samantha Swaim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/

Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies

 

Kristin Steele

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/

Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies

 

Aleksander Levental

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alevental/

 

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