What if you thought about fundraising the way a farmer thinks about soil, not just what you can extract, but what you're building over time?

Terrence Mugova joins Rob Burke from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where he founded Educate, a financing company that helps students at more than 50 schools afford school fees, and runs a hunger relief program and money coaching practice in his community.

Terrence brings a perspective rarely heard on fundraising podcasts: what it actually looks like to raise money without collateral, without a wealthy network, and inside an economy that's wrestled with hyperinflation.

In this episode, Terrence breaks down how he built a sustainable funding model that blends donor relationships, corporate shared-value partnerships, micro-loans, and earned revenue — and why he believes nonprofits everywhere need to start thinking more like business operators. He also shares a sharp critique of how global organizations often get it wrong when they show up in Africa with a predetermined vision and no understanding of local context.

If you work in fundraising — whether in the US or anywhere else — this episode will challenge you to widen your lens.

Chapters:

00:00 - Fundraising as Ecosystem Building (Teaser)

00:22 - Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:21 - Terrence's Story: Almost Losing His University Seat and Founding Educate

04:15 - Starting Small: Six Students, One Proof of Concept

07:25 - What Success Really Means: Identity, Action, and Dreams

08:57 - The Fintech Partnership: Making Diaspora Education Funding Direct and Accountable

10:26 - Building a Sustainable Funding Mix Beyond Grants

14:14 - Shared Value Partnerships: Speaking the Language of Business People

15:53 - What Global Nonprofits Get Wrong When They Enter Africa

19:11 - Tactical Takeaway: Approach Fundraising Like Building an Ecosystem

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