Responsive Lab Podcast

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Brynne Krispin, founder of Cause Fokus, to talk about the power of an empathy-driven social strategy and how nonprofits can use content and platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to foster trust, connection, and long-term donor retention.   Brynne brings a decade of nonprofit social media experience — including her time at IJM — and explains how she pivoted toward empathy-based storytelling after realizing traditional tactics weren’t cutting it. She shares how activating the personal profiles of nonprofit leaders, using emotional storytelling even when limited by privacy, and showing up with consistency can all work together to increase engagement and deepen donor loyalty.   Claim your special listener discount on Brynne’s brand-new ebook, Read the Room: Why Empathy is the Secret Sauce in Successful Branding. Get 50% off with the code VIRTUOUS here.   Download the ebook Learn more about Cause Fokus Connect with Brynne on LinkedIn   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus bring you a featured session from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Virtuous Chief AI Officer, Nathan Chappell, explores why nonprofits aren’t just competing for dollars anymore, they’re competing for connection.   Drawing from his decades of experience and his acclaimed book The Generosity Crisis, Nathan challenges fundraisers to confront today’s tough questions:   What if the donors you have today are the only donors you’ll ever have? Are you building community… or playing a numbers game?   You’ll walk away with four actionable steps to build lasting donor relationships that grow generosity for years to come.   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Scott Holthaus and Carly Berna sit down with email marketing consultant Katelyn Baughan of KB Digital to uncover what’s broken in nonprofit email marketing and how to fix it.   From donor retention challenges to the pitfalls of “spray and pray” messaging, Katelyn shares practical ways to move from broadcasting to relationship-building. Learn how to create a high-impact donor welcome series, set up automations that actually save time, and test your way into more effective fundraising emails.   You’ll walk away with: The top reasons nonprofit emails underperform — and how to measure success Practical tips for building a donor welcome series that inspires Smart automation strategies to deliver better stewardship at scale Examples of targeted emails that drive action One simple change you can make today to boost results   Connect with Katelyn Baughan: LinkedIn: Katelyn Baughan Podcast: Inbox to Impact Sign up for her weekly email tips at https://katelynbaughan.com/   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

What do you do when your nonprofit loses 75% of its budget overnight?   In this episode of The Responsive Lab, fundraising veteran Barbara O’Reilly of Windmill Hill Consulting joins co-hosts Scott Holthaus and Carly Berna for a deeply practical and human conversation about leading through financial turbulence.   From donor shifts and budget cuts to internal turmoil and board conversations, Barbara offers honest, tactical advice for nonprofit leaders facing hard realities including how to communicate transparently without overwhelming your supporters, how to prioritize donor retention over acquisition, and how to forecast when the future feels fuzzy.   Whether you’re navigating today’s headwinds or preparing for tomorrow’s, this episode will leave you with practical tools and encouraging perspective.   Connect with Barbara at https://whillconsulting.com/ and on LinkedIn.   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus bring you a featured session from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Join Christine Robertson from NPact and John Mark Vanderpool from Social Impact Solutions as they sit down with Virtuous DBA-in-residence, Kayla Schneider, to tackle one of the biggest challenges in nonprofit fundraising: donor retention.   This episode dives deep into practical strategies for increasing donor loyalty by using better data, smarter segmentation, and personalized multi-channel outreach. From reducing duplicates and calculating your churn rate to aligning your entire team around shared goals, Christine and John offer tactical advice grounded in real nonprofit experience.   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Brady Josephson, VP of Marketing and Growth at charity:water.    Brady makes the case for long-term brand marketing in a nonprofit world obsessed with short-term returns. He unpacks how charity:water’s latest initiatives — including their immersive Experience Lab and viral “Work from Bed” campaign — are using creativity and real-world touchpoints to increase future donor demand and loyalty.   From the difference between performance and brand marketing to tangible ways nonprofits can create their own pattern interruptions, this episode is a practical and inspiring masterclass in modern donor engagement.   🔗 Follow Brady on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradyjosephson 🔗 Learn more about charity:water: charitywater.org   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of Ask a Responsive Fundraiser, we’re joined by Emily Rasmussen, founder of Grapevine, the platform behind the growing Giving Circle movement.   Emily brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, impact finance, and community organizing. She shares how responsive fundraisers can shift from transactional giving to relational belonging.   You’ll hear:   • What it actually means to build a donor community • Why collaborative giving is on the rise (and what’s driving it) • How to recognize the real competition for donor attention • Why peer connections often build more trust than staff alone • How to scale relationship-building without scaling headcount The average across the nonprofit industry is that only 2% of new donations are set up to recur. On Grapevine, more than 50% of new donations are set up to recur.   By inviting donors into genuine community (not just another appeal cycle) nonprofits can unlock generosity, deepen trust, and increase lifetime value.   Connect with Emily & More Resources:   • How to start a Giving Circle for your Nonprofit - it's a very fast and easy process to get started • Harnessing Collaborative Impact: How Giving Circles Elevate Nonprofits • Connect with Grapevine  

In this data-packed episode of The Responsive Lab, Scott Holthaus and Carly Berna sit down with John Mark Vanderpool, co-founder of Social Impact Solutions, to talk all things Donor Lifetime Value (LTV).   John Mark brings a unique perspective — combining nonprofit experience, impact evaluation, and business acumen — to help leaders rethink their fundraising strategy. In the episode, you’ll explore how understanding and leveraging donor LTV can completely shift your acquisition strategy, communications, and ultimately, your impact.   John Mark shares: Why LTV isn’t just for startups anymore Balancing acquisition cost and donor value The case for quality over quantity in donor portfolios How to calculate and apply long-term net metrics Real examples of using social impact data to engage ideal donors   Plus, you’ll hear a powerful story of a nonprofit that drove 7-figure revenue through clever acquisition strategy without spending a dime on fundraising.   📌 Explore more from Social Impact Solutions at https://www.socialimpactsolutions.com/  📌 Take the free fundraising quiz at https://www.fundraisingquiz.org/    Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Heather Hiscox, social impact strategist and author of No More Status Quo, to unpack how nonprofits can lead organizational change with empathy, inclusion, and clarity. Heather shares the story behind her innovative PAUSE Framework — a practical, five-step method to navigate uncertainty and build sustainable change.   From challenging the myths of startup culture to redefining change management through a lens of love, care, and equity, Heather reveals the tools nonprofit leaders need to stop defaulting to consultants or technology as a silver bullet — and start empowering their teams through behavioral change and continuous learning.   💡 Learn how to: Redesign your change processes with intentional empathy Shift from assumptions to co-designed solutions Use stakeholder interviews to fuel real transformation Apply behavioral testing before full-scale implementation   📚 Explore more of Heather’s work: The PAUSE Framework: https://www.pauseforchange.com/ Her book “No More Status Quo”: https://letherspeakusa.org/no-more-status-quo/ Online conversation series: https://www.possibilityproject.org/   Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity.   Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers.   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Aidan Augustin, Co-founder and CRO at Feathr, to unpack how to turn your story into a strategy that actually drives donor action.   Nonprofits are facing real headwinds — from declining trust to loud public skepticism. But Aidan makes the case that now is the time for nonprofit leaders to get louder, not quieter. With humor, clarity, and tactical advice, Aidan explains how digital marketing can fuel fundraising success and help change the narrative around nonprofit impact.   You’ll learn how to: Use storytelling to counter negative press and drive action Map your donor journey with a marketing funnel mindset Start with bottom-of-funnel wins like retargeting and work your way up Integrate marketing and fundraising for better results Measure ROI on marketing and prove its value to your board   🔗 Learn more about Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ 🔗 Connect with Aidan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanaugustin/   Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers.   Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist