Most fundraisers have never heard the term “gift theory.” Yet it may explain many of the frustrations we experience in our work.In this conversation, 

Jason Lewis and I explore a foundational question: what actually makes a gift different from a sale or a tax?

Jason introduces the concept of “modes of exchange” and explains how societies have historically organized themselves around three different ways of relating: gift, market, and coercion. 

We examine how modern fundraising may have borrowed too heavily from sales and bureaucratic models, and why that matters for donor retention, trust, and long-term relationships.

If you have ever felt that fundraising can become transactional, pressured, or overly mechanical, this episode will help you step back and reconsider the moral architecture behind what we do.Topics we cover:
      

       -Jason’s fundraising origin story
      -What gift theory is and where it comes from
      -Gift mode vs sales mode vs coercive mode
      -Why fundraising often feels transactional
      -Whether we are using the wrong toolbox in our profession

This episode sets the foundation for a deeper exploration of generosity, responsibility, and the true nature of the gift.

Find Jason's Substack, The Butterfly Effect here: https://responsive.substack.com/

Looking for fundraising coaching?  Check out www.abundantvision.net

This bonus episode features the full Q&A from the Brady Ware webinar. Thomas answers practical questions about overcoming fear, stretching vision responsibly, building donor confidence, and creating the structures that keep fundraising focused and sustainable. This final installment brings together the most actionable insights from the entire series.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
Looking for accounting or advisory services? Visit bradyware.com

In Part Three of the Brady Ware training, Thomas focuses on the structures and weekly habits that drive major gift momentum. You will learn a simple rhythm for donor engagement, a practical meeting script that centers purpose, and a framework for aligning your time, message, and goals. Whether you lead a small shop or a large team, these disciplines help create steadiness, clarity, and long-term growth.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
Looking for accounting or advisory services? Visit bradyware.com

Part Two continues the Brady Ware webinar series with a deep dive into leadership vision and the emotional steadiness required for transformational philanthropy. Thomas walks through why donors respond to clarity, why vague vision creates doubt, and how leaders can cast a compelling future that donors want to join. The story of two university deans illustrates the difference between shrinking an opportunity and rising to it.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
Looking for accounting or advisory services? Visit bradyware.com

In Part One of this special three-part training, Thomas shares the opening portion of a webinar he delivered for Brady Ware’s nonprofit division. This session explores how personal history, family money messages, and early experiences with asking quietly shape the way fundraisers show up with donors. Thomas offers practical tools for grounding yourself in mission, understanding the roots of fear, and beginning the shift toward confidence and clarity in your solicitations.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
Looking for accounting or advisory services? Visit bradyware.com

December has a way of messing with a fundraiser’s head.

If you hit your goal, there is relief. If you came up short, it can feel like the year somehow failed. In this end of year episode, Tom Dauber reframes what a truly positive year-end looks like and why December does not define your worth as a fundraiser.

This episode is not about last-minute tactics or magical December hacks. It is about finishing the calendar year with integrity, clarity, and professionalism. Tom walks through how to redefine winning at year end, why gratitude must be treated as a discipline rather than an afterthought, and how desperation quietly undermines trust with donors.

You will also hear practical guidance on closing loops, cleaning up CRM data, scheduling January follow-ups before exhaustion sets in, and doing an honest post-mortem that helps you grow as a leader rather than beat yourself up.

Most of all, this episode reconnects fundraising to first principles. Stewardship is not about revenue. It is about trust. And trust compounds over time.

If you want to close the year steady instead of frantic, and step into the new year grounded rather than desperate, this episode is for you.

Looking for fundraising coaching?  Check out www.abundantvision.net

After decades in fundraising, Joe Bull has seen nearly everything—from million-dollar surprises to the conversations that quietly define a donor’s legacy. In this episode, he joins Tom Dauber to share the stories, near-misses, and timeless lessons that shaped his approach to planned giving and donor relationships that last a lifetime.

In this conversation, Joe and Tom discuss:

• How one sponsorship pitch turned into an eight-figure gift—and a career-defining lesson in silence
• The stewardship visit that safeguarded an $11 million estate gift
• Why fundraisers lose legacy donors simply by forgetting about them
• How to spot hidden wealth and reframe your assumptions about “who gives”
• The emotional power of connecting donors directly to the impact they’ve created
• What awkward mistakes (including a very ill-timed voicemail) can teach you about accountability
• How patience and gratitude form the foundation of every successful planned giving relationship

For anyone serious about legacy fundraising, this episode distills forty years of experience into stories that remind us why planned giving is both an art and a calling.

Website: philanthropyadvisorycouncil.com • Email: [email protected]
Looking for fundraising coaching?  Check out www.abundantvision.net

Economic downturns test every fundraiser’s patience and creativity—but Joe Bull has seen enough recessions to know that generosity doesn’t disappear, it just shifts form. In this conversation, Joe and Tom Dauber unpack how planned giving holds steady when annual and major gifts tighten, and what leaders can do now to build resilience before the next market slide.

In this episode, Joe shares:

• Why donor motivation doesn’t vanish in bad economies—it only changes timing and form
• How planned giving bridges short-term uncertainty with long-term commitment
• Data from researcher Russell James showing why nonprofits that accept non-cash assets raise significantly more
• Lessons from Joe’s own Carnegie Mellon analysis revealing estate gifts often triple lifetime giving
• Practical ways to start a planned giving program with almost no new budget
• The myth that “planned giving is only for the wealthy” and what every fundraiser should actually know
• Why patience, stewardship, and curiosity build the kind of donor relationships that survive any recession

If you’ve ever wondered how to stabilize fundraising when the markets stumble, this episode will leave you with perspective, proof, and a few next steps you can take tomorrow.

Website: philanthropyadvisorycouncil.com • Email: [email protected]
Looking for fundraising coaching?  Check out www.abundantvision.net

Joe Bull never set out to become one of the most respected voices in planned giving. Trained in law and athletic administration, he thought he’d spend his career on the sidelines of college sports—not in development offices. One unplanned job at Duke University changed everything, launching a forty-year journey through higher ed, national nonprofits, and the evolution of modern fundraising.

In this episode, Joe talks with host Tom Dauber about:

• How an accidental entry into Duke’s planned giving office became the start of a lifelong vocation
• Lessons from early mentors and the value of being “in the right place at the right time”
• The growing professionalism of planned giving—from two-person shops to major enterprise teams
• Transitioning from Duke to NC State to Ohio State and leading his first campaign
• Moving from higher education to The Nature Conservancy just before the 2008 financial crash
• Why networking and timing shape more careers than strategy ever will
• The origin of “fractional planned giving” work and why many nonprofits need it today

This conversation offers a rare look at how one unplanned turn can define a lifetime of impact.

Website: philanthropyadvisorycouncil.com • Email: [email protected]

Looking for fundraising coaching and free fundraising resources?  Check out www.abundantvision.net

A pop-culture detour with a purpose: Tom breaks down how Netflix’s Wednesday (Season 2) portrays fundraising—manipulative galas, predatory leaders, “mind-control” asks—and contrasts it with ethical, mission-centered practice. If your board’s first idea is “throw a gala,” this one’s for you.

• Why TV gets fundraising wrong (manipulation, greed, event-centric thinking)
• What ethical fundraising actually looks like: gratitude, consent, mission & impact
• The real problems with events and “a question to everybody is a question to nobody”
• Better paths than grants-only or cookie/candy sales—and why individualized asks win

Looking for fundraising coaching?  Check out www.abundantvision.net