What the Fundraising

Many nonprofits are exploring a shift away from old-school donor-centric fundraising, but are unclear about what that would look like. In this episode of What the Fundraising, Erica Chomsky-Adelson is sharing the compelling, community-centric alternative she and her team at Culture Aid NOLA (CAN) have put in place. Born at the height of the pandemic, their non-traditional food bank knits donors, volunteers, and guests together in a vibrant ecosystem of mutual support. With demand higher than ever in today’s inflationary environment, CAN distributes 30,000 pounds of barrier-free, stigma-free food to 3,000 people a week. And it’s all happening in an atmosphere of collaboration, joy, and music! (It’s New Orleans, after all …) Prior to becoming executive director at CAN, Erica worked in the world of disaster response, which is constantly impacted by the feast-or-famine cycles of crisis-based giving. It’s a paradigm she doesn’t believe is sustainable, desirable, or equitable, so in New Orleans, she and her team have instead built a grassroots partnership designed to empower people over the long haul. There are no federal government restrictions on who is entitled to pick up groceries or artificial dividing lines between those who help, those who receive help, and those doing both (in fact, the mindset is that EVERYONE is helping in their own way). CAN puts trust and respect at the center of every interaction. Words are carefully chosen, with maximum attention to inclusivity and the dignity of guests. You don’t want to miss this episode that will move you to reimagine fundraising and community building in the best way. Episode Highlights:(02:41) – Erica’s journey and the roots of Culture Aid NOLA (CAN)(03:54) Beyond the Height of Crisis(10:14) CAN’s no-barriers model.(11:45) The importance of word choice. (12:47) Navigating urgency without fear, need, guilt and exploitation. (14:14) The role of trust in CAN’s model.(17:40) The feast-or-famine cycle we’re used to in this sector.(18:51) Focusing on stewardship over urgency. (22:58) Closing the gap between funders and recipients.(25:45) Erica sees CAN’s work as part of an ecosystem that relies on all its elements.(27:08) About Community-Centric Fundraising Principles.(28:20) Erica shares thoughts on how NationBuilder’s platform is a huge equalizer.This episode was made possible thanks to our friends at NationBuilder, whose integrated platform helps nonprofits connect with their communities at every point of entry. Click here to learn more about how NationBuilder’s tools to power nonprofits, movements, and dynamic campaigns.Are you feeling stuck on how to implement new fundraising practices like the ones mentioned in this episode? My VIP Day is an intensive one-to-one executive coaching experience that smashes through fundraising obstacles. Click here to learn how together we can pinpoint problems, develop a clear plan, and create content and design habits to support your nonprofit in achieving its mission.

Your head will spin with the data-driven insights and post-pandemic strategies my guest has to share on this jam-packed episode of What the Fundraising. Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday, brings a powerful lens on fundraising based on his previous career in commercial marketing as well as the detailed metrics he’s constantly scanning for clues to donor behavior. In large part because of the COVID-19 global impact and response, many of the nonprofit world’s old-school models, false assumptions, and self-limiting strategies are up for re-evaluation. From his viewpoint at GivingTuesday, the donor movement unleashing radical generosity around the world, Woodrow has a unique and broad-based understanding of the dynamics at play in today’s fluid giving environment. We’re all being called upon to break old models, be brave and shift from a scarcity mindset into one of abundance! Among the many things Woodrow shares thoughts about:  Abandoning zero-sum competitiveness in favor of helping all boats rise together Why many fundraising truisms no longer hold What makes for the most resilient nonprofits, especially in recessionary times Why fundraising that exclusively emphasizes the transactional leaves money – as well as goodwill and long-term engagement – on the table Why Donor Fatigue actually isn’t a thing  How recurring donations are a boon and why they’re sticky Woodrow unpacks what it means to approach nonprofit work holistically, aligning fundraising with story-led marketing activities that expand nonprofit missions, build community, drive social movements and inspire donors to get on board with giving, again and again. You won’t want to miss the surprising research insights or leading-edge practical advice inside this episode.

My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is challenging all of us to throw out self-limiting beliefs in favor of playfulness and transparency. Simone Seol, a coach, and host of The Joyful Marketing Podcast, shows us what it can look like to step away from self-doubt, fear of rejection, and perfectionism. “How we get to show up is our decision,” she says. “You get what you think you deserve and you call in who you speak to.” This is such a powerful message for nonprofits whose goal is to cultivate long-term, trust-based relationships with donors! We can push back on old narratives not based on current realities. And that constant drive fundraisers feel to do good and be seen as good? Simone believes the harder we work to be sainted martyrs the farther we get from authentic, resilient connection with our partners – whether in business, philanthropy, or life. Simone is an evangelist for truth and vulnerability – which shines through in her work with life coaches and her lively Instagram posts. Her own candor gives us all permission to dig deeper in service of universal stories and nuance. It’s through humanity-centered narratives and shared experience, she says, that we transcend “no” to live instead in a powerful place of connection and joy.This inspiring conversation is sure to open you up to new ways of thinking. Episode Highlights:(02:15) Simone shares her background, as the overview of her work and history in the nonprofit sector(04:00) About stepping into higher levels of giving, receiving, and becoming(05:55) Goals, fears, and a commitment to upgrading our internal operating systems(08:13) How a siloed approach to marketing reinforces self-limiting beliefs and cringe-y tactics.(09:33) The pillars of humanity-centered marketing (10:41) Thinking about fundraising in a more holistic way (12:36) Flipping the paradigm when it comes to “no.” (15:07) Simone offers up a mantra and play and fun.(16:11) What happens when we adopt a more playful and integrated approach?(19:10) A look at the fear around getting authenticity wrong.(21:1) The bumps and bruises are part of any journey to alignment! (25:41) Somatic legacies live on in our bodies and shape our deepest ways of being.(27:49) The more we resist risk, the harder it becomes. (29:21) Normalizing the ebb and flow of life.(33:15) A closer look at self-fulfilling prophesies in fundraising.(37:26) Persuasion & nuance(38:55) Real relationships are built on honesty and trust – not hype. (43:30) Learn more about Simone and her work. Many thanks to our sponsor Cosmic,  the social impact creativity agency that delivers compelling stories, builds brand awareness, and inspires action. The team at Cosmic knows how to leverage clarity to catalyze real-world change. 

After last week’s episode with Seth Godin, we wanted to dig deeper into the marketing and content side of nonprofit fundraising. And this next episode definitely delivers.As nonprofits, we are constantly scrambling to come up with fresh, compelling stories to illustrate our missions, but are we being mindful? On this episode of What the Fundraising we’re pausing to take a hard look at content – and the harms our words can inadvertently cause. My guest Natalia Sanyal is applying a humanity-centered, anti-oppressive lens to the art and craft of copywriting. Having seen first-hand in her commercial career how even the most mindful of us can perpetuate hurtful language, she’s bringing tools to help raise our consciousness. When she performs her copy audits on the average business, she uncovers terms that are exclusive, demeaning, or that undermine the organization’s core values. In this episode, we are untangling all of this, without judgment or shame.  Natalia believes we’re all figuring it out together and the first step is just to get honest. Among the topics we discuss: Manipulative writing tactics that don’t yield the results nonprofits desire. Positive ways to use psychological insight to secure donor participation and retention. How to avoid words and stories that can trigger negative responses. Why informed decision-making (or conscious choice) is important. What it means to build long-term trust with donors through honesty (not scare tactics).  Steps you can take to generate copy without generating harm. What it means to be an ethical, trauma-informed storyteller.  You’ll come away from this episode with thoughts and ideas to ensure your messaging is really capturing – rather than undermining – your organization’s ethos and achievements. “It’s all about not being fake and being transparent,” says Natalia, and it starts with intentional conversations like this one!If the content of this show resonated with you, then you definitely want to check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a FREE masterclass here.Support for this show is brought to you by Bloomerang. Our friends at Bloomerang really understand fundraisers, which is how they make donor management software that nonprofits like to use. To learn more about them, head on over to bloomerang.com/mallory.

When it comes to marketing, leadership, connection, and inspiring change, there is no one else out there quite like Seth Godin, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 20 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, and Tribes (just to name a few of my favorites). Seth has spent his career trying to get us to be the best version of ourselves and when necessary, change everything. As the son of parents rooted deeply in the nonprofit sector, Seth grew up around fundraising and regards fundraisers as powerful, professional agents for change. He’s not mincing words: it’s up to us to value and believe in exactly what we bring to the table. And fundraisers are bringing a lot of value to the table - the opportunity to give is a gift.You’ll want to take notes on Seth’s actionable advice for managing everyday fundraising challenges like internal resistance, demanding donors, fundraising in moments of uncertainty, and why hyper-focusing on outcomes is a recipe for burnout. And of course, because it’s Seth Godin, we had to talk about the need to build real relationships with our donors if we want long-term donors and sustainable fundraising. The pants-on-fire marketing and fake urgency not only shut serious donors down at the moment, but they burn a bridge for years to come. We decide how we show up in our communications; we can’t show up transactionally and then be surprised when we have low donor retention because we designed our fundraising for that outcome. The good news is that there is an entirely different way to fundraise.Seth’s famous quote, “people like us do things like this” demonstrates the way that donating is an important behavior rooted in identity. We talk about the fact that people not only choose your organization based on their current alignment with your work but inspiring people to give to your organization actually helps people cement their identity. Why does this matter? Because it means that fundraising isn’t just a ‘necessary evil’ to run our programs or a ‘means to an end’. It means that fundraising in itself - the movement of money in alignment with who people want to be - is actually a critical part of building your movement and community all on its own. We also talk about how nonprofits should think and talk about ‘failure’. Seth gets that nonprofit work is about constantly pioneering and “doing experiments on the frontier,” which means we’re going to feel anxious, out of our depth, and at risk of failure — and that’s okay! In fact, that’s the point. We’re trying to solve problems that have never been solved before, testing and experimentation is the only way. And while failure is a loaded word it’s actually critically important because then we have learned one more thing that didn’t work. “Publishing your failures is an extremely generous thing to do,” says Seth, who believes the more data nonprofits share the quicker we can figure out what not to do.There is so much advice jam-packed into this 30min interview and it’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of how Seth’s wisdom translates to nonprofit leadership. If we want to change the sector, and we want to change the fundraiser experiences in the sector, we have to change the way we think about the sector and our specific work. My hope is that this episode helps us do exactly that.Check out The Carbon Almanac to see the work Seth calls the most important project of his career. You should also run and sign up for Seth’s Blog and you can also learn more about his many upcoming workshops at this link.To get all of the show notes and takeaways visit: https://malloryerickson.com/podcast/episode-68-effective-fundraising-and-power-partner-principles-with-seth-godin/

Did you know that connecting is entirely different than networking? The mindset is different according to Susan McPherson, author of "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships." As a social impact strategist, she has developed a methodology that turns certain nonprofit conventions on their head, as we learn in this episode of What the Fundraising.Our fundraising superpower starts with broadening beyond the goal of racking up dollar commitments to instead ask: “How can I be of use? How can I contribute? What can I provide?” Corporations and other funders want to feel their contributions are more than transactional; that they are cultivating community, offering employees ways to engage, learning and helping think creatively about the issues of our times. Nonprofits bring to the table huge resources, knowledge, and ability. It’s a value-add that should not be underestimated!Susan walks us through her methodology and offers terrific practical advice for upping our levels of engagement and building confidence. She’s also reflecting on what defines a nourishing workplace and some of the evolving standards for behavior, programs and that promise meaningful corporate change. Millennials and Gen Zers are demanding it! Finally, we wrap up with Susan’s thoughts on everyday opportunities for advocacy and engagement. Enjoy this whirlwind conversation with a remarkable strategist – and force – within the world of social impact and beyond!Interested in following what Susan is up to? You can subscribe to her bi-weekly newsletter, The McPherson Memo here. You can also click on this link to purchase her book, "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships."Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.To learn more about how to build long-term strategic partnerships, check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a FREE Masterclass to get the entire blueprint here. Episode Highlights:(02:09)– Where Susan’s Work Focuses Today(04:30) – Nonprofits and for-profits have points of intersection that can be leveraged(07:00) – Funder behaviors and what drives decision-making: (07:47) – Nonprofits potentially offer businesses very real ROI(09:55) – Mallory explains the “Asset Mapping” module within her Power Partners Formula (11:36) – About Susan’s Book "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships" (12:29) – The three sections that comprise Susan’s book are: Gather, Ask, Do (14:46) – The self-assessment process.(16:21) – Managing connections in a way that works for you(17:04) – A few practical habits from Susan(19:40) – How to avoid being transactional and giving people multiple ways to participate (21:30) – Susan’s big-picture goal(22:48) – Susan shares her definition of what constitutes a nourishing workplace(24:28) – Examples Susan has seen of new, surprising, and admirable initiatives(27:00) – What Nonprofits have to offer (30:31) – Susan and her superpower (31:32) - Learn more about Susan and Order the Book 

Faced with the death of her beloved brother, Monique Parker, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, reinvented herself and enlivened her purpose. She launched a candle-making business whose revenue she funneled into philanthropies that honored the spirit of her brother. And now she’s taking her nonprofit support one step further.Leveraging her corporate experience in the tech sector, where she was responsible for granting funds to nonprofits, Monique has launched A Little Bit of Good, a capacity-building accelerator program, to close the gap in funding for Black-led nonprofits. Monique is uniquely positioned to deconstruct institutional giving and highlight the ways in which nonprofits can best work with corporate partners to build long-term, sustainable strategic partnerships. You are not going to want to miss these takeaways!Monique’s program is designed to equip Black nonprofit leaders with the strategy, resources, and capital necessary to create sustainable and scalable impact within their communities. “If you don’t have a focus on diversity, your initiatives will always be a Band-aid,” says Monique, who believes real healing lies in demographics, data, and other concrete measures for demonstrable change. Listen now for all of the takeaways for nonprofits, corporate partners, and the sector alike! And if you want to see your dollars at work in a hands-on, targeted way, consider clicking here to support Monique’s work. Here is the link to help support A Little Bit of Good.Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.Episode Highlights:(03:09) – Monique’s journey to creating Blow Candle Co. and working with nonprofits in her area.(05:00) – A Little Bit of Good: Why Monique wants to focus on Black-led nonprofits(07:25) – Using her skills to incubate, accelerate and connect resources (10:54) – Short-Term Vision v. Long-Term Priorities(11:54) – From a corporate funder’s perspective(13:05) – Monique’s tips for positioning budgets for long-term corporate commitments (16:28) – Getting feedback from funders(20:20) – What Monique noticed in nonprofit pitches to her company (22:13) – Donor-nonprofit relationships that are more than transactional.(23:07) – Monique’s recommendations for reaching out to companies (27:21) – Trend Watch: Monique notes what a lot of companies are looking for right now (29:47) – What the most sustainable, successful nonprofit efforts offer (32:20) – Monique breaks down the difference between performative giving and impact investing(34:07) – The huge discrepancy between white- and Black-led nonprofits (35:48) – Grantmaking processes often exclude small grass-roots organizations (37:00) – Antiracism, comfort, and shifting funding structures (40:08) – Not all diversity hiring is equally impactful(41:47) – The difference between a Band-aid and real systemic change(44:21) – Learn more about Monique and Little Bit of Good Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.

My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising brings not only deep experience as a successful fundraiser for large cultural and educational institutions, but he’s also changing the conversation with fresh perspectives on both the nonprofit and donor sides of giving. Louis Diez, VP for Community at Almabase & Host at the Donor Participation Project, is sharing with us some of the research and insights that are going to blow your mind.In the theme of this week's mini-series, Friendraising, we explore top-of-mind topics such as what it takes to become a trusted partner, how to cultivate the elements of a holistic fundraising campaign, and why it’s important to look at our campaigns through our donors’ eyes. We also take a look at the definition of community and how it applies when it comes to engaging donors in sustained and meaningful ways.This conversation is peppered with fascinating food for thought, from the changing face of fundraising in a world with ever more diverse platforms for direct giving to the identification of new donor segments and the potential resource they represent. It all starts with establishing that all-important trust equation: Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy = Donor connections that go the distance.Click here to learn more about upcoming Donor Participation Project events for fundraising professionals who want to move the needle by building better programs and leadership.Is your nonprofit ready to scale up? Our sponsor DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.There is a lot of overlap in Louis’ recommendation with what I teach inside my Power Partners Formula. Register here for the FREE masterclass to get the full blueprint. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.Episode Highlights:(02:31) – Louis traces the arc of his career (05:20) – Defining the art (and science) behind fundraising(07:35) – The disconnect between the fundraising ask and other elements of donor relations.(08:33) – The driver behind the Donor Participation Project(10:34) – Understanding trust (15:25) – A more human-centric approach (17:14) – How nonprofit outreach can reach a complex group of humans(19:50) – “We-centric” Work(22:03) – All about overhead(28:23) – A change in donor patterns and how to diversify the way donors give (30:53) – Louis offers a definition of community (32:09) – How Louis applies his community framework to fundraising(36:03) – How to lead with purpose and guide volunteers (38:29) - Learn more about Louis and the Donor Participation ProjectHuge thanks to our sponsors over at DonorPerfect. If you’re looking to scale up, DonorPerfect has evolved a powerful platform to get you there. Click here to learn more about how this collaborative all-in-one fundraising hub can help your organization drive results, coordinate development, and foster donor engagement.

Dominique Morgan is a powerhouse executive director – most recently at The Okra Project, a collective addressing the needs of Black Trans people – but hers is a story that could have gone a different way. Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, Dominique was repeatedly incarcerated. It was a lived experience without dreams or prospects – until she had a few life-changing experiences. A single volunteer gig working at a Pride festival started Dominique on the path to higher education, paid nonprofit work that she loved, and an unstoppable voice in the movement to dismantle broken systems. This impressive leader previously took Black & Pink from a modest budget into the multi-millions, leveraging her passion for abolishing violence against LGBTQ people in prison through advocacy, education, direct service, and organizing. While moving through the nonprofit world, Dominique has brought her unique prism to the psychological and practical baggage that too often diverts us from our core missions. But she now knows how to fundraise powerfully for her work through an abundance mindset that also allows her to see where she can redistribute funds or make connections to help others move forward on the path to their shared north star. Dominique embraces both celebration of all that nonprofits accomplish, while also seeing and calling out the shadow work that we must continuously do to fully stand in our integrity and purpose. You’ll come away from this wide-ranging conversation with a refreshing sense of what can be achieved if we choose to allow vulnerability, share our stories, and support one another. Many thanks to NationBuilder, the software that builds movements, for sponsoring this episode of What the Fundraising. With everything in one integrated system, NationBuilder tools are designed to power nonprofits, movements, and dynamic campaigns.Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my fun, informative Fundraising Superpower Quiz. Episode Highlights:(02:43) – Dominique reflects on the impacts of violence, isolation, displacement, and ultimately incarceration.(04:20) – How a simple volunteer experience changed her life(06:21) – Dominique’s journey through nonprofit and how she grew to want and ask for more(09:51) – The psychology of money and the nonprofit-industrial complex(14:29) – Scarcity mindset and what feels available to us based on our lived experience(15:49) – Dominique's journey to an abundance mindset (19:05) – Nonprofit pay and why the status quo needs to be disrupted (21:22) – How Dominique manages staff pay with transparency, curiosity, and nuance (24:14) – The importance of shadow work in the nonprofit sector(27:55) – Mission creep and budgetary realities - how to make it all work (28:51) – How sharing resources underscores integrity, signals confidence, and leads to respect with funders(35:00) – How the Okra Project is distributing funding (37:10) – You need to know what’s happening with other nonprofits in your space.

How busy are you? How rarely are you able to cut through all the noise? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is inspiring us all to carve out a daily practice because – no matter how modest – our human spirits need dedicated moments and rituals. When Libby DeLana committed to taking a daily walk around her Newburyport, MA, neighborhood 10 years ago, she had no idea how transformational it would be. Without fail, she has integrated a walk into her daily life. Every day. No negotiation. The results have been life-changing for this award-winning advertising executive, who then created #thismorningwalk as a safe place for self-inquiry, reimagination, and liberation. Her daily ritual opens space to contemplate the literal ground on which she walks, the energy she brings to each step, and the constraints of self-definitions that no longer serve. And in this episode, she shares her process, learning, and recommendations for us all. Whether we’re courting a donor or racing to get to the airport on time, more often than not we have less control over outcomes than we’d like to believe. But by adopting a practice such as Libby’s we can claim some agency. We can show up and define the parameters of how we choose to be present – to ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and the environment around us. Libby exemplifies the power in putting one foot in front of the other. In her case, each next right step (even on the coldest New England winter days) has resulted in the equivalent of a global circumnavigation. We can start small, of course. It’s the intent that matters. So pull on your shoes – metaphorical or real – and join us for this energizing conversation. We’re being invited to step into our most aligned selves and create the spaciousness we all deserve! https://www.thismorningwalk.com/Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.Episode Highlights:(03:32) – Libby’s professional backstory and the origin of #thismorningwalk (05:33) – What it means to put one foot in front of the other (08:45) – The importance of personal with non-negotiable commitments.(12:50) – Managing not “enough-ness” in the small rituals that seem ‘too easy’(14:30) – Reimagining the narratives around fundraising(15:58) – Sitting with the unknowing (18:03) – Hello Inner Critic(22:46) – Libby shares some of the most compelling lessons she’s learned(26:50) – The power of the walk(29:54) – How to find those daily small pockets (31:55) – The power of mindfulness practices(34:10) – Changing the way we see ourselves(40:32) – The quiet spaces and examining our assumptions(41:05) – Shifting with self-love instead of judgment (42:17) - Learn more about Libby and #thismorningwalkThis episode of What the Fundraising was sponsored by Neon One, the comprehensive platform for coordinating donor and member management, fundraising, volunteers, and grants as well as all kinds of information about the when, where, why, and how of giving. Head over to this link to learn more!