What if your most personal pain became the fuel for a powerful fundraising mission? 💛

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke talks with Ashley Hamm, co-founder and Executive Director of Dear NICU Mama. Ashley shares how her son’s 3-month NICU stay led her to launch a nonprofit that provides peer support for NICU moms—and how she’s learned to focus her fundraising, not just “do more.”

You’ll hear:

– Ashley’s NICU story and why Dear NICU Mama exists

– The surprising challenge of fundraising for a deeply personal mission

– How a small nonprofit measures impact when the work is emotional and relational

– Why revitalizing their nonprofit board in 2024 was a game changer

– Practical ways small-shop executive directors can stay focused and avoid burnout

– The fundraising quote that changed everything: “How dare you assume they don’t want to give?” (via Patrick Kirby)

– How tools like DonorDock help build a strong donor base through better stewardship

If you’re a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, or executive director wearing “all the hats,” this conversation will encourage you to focus on what matters most: your mission, your people, and your donors.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

00:28 Ashley’s NICU story & founding Dear NICU Mama

03:05 Fundraising when the mission is personal

06:03 Measuring impact for peer support nonprofits

09:25 How Ashley stays focused as an executive director

13:06 The one thing she’d invest in sooner: the board

14:57 Building a supportive, high-impact nonprofit board

17:50 “How dare you assume they don’t want to give?”

19:39 DonorDock and episode wrap-up

Want to learn how DonorDock can help you find clarity and build a strong donor base through smart stewardship?

Visit: DonorDock.com