Nonprofit Automation That Still Feels Personal (with Rachel Bearbower)

In this episode of the Focused Fundraiser podcast, host Rob interviews Rachel Bearbower, founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency and former executive director, about how nonprofits can use automation to improve their fundraising effectiveness. Rachel shares her journey from accidentally starting in the nonprofit sector to becoming an automation expert. The conversation covers key topics including how automation can make fundraising more consistent and personal rather than cold or impersonal, the importance of starting with a CRM as your source of truth when building a tech stack, and specific automation examples like draft thank you emails that speed up donor response time. Rachel addresses common misconceptions about automation being impersonal and provides practical advice for dealing with fragmented technology systems. The discussion also touches on how proper systems and documentation can help mitigate knowledge loss from high fundraiser turnover. Rachel's key takeaway emphasizes building systematic donor stewardship processes before implementing automation tools.