Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast

Brent A. Hafele, M.A., is Senior Vice President of Talent Development at Dickerson Bakker & Associates. Early in his career, Brent held various leadership roles inside nonprofit organizations, including Development Director and Executive Director. Today, Brent leads talent development efforts for Dickerson Bakker & Associates, and provides executive coaching to fundraisers and nonprofit CEO's and Executive Directors.Brent and I sat down to discuss how talent development impacts organizational success. In our conversation we hit some big topics, including:How does talent impact an organization's capacity for growth? Breaking the myth that your nonprofit can't afford to hire top quality talent.What it takes to effectively assess a candidate's abilities and qualities during the interview process.Effective tools for candidate assessments.Why you should hire more slowly, and what the benefits of a longer assessment period is to your nonprofit.The value of using a strengths-based framework for talent assessment and coaching in your organization.Building a collaborative culture across your team and organization. Giving realistic performance feedback to motivate and engage your staff.If you lead a team or an organization, this conversation is sure to provide you with value! This episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast was brought to you by our friends at Virtuous. We’re so excited to partner with them to promote the upcoming 2021 Responsive Fundraising Summit on April 14th and 15th. You can register for FREE today. You’ll be front-row with world-class nonprofit and thought leaders, participate in hands-on, discussion-driven workshops, and build lasting connections with like-minded peers. Sign up today for this FREE event!https://youtu.be/56RwjgU-q9M

As President & CEO of Oxfam America, Abby Maxman is responsible for leading global social change to alleviate the injustice of poverty across 90 countries. This fight is not a new one for Maxman, who has made a career of giving a voice to the voiceless, fighting hunger, poverty, disease, and injustice across the globe at leading INGO's and within the U.S. Government. Abby and I sat down to discuss her leadership experience and what we can all learn from her time working to right the most devastating wrongs the world over. We tackled some big issues in our discussion, including:The importance of boldly charging toward your goals, even when they might feel overwhelming and unachievable.How the values of integrity and commitment provide the courage and resilience necessary to allow a leader to book the first flight into post-genocidal Rwanda, to tackle apartheid South Africa, and to take on the global HIV/AIDS crisis.The importance of showing up authentically and consistently as our whole selves to build and nurture a healthy culture. Ad the value of creating a safe place for people to try new things, to fail, and to learn from those failures without risk of retribution or career damage. The role of leaders in addressing racial, gender, economic, and climate justice, and the challenging of maintaining focus on this important work in the midst of every other priority.Developing the 21st century skills of leading with care and compassion to help your people feel safe, engaged, and cared for by their leaders.  This episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast was brought to you by our friends at Virtuous. We’re so excited to partner with them to promote the upcoming 2021 Responsive Fundraising Summit on April 14th and 15th. You can register for FREE today. You’ll be front-row with world-class nonprofit and thought leaders, participate in hands-on, discussion-driven workshops, and build lasting connections with like-minded peers. Sign up today for this FREE event!https://youtu.be/56RwjgU-q9M

The fifth child in a family of six, Bill High grew up "dirt poor and on welfare." The son of an alcoholic, Bill describes his childhood as "pretty dysfunctional."Around age eight or nine, Bill was introduced to the idea of a personal faith by a neighbor, and that began his life-long journey to live differently and to focus on making an eternal impact in our world.Throughout his lifetime, Bill has had some amazing opportunities to impact the world, including practicing law for 12 years to co-founding iDonate, a leading digital giving software company that helps nonprofits build lasting relationships with their supporters.In 2000, Bill felt a calling to do something more in our sector, leading him to create The Signatry, a global community and ministry dedicated to creating eternal impact through generosity across generations. They provide a unique approach to donor advised fund giving to empower donors, advisors, and ministries to maximize their impact.Bill and I met through our mutual relationship with Forbes Business and Nonprofit Councils, and sat down recently to talk about philanthropy and leading generously.  Some of the key insights from our conversation include:The impact of the massive increase in Donor Advised Fund adoption over the last decadeDebunking the myth that Donor Advised Funds are simply a place for the wealthy to "park" moneyHow Donor Advised Funds (on average) distribute 10X more than private foundations annuallyHow leaders who invest heavily in the people in their care are maximizing impactThe value of leaders serving others, and how that releases creativity and increases engagement with employeesLessons from a reluctant leaderWhy setting vision and inspiring your people is essential to your ability to achieve greater impactHow the best leaders use storytelling to inspire othersWhat 2021 has in store for philanthropy and charitable givingQuick tips for nonprofit boards and CEO's to begin effectively planning for leadership succession This episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast was brought to you by our friends at Virtuous. We’re so excited to partner with them to promote the upcoming 2021 Responsive Fundraising Summit on April 14th and 15th. You can register for FREE today. You’ll be front-row with world-class nonprofit and thought leaders, participate in hands-on, discussion-driven workshops, and build lasting connections with like-minded peers. Sign up today for this FREE event!https://youtu.be/56RwjgU-q9M

Our good friend Brady Josephson at NextAfter joined us for a third episode here on the podcast recently. You might remember Brady from our conversation about COVID fundraising observations, or fundraising Testing. This week we connected with him to learn about the recent project that NextAfter and Salesforce.org collaborated on, called the Global Online Fundraising Scorecard. This study explored the front-end user experience of donors and email subscribers across multiple countries. Here are some of the key findings we cover in this discussion:Email sign-up was impossible in 27% of cases in the study, either because organizations didn't offer it, or because it took too many steps to discover where the email sign-up was locatedVery little progress has been made in years around the area of using value proposition to either subscribe for emails or make a giving decision (you'll hear Brady outline what the keys are in a successful value proposition too)The dangerous myth that online users don't or won't consume copy -- and address the (surprising) negative impact that video and images have on conversionThe half dozen (or more!) types of friction that negatively impact decision-making online, AND, the one positive type of friction that can actually help you raise more money online!The importance of email cultivation to long-term retention and revenue, and the sad fact that too few organizations are investing in meaningful email relationship building.The truth about email deliverability, and what you can do to improve deliverability for your organization.What's working best globally in sustainer giving, where the U.S. is falling behind in this key giving area, and what YOU can do to improve your organization's sustainer numbers.The trends on email welcome series use, and how one organization tested into a 900% increase in 2nd gift conversion by rethinking their approach to welcome series content.It's always a blast to have Brady on the show, and I hope you'll learn as much as I did in this conversation!Don't forget to download the Global Online Fundraising Scorecard today! This episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast was brought to you by our friends at Virtuous. We’re so excited to partner with them to promote the upcoming 2021 Responsive Fundraising Summit on April 14th and 15th. You can register for FREE today. You’ll be front-row with world-class nonprofit and thought leaders, participate in hands-on, discussion-driven workshops, and build lasting connections with like-minded peers. Sign up today for this FREE event!https://youtu.be/56RwjgU-q9M

You might know him as The Fundraising Coach, the Founder of Concord Leadership Group, the author of Ask Without Fear, Fundraising Kick, or the brand new book, The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be . Or maybe you've seen and heard him speak at one of hundreds of nonprofit conferences over the last few years. I was honored and thrilled to sit down last week with Marc A. Pitman, CSP to have an insightful and in-depth conversation on nonprofit leadership.This is a 48-minute masterclass on leading well and dealing with key challenges our sector faces, including:How to live your values authentically as a leaderWhat it takes to build and grow a healthy culture in your nonprofitChallenging the status quo without damaging key relationships in your workplaceAddressing toxicity in the workplace and the damaging impact it has on your entire organizationTraits of high-performing leadersWhy nonprofits don't do succession planning well, and how to fix thatThe importance of strategic onboarding and training for volunteer board membersIf you enjoy this episode, don't forget to check out Marc's newest book too!   This episode of The Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast was brought to you by our friends at Virtuous. We're so excited to partner with them to promote the upcoming 2021 Responsive Fundraising Summit on April 14th and 15th. You can register for FREE today. You'll be front-row with world-class nonprofit and thought leaders, participate in hands-on, discussion-driven workshops, and build lasting connections with like-minded peers. Sign up today for this FREE event!https://youtu.be/56RwjgU-q9M

Bob Carter is Founder and Chairman at Carter Global, the leading global philanthropic consultancy serving nonprofits, international non-governmental organizations (INGO's), and ultra-high net worth philanthropists. Bob is personally an expert in the development of major and mega gift fundraising campaigns and philanthropic giving strategies for mega givers. Throughout his career, Bob has also served as chairperson of seven different nonprofit boards, giving him an incredibly broad understanding of the inner-workings of our sector. We recently sat down with Bob to talk about the state of philanthropy in 2021, and his perspective on what the future holds for our sector, including:What he's most encouraged and concerned by in our sector for the coming yearThe biggest opportunities on the horizon for nonprofits over the next five yearsHow data and technology are changing the philanthropic landscape for the futureThe potential impact of changes to donor privacy laws that are currently under consideration by the Supreme CourtBob's thoughts and guidance for new and emerging nonprofit leadersWhat we as fundraisers should know about philanthropic supporters -- particularly the differences between those who have created wealth vs. those who have inherited itChallenges to nonprofits of philanthropic investors who are willing and comfortable bypassing the traditional nonprofit ecosystem to create impact for a cause, and what nonprofits need to do to address this challengeThe role of boards in addressing complicated issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion, and other tough conversationsBob shares a wealth of valuable insights and perspectives in our brief conversation. Get your pen and notepad out, because this is like a free masterclass in philanthropic planning! If you want to lead your organization more effectively and help your team avoid costly mistakes that drain your organization of time, talent, and revenue, check out my Amazon #1 best-seller, 101 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make And how You Can Avoid Them. 

Dr. Charles Owubah is the visionary leader currently serving as CEO of Action Against Hunger. He's also a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council. We spoke recently about global leadership lessons, and you won't want to miss this conversation!In our discussion, Dr. Owubah shared key insights that any nonprofit leader or aspiring leader can learn from, including:The importance of leading with humility and integrityThe value of building leadership bench strength and succession capacity by leading by example with your senior teamHow bold vision and action can enhance your organization's impactThe role of an organization's brand in delivering mission impact and growing revenue -- and the CEO's role in shaping that brandHow a kidnapping in Darfur shaped his leadership philosophyI guarantee you'll find value in this inspirational and insightful conversation with Dr. Owubah.  If you want to lead your organization more effectively and help your team avoid costly mistakes that drain your organization of time, talent, and revenue, check out my Amazon #1 best-seller, 101 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make And how You Can Avoid Them.Transform your fundraising with Rainmaking: The Fundraiser’s Guide to Landing Big Gifts, the best-selling resource that has been used by more than 2,500 major gift leaders, chief development officers, and executive directors to raise over $150 million in the last decade.

Unless you live under a rock, you'll know that in 2020 the nonprofit sector saw HUGE increases in giving through Donor Advised Fund (DAF) giving accounts. There was an outpouring of generosity across the nation, and many donors with DAF giving accounts stepped up to make sure that organizations received critical funding when they needed it most.Watching this play out in 2020 got me thinking more and more about the growing importance of donor advised funds, the donors who control them, and how nonprofits can and should engage both with DAF account holders and the financial institutions that manage these accounts.That's why I was thrilled to recently get the chance to talk with Jennifer Risher.  Jen is a retired Microsoft executive, author of We Need to Talk: A Memoir on Wealth, and co-founder of the #HalfMyDAF movement. Jen and her husband David (CEO of Worldreader) founded the #HalfMyDAF movement in 2020 to incentivize donors who have DAF accounts to distribute more money from their giving accounts more quickly to make greater impact right now.Jen and I sat down to talk about why she and David launched the #HalfMyDAF movement, how nonprofits can and should engage with DAF donors, and what the role of financial institutions is in the DAF giving ecosystem. We also talk about the growing pool of matching funds that #HalfMyDAF is making available in 2021 to incentivize more DAF giving account holders to spend down at least 50% of their DAF holdings -- you won't want to miss this opportunity!Every nonprofit needs to be paying attention to donors who are giving through their DAF accounts. Jen and David Risher will be joining my friend Jack Doyle, President of Amergent (a Moore company) for a FREE webinar called #HalfMyDAF and the future of Donor Advised Funds on March 9 at 12pm Central Time (US and Canada). I invite you to join them for this free webinar that will provide a TON of value!

In this episode I talk with Burt Rosen, President & CEO at Knox Area Rescue Ministries about leading an organization over the long-term, and the most important aspects of leading well, including: The importance of taking a stand when you see something broken in your organizationEvery sound of the sail means something to the sailorNavigating the fears associated with making difficult calls as a leaderWhy integrity, trust, and transparency are the keys to long-term leadership successThe keys to successfully developing emerging leaders in your organization If you want to lead your organization more effectively and help your team avoid costly mistakes that drain your organization of time, talent, and revenue, check out my Amazon #1 best-seller, 101 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make And how You Can Avoid Them. Transform your fundraising with Rainmaking: The Fundraiser’s Guide to Landing Big Gifts, the best-selling resource that has been used by more than 2,500 major gift leaders, chief development officers, and executive directors to raise over $150 million in the last decade.

Alan Clayton is Chairman of Philanthropy and Fundraising International, and Director of Philanthropy and Fundraising North America. He's also a brilliant fundraiser.I had the absolute pleasure of visiting with Alan this past week to talk about great fundraising organizations...what makes them great, how they think and behave differently than other nonprofits, how they approach their brand differently from other organizations, and what other nonprofits need to do to become great in their own right. Alan gives us his in-depth assessment on:The biggest obstacle to great fundraising and growth for nonprofits (hint: it's probably not what you think)The process organizations and leaders need to follow to bring alignment internally that can prepare their organizations for transformational growthHow to know if your organization is prepared for a great fundraising transformationNavigating the complex maze of logic and emotion to bring about meaningful change in your organizationWhy the conflict over investment between fundraising and program budgets is short-sighted, and how you should think differently about itHow an organization's fundraising returns compare to stock market returns, and why CFO's should fully embrace fundraising investmentThe key decisions that growth-minded, successful nonprofits make that are different from the decisions that average nonprofits don't make   Alan and his team are hosting a fully ONLINE version of The Great Fundraising Masterclass from February 9 - February 12. If you like our podcast conversation and want to go deeper on this subject, sign up for this Masterclass today! Special thanks to our friends at 7-Figure Fundraising for sponsoring today’s episode! At 7-Figure Fundraising they teach fundraisers and nonprofit leaders how to craft and deliver fundraising pitches that consistently deliver more 6 and 7-figure gifts. Right now, they are offering a 5% discount on their live online training that begins on February 16, 2021. You can register here, and use the code RAINMAKER at check-out to get the discount.