Missions to Movements

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. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!

PR success can create a snowball effect for your nonprofit, ALL at once. But how do you do it?In this episode, I’m talking to former U.S. diplomat turned PR powerhouse Gloria Chou, who’s helped thousands of entrepreneurs and small organizations land over 10,000 media features without needing an agency, big budget, or insider contacts.Gloria shares why traditional PR is often gatekept and how you can break through using her "CPR Method" (Credibility, Point of View, and Relevance) to craft pitches that journalists actually want to open. You’ll learn how to find your nonprofit’s most compelling angles, leverage seasonal and cultural moments, and build a foundation for long-term visibility and impact.If you’ve ever thought your nonprofit was "too small" or "not newsworthy" enough, this conversation will change your mind.Resources & LinksConnect with Gloria on Instagram at @gloriachoupr and DM ‘DANA’ to grab her pitching freebie. You can also watch Gloria’s FREE masterclass.Grow your list of media contacts at Source of Sources and sign up for Google News Alerts. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!

If you’d like to check out Flodesk + get my 4-Part Email Welcome Series Workflow sign up with my link!What if your email marketing platform actually made you feel smarter instead of overwhelmed? Dawn Richardson, Product Education Manager at Flodesk, is here to help you redefine what’s possible in nonprofit email marketing (with ALL the segmenting and automations too!)Email personalization in 2025 is going way beyond just inserting a supporter’s name. Dawn introduces link actions, form preferences, and how to segment donors based on their actual behaviors and interests.Did we mention Flodesk can also support seamless integrations (hello, Canva and Zapier!) and unlimited subscribers and emails - all at a flat-rate price?! I’ve been using this platform for years and I have never wavered or wanted to make a switch.  FIVE nonprofits in my Monthly Giving Mastermind even made the switch to Flodesk on the spot and now have a much easier time sending eye-catching emails, boosting their email performance and donor loyalty.Resources & LinksLearn more about Flodesk and get 50% off your first year. You can also learn more on their YouTube channel and by joining the Flodesk Insiders Facebook Group. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!

If you're still manually sending thank you notes, chasing spreadsheets, or struggling to keep up with donor touch points, this episode could save you THOUSANDS of dollars.I’m talking with Rachel Bearbower, an absolute systems wizard and the founder of  Nonprofit Automation Agency, to break down how nonprofits can implement systems and automations that actually feel personal.Rachel walks us through some compelling case studies, including a monthly giving program that used customized workflows to segment donors by gift size and deliver messages that felt like they came straight from the Executive Director’s inbox. You’ll hear how my team used Zapier to automatically send scholarship applications from HubSpot to Google Sheets. The kicker? These automations helped scale communications to over 4,700 event registrants without sacrificing personalization!Plus, Rachel shares her “The One Minute Thank You” trick that lands pre-written, customizable drafts in your inbox the moment a donation comes through.Resources & LinksConnect with Rachel on LinkedIn or Instagram or book a demo. You can also learn more about Nonprofit Automation Agency on her website.Check out Rachel’s FREE Resources: 5 Ways to Automate Your Stewardship and Create a Remarkable Donor Experience. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!

Ariana Younai, the Head of LinkedIn for Nonprofits, discusses how to maximize fundraising and donor engagement using LinkedIn's Sales Navigator. With insights on leveraging advanced filters and buyer intent signals, she shares transformative strategies for reconnecting with lapsed donors and building strong corporate partnerships. Ariana highlights success stories, including how a second-degree connection led to a grant for 5,700 essential workers. She also offers practical advice and a limited-time access opportunity for nonprofits to enhance their outreach efforts.

Today’s episode is a peek behind the curtain of my recent virtual Monthly Giving Summit. The good, the surprising, and everything in between! With a team of 6 handling strategic planning and marketing, we ended up with 31 speakers and 4,693 registrants from 58 countries!I’ll share what we paid in speaker fees, the secrets behind our marketing approach, why simple, no-frills video ads work, and how a $2,500 investment in paid ads generated 26% of our total registrations at just $2.04 per registration.Plus, my combo of email marketing, influencer partnerships, speaker collabs, and strategic outreach that led to a 50% live show-up rate at the summit. If you’ve ever dreamed of hosting a virtual event that truly moves the needle, this episode is your blueprint. You don't need a massive operation to create meaningful impact — just a genuine desire to serve your community.Resources & LinksThank you to our amazing partners who made the Monthly Giving Summit possible: Givebutter, FundraiseUp, MissionWired, Tatango, iDonate, and DonorPerfect.I used LettrLabs to send thank you notes to speakers. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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 LinkedIn video uploads have increased by 34% year over year?! If your nonprofit isn’t leveraging video on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to connect with potential donors and advocates. In this episode, I’m sharing a replay of a recent livestream I co-hosted about the power of LinkedIn video with Scott Rising, Senior Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn. We cover why it’s the FASTEST growing content format on the platform and how nonprofits can use it as a catalyst for building relationships. Of course, we get into the nitty gritty of optimal video length, formats, and scripting the most powerful hooks, too.Learn the best video tools like Canva (which is free for nonprofits!) and how to repurpose blog posts, webinars, and newsletters into engaging video stories. I’ll also explain why you don’t need a professional production team to create impactful LinkedIn videos. Sometimes, all it takes is your phone, a $20 microphone, and a smart content plan to generate over a million impressions!P.S. Want to watch the replay live? Here is the LinkedIn Live video.Resources & LinksConnect with Scott on LinkedIn.Check out these recommended tools for making videos: Canva for Nonprofits, InShot, and CapCut.If you're interested in incorporating text messaging with 99% open rates into your donor engagement strategy, join me and the team at Tatango for a FREE webinar on March 26th at 1:30pm ET. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!

Today, I'm sharing something I normally reserve for my paid mastermind clients: a ready-to-implement, 4-part email welcome series designed specifically for monthly donors. Even better? It’s built in Flodesk so you can download and customize it immediately for your organization!When you’re capturing new monthly donors, are you missing a crucial opportunity to take them through a well-timed sequence?I’ll break down the four strategically timed emails that I recommend sending: an immediate thank you, a personal message from leadership, an impact story that demonstrates their support in action, and a 1-month anniversary celebration. Each message serves a beautiful purpose in strengthening donor connection.And using Zapier, you can seamlessly connect this entire sequence with popular donation platforms like Givebutter, FundraiseUp, Classy, and iDonate. Your monthly donors are the backbone of sustainable funding - I can’t wait to see how you use these email templates. Click HERE to download them for FREE.Resources & LinksDownload my FREE 4-part Monthly Giving Email Welcome Series templates here. And if you need implementation support, book a VIP Intensive with me.If you're interested in incorporating text messaging with 99% open rates into your donor engagement strategy, join me and the team at Tatango for a FREE webinar on March 26th at 1:30pm ET.Try out my favorite email marketing software, Flodesk, and get 50% off your first year!  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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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 a nonprofit and a major beauty brand come together to change the narrative on the deeply ingrained biases surrounding facial differences? You’re about to learn how a BOLD vision turned a dream collaboration with Sephora UK into reality with Phyllida Swift, CEO of Face Equality International. Phyllida starts by sharing her incredible story of resilience and strength after a car accident. The important work she does today stands at a unique intersection of human rights, disability policy, and representation.Phyllida breaks down the Face Equality International ambassador program, how they attracted creators like British YouTuber Nikki Lilly, the challenges of navigating tokenism in brand partnerships, and how nonprofits can leverage creators to amplify their mission, too.Then we dig into Phyllida’s favorite takeaways from their powerful “My Face Is a Masterpiece” campaign with Sephora UK, which included in-store events and training initiatives for beauty professionals, creating a beautiful conversation around beauty and identity. Resources & LinksLearn more about Face Equality International on their website and Instagram, and connect with Phyllida on LinkedIn. Phyllida also references the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower. 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. Launch the interactive demo here and experience how a well-timed form captures donors in the moment they care most. 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!