Missions to Movements

August is Black Philanthropy Month, so consider today’s episode the kickoff! Kaci Patterson has helped raise and leverage more than $86 million for Black-led organizations. 

As the founder of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective, she joins me to get into their incredible study. 220 Black-led nonprofits across California created more than 4,000 jobs and generated over $335 MILLION in salaries. These organizations are powerhouse economic engines, truly driving critical work in health, safety, and racial justice.

Kaci also shares how legacy can be a filter for which opportunities to say yes to, why funders must model the collaboration they ask nonprofits to practice, and how both sides can become values-based partners in community co-design.

Resources & Links

Connect with Kaci on LinkedIn and learn more about Social Good Solutions and Black Equity Collective.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Shilpa Alva is on a mission to fix one of the world’s most fundamental problems: the fact that hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to safe, clean water.

Surge for Water is a women-led nonprofit that went from a nights-and-weekends passion project into a global organization delivering clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and women’s health solutions. And after operating across 12 countries and reaching hundreds of thousands of people, Shilpa shares why the organization has shifted its focus from chasing the biggest numbers to demonstrating deeper, community-owned impact.

We talk about the business principles Shilpa carried from chemical engineering and corporate leadership into the nonprofit sector, why her board encouraged her to become a more visible speaker and advocate, how media appearances build credibility even when the ROI is difficult to isolate, and why nonprofit leaders should begin telling their stories long before they feel fully ready.

Resources & Links

Connect with Shilpa on LinkedIn and learn more about Surge for Water on their website.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Most nonprofits start with the tools. The better question is, what’s the scalable opportunity technology can solve so your team can stay focused on the human interactions that matter most?

With 1 in 2 people impacted by cancer in their lifetime, Mike Osborne and his team at Cancer Council Victoria are applying that thinking to one of their biggest pressure points: freeing up counselors from digging through systems so they can stay present and support more people in less time.

Mike also reveals research-backed hot takes on AI-generated search summaries, and why teens are more likely to open up to a chatbot than talk to an adult.

Resources & Links

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and learn more about Cancer Council Victoria on their website.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Way too much of our human capacity is spent on tasks that DON’T require human empathy. That’s how Tim Bachta from Children International is thinking about growth as his team works to expand from 220,000 to 275,000 children served.

Tim shares how his team is using Microsoft Copilot to eliminate the manual work that’s been slowing them down (like letter translation processes that once took months, to systems running in DAYS!) so their staff can focus on building relationships and supporting families.

This episode is a powerful look at what happens when you stop asking, “how can we use AI?!” and start asking where your team’s time is being wasted and who your champions are to help drive change.

Resources & Links

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn and learn more about Children International on their website.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

What does the latest recurring giving data actually tell us? In this special State of Recurring Giving episode, three leaders from CharityEngine, GivingTuesday Data Commons, and World Central Kitchen are joining me to unpack the latest recurring giving benchmarks AND one of the most compelling monthly giving case studies of the year.

Together, we're exploring the trends shaping recurring giving today, why monthly donors generate nearly 3x the annual value of one-time donors, and how World Central Kitchen turned 2,800 new monthly donors into an estimated $6 million in lifetime value with their Kitchen Core monthly giving program.

Resources & Links

A special thank you to CharityEngine for making this quarter's State of Recurring Giving webinar possible.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Did you know 92% of donors say giving is part of who they are? And that 94% say they're MORE motivated to give when they know exactly where their money will go?

Today I'm doing one of my favorite things – diving into the data and research from Bloomerang's 2026 Giving Signals Report, and sharing the major opportunity gaps every nonprofit should be paying attention to. Generosity isn't disappearing, but it's becoming much more intentional!

This episode is packed with several high-impact changes that can help you remove friction, strengthen donor relationships, and increase giving.

Resources & Links

Check out Bloomerang’s latest research in their 2026 Giving Signals Report.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

With AI adoption exploding, what does that actually mean for how you grow your team, your donors, and your impact?

Naria Santa Lucia brought SO much energy and joy to her MC role at the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit, that I had to sit down with her to hear how nonprofit leaders can build practical pathways for using AI in their day-to-day work and cut through the hype.

Naria also brings a perspective every nonprofit needs to hear: take the big swing, stay true to your mission, and don’t pivot just to chase funding. When you focus on real impact (and communicate it clearly!) you’ll draw the right supporters in.

Resources & Links

Connect with Naria Santa Lucia on LinkedIn and learn more about Microsoft Elevate here.

Not sure where to start in building your program? Start with this $5 audit to know where your gap is. Takes 5-10 minutes max, and you'll know where to start --> Monthly Giving Interactive Audit 

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Most AI conversations are loaded with productivity hacks, but it’s also accelerating scientific discovery in ways most people aren’t even thinking about.

In this live conversation from the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit, I’m talking to Clare Durrett from Answer ALS and Terri Thompson from OnPoint Scientific about how they’re helping cut ALS research timelines by 65%! 

With a shared platform called Neuromine, researchers now have access to clinical data, genetics, bio samples, and more, all in one place. Even if you’re not in the research space, this episode is a super powerful example of what becomes possible when you break down silos and build the right partnerships.

Resources & Links

Connect with Clare on LinkedIn and learn more about Answer ALS on their website.

Connect with Terri on LinkedIn and learn more about OnPoint Scientific on their website.

Learn more about Team Gleason, a nonprofit that improves daily life for people living with ALS.

The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

This is the first time in 18 years that Christoph Hilligen sees a possibility to radically change the way NGOs operate.

As the CEO of World Vision Germany, he’s already using AI to launch emergency appeals in HOURS and build personalized donor journeys. One of the most fascinating examples? His team uses predictive models to flag which donors may be at risk of canceling, so they can step in earlier and build stronger relationships.

AI is definitely no longer optional, and the nonprofits who move faster, personalize better, and use their data to guide decisions will raise more and create more impact without risking falling behind. This is exactly the kind of case study I could have talked about with Christoph forever!

Resources & Links

Connect with Christoph on LinkedIn and learn more about World Vision Germany on their website.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...

Right off the heels of GiveCon, the data is IN. Bloomerang just released their 2026 Giving Signals report, and there's one stat that stopped me in my tracks: donors prefer specific impact language over vague appeals by an 88 point margin!

Ann Fellman, CMO of Bloomerang, is joining me fresh off the GiveCon stage to break down what the data is telling us about donor behavior and why your $25/month donor might actually be worth $3,200+ in lifetime value.

Ann also reveals two major product launches, including a native integration with Dataro's predictive donor intelligence — and shares exactly what she'd focus on this summer to get ahead of end-of-year fundraising.

Resources & Links

Connect with Ann on LinkedIn and check out Bloomerang’s 2026 Giving Signals Report.

This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder.  Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. 

Now is the time to start making your plans for GivingTuesday. Visit GivingTuesday.org/participate for resources and inspiration.

Save the date for our next Monthly Giving Summit on February 25, 2027. Apply to speak here!

Applications are now open for the 2027 Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind and Retreat. If you have built a monthly giving program, join our high-touch peer coaching community for nonprofit leaders who are ready to break through.

Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall!

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab ...