Your annual report shouldn't just check a box – it's a powerful donor stewardship opportunity to celebrate impact, engage supporters, and make them feel proud to be part of your mission. In this episode from the Fundraising Lab archives, we're joined by Brooke Erickson as we provide expert guidance on creating a donor impact report. Whether you're launching your first report back to donors or rethinking your annual report strategy, this conversation explores how to create donor-centered communications that maximize donor engagement and strengthen donor retention. We cover: Creating donor-centered impact reports that make supporters feel proud and part of the team The art of impact storytelling: sharing client stories safely through amalgams, staff experiences, and volunteer testimonials Building a strategic stewardship program that balances donor appreciation with fundraising appeals If you're planning donor communications or impact reporting, this episode offers practical advice on transforming standard reporting into meaningful stewardship that strengthens donor relationships and retention.

Check out Brooke Erickson and host Cathy Mann on LinkedIn

Resources and links: Check out Brooke Erickson and host Cathy Mann on LinkedIn Download our Four Pillars of Fundraising Guide for free Book your Fundraising Growth Game Plan call Email us at [email protected] Subscribe to our email list Share this episode with a friend!

Podcast editing and post-production by: Daniella Sorrentino at Feral Culture Lab

Music: Intro and Outro Music is Fancy Free by Reveille at Soundstripe

That first major donor meeting can feel intimidating – but with the right preparation and strategy in place, it's an opportunity to build a meaningful philanthropic relationship that could transform your organization's impact.

In this episode from the Fundraising Lab archives, we're joined by Deb Thompson as we provide expert fundraising coaching on how to prepare for an upcoming major gifts meeting with a prospective foundation funder. Whether you're reconnecting with a past supporter or meeting with high-capacity donors for the first time, this conversation covers essential major gifts strategies for turning that initial meeting into a long-term donor relationship.

Together, we walk through the critical elements of successful major donor meetings – from donor prospecting research and goal setting to asking the right discovery questions and creating clear next steps.

We cover:

• How to research major donor prospects, set meeting goals, and understand their giving patterns and priorities
• The art of discovery calls: asking the right questions, listening well, and learning what donors truly care about
• Creating effective calls to action and securing permission for meaningful follow-up that moves the relationship forward

If you're preparing for your first major gift meeting or looking to strengthen your major donor cultivation strategy, this episode offers practical fundraising best practices to help you build authentic relationships with foundation funders and high-capacity donors.

Resources and links: Check out Debra Thompson and host Cathy Mann on LinkedIn Book your Fundraising Growth Game Plan call Email us at [email protected] Subscribe to our email list Share this episode with a friend!

Podcast editing and post-production by: Daniella Sorrentino at Feral Culture Lab

Music: Intro and Outro Music is Fancy Free by Reveille at Soundstripe

So, you've got a vision to grow your fundraising program, but you're not sure how to get there.

Whether you're volunteer-led, an executive director flying solo, or building your first fundraising team, the path to sustainable fundraising growth isn't always clear.

In this episode, we break down the real stages of fundraising growth and what is required at each stage – not just in terms of fundraising strategy, but in terms of systems, organizational culture and capacity building.

We're talking about:

• The 4 key stages of fundraising growth (and what to focus on at each stage)
• Why fundraising success depends on alignment across your entire organization
• What it means to invest in a culture of philanthropy that supports fundraising efforts
• Common traps like unrealistic fundraising hiring expectations, weak infrastructure, and the myth of the "lone fundraiser"
• Real-life stories about how fundraising success leads to overwhelm – and practical ways to prevent burnout

We also dig into why financial reconciliation, donor database management, and clear team communication are just as critical as your fundraising plan – and why you might feel like you're spinning your wheels without these systems in place.

If you're navigating the messy middle, stuck between growing pains and big fundraising goals, this one's for you.

Resources and links: Check out host Cathy Mann on LinkedIn Download our Four Pillars of Fundraising Guide for free Book your Fundraising Growth Game Plan call Email us at [email protected] Subscribe to our email list Share this episode with a friend!

Podcast editing and post-production by: Daniella Sorrentino at Feral Culture Lab

Music: Intro and Outro Music is Fancy Free by Reveille at Soundstripe

It Doesn't Hurt to Ask is the podcast for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who want to raise more money with less chaos and build systems that last.

Hosted by Cathy Mann, award-winning fundraiser, educator, and founder of The Fundraising Lab, each episode blends decades of sector experience with practical insights you can apply right away.

Whether you're leading a team, writing your first grant, or steering a $2M campaign, you'll find real talk, relatable stories, and strategies rooted in social-change philanthropy.

Every other week, Cathy and her guests break down how strategy, systems, and culture work together so your organization can scale its fundraising from $200K to $2M and beyond, without burning out your people or your mission.

Resources and links: Check out host Cathy Mann on LinkedIn Book your Fundraising Growth Game Plan call Email us at [email protected] Subscribe to our email list

Podcast editing and post-production by: Daniella Sorrentino at Feral Culture Lab (feralculturelab.com)

Music: Intro and Outro Music is Fancy Free by Reveille at Soundstripe

Tune in as Cathy interviews Joel Zola, Executive Director of Street Voices. Based in Toronto, Street Voices is a youth-led online platform that aims to create a voice for the marginalized. Their ultimate aim: empower marginalized voices, no matter who they are. 

Tune in as Cathy interviews Paul Taylor, Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto. Paul is a lifelong anti-poverty activist who has used his experience to fuel a career focused on helping others and dismantling the beliefs and systems that lead to poverty and insecurity.

This is a replay of one of our favourite episodes from last season. In this episode, Simone Joyaux, ACFRE (proclaimed by Cathy as the Grand Dame of Social Change Philanthropy) reviews the do's, don'ts and dilemmas of fundraising for social change. From the professionalism of fundraising to board governance, this wide-ranging conversation will surely leave you thinking about the ethical challenges of philanthropy in new ways.

On today's episode, Cathy sits down with Paulina O'Kieffe-Anthony, the executive director of SKETCH based in Toronto. Paulina discusses her new role as Executive Director of SKETCH and some of what she's learned in various roles. She also talks about her work in the arts with racialized and marginalized youth. She then talks through how having a strong fundraising plan and database has been a game-changer for SKETCH. And finally, talks about her hopes for what is to come in the industry and what young leaders can bring.

Join our free fundraising plan webinar: https://fundraisinglab.ca/webinar

You can find more info about Spark Premium, and our new course, Donor Database Essentials: https://www.fundraisinglab.ca/spark/database