Responsive Lab Podcast

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, your Virtuous co-hosts, Carly Berna and Stephen Boudreau, bring in DonorSearch’s head of AI, Nathan Chappell, for an exciting conversation about AI and how it can fuel generosity in your organization. Nathan begins by diving into his experience, which includes founding the Fundraising.AI collaborative, a 10,000+ member global think-tank responsible for publishing the world’s first Framework for Responsible and Beneficial AI for Fundraising; as well as co-authoring The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity’s Greatest Challenges. As he comes from an extensive AI background, Nathan shares varying ways that nonprofits can benefit (and have already benefited) from using AI, offering practical tips that nonprofits can implement from day one. Next, he explains the process of creating a culture of curiosity and how adaptability in any organization is key. Also along the way, Nathan shares: - How to use AI while still building personal connections with your donors - How technology can help build curiosity when looking to move the needle forward - How using AI actually gives you more time to be human - How AI can be used as a tool to scale generosity - How donors can use AI when selecting where to give and how it relates to fundraisers - And so much more + a mystery question at the end! 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, your Virtuous co-hosts, Carly Berna and Stephen Boudreau, are joined by Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer and Tech for Social Impact Leadership Team member, Erin McHugh Saif. Erin begins by sharing her background, which includes experience working for big tech companies such as Blackbaud, Salesforce, and TIBCO. Next, Erin explains the nonprofit side of Microsoft and how philanthropy has helped to shape Microsoft over the years when it comes to connecting with its users, as well as the community at large. Also along the way, Erin shares: - How AI and technology have helped shape the nonprofit world, and what they have the power to achieve moving forward - The distinction between how nonprofits and for-profits use Microsoft as a service - For-profit trends that can be applied to nonprofits - Microsoft services that are currently being delivered to for-profits that present the biggest opportunities for nonprofits Discover more opportunities at Microsoft.com such as discounted offers for nonprofits, Microsoft Philanthropies, the AI governance tool kit, as well as Free AI skilling resources. Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous. 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, your Virtuous co-hosts, Stephen Boudreau and Carly Berna, are joined by Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott from the podcast, We Are For Good. They begin by talking about how to measure success, giving examples such as tracking the various forms of engagement in one’s organization. Next, they discuss the topic of activation. How do donors, listeners and supporters respond to calls to action, and what kind of pushback is there from nonprofits in this area? Later, they dive into the process of syndicating content, meaning spreading a message or an idea to multiple channels for different audiences. Sharing examples and tips from their success, Jon & Becky offer invaluable insights on how organizations can connect with their supporters through activation and harness the power of generosity in the current giving climate that we live in. More topics include: - The pitfalls of only measuring giving against other metrics in an organization’s growth plan - How to engage dimensionally with your organization’s supporters - How the Barbie Movie is a good example of what not to do in terms of activation - And so much more! Season One of The Responsive Nonprofit is brought to you by: VIRTUOUS 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, your co-host, Carly Berna, is joined by fellow Virtuous colleague, Scott Holthaus, for a special audio-only edition featuring Virtuous partner, OneCause. Included in the conversation are OneCause’s CMO, Karrie Wozniak, and Director of Corporate Communications, Sarah Sebastian. Together, Karrie and Sarah share details from the 5th edition of OneCause’s Giving Experience Research Study—a report that highlights the latest social giving trends in the nonprofit sector. This crucial report offers actionable insights to help organizations build deeper, lasting connections with their donors. Offering key finding from this report, Karrie and Sarah will also share: - The meaning of ‘social donor’ and ‘social giving’ - How nonprofits can use technology to build trust, ease, and connection with their donors - Effective strategies on how organizations can attract younger, more diverse donors - How nonprofits can best use the data from the report to make an impact on their organization Download the Giving Experience Research Study now at: https://www.onecause.com/ebook/giving-experience-study-fifth-edition/ Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by: VIRTUOUS 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Stephen Boudreau and Carly Berna are joined by industry leader, Trent Dunham, for an exciting conversation about the world of modern fundraising and how to become effective leaders in an ever-changing nonprofit landscape. Trent begins by dissecting some of the large-scale (or macro) trends in fundraising today, and lists some of the struggles that nonprofits may be facing in our current economic climate, highlighting some tools that they can utilize to overcome these challenges – such as AI technology and automation. Trent goes on to talk about what it means to properly define ‘success’ and how to prioritize your organization’s goals in order to achieve that success, emphasizing how leadership plays an important role in both prioritization and execution in an organization. Later, Trent talks about what it means to ‘Lead Up’ as a means of furthering your organization’s growth ability to push through obstacles. Other Topics Include: – How communicating priorities effectively provides clarity for accountability – How to strategically execute a plan that has been prioritized effectively – How to use technology in order to scale your organization – How providing solutions to problems rather than listing the problems themselves can help steer your organization in the right direction – A mystery question at the end! Learn more about Trent Dunham by visiting https://www.dunhamandcompany.com/. Discover more about The Responsive Lab at virtuous.org/podcast. Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by VIRTUOUS. 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab podcast, Carly Berna and Stephen Boudreau are joined by executive coach, fundraising consultant, and host of the podcast What the Fundraising, Mallory Erickson, for an exciting conversation about the evolution of fundraising – plus, a sneak peak of Mallory’s new book, What The Fundraising? Mallory begins by discussing the common obstacles faced by fundraisers today, and how to overcome them using strategies that Mallory explains in detail in her book. Later, they’ll talk about the importance of mindset in fundraising and how adopting a positive and resilient mindset can lead to ultimate success – both professionally and personally. Also along the way, Carly, Stephen and Mallory will talk about: - Adopting the “courage over confidence” mindset - Building aligned donor relationships - Innovative fundraising techniques and how to implement them - The importance of self-care and mental health for fundraisers Lastly, Mallory is offering one lucky winner a FREE copy of What the Fundraising. Here’s the link for more information and to add your name for a chance to win! http://virtuous.org/malloryerickson. Learn more about Mallory at MalloryErickson.com. Discover more about The Responsive Lab at: virtuous.org/podcast Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by: VIRTUOUS 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Stephen Boudreau and Carly Berna are joined by Executive Vice President at DickersonBakker, Andrew Olsen, for a discussion about nonprofit fundraising and how to give donors a better giving experience. They dive into the current climate of fundraising and discuss what it means to create a major-donor like strategy. They take an in-depth look at the ‘responsive’ part of Responsive Fundraising and talk about what it really means to be personal with your donors when communicating with them. Andrew goes on to address the question of whether every donor should be treated as a major donor, or if they should be treated the way they prefer to be treated, as well as what it takes to embrace effective change for long-term success. Other Topics Include: - The changing demographics in the fundraising landscape - Why donors have started to lose trust in nonprofits, and how to overcome it. - Using data and technology to connect with your donors - The dilemma surrounding ‘mass customization’ - How leadership can either make or break a nonprofits ability to embrace change Discover more at virtuous.org/podcast. Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by: VIRTUOUS 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. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Stephen Boudreau team up with nonprofit expert Taylor Shanklin for a lively deep dive into the art of scaling a nonprofit organization. Together, they unpack what growth truly means, explore how it differs for smaller organizations versus larger ones, and tackle the common hurdles that can keep nonprofits from reaching their full potential. Taylor shares real-world examples of what growth can—and should—look like, along with practical advice for nonprofits on scaling in a healthy, efficient way to seize every opportunity. Other topics in this episode include: -Taylor’s personal story of growth -The role of technology -A mystery question at the end! Taylor is the founder of Berlele and Creative Shizzle, and is an experienced Storybrand Guide and Business Made Simple Coach, focusing on a dream to help purpose-driven companies and organizations communicate thrive. Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous. 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 and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Stephen and Carly are joined by Virtuous’ very own CEO, Gabe Cooper, for a talk about Virtuous’ first-ever Benchmark Report! Gabe begins by diving into not only the what, but the why behind benchmark reports, revealing how valuable they are in understanding your nonprofit organization, as well as your donor relationships. Gabe discusses the 7 crucial KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) included in Virtuous’ benchmark report – Gross Donor Retention, Average and Median Gift Amount, Donor Expansion, Recurring Giving, Portfolio Balance, Donor Lifetime Value, and New Donor Acquisition – and highlights why each of these factors represent important key growth factors for nonprofits. In addition to dissecting each of these individual reports, Gabe, Carly, and Stephen touch on some key tactics and takeaways that you can implement in your nonprofit to drive your donor giving – because the Virtuous Benchmark Report isn’t just a series of stats. It’s a helpful tool that can be shared with and implemented by your nonprofit for a better, more healthy donor file. Other topics include: - The rise of subscription giving - The pre- and post-Covid donor landscape - Building relationships with first-time givers - The importance of creating multi-channel new donor welcome series - Constructing dynamic ask arrays - Using median gifts as an insight to upgrading donors Get more details about this year’s benchmark report by downloading it for FREE. Simply visit: https://virtuous.org/benchmarkreport/ Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous. 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 and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

Welcome to the Responsive Lab, your new favorite podcast where innovation and impact collide to transform the nonprofit world! In this episode, your Virtuous co-hosts, Stephen Boudreau and Carly Berna, bring in special guest, Justin McCord of RKD Group. Justin is an industry-leading marketer, with more than a decade of guiding commercial and nonprofit organizations to success. Tying in Justin’s background in the sports industry, Carly and Stephen highlight the value exchange that comes from watching your favorite sports team, and akin that to the feeling one gets when donating to nonprofits, showcasing not only their similarities, but practical implications when driving nonprofit success. Together, they discuss the pressurized state of the fundraising industry and how tension is at an all-time high among nonprofits today. They’ll dive into the effects this has on company vs. donor expectations, and how nonprofits can translate the same passion that people may have for sports into their nonprofit donor experience. Additional topics include: -Technology as a vehicle for success, not the end-all answer -The evolution of the digital market from the pre-Covid era to present day -The top-down and bottom-up tensions in nonprofit organizations that lead to the pressurized nonprofit market, and how to work through that pressure in order to re-engage nonprofit passion. Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous. 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 and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.