Nonstop Nonprofit

Today, we’re talking about a serious subject that has inspired a seriously enlightened discussion: Retention in the for-good sector. If you’ve been working in this sector for any length of time, you’re probably aware that keeping mission-oriented staff is harder than ever.

But why? If you’re a nonprofit leader seeing your staff burn out and move away from causes that they’re passionate about, what can you do? Today’s guest, Amber Christoferson, is here to help you answer that question. With a career path that’s taken her from United Way to the Fortune 500 and back to the for-good sector as VP of DickersonBakker’s Executive Search Group, Amber is leading the conversation around this crucial issue.

Starting with understanding your organization’s identity and needs, focusing on setting your staff up for success, and building a culture of retention, Amber leans on the DickersonBakker 2023 Nonprofit Leadership and Fundraising study that reveals significant disconnects between the folks working the for-good frontlines and their leadership.

Among all the questions is one sure thing: the best way to solve this problem is to bridge the communication gap, so join the conversation!

Let's start with a phrase that we don’t say often enough: “Get that money, honey!”

Today’s guest, nonprofit leadership coach and major gifts consultant, Rhea Wong, comes to the charitable sector with experience as a recipient of nonprofit services, a green-but-hustling ED, a self-taught fundraising expert, and a charitable board whisperer.

And as we’ve established, the title of Rhea’s book Get That Money, Honey! The No-Bullsh*t Guide to Raising More Money for Your Nonprofit isn’t just fun to say, it’s full of actionable strategies and learn-from-my-mistakes moments—and Rhea is here to dig through it with us.

Prepare to be entertained and educated in this episode! Rhea and David discuss mindset versus skillset, untelling unhelpful stories, turning the ask into the win, and manifesting Big Donor Energy.

It’s that time of year—the time that we’re all focused on new beginnings and upcoming trends, brimming with hope that there’s some groundbreaking tactic, tool, or trick on the horizon. (Unless you’re listening to this in August, of course.)

Nicole Nidea, Program Director at SODA, has lots to say about a trend that’s been sweeping 2023 and is poised to change the face of fundraising in 2024: What Nicole calls “findability”. We’re talking AI-assisted search experiences, long-game scaling strategies, social mixing tactics that target specific audiences, and more.

For example, using specialized SEO has made Nicole a champion of integrating awareness as a goal into every aspect of fundraising—and increasing that awareness, or “findability” allows SODA staff to focus their energy on the things that matter.

While Nicole brings to life a wonderland of awareness, that’s not all she shines a light on—listen in to hear all about SODA’s scale and scope, partnerships and peer-to-peer, and findability as a fundraising need.

When Jon DeLange agreed to come on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast, we planned a conversational angle to keep the discussion from spinning out—if you know podcasters, you know staying on topic can be tough!

Jon’s topic was "12 Rules for Fundraising: an antidote to tactical overwhelm during the EOY fundraising season”. As a longtime fundraising consultant and Summit Ministries’ Direct Mail and Digital Fundraising Manager (not to mention one of 2023’s top 25 Fundraising Experts in America), Jon relies on these rules to help fundraisers stay the course when it all gets to be Too Much.

So is it “12 Rules” or “One Weird Secret”? As we dug into Jon’s guidelines, we discovered that everything he shared with us pointed back to an illuminating, universal truth.

And that’s as close as we get to clickbait, friends. Listen in to discover what Jon and I uncovered.

It’s a safe bet that when nonprofiteers talk about their work, the word “passion” will come up pretty quickly. But does passion alone drive impact? Julie Ordoñez says character matters more than passion when it comes to fundraising.

From directing philanthropy and being a Major Gift Officer at organizations like New Story, Lift, and United Way of Greater Los Angeles to coaching leaders in raising game-changing gifts, Julie has a unique perspective for growing any organization’s impact—and that perspective hinges on courage.

Julie even leads an intimate program called Courage Lab designed to help fundraisers make bold asks of individual donors. So get ready, because listeners, today you’re going to get the best of the best advice on how to infuse your asks with character and courage for results that go far beyond the ordinary.

It’s a universal truth that people love to feel special. We all want to feel like we’re an indispensable part of something. It’s also true that each and every one of us has limitations on our time, money, and attention.

So with these realities coexisting, how can nonprofits interact with supporters on a personal level while not draining them of resources? Katelyn Baughan, nonprofit email marketing expert and consultant to Trevor Project, UNHCR, and Amnesty International, has more than a few tactics to share with Nonstop Nonprofit listeners.

As nonprofit fundraisers, you and I are used to feeling pressure to perform. It’s not uncommon for us to be told that without donations—literally our job, btw—our world will be a darker, sharper place. Katelyn’s antidote emphasizes speaking up during quieter moments, making magic happen in the harsh light of a screen, and elevating everyone’s experience through innovation.

So whether you’re in the thick of your busiest time of year or you’re a year-in-advance planner, Katelyn’s advice in this episode will help you use email to scale impact, retain donors, and align your communications—all while reminding you that you, too, are essential to our brighter tomorrow.

Talk about a jam-packed podcast episode—this conversation with Cameron Bartlett has it all: anecdotes, examples, trends, cautionary tales, solutions, trends, strategies… and did we mention cutting-edge trends from the trenches?

That’s right; as we talked, Cameron had a story and a trend that related to each and every topic we brought up. And it’s no surprise… Cameron’s a fast-moving, trend-setting, high-growth fundraising consultant who’s worked with nonprofits like New Story, IJM, Compassion, Cure, and World Vision—and is now Stop Soldier Suicide's Vice President of Performance Marketing—reaching hundreds of millions of people and drive important global initiatives.

As a veteran fundraising consultant himself, Nonstop Nonprofit podcast host David Schwab was excited to talk with a realistic optimist who sees the same extraordinary potential in nonprofits that he does.

So, if you’re looking for a dense discussion that will stimulate your strategies and transfer trends for fruitful fundraising, or you like alliteration, listen in to this episode of Nonstop Nonprofit!

Let us ask you a question, fundraiser: When it comes to crunch time for your fundraising campaigns, do you feel intense pressure to find a poster child for your nonprofit, capture their iconic story, and optimize it to deliver maximum donations?

Look into our eyes, listener, and hear us when we say that’s a daunting task for anyone. It’s no wonder storytelling stresses nonprofits out!

But there is a way, and you’re about to hear the secret directly from one of the storytelling greats. Olga M. Woltman has the key to discovering, creating, and distributing stories that will compel connections and keep donors coming back time after time.

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t involve parading a poster child around, invading your clients’ privacy, or making something up.

Today, Olga and David Schwab, Funraise's Director of Growth Marketing have the scoop for you on how to ethically and empathetically uncover the captivating stories just beneath the surface, weave relevant impact stats and authentic conversations throughout, and choose the perfect moment to release them for incredible impact.

Today’s guest doesn’t just skim us across the surface of AI in the nonprofit sector; he’s taking us to the forefront of the future of fundraising.

David Norris is a leader at three organizations that are making big things for nonprofits so they can make big things happen: Bold Crow, Proofpact, and The Nonprofit Hive all use trending technology to benefit the nonprofitsphere.

As soon as we said “trending technology”, you knew AI was joining the chat, didn’t you? You were right; we can’t talk about cutting-edge tech today without it. …But what’s there to talk about that you haven’t heard? We all know there are AI tools for almost everything—if you know where to look and how to integrate them.

And that’s where David Norris comes in. David builds custom AI agents and applications that address nonprofits’ specific needs. Stuff like automations that reduce weeks of work to 10 minutes and conversational AI guides that accompany you through the digital universe. David’s also sharing info you need around AI’s ethical considerations, explaining autonomous AGI agents, and predicting which roles will be most affected by artificial intelligence.

This conversation is a must-listen if you’re looking for a deep dive into the potential that AI will bring to the nonprofit sector, who artificial intelligence is affecting the most, and technology trends to keep your eyes on.

Hi, there Nonstop Nonprofit listeners! Today’s interview offers insight into an unlikely pairing of nonprofit passion and for-profit practice.

It’s a method of leading and growing nonprofits that’s largely unused in the nonprofit sector: EOS. Amy Acton, CEO at Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, implemented this aggressive growth system to expand PBS’ community and visibility to more than one million burn survivors, and it’s been a game-changer for them.

EOS, or Entrepreneurial Operating System, is more often used by for-profit startups because of its dynamic strategy, but when combined with the passion and dedication that nonprofit people possess, it has the potential to propel exponential growth.

Over her decades with PBS, Amy has been a part of an unstoppable team with a mission to unite the voices of the global burn community—and they make it happen through some of the most innovative swing-for-the-fences concepts and experimentation that we’ve ever seen.

If you’re looking for an explosive episode to break your nonprofit from its self-imposed bonds, this is a must-listen. And lucky you, you’ll have the whole summer to work on your exciting plans because Nonstop Nonprofit is on hiatus until September! Thank you, listener, for your continued support—we can’t wait to bring you new and exciting leaders in Season 4 of the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast.