Real Talk for Real Fundraisers

In this insightful discussion, Debi Dunham, Client Experience Leader at Veritus, joins hosts to unpack critical strategies for fall and year-end fundraising. She emphasizes the importance of planning touchpoints with donors to stand out amidst holiday noise. The conversation also covers adapting communication techniques for different donor behaviors and re-engaging lapsed supporters through storytelling. Listeners will gain practical tips on maximizing year-end contributions and building lasting relationships for effective fundraising.

Join Debi Dunham, Client Experience Leader at Veritas Group, as she unpacks the art of Permission-Based Asking™ in fundraising. With over a decade of experience, Debi shares real-life stories illustrating how this approach fosters authentic donor conversations. Learn strategies for improving your asking skills, how to celebrate donor impact, and the benefits of offering a menu of giving options. Discover how respectful, collaborative dialogue can lead to increased donor trust and even larger gifts.

Did you know that Veritus Group is an international consulting agency, with offices in the UK & Europe (in addition to our US & Canada team)? We often get questions about how The Veritus Way works in different cultural settings, so we wanted to spend some time sharing about our work with international clients and highlighting what’s been working well for them.    In this episode, Jeff is joined by Sara Di Lullo, Director of Client Engagement for Veritus UK and Europe, along with Karen Kendrick, Senior Director of Client Engagement for Veritus Group in the U.S. and Canada. Tune in to hear Sara and Karen share how our clients are taking a relational approach to major gifts in an international context.     Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   Some of the concerns we hear most often from leaders or fundraisers who aren’t sure if The Veritus Way will work for them  The challenges to implementing a culture shift and adopting a strong major gifts strategy  How our approach has been working for our international clients 

Veritus Group was incredibly honored to be the Presenting Sponsor for the AADO Conference in 2024.    AADO (African American Development Officers Network) is a network of more than 3,500 fundraising professionals of color. Their annual conference is the premier event for fundraising, development, and operations professionals of color, and their allies.     During the conference, our team sat down with several AADO leaders and conference presenters to talk about the projects they’re working on and the path toward racial justice in the non-profit sector.    Our guests on this episode are Birgit Burton, Chief Executive Officer of AADO; Nneka Allen, Founder of The Empathy Agency; and Christopher Beck, Senior Advisor for Principal Gifts and Inclusive Philanthropy at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.     We were so inspired by this conversation and hope you’ll come away feeling encouraged by the insights shared and the progress toward racial justice in our sector. Thanks for listening!    Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   The journey toward racial justice in the non-profit sector  Progress made and current initiatives to support people of color in the fundraising community  What it looks like to create a space where people can bring their authentic selves to their work in philanthropy 

Over the past two decades, our team at Veritus has analyzed hundreds of different non-profits’ data files, and we see the same trends over and over again. While overall revenue may go up year-over-year, many donors give less over time (or go away altogether). But organizations are often unaware this is happening because the loss is covered up by gifts from new donors.   So, what can you do about this? The first thing to do is start analyzing your donor file so you can understand where you have opportunities. For today’s episode, Jeff is joined by Theresa Tapocsi (Client Experience Leader) and Amy Chapman (Director of Client Engagement) for a conversation about how we perform our free donor file assessment to identify the hidden potential in your donor file.   The sooner you understand what’s happening in your data, the sooner you can take action. We hope this episode helps you think about your next steps in analyzing your donor data for opportunities to better engage your donors.  Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   The data points Veritus looks at in our free Donor File Assessment and where organizations have the greatest opportunities to improve their fundraising programs  How we use historical performance to determine a 5-year forecast for your organization  Common reasons why non-profits reach out to Veritus for our free, no-obligations assessment of their donor file  Tips for anyone looking to start analyzing their own donor data in this way 

As a fundraiser, you play two roles in any donor meeting. First, you’re there to be a partner to your donor, which means you’re seeking to learn more about their passions so you can help to match those with your organization’s programs.     And your second role is to act as a facilitator so that everyone is on the same page about the purpose of the meeting and leaves feeling like their time was well-used. This is a real skill that requires some practice.     In this podcast episode, Karen and Matt share their top tips for how fundraisers can successfully facilitate a donor meeting using our Permission-Based Asking™ model.    Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   Some common challenges fundraisers have around meeting facilitation  An overview of our Permission-Based Asking™ model  Our team’s top tips for facilitating an effective meeting with a donor 

Becca Burgess, VP of Client Services at Moore, and Kara Ansotegui, Senior Director of Leadership Annual Giving at the American Cancer Society, discuss the critical collaboration between mid-level and direct response fundraising. They explore the differences in engagement tactics and highlight barriers to effective coordination. Listeners will learn creative strategies for aligning fundraising teams and enhancing donor relationships at every level. The conversation reveals how collaboration can lead to stronger donor pipelines and ultimately, greater success in fundraising.

Many non-profit leaders rely on metrics because it’s easier than sitting down with their frontline fundraisers each week and helping them stay focused and accountable to their strategic plan. But when your fundraising performance metrics are not aligned with building meaningful relationships with your donors, it can cause a whole host of problems.  What are the metrics that really matter in fundraising, and how can managers best support their teams to stay on track with those key performance goals?  In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by Matt and Debi for a conversation about the metrics that truly matter for your fundraising success and how we approach these metrics in our coaching work with fundraisers.  Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   The difference between managed metrics (meaningful connections, cash flowed revenue goal, etc.) versus unmanaged metrics (visits, phone calls, emails)  How we define and measure meaningful connections  Our advice to leaders for how to provide fundraisers with coaching and accountability around the metrics that matter 

Many fundraisers aren’t starting their caseloads from scratch – they’re inheriting a donor caseload that was previously managed by someone else. Whether you’re a new hire, or you’re moving into a new role within the same organization and taking on a new caseload, this transition can be complicated.   How do you introduce yourself to these donors who already know your organization, but not you?   In this episode, Matt Gill and Diana Frazier offer steps you can take to help you navigate this transition depending on the specifics of your situation. We hope these tips will help you feel more confident about stepping into your new role in a way that honors the donor and strengthens their connection to your organization!  Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…   What to do based on the different scenarios in which you might be inheriting a caseload (starting at a new organization, or moving into a new role at your current organization, or redistributing caseloads) Protocols for introducing yourself to donors and where to use warm hand-offs from a previous caseload manager  Tips for leadership on how to support fundraisers who are taking on a new portfolio 

Is your organization set up to support the donor journey? What structures do you have in place to develop your donor relationships from initial acquisition to cultivation, mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving? These are some of the questions you need to consider as you work to build a healthy donor pipeline. In this episode, Richard and Jeff discuss five key focus areas for organizations seeking to improve their donor’s experience at every stage of their giving journey.   Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… Why you need everyone in the organization to embrace a culture of philanthropy The different stages of a donor’s journey with your organization and how to support them as the relationship progresses Balancing your investments across in every stage of the donor journey Creating offers that will inspire donors and deepen their commitment to your organization