How This Solo ED Raised $273,000 in One Night with Zero Cost (and Stopped Overthinking Major Gifts)

 Hi friends! I’m so excited to share this episode with you because it’s a conversation with one of my Courage Lab grads, Cara Augspurger. Cara is the Executive Director of the Grace Care Center Foundation just north of Indianapolis, and she’s an all-star leader who has experienced incredible growth over the last six months.

When Cara and I started working together, she was confident in operations and communications but hesitant around major gifts and board engagement. Fast forward just half a year, and her board has hosted an event that raised $273,000 in one night - with multi-year commitments and new major donors at the table. Even more powerful? Cara’s own confidence has skyrocketed.

In this episode, Cara shares how she went from overthinking and procrastinating to boldly inviting donors and board members into the mission  and the specific Courage Lab strategies that helped her get there.

• Cara’s journey from board chair to solo ED  and why she invested in coaching instead of a bonus
• How she made the case to her board to join Courage Lab
• The mindset shift that stopped her from overthinking major gifts
• The event strategy that brought in $273k in one night (with 18 three-year commitments!)
• Why accountability, templates, and consistent invitations completely changed her fundraising results
• How she’s now 25% ahead of her fundraising projections - for the first time in organizational history

Cara’s story is proof that you don’t have to do fundraising alone  and that courage, clarity, and accountability can change everything. Whether you’re a solo ED or just feeling stuck, her transformation shows what’s possible when you stop playing it safe and step into major gifts with confidence.

Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training. 

If you're an org with at least $800k annual budget and major gifts is your top priority, but you need a better strategy and approach, get on the waitlist for the next CourageLab cohort here: https://julieordonez.kit.com/couragelab2