How was the end of 2024? Did you make it through OK? A lot of fundraisers we work with enter January exhausted from the busy year-end season, which is often filled with last-minute donor meetings, calls, and holiday events. It can be a stressful time.  

While we highly recommend taking time to rest and recover, there are also important strategies you need to focus on during this month to continue to build strong relationships with your donors and keep the momentum going deeper into the winter. We’re here to help! 

In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by colleagues Diana Frazier and Edie Dahlen for a great discussion about the key strategies that fundraisers should implement to start their new year and how they can prepare and plan to surpass last year’s goals. 

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

With about a week remaining in the year, most fundraisers feel like they've exhausted their to-do list. They’ve worked their plan, made their last calls, and written their thank-you cards. What happens to their donors now is mostly out of their hands. 

While that may be true, there are still a few achievable strategies to adopt in your plan so that you can make the most of this final stretch before the new year and secure a few remaining and impactful gifts. 

In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by colleagues Matt Korn and Theresa Tapocsi for a great discussion about how to prepare for and approach the final week of the year, and make these final seven days count towards your revenue goals.  

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

Relational fundraising isn’t just a buzzword, it’s part of the Veritus mission. Whether you’re in mid-level, major gifts, or planned giving, being relationship-focused means that you are prioritizing the long-term relationship with the donor over just getting the money.  

Ideally, everyone at your organization should see the donor as a vital partner in your work. 

It’s been our goal at Veritus to insert this model within the non-profit sector so more organizations can create thriving gift programs, build a culture that prioritizes collaboration over competition, and connect more strategically with their donors. It’s a tough but ultimately rewarding transition that many are making.  

In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by colleague Karen Kendrick for a great discussion about the state of relational fundraising along with the trends and insights they’ve learned this year–and the ones they're anticipating in 2025.  

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

At Veritus, we’re all about relational fundraising, but too often, we hear about non-profit leaders making random budget cuts that negatively impact this tried-and-true approach. 

 We know that leaders are under a lot financial pressure at their organizations. Tough decisions have to be made when times and budgets are tight. But it’s important for decision-makers to understand how these cuts can impact relational fundraising, and why they need to invest in relational major gifts when things start to feel pinched.  

 In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by colleague Kendra Loper for an in-depth conversation about how leaders can better support their fundraisers’ work and when to think twice about slashing parts of the budget. 

 Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

In the non-profit sector, if you aren’t willing to advance into management, there is very little opportunity to grow as a fundraiser, take on new responsibilities, and increase your salary.  

This is a frustrating reality, because not everyone is right for management.  

Leadership requires a different skillset and specific perspective, one that’s interested in finding success and delivering results through others. It’s not as simple as taking your best frontline fundraiser and putting them in charge. 

In this podcast episode, Jeff is joined by special guest Greg Gibbs, who shares whether management is the right track for your career, and provides some tips to help current managers get better at their jobs. 

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

More and more, fundraisers are being overworked and underpaid. They’re frequently pulled in different directions and asked to accomplish tasks that don’t fall under their domain – all without a solid support structure. It’s caused many to leave the sector entirely.  

There is so much important work to do in our world and we need to take care of our people in order to solve these big problems. That means implementing mindful, self-care practices so you’re ready to approach your work with the energy and focus it deserves.  

In this podcast episode, Karen and Megan share their top tips and best practices for managing burnout and overwhelming stress, and provide you with tools to quiet your inner critic.  

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

It’s not easy to let go of certain donors, but there comes a time in every fundraising cycle when you’ll need to transition a donor relationship to someone else.  

Whether the donor is moving from mid-level to a major gifts portfolio, or from a higher level of giving back into mid-level or direct response, transitioning them to another colleague is one of the best things you can do for your program, organization, and the donor! But you need to have protocols in place so that the transition feels seamless and keeps your pipeline free and clear of any clogs.   

In this podcast episode, Jeff, Theresa, and Matt share their top tips and best practices for handling donor handoffs, shifting your thinking, and transitioning members of your caseload.  

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

How many times has your organization pulled you into something that doesn’t directly relate to your job? This kind of scenario is all too common in the non-profit sector, and the results of it are usually negative: fundraisers lose their focus, have less impact, and solicit less giving. 

What if fundraising leaders and management stopped distracting their mid-level and major gift officers with unnecessary organizational tasks, activity-oriented metrics, meetings that aren’t related to their donors, and community events? Well, the results for your organization would probably look a little better: increased revenue, higher donor retention rates, and less staff turnover. 

In this podcast episode, Jeff, Karen, and Kendra share their top tips for how fundraising managers and leadership can let their teams do their jobs and find high-value success in their work. 

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…  

With summer vacations wrapping up and back-to-school season in full swing, it’s time to start taking a close look at your fundraising plans for the fall and year-end. 

Are you feeling prepared for the busy months ahead? We know how valuable this time of year is in your fundraising cycle, which is why it’s so important to focus on creating a strong strategic plan for your donors.

In this episode, Jeff Schreifels is joined by Debi Dunham,

Listen in to this episode to learn what steps you can take right now and in the months ahead to set yourself up for a successful year-end fundraising season.

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…

It’s the most intimidating part of fundraising: asking someone for a gift.  

But that’s not the only thing that fundraisers need to ask for. You’re also requesting meetings, inviting donors to attend events, and asking them to share the personal drivers behind their giving.  

So, whatever you’re asking for – how do you do it in a way that honors the donor as a partner in your mission? 

We developed our Permission-Based Asking™ model as a framework for more authentic dialogue. No more guessing what your donor is thinking or making assumptions about what’s going on for them.  

This episode is a re-release of one of our most-downloaded podcast episodes on asking, featuring Karen Kendrick, our Senior Director of Client Engagement, and Debi Dunham, Senior Client Experience Leader. Listen in to hear some real-life examples of how a permission-based approach to asking can transform your donor relationships. 

Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about…