The Focused Fundraiser 20,000 Calls, $16M Raised: Kel Haney’s Phone Strategy for Nonprofits
Oct 21, 2025
Kel Haney, a fundraising consultant and expert in phone-first strategies, shares her journey from theater to raising $16M through 20,000 calls. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating strong relationships with mid-level donors and outlines her five-minute call structure for effective asks. Kel reveals the magic of matching gifts for year-end fundraising and offers tips on segmentation using CRM data. She also shares a successful voicemail tactic that resulted in an $18k donation, urging fundraisers to connect personally and proactively to boost results.
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From Theater To Phone-Based Fundraising
- Kel Haney fell into fundraising after directing theater and made thousands of calls while promoting shows like Doubt.
- She personally raised about $6M over the phone in under six years, proving phone outreach scales revenue fast.
Treat Mid-Level Donors Differently
- Define mid-level donors as roughly $1,000–$10,000 and give them a distinct strategy.
- Use five-minute phone calls that combine stewardship and solicitation to deepen those relationships.
Make Year-End Habits Work For You
- Treat year-end giving as a habit to re-engage existing and recently lapsed donors rather than chasing brand-new supporters.
- Secure one-to-one matches for year-end and two-to matches for Giving Tuesday to multiply mid-level and grassroots giving.
