We collect a lot of data about our donors and constituents. And we put that data to good use in crafting our messages and appeals and our stewardship. We focus on this data so much that we have a hard time seeing past it. A hard time seeing the forest for the trees.

Today we have a conversation with a pair of advancement services technologists who took a step back and looked at the forest instead of the trees. They took a simple question, answerable by their data, and turned the answer into a tool to solve their curiosity and a solution for the world to use.

Guests: Clare Buttry and Carrick Davis

University of Northern Colorado Alumni Dashboard : https://www.unco.edu/alumni/bears-go-big/

Sankey Diagram : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankey_diagram

Edward Tufte and the famous use of Sankey-style in a chart : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Tufte

• 00:00 - Using your Data Creatively
• 01:10 - Clare Buttry and Carrick Davis
• 03:01 - What problem is data trying to solve?
• 11:05 - It doesn't have to be complicated
• 15:39 - Bears Go Big - the tool described
• 19:15 - Data Clutter and Efficiency
• 26:28 - Advancement Services is the right spot
• 31:27 - See the little lightbulb turn on

Listen in on our aasp Technology Committe as we celebrate a recent accomplishiment in one of our shops. The conversation provides insight into how technology teams work, what excites us, and what motivates us. While your technology team members all took different paths to your foundation, we all share some common goals and common experiences. Learn how to allow technology projects to happen and give your team room to explore.

• 02:43 - The topic at hand
• 07:56 - I broke things apart
• 10:57 - It's a common story
• 14:56 - Data just gets crufty
• 16:00 - 18 month project for five tables
• 20:07 - Replacing a million dollar tool
• 26:42 - This used to be really hard
• 27:36 - Let R&D happen
• 32:46 - Stuff you build is useful and people rely on it
• 36:37 - You can't go messing with people's data
• 39:09 - Let people help
• 42:22 - The SME you need
• 48:13 - Becoming self reliant

Episode list: advserv.org

Today we are joined by Nathan Chappell, co-founder of Fundraising.AI, to explore the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in philanthropic fundraising. As AI continues to revolutionize industries across the globe, its role in fundraising is becoming increasingly significant—but with innovation comes responsibility. Nathan brings his expertise to the table to discuss how nonprofits can harness the power of AI to optimize donor engagement, improve campaign outcomes, and personalize fundraising efforts, all while navigating the ethical challenges involved.

• fundraising.ai

Today, we're diving into a topic that's reshaping the world of giving—how artificial intelligence is transforming philanthropic fundraising. Our guest today is Ashutosh Nandeshwar, an expert in technology and social impact. Ashutosh has worked at the cutting edge of AI development and is passionate about its potential to drive positive change in society. He's here to share his insights into how AI can make fundraising more efficient, inclusive, and far-reaching, while also addressing some of the challenges that come with integrating these technologies into the nonprofit sector.

In this episode, we'll discuss how AI is enhancing donor engagement, optimizing fundraising campaigns, and providing nonprofits with the tools they need to scale their efforts like never before. Whether you're in the world of philanthropy or just interested in the future of giving, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

The podcast team of Meg Padovani, Jianell Present, Ian McVey, and Jay Ballinger talk about the anticipation and excitement of this year's aasp annual conference - Summit.

aasp : https://advserv.org

2024 aasp Summit : https://as.memberclicks.net

episodes : https://advserv.libsyn.com/

Philanthropy Revolution - written by Lisa Greer and Larissa Kostoff - produces a polarizing reaction to its central theme of how Fundraisers and Development Officers miss the mark when asking for donations. Meg Padovani offers her views on this book and invites you to weigh in on the discussion. Philanthropy Revolution How to Inspire Donors, Build Relationships and Make a Difference By Lisa Greer, Larissa Kostoff 368 pages Participate in the Discussion by adding your thoughts to this thread: https://aasp.connectedcommunity.org/discussion/book-philanthropy-revolution-by-lisa-greer

• 00:00 - Philanthropy Revolution Book Report
• 04:36 - The Book Is Aimed At Development Officers
• 06:27 - Some Redeeming Takeaways
• 07:44 - A Heavy Focus on DAFs
• 08:55 - Statistics from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
• 09:48 - Citations and Sources at the End of the Book
• 11:16 - Reviews Are Polarized
• 12:37 - An Invitation To Comment On The Book

Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp) advserv.org

In doing research on the data-driven business approach, Jay highlights two books he read along the way. This book report episode has insights and descriptions on two books related to being a Data Driven enterprise and how they can help you understand a data-driven culture and how nonprofits can thrive when they focus on what the data in telling them.

Data Drive - Creating a Data Culture

• by DJ Patil and Hilary Mason
• O'Reilly Media, Inc.
• Published 2015
• ISBN: 9781491921197

Data Driven Nonprofits

• by Steve MacLaughlin
• Saltire Press
• Published 2016
• ISBN: 9780988850712

00.00 Intro: So much data, so many questions 01.00 (Book 1) Data Driven: Creating a Data Culture 04.00 (Book 2) Data driven non-profits

In today's episode Jianell talks with Kate Nimety of the Zuri Group. Kate shares insights on the evolution of advancement services, the future of fund management, the importance of scalable solutions, and a horror story about a CRM change.

• aasp - The Association of Advancement Services Professionals - advserv.org
• The Zuri Group - zurigroup.com

The many components of our identities connect to form a unique human experience that is examined and explored further in "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Advancement Services – Best Practices for Today's Success." Join aasp for a book report and contributing author conversation on this free publication that engages readers through thoughtful delivery, encouraging us to uniquely make good choices. No matter the stage of journey, you'll feel inspired to ask valuable questions within critical areas of non-profit data services: acquisition, storage and usage.

• 00.00 Intro: Where do we start?
• 01.30 Book review
• 04.40 Summary on sections
• 11.50 Closing thoughts
• 12.40 Contributing authors - Intros
• 14.55 DEI vs ethics
• 17.10 Task force structure and action plan
• 20.00 Giving credit where credit is due
• 21.15 What is the book – what is it for?
• 25.45 Owning your data
• 31.00 Making a contribution
• 37.30 Valuable surprises

• DEI for Advancement Services at aasp : https://www.advserv.org/dei-for-advancement-services
• aasp Best Practices Library : https://aasp.connectedcommunity.org/resource-libraries/best-practices-library

Celebrating Our Wins through the Annual Aspire Awards Fellow Advancement Service professionals share their perspectives and experiences with the annual Aspire Awards, designed to recognize colleagues for their accomplishments. Become inspired and get ready to document your achievements after receiving advice from both sides of the award process. Robin and Sholanda will motivate future submissions by explaining how to best describe an innovative, complex project and measure success through impact. The size of your team and the size of the project may not matter as much as you would expect it to. It is the size of your story and the impact your project had on your foundation that matters most.

• 00:00 - Intro: Tell your story
• 01:30 - Diamond Award Winner Intro, Robyn Doughty
• 03:00 - How to Start the Submission Process
• 07:30 - Describe the Impact of Your Improvement
• 10:05 - Budgeting Time and Effort
• 13:25 - Selecting a Project
• 14:40 - Click Submit, and Then What Happens?
• 18:20 - Is It Worth It?
• 24:55 - Juror Intro, Sholanda Martin
• 27:43 - Becoming a Juror
• 28:40 - The Juror Experience
• 29:50 - What Does a Juror Look For?
• 34:05 - Advice on 'Worthy' Ideas
• 43:28 - Apply and See What Happens