Philanthropy Podcast: A Resource for Nonprofit Leaders and Fundraising & Advancement Professionals

Today's show is one where I'll give you a bit of my background so you understand who you're listening to and what informs my experiences. I hope this is valuable to you as you listen to future episodes aAnd can understand my strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Hopefully you get more from the show with that context.

I'll also share some of my philosophy of philanthropy, which is always a work in progress. This comes predominantly from my experience as a fundraiser, but also some from my experience as a donor. I know this is a work in progress for myself and for everyone, but I thought it's important to lay out before I bring other people on to the show and ask them to do the same.

You'll hear some of the key ideas behind how I approach my work. Many are influenced by A Spirituality of Fundraising (Henri Nouwen Spirituality)"> The Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen, an easy and quick read, that's dense with great ideas and only $7.24 on Amazon. If you're interested in buying the book, consider going through the link in this post. It's an affiliate link and I'd receive a (small) commission to support the podcast. Finally, you'll hear my ideas about the attitude that permeates all my work which is a big part of why I find such joy in my calling.

Some links from this episode:

Anthropology - A quick primer on a major I definitely recommend for students interested in this career.

Youth Horizons - The Irish tutoring program that put me on the path to working in education.

Youtube - Introduction to Hurling - For anyone looking for an incredible sport to watch.

LU-CHOICE - The volunteer teaching program I joined in Chicago.

The Impact of Connectedness - An article discussing the effects of giving and belonging to causes vs purchasing

Welcome to the first episode of The Philanthropy Podcast! Today, we have a brief introduction to me and what prompted me to start a podcast.

I'll discuss the concerning things I kept hearing from schools leaders and non-profits directors that prompted me to speak at 2017's National Catholic Education Association Convention and present a session entitled: "Pre-K through Ph.D.: How School Leaders & Advancement Officers at Any Level Can Learn to Love Making an Ask." I was fortunate co-present with a friend and former classmate of mine, Zach Zeckser, principal of St. Mark's Catholic School in St. Paul, MN. Zach's a great example of how someone who doesn't start out in development can become a great fundraiser if their heart and mind are in the right place. I also share my vision for The Philanthropy Podcast and what kind of episodes, show formats, guests, and ideas I hope to discuss. I mention that there are a few ways you can invest in the show that will make for a much better product as it grows.

Please consider:

Nominating someone to appear as a guest on the show

Providing feedback on what you enjoyed or didn't enjoy and suggesting possible show topics

Supporting the production of the show, its editing, and costs

Sharing the show with people you think would be interested on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, or via Email through the social media links. I plan to to link to the organizations I mention for the first time in an episode since we all benefit from increased awareness. Today's episode includes discussions of:

National Catholic Education Association 2017 Convention in St. Louis

St. Mark's Catholic School in St. Paul, MN (an amazing example of a Catholic school website)

The Archdiocese of Chicago (Where I just joined an amazing team) 

The University of Notre Dame (Where I was surrounded by one of the best development teams in the country)

St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago (Where I really found my legs and my mentor in fundraising)

St. Agnes of Bohemia School (Where I got my start in development)