What the Fundraising

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Impact practitioners have a special role in not only their organization’s well-being, but their community’s well-being. How? They are catalysts who can use their organization’s resources to create meaningful change. That’s exactly what Kavell Brown has been doing for years. Kavell is the Social Impact Partnerships Manager at LinkedIn, where he manages non-profit and philanthropic partnerships across North America. Kavell seeks to deploy and leverage the company's assets to help non-profits scale their impact and make economic opportunity, healing and wholeness available to all. In this episode, Kavell shines light on the role of CSR/Social Impact practitioners in the non-profit sector as well as his approach to philanthropy and life. He shares his candid thoughts on what non-profits, corporations, and CSR departments can do to create impactful volunteer engagement and implement change in our communities. We do not hold back as we authentically explore the role for each of us in building the world we want to see. Get all the resources from today’s episode here. A big shout out to our sponsor Instil, the holistic tool that reimagines nonprofit technology in ways that deepen community relationships and nonprofit processes to magnify impact. The platform’s advanced UX design and real-time analytics supercharge donors, increase volunteer engagement, and smooth donor management and operations across your entire organization.Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

Leah Neaderthal, the founder of Smart Gets Paid and a sales coach for women consultants, joins us on this episode of What the Fundraising to share her expertise on getting more of the right consulting clients and increasing revenue for consulting contracts. But don't let the focus on consultants fool you; Leah's insights and advice are applicable to fundraisers too who are trying to shift their mindset around how they approach money and value. In this episode, Leah provides valuable insights into selling, a topic that many people struggle with in their businesses. She encourages listeners to shift their mindset when transitioning from nonprofit to running their own business, shares tips on creating value-based pricing to charge more for services, and explains how to use curiosity to explore one's own beliefs and stories around money.If you're a consultant looking to show up differently in your business or a fundraiser wanting to challenge your thinking about money, offers, asking, and showing up in your fullness, this episode is for you. Tune in to learn from Leah's expertise and take your sales and money mindset to the next level.Get all the resources from today’s episode here.Many thanks to our sponsor, Neon One for making this episode possible. When it comes to building strong and stable organizations, it’s all about a connected generosity experience. Our partners at Neon One have built software that makes it easier for you to connect with people and grow a community of generosity. Check them out at neonone.com/mallory today!Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

Looking to increase donor trust and recruit more aligned donors to your non-profit? The key lies in your marketing. That might sound obvious, but non-profit marketing goes deep. So, let’s dive in. Priscilla McKinney, CEO of Little Bird Marketing, is a sought-after keynote speaker, prolific blogger, podcast host, industry innovator, and diversity champion. She personifies creativity, entrepreneurship, and authentic leadership – inspiring others to carve out their own path to success. With a fiery passion for marketing and sustainable lead generation, Priscilla has quite a few gems of wisdom to share with you about fundraising for non-profit organizations.In this episode, Priscilla shares powerful insights on defining your donor persona, finding balance between operational transparency and storytelling, and getting out of the harmful scarcity mindset that runs rampant in the non-profit sector.You’ll learn how to connect to your ideal donors en masse, the reality of how the scarcity mindset is impacting your non-profit, and why you don’t need to be as transparent with donors about certain things but you definitely need to be open about others.In this episode, you will learn the following:1. How can businesses create meaningful messages that resonate with an audience?2. What is the importance of understanding the motivations behind why donors give?3. How can we make sure that nonprofits are providing meaningful stories and not just relying on demographics?Get all the resources from today’s episode hereMany thanks to our sponsor, Neon One for making this episode possible. When it comes to building strong and stable organizations, it’s all about a connected generosity experience. Our partners at Neon One have built software that makes it easier for you to connect with people and grow a community of generosity. Check them out at neonone.com/mallory today!Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

As fundraisers and change-makers, we get immense purpose and value from our work. But how do we optimize that? How do we optimize our donor relationships so we can keep creating value for our organization? The key is creating the right habits! If you can create strong habits and get good at the skills that strengthen and grow your donor relationships, you’ll soon be seeing wins left and right.Habits free us up to focus on the areas we need to grow, optimize, and see results in. This is where Stephanie Weldy shines. Stephanie Weldy, Chief of Staff at BJ Fogg, is an expert at the intersection of Behavior Design and Employee Well-Being.In this episode, Stephanie talks about how to use behavior design and habit design to improve your donor relationship management. She emphasizes the power of small behavior changes in creating big changes in your organization.You’ll learn tips, tricks, and advice on designing sustainable habits that will help you manage your time, prioritize your donor management tasks, and see real progress in your fundraising strategies. Ready to get out of the cycle of blaming and shaming yourself for low motivation? Ready to start designing consistent and reliable habits? Tune in to learn how!Get all the resources from today’s episode here. A big shout out to our sponsor Instil, the holistic tool that reimagines nonprofit technology in ways that deepen community relationships and nonprofit processes to magnify impact. The platform’s advanced UX design and real-time analytics supercharge donors, increase volunteer engagement, and smooth donor management and operations across your entire organization.Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

In this podcast episode, Clay Buck, founder of TCB Fundraising, challenges the fundraising community to prioritize and recognize all donors at all levels to create a culture of philanthropy, highlighting that fundraisers often miss this opportunity in trying to meet monetary goals. "Generosity is alive and well. People are giving at all levels and doing all kinds of things. I believe, and have for 30 plus years, that there will always be somebody who needs and somebody who wants to help - these are intrinsic to human nature and intrinsic to living in community and society." With over 30 years of experience in all types of fundraising, Clay is an expert in the field of philanthropy and the power of individual giving. He is passionate about the idea of valuing every gift, every donor, and every level of involvement. He believes that fundraising is about relationships that ultimately yield money, but the relationship needs to come first, and that everyone in the organization, from the front-facing gift officer to the colleagues in marketing, has a role to play in fundraising. He advocates for the idea that fundraising is about engaging the community in solving problems and inviting them to join the mission - a concept that requires a shift in thinking and leadership. There is so much inside this episode for front-line fundraisers or anyone thinking about how to improve the culture of fundraising and the culture of philanthropy inside their organizations.Here's what T. Clay Buck and I cover:1. The Power of Valuing All Donors at Every Level: Explore how honoring and recognizing every gift and donor can transform the way we fundraise.2. Exploring the Impact of Money and Relationships in Fundraising: Understand how to balance the monetary exchange and relationship-building when fundraising.3. Empowering Fundraising Roles Beyond the Front-Facing Gift Officer: Discover how to value the roles of prospect research, donor relations, and marketing in the nonprofit sector.Get all the resources from today’s episode here.A big shout out to our sponsor Instil, the holistic tool that reimagines nonprofit technology in ways that deepen community relationships and nonprofit processes to maximize impact. The platform’s advanced UX design and real-time analytics supercharge donors, increase volunteer engagement, and smooth operations across your entire organization.Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

We are taking a closer look at donor relationships on this episode of What the Fundraising with my guest Carole Robin, whose class on interpersonal dynamics has been perennially among the most popular ever at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Why? Because, whether in the nonprofit or for-profit realm, we so often get relationships wrong, or just skip over them altogether at the expense of our desired outcomes. A co-founder of Leaders in Tech and co-author of "Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues," Carol is sharing with us the transformational power of naming our experiences and understanding those of others. If the vulnerability implied makes you nervous, then this is the resource you need in order to start getting comfortable – with curiosity, with inquiry, and with holding space for authentic connection. When we interact openly with others, expressing our feelings appropriately, we open all kinds of doors, explains Carole. You’ll hear about modest but invaluable tools to help break through when we feel stuck or unwilling to move out of our comfort zones. It’s all about learning how to take small steps toward transparency. “People do business with people,” says Carole. “They don’t do business with ideas or machines or products or strategies or money. So unless you get the people part right, you’re going to be limited in how successful you’re going to be.” When we define what it is to have a “strong donor relationship” are we looking at the things that truly sustain it? Are we as fundraisers willing to open ourselves up to difficult conversations and communicate honestly what we’re asking for and are able to offer? Integrity is powerful and it starts with being able to name how we feel. Fortunately, says Carole, we’ve got a chance to deepen our understanding and fluency with this language each and every time we have a human interaction: “It’s just a matter of making a commitment. So pay attention and see where the lesson is!”  In this episode, you will learn the following:1. Learn how to create stronger, more meaningful relationships using feelings as part of your communication.2. Understand how to give and receive feedback in a way that strengthens relationships.3. Discover how to use inquiry and curiosity to deepen relationships with donors.Get all the resources from today’s episode here. A big shout out to our sponsor Instil, the holistic tool that reimagines nonprofit technology in ways that deepen community relationships and nonprofit processes to magnify impact. The platform’s advanced UX design and real-time analytics supercharge donors, increase volunteer engagement, and smooth donor management and operations across your entire organization.Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

With a goal of ending the War on Drugs and reducing trauma all over the world, Rick Doblin is on a mission to liberate psychedelics and make them accessible to all. Rick is the Founder and Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Research (MAPS). MAPS has raised $140 million in donations and grants over 36.5 years, with plans to increase that exponentially in the coming years.Rick is here to shed light on how he went from fearing LSD to trying it, loving it, and advocating for it until it became a global movement of human rights, freedom, and healing. He shares with you his wealth of knowledge and experience in fundraising for controversial research on LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, and more.By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to strategically innovate a fundraising mission to tell a more influential and relatable story to donors. You’ll learn Rick’s greatest tips and advice on reducing stigmas and staying true to your purpose while advocating for a heavily stigmatized movement. Rick is an absolute legend in psychedelic research, fundraising, and drug policy reform, so tune in!In this episode, you will learn the following:1. How did psychedelic drugs become illegal in the United States, and what is the current state of psychedelic research?2. How have psychedelic drugs been used in psychotherapy over the past 50 years, and how can they be used to reduce trauma?3. What strategies have been used to raise money for psychedelic research, and how can donors be inspired to join the cause?Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Many thanks to our sponsor, Keela for making this episode possible. Our friends at Keela offer nonprofits like yours a comprehensive fundraising and donor management software, equipped with powerful tools to expand your reach, increase fundraising revenue, and foster a dedicated community of supporters. Want a user-friendly platform that provides actionable data? Look no further than Keela. Check out Keela at keela.co/mallory. Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

Jenny Nuccio is the founder and CEO of Imani Collective, a leading global ethical home decor brand that serves over 170 artisans in three locations in Kenya. She is an expert in social entrepreneurship, social work leadership, and management, and on this episode of What the Fundraising we are talking all about how she needed to learn the hard way that relationships with stakeholders, whether they be donors or consumers, are just as important as money when it comes to running her business. Throughout her fundraising journey, she has learned that the key to success is to show up authentically and be transparent in conversations, creating relationships with those who are involved in her movement. In this episode, we are diving deep into ….1. Exploring the Relationship Between Fundraising and Marketing2. Investigating How Discomfort With Asking for Money Can Impact Relationships3. Examining Ways to Effectively Balance Authenticity, Transparency, and Patience When FundraisingGet all the resources from today’s episode here.Many thanks to our sponsor, Keela for making this episode possible. Our friends at Keela offer nonprofits like yours a comprehensive fundraising and donor management software, equipped with powerful tools to expand your reach, increase fundraising revenue, and foster a dedicated community of supporters. Want a user-friendly platform that provides actionable data? Look no further than Keela. Check out Keela at keela.co/mallory. Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefundraising_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefundraisingYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@malloryerickson7946LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mallory-erickson-bressler/Website: malloryerickson.com/podcastLoved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-the-fundraising/id1575421652If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

Maya Angelou famously said, “Now that I know better, I do better.” It’s a sentiment that perfectly captures the spirit behind EmbraceRace, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave in taking on all aspects of equity and justice. On this episode of What the Fundraiser its founder, Andrew Grant Thomas, helps us explore difficult conversations – why we need to have them and what they can look like. It’s not always going to be pretty, and that’s okay! In fact, says Andrew, that’s the point. Progress is a process that requires us – as fundraisers, parents and community members – to chip away at false assumptions and structural racism in all its ugliness. The more we engage, the quicker we can break through to meaningful dialogue and understanding. Andrew shares fascinating insights from the frontlines of early childhood, where honest conversations need to start. You’ll learn about EmbraceRace’s four foundational pillars and how this vibrant nonprofit is guided by them. He also invites us to “imagine if we understood race in a way that allowed all the range of emotions to show and not disproportionately things like fear and anxiety and resentment.” We also discuss the concept of giving ourselves grace, which is not an excuse to step away when we mess up. To the contrary, when interactions around race (or any other sensitive topic) go awry, we must be brave and push forward. So long as there’s an effort to repair, says Andrew, an opportunity exists to grow and improve. In other words, it’s progress – not perfection! (02:01) A brief intro to EmbraceRace (04:25) About the pillars Andrew and his organization deploy in helping people be brave about difficult conversations (09:21) How EmbraceRace helps people move through any resistance and face head-on issues. (12:24) Where resistance comes from (17:41) How kids (versus adults) understand and respond with openness and curiosity to narratives around race and justice.  (20:06) Why it’s okay to have uncomfortable conversations. (22:04) Great advice about confronting race that applies equally to fundraising (25:46) About knowing that things will come out right IF we keep on trying and making repairs along the way.  (29:44) What accountability looks like and Andrew’s assessment of DEI, educational and other efforts to combat structural racism and the very real ripple effects across society. Get all the resources from today’s episode here.Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInMany thanks to our sponsor, Keela for making this episode possible. Our friends at Keela offers nonprofits like yours a comprehensive fundraising and donor management software, equipped with powerful tools to expand your reach, increase fundraising revenue, and foster a dedicated community of supporters. Want a user-friendly platform that provides actionable data? Learn more at Keela.

What would it be like if nonprofit teams got past the labels and stigmas? Traded in silos for collaboration? This episode of What the Fundraising features a panel of 13 marketing and fundraising experts who are here to discuss how cross-departmental integration advances overall organizational goals by building both brand and donor relationships. They are sharing personal perspectives and busting false assumptions that hinder our best efforts – and desired outcomes for the causes we serve.You’ll be taking notes throughout this rapid-fire discussion about the “3 Rs” – Revenue, Reputation and Relationships – that define our nonprofit strategies. Inside and out! When we recognize that these pillars are pivotal to strategic development and communications alike, we start to imagine the power of working together. If you’ve got cross-discipline talents to offer, you’re that unicorn we all want. Marketing that inspires contributions? Check! Fundraising that embodies your brand story? Check! As our panelists share their experiences and biases, we start to see consensus emerge around one key action point: Nonprofits as a whole thrive when teams – especially marketing and fundraising teams – form partnerships and work synergistically, based on mutual respect. “When we’re talking about organizations living their values … then everybody wins – the marketing, the fundraising, the CEO,” says Shereese Floyd, Founder of Witness My Life. “Everyone is happy when truly living from the inside-out.” (02:02) Mallory introduces the panel’s topic of focus. (02:49) Marketing, brand and communication (04:26) Nonprofit Campaigns.  (05:36) About the overlapping and complementary nature of marketing and fundraising (07:07) How new digital tools are merging functions and expanding the traditional separation between fundraising and marketing job descriptions.  (08:17) Defining the tactics to promote how people feel about an organization or mission  (08:52) Considering when, whether and how fundraising calls to action fit into overall marketing campaigns (12:09) The role of donor retention (15:02) Why social media platforms offer a broad base with some very specific points of access through which to touch and build individual donor relationships. (21:11) About designating marketing as a dedicated development resource.  (22:51) Types of communication that are solely about marketing (27:10) Metrics for assessing a digital fundraising campaign (29:05) Fundraising communications are actually a lot less about money than many nonprofits might think (31:56) Why it’s paramount that organizations communicate to donors  (34:23) Why silo-ing functions impacts donor engagement, access and ultimately outcomes. (36:59) How to measure ROI  (39:30) All about donor retention and the “slow” nature of the investment (44:43) Why fundraising that is integrated serves overall nonprofit brand and mission (47:01) Can marketing and fundraising both be de-stigmatized as functions and labels? (48:05) Revenue, Reputation and Relationships Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInMany thanks to our sponsor, Feathr for making this episode possible. Our friends at Feather help nonprofits like yours level up their digital campaigns every day through their nonprofit marketing platform. Don’t rely on magic this year. Check out Feathr to streamline your digital marketing campaigns and exceed your goals. Learn more and get started today at Feathr.co.If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point