Missions to Movements

Redefining productivity (and actually slowing down) might be the KEY to preventing burnout in the nonprofit world. Author, coach, and leadership expert Kishshana Palmer is joining me to break down what it really takes to do less, better, especially during your busiest fundraising seasons. From her "RETHINK Method", which starts by challenging what productivity actually means - to embracing boundaries, joy, and rest as strategic advantages, Kishshana unpacks the pressures nonprofit professionals face and all the ways we can lead with intention instead of urgency. Burnout is NOT a badge of honor and shifting your energy can unlock more impact than overwork ever could.You’ll also learn how to build a trustworthy team, cultivate a support circle that challenges your thinking, and reframe self-care as a responsibility (not a luxury). Kishshana’s insights are especially timely for leaders navigating year-end fundraising, donor engagement, and the never-ending to-do list!Resources & LinksConnect with Kishshana on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram and TikTok. You can also order her book, Busy Is a Four-Letter Word: A Guide to Achieving More by Doing Less.The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

I'm sharing five website tweaks I've discovered while working with eight organizations through VIP intensives since March. These simple changes can transform your website into a catalyst for evergreen monthly giving growth, even during the summer fundraising slump.Book your VIP Intensive here.• Make your homepage message unmistakably clear - ensure visitors immediately understand what you do, who you serve, and why it matters• Create a dedicated monthly giving landing page that explains your program, builds community, and makes recurring support a no-brainer• Add strategic pop-ups to your top five most-visited pages with urgent, emotional language specific to your cause• Make your email signup irresistible by replacing generic "join our newsletter" language with compelling, mission-aligned messaging• Clean out subscribers who haven't opened emails in 60+ days to improve deliverability and focus on truly engaged supportersDon't buy into the myth of summer fundraising slumps! Giving Tuesday's Data Commons team reports consumer spending actually spikes during summer months, representing a potential 25% increase in giving worth $22.5 billion annually. Make your website work for you while you're on vacation!If today's tips helped, send me a DM on Instagram or a quick note on LinkedIn to let me know what you're implementing.The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

What if your next major donor or corporate partner is already in your LinkedIn inbox, and all you need is the right message to start the conversation? Carson Heady is someone who's truly mastered the art of showing up online with purpose. He's a five times best selling author, podcast host, and one of the most insightful voices on social leadership. As the Managing Director at Microsoft Tech for Social Impact, Carson is here to share how nonprofit professionals can borrow proven strategies from the sales world to build genuine relationships, increase visibility, and spark fundraising opportunities - ALL through LinkedIn.Thoughtful DMs are outperforming long emails! You’ll learn how to send better connection requests, strategies for leveraging Sales Navigator for donor prospecting, and how to use the platform as a relationship engine rather than just a digital resume.You’ll also hear how Carson personally raised $80,000 for a nonprofit through a targeted LinkedIn campaign and why he believes nonprofit leaders should embrace the title of "social fundraiser."Resources & LinksConnect with Carson on LinkedIn and check out his podcast, Mastering Modern Selling. He also published a great article on LinkedIn, How I Became the #1 Social Seller in Tech - and How You Can Too.Carson recommends Opus as his favorite AI video clipping tool. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Would you believe it if I told you that texting is now one of Boys Town’s TOP revenue generating channels? Text messaging isn’t just for appointment reminders. It’s becoming one of the fastest and most effective ways nonprofits can deepen donor relationships. In this episode, I’m talking to Jasonea Shockey, Director of Digital Marketing at Boys Town, to share how her team launched their successful SMS strategy from scratch. With no new hires, they repurposed email content, added emojis, and saw sky-high engagement - think 98–99% open rates!Jasonea walks us through how they leveraged their existing donor list, balanced MMS vs. SMS campaigns, crafted welcome flows, and learned from benchmarks around timing and frequency to improve performance. Even with an aging donor base (average age: early 80s), they found surprisingly strong engagement through mobile.Whether you’re working with a small team or wondering how to stay visible as email privacy rules evolve, this episode offers a clear case for why SMS belongs in your nonprofit's toolkit.P.S. Text DANA to 770-230-8422 to join my texting program.Resources & LinksConnect with Jasonea on LinkedIn and learn more about Boys Town on their website. Check out Tatango, the#1 SMS software for nonprofit fundraising.Text the word JOIN to 51550 to join the Boys Town texting program. You can also text DANA to 770-230-8422 to see my own experiment with this. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Katherine Lacefield is taking us behind the scenes of growing a monthly giving program from absolute zero to 2,000 committed donors in just FIVE years, all through grassroots efforts.You’ll hear exactly how Katherine and her team used face-to-face canvassing and phone fundraising (NOT flashy ad campaigns or pricey agency consultants!) to spark long-term donor relationships. These are scrappy, creative tactics that built a high-retention recurring giving engine, all done in-house.We also dive deep into messaging strategies (like the “3 Ps” of monthly giving: proactive, project-based, and political power), why stewardship starts on day one, and how organizations can reframe their energy around fundraising.As the founder of Just Be Cause Consulting, Katherine has truly done it all in the fundraising world: major gifts, peer to peer campaigns, grants and my favorite topic, monthly giving. I can’t wait for you to tune in for this honest and refreshing conversation.Resources & LinksConnect with Katherine on LinkedIn and learn more about her consultancy, Just Be Cause. Katherine also has a podcast that explores the causes that shape our world. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

This week, we are honoring Pride Month with a powerful conversation about storytelling, community, and the impact of showing up - not just for a moment, but month after month. At the center of this episode is Kate Anderson, Community Philanthropy Manager of Sustainers, who offers us an inside look at how The Trevor Project is building a movement of lifelong allies and deepening relationships with their recurring donors.You’ll hear about the behind-the-scenes tactics they’re using to drive 40-50% open rates, their high-retention onboarding strategies, data-driven storytelling, and interactive Pride kickoff webinar. Even the smallest tweaks (like a single line of text on a donation form), led to a DOUBLING in their monthly donor acquisition. As a leading LGBTQ+ nonprofit, The Trevor Project does a fantastic job of treating sustainers as advocates, and if you’re tuning in, you’ll be inspired to start showing up differently for your most committed supporters.Resources & LinksConnect with Kate Anderson on LinkedIn and learn more about The Trevor Project on their website, as well as their Pride campaign. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Building resilient nonprofit teams has never been more crucial. Today I’m bringing you an enlightening conversation recorded LIVE at LinkedIn’s 2025 Nonprofit Talent Impact Summit in D.C.You’ll hear from Betsy DiMalanta from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr. Luisa Boyarski from Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership about what it actually takes to develop effective teams that can weather uncertainty and how to navigate today's complex talent environment. If you’re a nonprofit leader, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas on hiring, retaining, and developing talent in the world of AI. Plus, you’ll hear Betsy and Luisa’s three critical pillars for leading through change: communication, co-creation that empowers team members, and clarity around mission.Listen now to transform how your organization can approach talent development in uncertain times and don’t miss the 2025 LinkedIn Nonprofit Talent Report.Resources & LinksConnect with Betsy DiMalanta and Dr. Luisa Boyarski on LinkedIn and check out the 2025 LinkedIn Nonprofit Talent Report.Learn more about Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership and download their AI Readiness Toolkit for Nonprofits. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

What happens when FIVE nonprofit leaders overcome their fear of asking for monthly donations? Transformation. Growth. Sustainability.Today’s episode is an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the final support call of my Monthly Giving Mastermind.The Campers, The Plenty, The Advocates, The Circle, and The Cultivators reflect on their launch journeys, their biggest mindset shifts, how they leveraged their boards, and the strategies that are already helping them attract and retain monthly donors.You’ll hear firsthand how FundraiseUp, Flodesk, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator all played a role in simplifying their tech stack, personalizing and segmenting their audiences, and building stronger donor relationships.Plus, Dana and the group discuss the underestimated power of asking current donors to invite a friend or updating automated thank-you emails to create meaningful momentum.This was such a fun round working with these organizations, and so I wanted you to hear how we wrap, and the discussion and the support for one another, and my desire and what I'm planP.S. I'll be bringing these organizations back in 6-8 months to share their continued progress! If you want to apply for the next round, click here.Resources & LinksCheck out the featured giving programs from this episode: Camp Cocker Rescue (The Campers), Community Mindfulness Project (The Circle), Picnic Project (The Plenty), Green Arrow CoLab (The Cultivators), and Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood (The Advocates). The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Monthly Giving Week is here! So how do you grow a recurring donor program from a trickle to over 5,200 committed supporters? In this powerful episode, Ashlyn Jones, the force behind Houston Food Bank’s “Faithful Friends” program, shares how the organization invested in a full-time sustainer role. AND, why having someone solely focused on nurturing monthly givers has been a game changer for retention and revenue.Ashlyn walks us through how emergencies, storytelling, and strategic touchpoints helped build long-term donor loyalty. She dives into the campaigns and platforms they’ve used, including paid social ads, telefunding, and stewardship emails - and how simple things like phone calls and handwritten notes have moved the needle on retention.One of the most inspiring takeaways? Ashlyn’s approach to storytelling and writing in a way that donors feel their impact immediately, leading to an increase in their monthly gifts. This episode is jam-packed with actionable advice for nonprofits ready to build a loyal base of recurring donors.Resources & LinksConnect with Ashlyn on LinkedIn and learn more about the Houston Food Bank on their website. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Did you know that only 3% of charitable giving in the U.S. happens on a recurring basis, and moving that needle to just 5% could unlock $9 BILLION in annual funding for nonprofits?!Today I’m sharing my keynote from the 2025 Monthly Giving Summit and pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to stop treating recurring giving like a side hustle. It’s time to make it the main event!Sustainable, predictable revenue doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when we lead with intention, ask boldly, and invite people into something bigger than a one-time gift. And it starts with ONE powerful question: Do you have the habit of asking?Throughout my talk, you’ll hear personal stories, industry-shifting data, and tactical strategies to help you build (or scale) a thriving monthly giving program. You’ll walk away with ideas you can implement today (not next year!), to transform how you position recurring support, activate your donors, and build a future where sustainable giving becomes the norm.Resources & LinksWant to see more of the 2025 Monthly Giving Summit? Click here for the YouTube Playlist of all the sessions.Check out Episode 142 to hear Blythe Hill from Dressember unpack their merger and acquisition journey with IJM. The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE! This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action. Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!