Responsive Lab Podcast

David J. O'Brien and Matthew D. Craig join The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss the insights from their new book Building Smart Nonprofits. During the conversation we dig into  alternative funding models, how to move beyond golf tournaments, galas, and grants, and ask the question whether there are too many nonprofits. Many contrarian notes, but insightful. Building Smart Nonprofits: A Roadmap for Mission Success is a handbook of best practices nonprofits can use to improve sustainability - a book of knowledge and know-how distilled from interviews with over 60 industry leaders who are in the nonprofit trenches every day—as executives, leaders, board members, funders, publishers, and service providers. David J. O’Brien and Matthew D. Craig provide real-life examples of nonprofits deploying best practices and emerging industry trends – such as the rise of socially conscious investing – to position their organizations for the long term. Topics include, among others, funding models, impact investing, compensation, strategic restructuring, leadership, full-cost grantmaking, program evaluation, storytelling, and financing. Readers learn how to best position their non-profit organization for a sustainable and long-term future. https://requiemforthegala.org/our-book/

Bridget Jones and Kelly Hayman join The Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how they help transform the Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley fundraising programs in light of tremendous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the conversation we take a step back to March 2020 to recall how Bridget, Kelly, and their team's decision making process amidst the chaos and upending that COVID-19 had on their fundraising channels which was in contrast to the rapid growth in demand for their programs. Bridget Jones started as a part time Youth Development Worker with Boys & Girls Clubs in her hometown of Greeneville, TN. With a degree in education from Carson Newman College, a passion for young people and a love of gathering people together, she was able to use her skillset as the Director of Development & Corporate Events to raise funds to support the mission and vision of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee.  Her heart truly desires to serve young people who need us most and provide them with life-changing opportunities each time they enter the BGS doors. Kelly Hayman came to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in 2006 as an Education Director in one of the school based sites.  Over the next fourteen years, Kelly progressed into leadership positions such as Technology Director, Club Director and Executive Director.  He was moved into the role of Annual Gifts Officer in 2019. In his current role, Kelly is responsible is responsible for developing and stewarding both annual and recurring gifts.  His role allows for him to work with both small and mid-level donors.  Kelly began his Boys & Girls Club career in 1995 when he was hired to work as a summer staff member for the Boys & Girls Club of Valdosta, GA.  Becoming the Club Director in 2003, he led the Lake Laurie facility from serving 75 members to more than 140 members in 2005.  https://bgctnv.org/leadership/

Gordon Pont, the Partner and Strategy Director at Collab Agency in Australia, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about brand and marketing strategy, and the necessity to stand for something to ensure you stand out from the crowd. During our conversation we pull on Gordon's experience in consumer marketing and nonprofit advocacy and uncover essential traits nonprofit brands need to be remarkable and attract support. Gordon is a strategically led commercial marketer and business owner. With 20+ years of building brands, across B2C and B2B markets he promises to effectively collaborate so that your business grows. His experience includes senior Marketing, Sales, Category Management, Innovation and Directorship roles. Having also worked across most communication channels in traditional and digital media. He's passionate about working together with teams looking to grow and brings a breadth of capability, leadership and insight. https://www.collabagency.com.au  https://opportunity.org

Dan Reed joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share his first-hand experience scaling digital fundraising campaigns. During the conversation we discuss why digital fundraising is the future of fundraising, what makes monthly giving programs scale, and the power of blending community with giving. Dan started his digital fundraising career at Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, developing peer-to-peer activities for two annual Greater Chicago Prostate Cancer Run Walk & Rolls. From there, Dan spent seven years at the Smithsonian Institution, managing the digital components of the Friends of the Smithsonian direct response program, mid-level donor program and working across the different Smithsonian units, supporting their digital fundraising efforts. While at the Smithsonian, Dan earned his Masters Degree in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy. Next, Dan moved to World Food Program USA, building out their digital fundraising program from the ground up and developing an award winning monthly donor program over the course of three years. Dan sees working at Media Cause as an opportunity to work with a wide variety of nonprofits that are working to make the world a better place. He knows he'll be inspired on a daily basis helping passionate clients achieve their fundraising goals. https://mediacause.org/about-us/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-reed-5a336b104/ https://www.virtuous.org/modern-nonprofit-fundraiser-podcast/ 

Jake Smith, the Executive Director of Blood:Water, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss his path to leading his organization through uncertain times, the importance of history and rediscovering old truths with new value, and how a focus on people and execution has paved a path to help them grow 25% YOY despite the challenges of 2020. Blood:Water is an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the water and HIV/AIDS crises. We do this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. We provide technical, financial, and organizational support so that African civil society organizations have expanded reach and effectiveness in the communities they serve. www.linkedin.com/in/igobyjake/ www.bloodwater.org

Catherine Moore joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to talk about change management and its importance as nonprofits navigate constant change. During the conversation we discuss the balance between people, processes, and platforms during systems change and the value of personal resilience that's required for successful change leadership. Catherine has served the nonprofit sector for over 20 years, defining and guiding the strategic pathway for technology, marketing, and fundraising at the Canadian Cancer Society and others. She is skilled at understanding and addressing the human concerns that arise during a project as well as the technical challenges that any system transition will bring. Outside of her professional life, Catherine is passionate about STEM education for children and enjoys the privilege of mentoring other women and young professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherineemoore/ https://teamheller.com 

Vance Roush joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share how our relationship with money impacts the way we fundraise, the importance of taking a holistic approach to donor development, and how you build a community of generosity through your communications. Vance is an ex-Googler, engineer, pastor, and now the founder of Overflow.co, a technology company committed to building the infrastructure to ensure generosity is frictionless. https://www.overflow.co https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanceroush/ 

Sherry Quam Taylor joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share her philosophy for helping nonprofits get fully funded. Sherry teaches nonprofit leaders how to pivot from a heavy dependence on program, government, and event gifts and into securing large, investment-level donations from individuals so they can finally fund their missions. The leaders Sherry works with are experts in their field, but when it comes to individual donor fundraising, they’ve simply never been trained on how to do it, so it feels uncomfortable and frustrating. She helps them learn the exact steps to launch a mid- and major level gift program that feels comfortable, involves less dread, and fully funds their mission for the long-haul. She does this nationally through her private coaching and her 90-day LET’S GROW fundraising accelerator. https://www.quamtaylor.com/about-us https://www.quamtaylor.com/letsgrow 

Jake Smith, the Executive Director of Blood:Water, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to discuss his path to leading his organization through uncertain times, the importance of history and rediscovering old truths with new value, and how a focus on people and execution has paved a path to help them grow 25% YOY despite the challenges of 2020. Blood:Water is an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the water and HIV/AIDS crises. We do this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. We provide technical, financial, and organizational support so that African civil society organizations have expanded reach and effectiveness in the communities they serve. https://www.linkedin.com/in/igobyjake/ https://www.bloodwater.org 

MaryEllen Dickey, CFRE, joins the Responsive Fundraising Podcast to share what she's learned by leading donor development teams for the last two decades across social service, education, and healthcare nonprofits. We also discuss the balance between donor retention and acquisition, the importance of channel-donor fit and multi-channel fundraising, and how to lead a donor development team well to prevent burnout. MaryEllen, is Senior Vice President of Advancement for Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries. As such, she oversees a range of giving programs, including grants, major gifts, planned giving, corporate giving, endowments, and special capital projects, to support Diakon’s mission to serve those in need. Before joining Diakon the beginning of 2007, MaryEllen was Vice President for Development at Good Shepherd Hospital and Rehabilitation Network, Allentown. In addition to completing a successful $40 million capital campaign that resulted in $52 million in giving, her department focused on creating its first chair, expanding numerous program endowments, and supporting the development of a health and technology center. She also has held planned giving and executive director positions with Lafayette College, Easton, and Lehigh University, Bethlehem.