What the Fundraising

It’s easy to feel intimidated – or even a little clueless – when it comes to leveraging potential funding sources like stock, cryptocurrency, ETFs, or IRAs. But when we’re avoidant, says my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, we’re leaving money on the table. Vance Roush, Founder & CEO at Overflow isn’t suggesting that people running nonprofits need to become experts in any of these non-cash vehicles. We just need to partner well! That’s why this former Google employee, who recently raised $8 million in 45 days to secure a new church for the growing congregation he founded, developed a platform to manage and educate both donors and fundraisers. “We have an opportunity to unlock unprecedented amounts of generosity if we can remove that friction,” says Vance, who is tremendously optimistic about the future of solving problems like climate change and homelessness. Why? Because there is a palpable entrepreneurial energy among young people who want to do more than make apps and widgets. Vance has seen first-hand a growing wave of collaboration and innovation that he believes will move the needle on the most intractable social inequity. You’ll learn about how Overflow is working to create a giving platform that – with a single button – opens up entirely new windows of possibility for donors with stock, crypto, and other non-cash resources. The net result? An increase in average donation amounts. And who doesn’t want that? So, as Vance says, it’s time to harness Silicon Valley’s venture-capital approach to fundraising by getting bold, risking failure, and inviting our prospective funders to go on the journey with us!Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInIf you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team. 

Note the disparity: while commercial businesses have a near 90% returning customers, the nonprofit sector has a staggering 40-45%. Surprising? Then you’ll want to spend some time with Jay Love, Co-Founder of Bloomerang, and my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. After 11 years as the CEO and Co-Founder of eTapestry, Jay started Bloomerang specifically to address the donor retention issues we have in the nonprofit sector. In addition to our talk about donor retention, you’ll get insight into Jay’s 4-decade journey in this sector and his up-close look at the evolution of technology and data management. Jay walks us through the evolution of donor data storage from post-it notes and file cabinets, to disks and hard drives, and then finally to cloud storage. The history is eye-opening and helpful to understanding where we are today, why we see resistance in certain tech adoption areas, and how we can best utilize the incredible tools we have available to us.  Jay also shares valuable insight into what it takes for nonprofits to succeed in their fundraising, and what keeps donors engaged with their nonprofit partners. A lot of it, as you’ll hear, boils down to two things: authenticity and appreciation, both of which are made easier with the right technology partners. In this era of the digital revolution, data holds so much power and requires a lot of responsibility. Jay talks to us about the most important ways to maintain data hygiene and the right ways to utilize (and protect) donor data. He also explains why transparency and proper handling of data are a must in nonprofits to support donor trust and engagement. But don’t worry, data hygiene doesn’t mean ‘perfect data’ and we talk about the difference and the ways in which most donors have grace for nonprofits when there is an error in lifetime giving data or another metric. The opportunities we gain by utilizing our data and personalizing communications far outweigh the issues with small mistakes here and there. This episode will help you know what to prioritize and why! Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInPlease note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team.

Giving Circles have been around as a concept since the 1980s, but in combination with new technologies, those circles are wider and more generous than ever before. As we learn from Emily Rasmussen, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, having a platform around which to congregate strengthens the communities that are fueling movements. She founded Grapevine in 2018 specifically to facilitate multiple small donations – maximizing their impact and helping to connect the dots between people and organizations. We know that more collaboration equals more momentum. Pooling resources only expands the pie (which is another reason why a scarcity mindset does no one any favors). In this conversation, you’ll learn about the different models for Giving Circles, what kinds of networks have been most successful thus far, and how technology can aggregate and amplify the interests of small donors and the community. Emily is sharing key ingredients to keep in mind when setting up a Giving Circle modality and highlights the importance of putting an intentional framework in place. “Nonprofits are recognizing this model and seeing the power,” says Emily. “This is a movement. It's only accelerating!” We’re leaving you with lots of points of entry for moving your nonprofit into the fast lane with this form of turbocharged fundraising – and the community purpose it stewards and grows.Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInReady to streamline and modernize your organization’s fundraising strategy? Smash through stumbling blocks with my VIP Day, an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience. You can also click here to learn how I can work with you to pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its goals.Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team. 

Have you met people in the fundraising space who think tech is a silver bullet? And because of that, they invest a lot of time and resources in making decisions around the tech adoption and fail to anticipate the implementation of the tech solution. It’s quite common, and the truth is that I was guilty of it as an Executive Director too. But we need to start talking about technology differently, as an facilitator and support system, with fundraiser enablement at the center of the product. And that’s exactly what we’re diving into today.  In this episode, Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Corporate Brand at NeonOne, shares his insight into the sector, and the new NeonOne CRM elements that he is particularly excited about. While Tim has been at NeonOne for 10 years, his journey in the sector began as a grant writer. Today, he shares nuggets of wisdom to help make fundraising easier with technology, and how to make the fundraiser's job easier with training, support, and community. NeonOne is all about Connected Fundraising and in this episode we get to dig into what that means and how that impacts the product, priorities, and process for continuous growth and improvement. Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInAnd if you haven’t already, please come on over and visit our lively new What the Fundraising community forum. You can join the conversation at this link.Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team. 

How’s your data hygiene? No need to panic! As we learn on this episode of What the Fundraising, our metrics don’t need to be perfect. In fact, according to my guest, Nejeed Kassam, Founder & CEO of Keela and Co-Founder of Fundraising Kit, missteps and gaps are a given. But that’s not the bigger problem here. The first hurdle is the tendency to bury our heads in the sand. Prone to perfectionism, many of us in the nonprofit world are afraid that our data isn’t pristine enough, and our numbers are not impressive enough. The truth is, says Nejeed, things are seldom as bad as we fear and always better positioned for success – when we actually look at the numbers! And the Keela platform that he and his team have developed is designed to make your nonprofit’s numbers empowering, not intimidating! Founded in 2013, Keela’s mission is driven by people like Nejeed, for whom giving back is a core value. Using a targeted, multi-channel communications and marketing approach, the Keela platform was designed expressly to ease the burden on the humans providing the heart and soul of fundraising. So if you’re feeling fearful of all things data-driven, this episode is your point of entry. Take the plunge and you’ll see: What we imagine is never worse than what we actually know – and have the tools to address. There is a powerful upside potential of deploying technologies like artificial intelligence and pinpointed communications if we’re open enough to try them.Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInPlease come on over and visit our lively new What the Fundraising community forum. You can join the conversation at this link.Please note: This episode is a part of a very special series called The People Behind the Products. More than ever, nonprofits care about the company behind their technology and service providers. What’s the underlying mission and vision of the company? What do they stand for? And how are they thinking about the sector and serving nonprofits? This series is an opportunity to get to know some of my favorite nonprofit technology companies so that the next time you’re making a tech decision, you can understand a little bit more about the people behind the product. There is no sponsorship or industry money behind the production of this series and the editorial content was at the sole discretion of the What the Fundraising team. 

Lynne Twist, a global visionary and author of "The Soul of Money," shares her transformative insights on commitment in the nonprofit sector. She discusses the pivotal role of women in redefining wealth and her new book, "Living a Committed Life." Lynne emphasizes heart-centered fundraising and overcoming the scarcity mindset, highlighting how genuine connections with donors embody love. She also explores the significance of community, self-care, and embracing suffering to foster resilience and meaningful change in fundraising efforts.

What might happen if we removed the veil and said that no one was a fundraising expert? I think it might lead to a lot more fundraisers trusting their gut, taking risks, testing, and realizing that their constant learning around fundraising is what matters - not being an ‘expert’. That’s what I’m talking about in this episode of What the fundraising with Tim Kachuriak, Chief Innovation & Optimization Officer at The NextAfter Institute. In the conversation, he highlights the forensic research, applied analysis, and behavioral study that are the basis for the actionable resources and training they offer and share. He’s also explaining why he prefers to see nonprofits flip the funnel paradigm and make it instead into a mountain built on understanding and respecting actual donor experience. “Using data to monitor how the donors respond is one of the ways that we can evolve our understanding of who our donors are, what they care about, and how we can message them more effectively,” says Tim. He offers fascinating thoughts about all the micro-decisions that impact fundraising outcomes and how to keep donors motivated. (Hint: It’s all part of creating a genuinely personal, engaging journey.)Much of our conversation focuses on building humility and empathy into nonprofit fundraising culture while also emboldening each of us in our mission to do good from a place of abundance rather than scarcity. The NextAfter Institute’s many original, evidence-based resources and data-driven training have been developed specifically to support long-term, sustainable philanthropic relationships. Tim and I explore what it looks like to use AB testing - a powerful tool for quickly culling what’s working versus what isn’t in terms of metrics like email opens and click-throughs. We also consider the important upsides of failing. The episode wraps with a reminder of why those of us in the nonprofit sector remain committed to the work despite the noisy emphasis on sales and acquisition in our consumption-oriented culture. Two words: Meaning and purpose!Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInIf 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!

Today’s episode of What the Fundraising is a conversation with Emmie Erickson, my 3-year-old daughter. For months Emmie has been asking me to ‘make a podcast’ and I decided that GivingTuesday would be a great time for Emmie to read you her favorite book - I Am: Book of Reminders by Juana Medina. There are affirmations inside this book that feel particularly important to remind you of this GivingTuesday. Plus, scientific studies demonstrate that we release all sorts of feel-good chemicals when we see or hear something cute — we're wired to positively respond to cuteness. So, I hope this puts a smile on your face and if you need to practice the affirmations captured here, I highly recommend you listen multiple times and repeat after Emmie. Let’s boost those feel-good chemicals to help get you through this GivingTuesday, listen now to meet Emmie. You can find today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInIf you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.

Are you ready to get uncomfortable? Whether in the nonprofit sector or the entrepreneurial startup space, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is advocating for a growth mindset that says “okay!” to rejection, makes friends with Imposter Syndrome and just says no to self-critic noise. Estelle Giraud, CEO & Co-Founder of Trellis Health, demonstrates the power of honoring ourselves – even when important funding conversations go south. Pitching a comprehensive health data platform in the hyper-competitive world of venture capital is not for the faint of heart, which is why Estelle has very deliberately chosen to embrace setbacks as nothing more than an opportunity to learn and move on. In other words, it’s nothing personal! For many of us, this isn’t easy to do. But even if the answer is no, we have the right to take up space – without apology. Because remember, as Estelle says, If you’re not getting hit with lots of rejections, you’re probably not aiming high enough!In this conversation, we explore important self-awareness and growing-edge tools, sharing with you some of the strategies we’ve seen work to create safety and somatic calming. And Estelle is also giving us the gift of vulnerability, sharing how she has weathered disheartening rejection by relying on simple, potent strategies to reconnect with her most grounded self. We talk about the mindset women need to take into the board room, whether on behalf of a nonprofit or a startup venture – one that recognizes the valuable skills and impact we’re offering in exchange for funding. We are not beholden! And we are also not without the resources to cultivate wellness in body, mind and spirit. It starts, says Estelle, with a willingness to be honest with – and present to – each other. “There's benefit to sharing some of that (fundraising) journey and learnings, even if it's not perfectly wrapped up in a little bow and successful,” she says. “There is benefit in sharing a raw process as it happens.”Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInMany thanks to our sponsor, Neon One, the all-in-one donor management system that keeps small and midsized nonprofits on track with fundraising, communications, events, volunteers, and more. You can learn about Neon One's entire suite of products and services here.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!

Can you imagine a vibrant social impact marketplace built on outcomes-based data? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising certainly can – because that’s exactly the platform he and his team at 60 Decibels are building out. CEO & Co-Founder Sasha Dichter explains the why behind creating a foundation for genuine benchmarks and repeatability when it comes to measuring nonprofit results. The goal is to give organizations a window into how their programs are performing relative to peers and to set targets based on meaningful feedback. Our conversation touches on the power of partnerships and lessons learned when Sasha moved from the corporate to the nonprofit sector. Far from his initial impression of fundraising as the pursuit of dollars at benefit dinners – somewhat remote and hands-off – he quickly identified the importance of building partnerships based on trust, not transactions. As Director of Business Development and then Chief Innovation Officer at Acumen, a strategic investor in organizations and people fighting poverty, Sasha learned first-hand about the transformational impacts that can occur when a clearly defined mission meets a genuinely engaged funder. He shares his thoughts on how to identify the core DNA of your organization, bring confidence to the table with donors (you have something of equal or greater value to offer) and build sustained relationships through authenticity and honest conversations. “You actually want to have the goal of a conversation (with funders) that involves trust and mutual respect,” says Sasha. “If you don't have that, you can't fake it.” At the end of the conversation we get to learn more about 60 Decibels and it is exciting stuff! With more than 1,000 researchers doing qualitative surveys in 77+ countries, 60 Decibels is creating a tech-enabled resource with huge implications both for incrementally improving the quality of what nonprofits deliver and unleashing capital investment based on systematic metrics that funders can get behind. Think of a future landscape in which this data-fueled tool could be used to pair funders and nonprofits whose values align. There is so much in this episode for nonprofit leaders, you don’t want to miss this one!Get all the resources from today’s episode here. Follow along on Instagram Connect with Mallory on LinkedInCheck out Bloomerang’s fantastic resource:How to Collaborate With Your Community to think through how you can start working smarter, not harder, by aligning yourself with the right partners around the ecosystem. We’re so grateful for their resources and for their support of this episode. 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!