Imagine your monthly giving program is so successful that it sparks 65% growth in new recurring gifts and sustains investor loyalty for over two decades.

In this episode, Andrea Arkow and Ashley Schenk from The Hunger Project have cracked the code and are here to walk through their nine-month rebrand and the strategy behind their award-winning monthly giving community, The Core.

Can you believe more than HALF of their 1,000+ members have been giving for over 20 years?!

They discuss their intentional use of the term investor (rather than donor), how they decreased cancellations by 5%, and what they’ve implemented to balance acquisition and retention, including quarterly newsletters with data and partner stories, community calls, anniversary emails, and a four-part welcome series anchored by a video from their CEO.

No matter what size your organization is or how much budget you have, Andrea and Ashley are packing this conversation with great takeaways to implement for your mission.

Resources & Links

Learn more about The Hunger Project on their website, Facebook, or Instagram, and check out The Core to explore their monthly giving program. 

Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

When Roots Ethiopia first attempted to build a monthly giving program, it was cumbersome and collapsing under its own weight. 

Fast forward to today? That SAME program has transformed into a fundraising powerhouse with 93% donor retention, 34% of all donors giving monthly, and over $134K in annual recurring revenue.

Meghan Walsh, founder and board chair of Roots Ethiopia is back on the show to share it all: the handwritten cards, real-time donor reports, and a simple $20/month offer that shaped their results.

You’ll hear all about the nitty gritty tech tools, donor segmentation tactics, and community-building efforts, why she’s moving all donation asks toward a “monthly-first” approach, and how she's preparing to scale even further with automations and new acquisition campaigns.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the incredible mission of Roots Ethiopia on their website. You can also connect with Meghan on LinkedIn.

Meghan is using Bloomerang, FundraiseUp, Handwrytten, and Small Shop Strategies.

Tune in to Episode 179: How Automations Can Save You Time + Increase Donor Relations to learn more about Rachel Bearbower.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

It is Black Philanthropy Month, and I couldn't think of a better conversation to spotlight this than with two incredible women behind the Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood, Dr. Leslie Farrington and Khadejah Stegall. When it comes to giving birth while Black in America, having advocacy skills can literally save lives.

BCFSM’s ACTT framework of “ask questions, claim your space, trust your body, tell your story”, equips birthing people and supporters to speak up in medical settings, reduce communication breakdowns, and secure dignified, safer care.

You’ll hear how a Mother’s Day email push brought in their first recurring donor, why you should integrate a monthly ask into everything, and how they offer tangible value to supporters with free monthly workshops.

If you’re a small team looking to diversify beyond grants, streamline tools, and grow recurring revenue with focused storytelling, this conversation is a playbook you can borrow today.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood on their website, join a free ACTT workshop, and check out their monthly giving program, The Advocates.

Connect with Leslie: [email protected] 

Connect with Khadija: [email protected].

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

Differentiation can transform both your brand AND your internal culture.

For over 40 years, Barry LaBov has helped iconic companies like Harley-Davidson, Audi, and The Macallan uncover the magic that sets them apart - and now he’s bringing those lessons to the nonprofit sector.

Barry walks us through his 5-step “brand re-engineering” process, which starts with a profound question: "What should we NOT change?"

You’ll hear why naming your unique approach is critical, how to avoid the trap of generic mission statements, and why launching your brand refresh should start with your most important audience: your team and supporters.

These learnings from Barry's work at LABOV Marketing Communications and Training offer powerful parallels for nonprofits seeking emotional connection with supporters, and I just know this episode will challenge you to sharpen your language, simplify your message, and lead with confidence!

Resources & Links

Connect with Barry on LinkedIn and learn more about LABOV on their website. Barry also has a book, The Power of Differentiation.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

What if your nonprofit could grow its impact by 5x, WITHOUT increasing staff or burning out your team? That’s exactly what Greg Harrell-Edge did during his tenure as Executive Director of CoachArt. And you’d never believe that a mindset shift ultimately led to their 37% year-over-year increase in impact, sustained over five years.

Greg shares how a single board retreat sparked a movement within the organization, and why traditional models of nonprofit growth no longer serve today’s landscape. He also reveals how he created a unique spin on monthly giving by forming online advisory boards and inviting donors to contribute not just funds, but also their expertise.

Now, Greg is channeling his hard-won insights into the Proimpact Project, a content and community hub built to help Executive Directors embrace modern growth strategies. You’ll hear practical frameworks (like his 3x 3y napkin test), fresh takes on donor engagement, and ideas for building a movement.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the Proimpact Project on their website and connect with Greg on LinkedIn.

Greg shares his TEDx talk, An Impact-First Way to Think About Charity, on his LinkedIn.

Check out one of Greg’s favorite books, Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love from Day One, by Emily Heyward.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

Lisa Steven never imagined her journey as a teen mom would lead to founding an award-winning nonprofit that transforms the lives of thousands of young mothers. Yet that's exactly what happened.

With over 28 years leading Hope House Colorado (which now operates with a $4.7M annual budget AND two debt-free buildings), Lisa reveals how saying “yes” to telling her story reshaped her organization’s future.

You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes of the 6-year journey to publish her book, A Place to Belong, the fundraising magic that made it happen (including a $25,000 gift from a longtime champion!), and how strategic PR efforts are opening doors for new partnerships, speaking engagements, and national expansion. 

Lisa and I also get transparent about the challenges of balancing leadership and creative work, imposter syndrome, the ripple effects of podcast interviews, and why hybrid publishing offers unexpected freedom.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Hope House Colorado on their website and their podcast, Life (Re)viewed, and connect with Lisa Steven on LinkedIn.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

88% of potential donors ABANDON donation forms mid-click! If you are driving traffic to your donation page only to watch donors disappear, you may have a conversion problem. But don’t worry - I’ll help you close the “conversion gap” and reimagine the donor experience.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through 4 strategic donation page formats, when to use each, and how to analyze your Google Analytics data to diagnose mobile drop-offs, funnel performance, and campaign effectiveness. 

Whether you're sending paid traffic to a Giving Tuesday campaign or trying to capture a donor mid-blog post, these tips and tricks will help you match the format to the moment, reduce friction, and finally fix the page that's costing you the most.

Resources & Links

Check out iDonate’s blog, The 4 Types of Online Donation Experiences (and How to Use Them to Convert More Donors).

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

What happens when a 115-year-old organization decides to reimagine EVERYTHING, from brand to fundraising model – in the wake of a global pandemic?

In this episode recorded live at SubSummit, I’m sitting down with keynote speaker Trovon Williams, SVP of Marketing & Comms at the NAACP, to unpack the organization's sweeping transformation.

Trovon shares how the NAACP leaned into the urgency of the moment to pivot its approach to advocacy, storytelling, and monthly giving.

You’ll hear why leading with solutions (not just problems) drives deeper emotional investment, how internal “inside baseball” campaigns are essential to getting leadership buy-in, and why being consistent (not performative!) is key to building successful partnerships and sustainable movements.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the NAACP on their website and YouTube channel.

Connect with Trovon Williams on LinkedIn.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

The global disability market represents a staggering $18 trillion dollars in spending power. And in this powerful episode, Tiffany Yu, founder of Diversability, TEDx speaker, and author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto is sharing how she turned her own disability into a global movement for inclusion. 

After a car accident made her disabled and took her father's life, Tiffany eventually found the courage more than a decade later to share her story, helping others unlearn shame and embrace their own identities.

You’ll hear how Tiffany built Diversability from a college club into a thriving international community, why employers must rethink job descriptions and office norms to foster true accessibility, and how storytelling paired with data can radically shift public perception.

If you want to build more inclusive communities, Tiffany's magnetic energy and practical wisdom will inspire you to see lived experience as a superpower rather than a limitation.

Resources & Links

Connect with Tiffany on her website, order her book, The Anti-Ablelist Manifesto, and watch her TED talk, The Power of Exclusion. 

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...

Did you know that brainstorming with AI can increase your number of creative ideas by up to 60%? In this episode, I’m joined by social impact entrepreneur and AI thought leader Amy Neumann to talk about how AI can make nonprofit work more efficient, creative, and impactful.

Amy shares SO MANY tactical examples of how nonprofits can integrate AI responsibly, whether it’s for content creation, donor communications, research, or internal efficiencies. Using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to spark strategic planning and storytelling, and leveraging meta AI glasses for event documentation, Amy paints a clear picture of what’s possible today (and how to protect donor data in the process).

You’ll also hear how I use AI in my own business (hint: it’s not just for podcast intros!) and why building an internal AI strategy is mission critical for long-term success.

Whether you’re curious, cautious, or already experimenting, this episode will help you use AI with more intention and confidence.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Amy on her website, Empower Your Nonprofit and check out her book.

Check out Mallory Erickson’s AI tool, Practivated, to practice donor conversations.

LettrLabs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. 

LettrLabs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that’s fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trust.

Join me and the LettrLabs team on March 30th at 1pm Eastern for a FREE webinar that will showcase even more examples and case studies of how direct mail can work for you.

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. 

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 a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? ...