

Nonprofit Lowdown
Rhea Wong
This is Nonprofit Lowdown where I review and recommend the best ideas, resources, tools, tricks and tips to run your nonprofit like a pro!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 10, 2022 • 41min
#167-DIY PR with Rebekah Epstein
Let's face it: PR and marketing are the first to get cut in a budget. And yet, you're still the best kept secret in your city? What gives? Rebekah walks us through actionable strategies and tips for small nonprofits on a tight budget and even tighter labor market. You can't afford NOT to let the media know about your work, and Rebekah shows us how to do it ourselves.
For more about Rebekah, visit: www.fifteen-media.com/

Jan 3, 2022 • 37min
#166-Get $$$ Through Tax Credits with Chitra Ayar
Happy 2022 y'all. This pod is here to help you start off the new year right by getting money through the door. Join me and my dear friend Chitra Ayar as we talk about how to get money back from the IRS for all those payroll taxes you paid during the pandemic. If you're like me and the word taxes creates a twinge of anxiety, listen up to this podcast where Chitra explains all. You could be eligible for up to $26K per employee thanks to these tax credits.
For more info and to get in touch with Chitra, visit: nonprofitcovidrelief.net/

Dec 27, 2021 • 49min
#145-The Art of the Ask with Laura Fredricks
This is a rebroadcast of one of the most popular episodes of 2021 and one of my personal faves. Happy new year, friends!
Podcast fans, if you listen to only one episode of NPL, this should be the one. Join me and Expert on The Ask Laura Fredricks to talk all about the ask. She breaks down her five-step formula for an ask, how the getting the ask out of your mouth IS the win and how we can support our boards to ask. Laura's advice is smart, effective and actionable. She's raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charities and it's easy to see why. This is a must-listen for those of you who need to ask for anything (which is everybody).
For more about Laura and to purchase her book, visit: https://expertontheask.com/

Dec 20, 2021 • 48min
#116-Engaging Your Board in Fundraising with Jay Frost
This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes! Happy holidays fam!
Happy 2021 to the Nonprofit Lowdown family! Let's get this 2021 party started off right. Join today's conversation with expert fundraising consultant and board whisperer Jay Frost to activate our boards to bring resources to the table. We discuss juicy topics like defining a give/get for board members, whether "access" counts as a contribution (spoiler: it doesn't) and how NOT to recruit board members. This conversation was both educational and uplifting: the work of the board is the work of leadership and inviting people to be part of something that is personally meaningful to them. In 2021, let's make an agreement to work towards unleashing the potential of our board members for the good of our organizations.
For more about Jay, visit him at: https://www.frostonfundraising.com/

Dec 13, 2021 • 42min
#165-Attracting First Generation Wealth Creators with Esther Choy
As my guest Esther points out, vilifying and stereotyping wealthy people is the last acceptable prejudice. Join me and Esther Choy as she discusses her research on first-generation wealth creators and how they might be different than your assumptions. For example, did you know that most wealthy people in the US are self-made and don't come from money? By challenging our assumptions about wealthy individuals, we can learn how to be better fundraisers. After all, you know what they say about when you assume...
For more on Esther, check out her whitepaper: https://www.leadershipstorylab.com/wealth-creators-research/#pp-toc-602c0f00ada50-anchor-1
For Esther's recommended books:
We Need to Talk by Jennifer Risher
Philanthropy Revolution by Lisa Greer
Strangers in Paradise by James Grubman

Dec 6, 2021 • 38min
#164-Confessions of a Donor with Rob Lapidus
This interview is a goldmine, y'all. I interviewed my friend, Rob Lapidus, who should rightly be considered a major donor by most measures. He's also incredibly forthright and I ask him all the questions that fundraisers wonder about all the time. He gives a no BS, no holds barred interview about the worst fundraisers he's ever encountered, how he and his wife make philanthropic decisions and the secret to success ("We're all in sales--don't take it so personally.") This interview will shed light on how some of your major donors think and it's worth a listen.
For more about Rob: https://www.ll-holding.com/our-people/robert-t-lapidus/

Nov 29, 2021 • 43min
#163-How to Start Your Major Gift Program with Rhea Wong
This is a solo show where I'm spilling all the tea on how to get started with your major gift program. It's not rocket science and it's not magic. Tune in for actionable tips and tricks for how to identify the 20% of donors who will support 80% of your operations. My two favorite words in the English language: unrestricted gifts! Tune in to this episode to help you build your major gift program for the future.
For more information about my Accelerator: https://www.rheawong.com/join-accelerator/

Nov 22, 2021 • 40min
#162-Giving Tuesday with Asha Curran
Ah, Giving Tuesday for fundraisers: it's like Christmas, Tax Day and Lunar New Year all rolled into one. Love or hate it, my friend Asha Curran (CEO of Giving Tuesday) shares her perspective on it. She offers some best practices, advice on what to avoid, surprising stats and how to inspire generosity year-round. This is a really important and full-hearted interview for any (read: all) fundraisers who are thinking about participating in Giving Tuesday and joining the global generosity movement. Top quote: "People don't get tired of giving just like they don't get tired of loving."
For more about Asha and Giving Tuesday: https://www.givingtuesday.org/

Nov 15, 2021 • 43min
#161-Donations of Crytocurrency with Pat Duffy
Y'all: the time has come to consider a crypto strategy for fundraising. Join me and co-founder of the Giving Block, Pat Duffy, to discuss some of the misconceptions and benefits of accepting crypto for your nonprofit. We discuss how to deal with volatility, some of the common misunderstandings and misgivings about crypto and some of the mistakes (i.e. don't put all your eggs into a crypto basket). This is a really insightful and interesting episode for those looking for bigger donations and to engage younger donors. Get it!
For more about the Giving Block, check out: https://thegivingblock.com/

Nov 8, 2021 • 43min
#160-5 Tips for Digital Fundraising Campaigns with Suhailah Waheed
It's Q4, y'all! How many times can I say it? You gotta get in the game! Today's interview is with Suhailah Waheed who walks us through the top five tips she has for how to launch a successful digital fundraising campaign. This includes warming up your audience, ignoring your vanity metrics and realistic goals (i.e. you're probably not going to go viral). This is a must-listen for all the EDs and fundraisers trying to make the most of year-end giving.
For more about Suhailah, visit: https://www.givinggeeks.com/


