The Build Good Fundraising Podcast

Send us a textWhat compels donors to say yes? That’s the question most nonprofit fundraisers and marketers are trying to find answers for. Because understanding how people make decisions is a key part in making our fundraising more effective. We've talked about how behavioural economics can help your fundraising on this podcast before, but many of you said this was a topic you wanted to know more about. So, today's guest is Nate Andorsky, the CEO of Creative Science — a digital agency that applies behavioural economics and technology to help mission-driven organizations grow their impact in the world.Nate uses donor psychology and big data to get a better understanding of how donors behave. He wrote Decoding the Why, which has a wealth of nonprofit examples of his research. Today, Nate is going to walk us through five essential theories you can apply in your fundraising today. Listen along to hear five tested and proven principles that come out of the field of behavioural economics and have the power to compel more people to say yes.  Today we’ll cover:[4:43] - The difference between system 1 and system 2 thinking[7:35] - Shortcut #1: The Affect Heuristic[9:23] - What a sludge is                    [9:57] - How to present data without taking away its emotional power         [14:07] - Shortcut #2: The Ambiguity Aversion          [18:44] - Shortcut #3: The Certainty Effect    [23:28] - Shortcut #4: The Closeness Effect  [33:24] - Being careful with stereotypes         [36:10] - Shortcut #5: Framing           [41:34] - Nate’s encouragement for nonprofit marketers, leaders, and fundraisers              Get connected:Nate would love to connect with you. You can find him on Linkedin or email him at nate@creativescience.co. You can find out more about the work he does at creativescience.co and get his book Decoding the Why on Amazon.Please consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing the BuildGood Podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. To take advantage of our free resources and get your 5-minute fundraising fix, visit: fiveminutefundraisingfix.com

Send us a textWe  all struggle with productivity.There are so many distractions and interruptions that kill our productivity — emails, Slack messages, calendar notifications, text and social media alerts. And it seems like the more successful our nonprofit and career becomes, the harder it is to get things done. Today on the podcast, we're talking to Rachel Bearbower who thinks about productivity a lot.Rachel works specifically with small-shop CEOs and fundraisers. These are people who wear multiple hats at all times, whose work is not always focused, and who get pulled in a thousand different directions every day. Maybe you can relate.Rachel is the founder of Small Shops Strategies, where she helps fundraisers deal with the overwhelm by creating repeatable systems and processes. Today, Rachel is going to share 7 productivity hacks that can help all of us become more productive at work, feel less anxiety, get more done and have more peace of mind. Today we’ll cover:[4:35] - Why Rachel prefers working with small shops  [7:48] - Productivity Hack #1 - Turn off all notifications[13:30] - Productivity Hack #2 - Start your day with a clean workspace [16:00] - Productivity Hack #3 - Brain Dump all your To-Do’s[17:50] - Productivity Hack #4 Determine the order you want to get things done[24:10] - Productivity Hack #5 - Do the hardest thing first    [25:42] - Productivity Hack #6 - Set a timer               [28:30] - Productivity Hack #7 - Create clear goals and write them down    [33:00] - The Power of Consistency     [37:04] - Rachel's encouragement for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and marketers Get connected:Rachel would love to connect with you on Instagram. You can also find more information about her membership program, Productive Executive Director, at smallshopstrategies.com/beproductivePlease consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing The Build Good Podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. To take advantage of our free resources and get your 5-minute fundraising fix, visit fiveminutefundraisingfix.com

Send us a textDo you know how many of the people that visit the donation page on your website actually end up making a gift? If you're like most nonprofits, the answer may shock you. The industry average conversion rate on donation pages is as low 4%. That means we are failing 96% of potential donors who visit our donation page.It also means we're losing valuable donors who might otherwise be willing to give to our cause, but for some reason are driven away or don't take action. Today's guest is on a mission to change that. Tim Kachuriak is the founder and chief innovation and optimization officer at NextAfter — a fundraising research lab and consulting firm that works with nonprofits and NGOs to help them grow their digital fundraising.In our chat, Tim walk through what an ideal donation page looks like top to bottom — based on extensive research, testing, and optimizing with some of the biggest nonprofits out there. So pull up your donation page and take notes, because Tim is going to share tested tactics to reduce friction for your donors and increase conversions from people who come to your donation page. Chances are, your donation page can use some improvement. And if you don't optimize it, you are leaving money on the table. Today we’ll cover:[3:32] - Good Friction vs. Bad Friction[5:30] - The #1 mistake made on most donation pages[8:37] - What you should see at the top of your donation page[13:18] - How to craft the copy before the giving form[18:27] - How video performs vs. copy on these pages[20:25] - Making the giving form conversational[25:40] - How to effectively offer a monthly donation [28:45] - What information we should be asking for from the donor[31:00] - Communicating trustworthiness during the payment process[39:02] - Should you include a verification page? [41:17] - Tim’s encouragement for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and marketers  Get connected:If you’re looking for more information and resources to optimize your fundraising efforts, you can find them at nextafter.com. You can also find their free donation page template here.Please consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing the Build Good Podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. To take advantage of our free resources and get your 5-minute fundraising fix, visit:fiveminutefundraisingfix.com

Send us a textToday's guest was fundamental in shifting my thinking about fundraising after I read his book, Emotionraising, a few years ago. The book used evidence and research from neuroscience, behavioural economics, marketing and fundraising to understand how people go from simply being aware of a cause to actually taking action by donating or volunteering.It validated much of what smart fundraisers had been saying for a long time: We need to embrace the emotional part of the brain. We need to embrace the fact that human beings are highly emotional creatures — including in their giving. The author of that book, and today’s guest, is Francesco Ambrogetti. Francesco is a senior leader in fundraising and marketing at UNICEF. He has over 20 years of international fundraising experience with UNICEF and with other UN bodies in Geneva, Bangkok, and Panama. He has advised organizations like The World Bank, WWF, Doctors Without Borders, and The Red Cross. His new book — Hooked on a Feeling: How Passion and Devotion For Good Causes Become Memory and Identity — is all about keeping that emotional flame alive after someone makes their first and second donation to your cause. It’s about cultivating loyalty and commitment — and helping first-time givers become ongoing supporters.  Today we’ll cover:[4:12] - What role our emotions play in life and decision-making [8:10] - The 6 emotions that drive our decision making[15:00] - If we take advantage of people when we try to create an emotional experience[18:57] - How avoiding emotions betrays our donors[21:00] - If first-time donors remember the organizations they’ve given to [23:15] - Mike's experience with an organization after a mystery shopping donation[26:30] - How emotions become a part of someone’s memory and identity[32:56] - A surprising thing that creates customer loyalty [34:28] - What you can do to implement these concepts in your organization [41:21] - Francesco’s encouragement for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and marketersYou can connect with Francesco on Linkedin. You can also learn more about what he’s doing by finding his new book, Hooked on a Feeling, and his video series The Good Suspended.Please consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing The Build Good Podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. Sign up for the FREE 5-Minute Fundraising Fix video series and become a smarter fundraiser today: fiveminutefundraisingfix.com

Send us a textBuilding a successful nonprofit is about relationships. The people we hire on our team, and the volunteers we work with, are not cogs in a wheel. They are human beings who bring their humanity to work: their dreams,  passions, insecurities, fears, and concerns. If we want to build a fundraising engine to sustain our mission, we need to start by building a healthy team, including a healthy us. We need to understand ourselves, and those around us.Because building better relationships with our team has a direct impact on the bottom line. One tool we can use to understand ourselves and our team is the Enneagram — a personality framework that helps us understand how different people cope with the world, and how they manage their own fears.On today's show, Marc Pitman is going to walk us through each of the nine types of theEnneagram. Mark also gets into how understanding the Enneagram can actually help youbecome a stronger, more empathetic leader. And yes, raise more money. Mark is a renowned author, an international leadership and fundraising coach. As founder of the Concord Leadership Group, he just released a book called The Surprising Gift of Doubt - How To Use Uncertainty To Become The Exceptional Leader You're Meant To Be.Today we’ll cover:[3:47] - What the Enneagram is and how it is different from other personality assessments[6:40] - Why the Enneagram matters for your organization[10:45] - Enneagram Type 1 - The Reformer[14:15] - Enneagram Type 2 - The Caregiver or The Pleaser[18:00] - Enneagram Type 3 - The Achiever[22:02] - Enneagram Type 4 - The Artist or Individualist[25:56] - Enneagram Type 5 - The investigator[32:51] - Enneagram Type 6 - The Loyalist[38:05] - Enneagram Type 7 - The Enthusiast[46:18] - Enneagram Type 8 - The Challenger[52:02] - Enneagram Type 9 - The Peacemaker[56:20] - Marc’s encouragement for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and marketersMarc would love to connect with you. You can find him on social media or by visiting theConcord Leadership Group’s website, as well as fundraisingcoach.com or The NonprofitAcademy.Become a smarter fundraiser with a FREE video mini-course at fiveminutefundraisingfix.com.

Send us a textEmail fundraising is one of the easiest ways you can build a deep and lasting relationship with your donors. And it remains one of the most cost-effective tools you can use to increase donor loyalty and revenue.But most organizations struggle to acquire email addresses from donors or potential donors. And many don't have a clear strategy on how to turn leads into donors. One of the simplest ways to increase new donor engagement is to create an automated email welcome series that runs in the background.And today on the podcast, John J. Walsh is going to show us how he and his team have created two very successful email welcome series we can all learn from.John is the email marketing manager at a large Christian organization, where he's in charge of sending out millions of emails every single month.Listen along today as we hear how John tests, tweaks and optimizes his email campaigns with confidence.Today we’ll cover:[3:16] - What it looks like to looks like to be the Email Marketing Manager at a large organization[5:01] - How John’s organization acquires new email addresses[8:00] - John’s 5-email Welcome series: Email #1[11:55] - What the rest of their welcome series looks like[16:10] - How they craft their first offer[20:20] - The conversion rates on their first ask[22:56] - What happens to the people who don’t give after the series is over[26:02] - John talks about the New Donor email series[32:00] - Moving donors from first time givers to monthly donors[37:23] - Why an email series is such a powerful tool for your nonprofit[38:39] - John’s encouragement for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers and marketersResources mentioned:Ask Method by Ryan LevesquePlease consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing The Build Good Podcast on your preferredplatform. To take advantage of our free resources and get your 5-minute fundraising fix, visit www.fiveminutefundraisingfix.com.

Send us a textDo you have a fundraising plan for 2021? Do you have a roadmap for how you will fund your mission during the next 12 months — and beyond?The simple act of developing a fundraising and development plan will already make you more likely to succeed, according to a new study co-authored by today's guest.But beyond just having plan, there are 4 main factors that influence just how successful your fundraising will be.Today we're talking to Barbara O’Reilly, president of Windmill Hill Consulting. She recently teamed up with the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy to study the difference a fundraising plan can make.During the study, Barbara noticed common traits every successful nonprofit has in common. We are lucky to have her with us to learn the 4 factors that influence fundraising success.Today we’ll cover:[4:06] - Did the study find that having a plan leads to better fundraising outcomes?[5:53] - What a fundraising plan is[10:54] - Factor #1 - a fundraising culture. What does it mean to have a fundraising culture?[15:30] - How to get the whole organization to adopt a philanthropic mindset[20:15] - Factor #2 - data-informed planning[23:20] - Using data to adjust your fundraising plan[26:16] - Factor #3 - Commitment to the plan[28:38] - Can you take advantage of unforeseen opportunities and stay committed to your plan?[35:28] - Factor #4 - Senior Leadership and Board Involvement[37:40] - 2 non-negotiable requirements for board members[44:15] - Barbara’s encouragement for nonprofit leadersBarbara would love to connect with you. You can find information about her at her website:whillconsulting.com.  You can also access the study here: https://www.whillconsulting.com/development-planning-research-report For your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card, take less than 3 minutes to fill out the survey to make this podcast even better: https://www.buildgood.org/survey 

Send us a textIn the last podcast of the year, we take a look at 3 things nonprofit leaders should do more of in the New Year to grow the value of their donor file.They don’t require you to completely change the way you do things. In most cases, they simply require you to prioritize your time and resources in a slightly different way. You might be weary and worn out from this year. Some of you lived through layoffs and budget cuts. You lived through having to keep the doors of your nonprofit open to help those who rely on you — all while struggling to raise funds in a way you’ve never had to before. But take heart. You've made it. So allow yourself a moment to feel proud about what you’ve achieved. And allow yourself a moment to just breathe and rest up a bit.Then start making a plan on how you can implement these 3 things in 2021 to raise more money, from more donors, more often. For your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card, take less than 3 minutes to fill out the survey to make this podcast even better: https://www.buildgood.org/surveyFor your chance to win another $50 Amazon gift card, rate and review the show in Apple Podcasts. Then send a screenshot of your review to mike@buildgood.org.

Send us a textOn a special Christmas edition of the podcast, we are getting a behind the scenes look at how an independent artist raises funds to support their mission. Today we’re talking with Steve Bell. Steve is a singer-songwriter, author, and speaker. He has been sharing his music and message for almost 30 years across Canada, the US and beyond. Steve has a two-sided business model. He tours and sells music — but he also raises funds and relies on philanthropy. Over the years, Steve has built a broad base of donors by giving people a chance to support his mission in a meaningful way.This is one of the more insightful fundraising chats I’ve had in a long time. We get into the philosophy and mindset of fundraising: giving someone an opportunity to be a part of, and sharing in, the work we do.Today we’ll cover:[3:25] - Getting to know Steve as an artist, author, and mission-driven fundraiser[9:16] - How Steve maintains an active relationship with his audience[11:46] - How to grow a donor base while doing what you care about[18:43] - The currency of music[16:55] - Steve’s explains his pre-COVID marketing strategies and revenue streams[25:20] - Mike and Steve talk about advent; Steve performs, “The Magnificat”[31:20] - What Steve has done to adjust to fundraising during COVID-19[37:50] - What losing live events has meant for Steve’s business[37:30] - There is so shortcut to great fundraising  [45:30] - Steve performs the title track of his new album, “Wouldn’t You Love to Know”[49:34] - Steve’s parting thoughts for nonprofit leadersResources mentioned:A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen“A Hunkered Down Christmas” by Steve Bell7-book series “Pilgrim Year” by Steve BellSteve Bell’s newest release “Wouldn’t You Love to Know”Get connected:Steve would love to connect with you. You can find information about him at his website: stevebell.com Please consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing the podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. To take advantage of our FREE resources and get your 5-Minute Fundraising Fix, visit:fiveminutefundraisingfix.com

Send us a textA lot of direct response fundraising advice focuses on creating effective strategies, messages and donor journeys — but we rarely talk about the design of our fundraising. In fact, many organizations outsource the design of their fundraising to graphic designers who know a lot about how to make things look pretty, but know nothing about fundraising or how donors make decisions. The truth is, good fundraising design is less about how something looks, and more about how something works. To help us design fundraising materials and assets that get results, we’re talking with John Lepp from Agents of Good. John is a direct response marketing and design expert with over 20 years of experience working with charities across Canada and around the world. In our chat, we focus on how you can use design to best present and support your fundraising messages for maximum effect.Today we’ll cover:[6:22] The objective of design in fundraising[9:43] What does a great outer envelope look like?[13:01] The best direct mail pack Mike has ever received[14:01] How donors read your letters[16:55] What to do and what to avoid in a letter[24:27] Giving donors an opportunity to share[28:07] What’s more important: your brand guide or personal connection?[32:56] What a good reply form needs[37:30] Always add another piece to your mail[40:43] John’s encouragement for nonprofit leadersJohn would love to connect with you. You can find him on Twitter or on the Agents of Good website.Please consider subscribing to, rating, or sharing the podcast on your preferred platform. You can do that by clicking here. To take advantage of our free resources and get your 5-minute fundraising fix, visit:fiveminutefundraisingfix.com