Purpose & Profit Club® – The Nonprofit Fundraising & Marketing Podcast

Today on the podcast, you're going to hear a recording of a webinar I knew I needed to share with you. I'm sharing the three phases of campaign success – pre-game, launch, and taking your victory lap – but most organizations skip to phase 2, stay in phase 2, and never make it to phase 3.

So as you prepare for the busiest time fundraising this year, think about how you can make sure that you move through phase one, into phase two, and finally landing in phase three. Throughout the episode, you’ll learn how to build buzz during your campaign launch and maintain that momentum and close strong for donor retention.

Just a note that we recorded this training on Zoom, and we had so many great questions come in, like I said, I couldn't keep it a secret. So please enjoy and you're going to hear me mention the club and if you want to know more about what we do or if it’s right for you, the best thing you could do right now is book a call with me, the show notes will have a link to my calendar. Book a call with me, so we can make this year your most successful one yet.

Topics Discussed:

• What should happen in the Pre-Game to prime your audience, drive excitement, and anticipation 
• How to launch so it creates loads of engagement via a social street team and creates a frictionless experience for every donor
• What to do after you’ve received your big pop of donations at the beginning of the launch but then giving has died down mid-launch 
• Why you should always take a victory lap, even if you didn’t meet the goal that you had set for yourself and why the week after your event is so crucial 
• The necessity of strong stories that stand out from every other organization in your niche 

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

Formality is keeping your funding stuck and your superfans from finding you. Many nonprofits come to me with growth goals, but their efforts feel stale and engagement is low. The problem? Safe, formulaic approaches. Formality creates a barrier, making your stories and fundraisers fall flat. You’re stuck in the Zone of Indifference. In this episode, learn how to break free, stand out, and create campaigns that surpass your fundraising goals.

Topics:

• Where formality sneaks in and how it’s quietly keeping donors at bay.
  Writing with a 1:1 connection to ditch stale content and spark real engagement (with killer examples from top brands).
• How fear of standing out keeps you stuck in the status quo—and how to work through it.
  Powerful examples of how raw truth and vulnerability skyrocketed success for bold thought leaders and brands.

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Book a Growth Strategy Call

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

Welcome to today’s episode with Michelle Boggs. As an executive nonprofit industry advisor, Michelle has her finger on the pulse of what’s working—and what’s not—in our sector. I’m thrilled to have her on the show to share how she’s integrated these insights into her impactful work with GoFundMe and Classy. In the episode, you’ll learn the power of creating and mobilizing your community to advocate fundraise, and lift your message alongside you (this is also what I teach in my Social Street Team™ method) and this idea of personal style, storytelling one human to another human, instead of the ominous brand that has been stripped of your voice. 

This episode will motivate you to see there are so many generous people in the world, and not get hung up on one or two doom scrolly headlines, instead, look at the generosity that's happening every single day on these different sites and ask yourself, what am I missing?  

Topics: 

• How nonprofits can develop more of a community-driven fundraising strategy and what Michelle sees most organizations missing in their campaigns
• Overcoming the objections of creating more connections and specific actions you can take to build more community and close the feedback loop
• The most effective storytelling techniques and strategies that are working right now to exceed your fundraising goals
• How to create a better end-of-year giving strategy and plan that is holistic to your organization and develop onramps to recurring giving 

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits deliver a better giving experience and create sustainable, thriving organizations. Combining robust, easy-to-use technology with people-powered support and training, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to work efficiently, improve supporter relationships, and grow their donor and volunteer bases. Learn more here.

Free webinar on Oct 29: Raise More From Your Laptop Without Chasing Grants or Galas

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

Is mindset more important than natural ability for achieving success? This idea is what I’m chatting about in today’s episode of The Purpose & Profit Club™ Podcast using examples from the Olympics and Neflix’s SPRINT documentary – specifically Noah Lyles’ belief in his inevitable success. Even more, I argue that mindset, rather than just pure athletic ability, is what drives success. I back this up with scientific studies showing how our beliefs and perceptions can actually influence our physical outcomes. When you listen in, you’ll learn the importance of claiming your goals publicly, reframing negative thoughts, and approaching your work with a growth mindset. By the end of the episode, I hope that you will feel encouraged to adopt strategies like journaling, meditation, and joining my coaching program to develop a "mindset ninja" approach to unlock the true potential of you and your nonprofit organization.

Topics:

• Lessons from 100M gold medalist, Noah Lyles on drawing your line in the sand, clicking into your mindset, and owning your inevitable success
• Playing with the idea of your nonprofit setting an expansive stretch goal and dicing out the fears that come with this in order to overcome them 
• How your beliefs influence your reality and parsing out the difference between natural physical ability and being able to adopt a ninja mindset 
• After understanding the power of mindset, learning how to apply this to your specific goals for your nonprofit or as a nonprofit executive 
• Choosing fundraising that is filled with ease rather than believing the age old narrative that it has to be hard 
• Remembering that “failure” is not a personal attack on your character and learning lessons that you can take from each campaign

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

The Kyle Pease Foundation has been on my radar for a very long time as a Georgia native and as someone who notices when a nonprofit is just doing it right. Because of this, I’m so excited to have Zach Watson, the Operations Manager at the Kyle Pease Foundation with me today on the podcast. The purpose of the Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF) is to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through sports and beyond. Throughout our conversation, Zach shares the incredible work they do to empower individuals with disabilities through endurance sports, offering opportunities from 5Ks to Ironman Triathlons. Zach also highlights the sense of community and inclusivity the foundation fosters and why this is the core of all of their programming success. This conversation was a powerful testament to the transformative power of sports and community.

Topics:

• The dynamic between brothers Brent and Kyle Pease as executive directors and co-workers especially as the business has grown nationwide 
• The events that the Kyle Pease foundation is known for and how they’ve introduced more inclusivity to sports, fundraising, and more 
• How Zach’s own lived experience has changed since he’s become The Operations Manager at the Kyle Pease Foundation and become really immersed in the mission 
• More about the foundation’s ambassador program and how they’ve grown it to be the successful peer fundraiser program that it is today 
• Underscoring the importance of partnerships (and the middle person) to connecting your community with your organization 
• The retention plan that the foundation uses in order to ensure continued involvement from athletes, partners, and ambassadors 
• How the foundation is supporting individuals with disabilities after they graduate and what’s coming up as far as events and campaigns
• Zach’s advice for anyone who is looking to get into the athletic event fundraising space 

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

Already crossing your fingers when it comes to examining year end growth? There’s a way to make the growth of your organization more sustainable (and definitely more of a sure thing). I’m excited to share with you today a method that many of my clients have used with great success – as much as 5xing their campaign goals. Introducing The Social Street Team™ Method, where your mission, your target audience, and your biggest advocates collide. Your Social Street Team™ is similar to influencer marketing, but it has your organization at the heart of it all. Listen to this episode to learn more about this method and how to get started – even if you’re B2B, even if you’re international, even if your organization isn’t fully community based. This is also something that I extensively teach in The Purpose & Profit Group Coaching Program, and we would love it if you joined us! 

Topics:

• Christina’s own imperfect action moment that happened recently and the steps she took afterwards to move on 
• The history of influencer marketing from the large for profit industry to how nonprofits are using it today 
• What The Social Street Team™ Method is, how it engages digital marketing to connect your mission and target audience, and why it’s important for your organization to implement one 
• Differentiating the roles of your Social Street Team™ members vs. board members and how to cultivate more fun and community building 
• How to find Street Teamers for your organization, even if you’re international, even if you’re not entirely community based 
• Finding one action and goal to commit to for the next 30 days to really get your Street Team™ off the ground and set yourself up for success before the year end 

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

I’m coming to you after just arriving home from my month-long trip to Panama, blending remote work with family vacation. I thought I would share the mixed reactions we received about our adventure and relate this to how organizations often face skepticism when trying new ideas. The main theme revolves around the concept of how thoughts become our reality and how our beliefs drive our actions towards achieving goals. I’m touching on the think-feel-do cycle, illustrating it with inspiring examples like athlete Anna Hall’s use of affirmations to qualify for the Olympics. I also share a cautionary tale from a local restaurant in my neighborhood that failed due to poor marketing strategies, highlighting the importance of proactive customer engagement. Through these stories, I emphasize the power of positive thinking and visualization in overcoming challenges and achieving success. If you’re ready to become the hero of your cause rather than being stuck in resignation, this episode is for you.

Topics:

• How your thoughts become your reality and can positively or negatively influence growth, funding, and visibility.
• The think-feel-do cycle and how this cognitive-behavioral concept affects goal achievement.
• How to use affirmations and visualizations to achieve your goals (inspired by olympian, Anna Hall)
• Two of the biggest lies you can tell yourself when it comes to being loud in your marketing 
• The power of doing just one thing for your cause every day and how this creates more inspired action 
• Putting your biggest fans and supporters at the forefront of your decision making for your organization 
• Getting away from resignation and frustration and centering yourself as the hero of your cause

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Joey Goone from Utopia Experience, an event management company for nonprofit organizations. From the beginning of our conversation, we explore how neuroscience and psychological safety play pivotal roles in creating memorable and impactful events. Joey shares his unique approach to using technology as a conduit for deeper connections and how important it is to foster a sense of community and purpose. We also discuss common pitfalls in fundraising events, emphasizing the need for a clear purpose, targeted audience, and effective storytelling. 

Topics:

• The impactful role that self-talk can play in nonprofit leadership and how Joey relates this to going on his recent hike where so many things went wrong 
• The scarcity and finger-pointing mindset that can take place when events don’t happen the way we want them to and how to reframe this 
• Maximizing on the week after an event takes place to cultivate relationships and raise more money for your cause 
• Stepping away from the soft ask and strategies you can use to make more money at your next fundraising event 
• The top three reasons why people attend events and how to utilize each of these to create more opportunity and community 
• How closing the story loop can be the key for lasting donor relationships
• Questions to think about to know if your organization is ready to host an event and the first steps to take to build your ecosystem 
• Trends that Joey sees in event planning space and why he’s optimistic about the future 

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

I’m excited to have a repeat guest on the show today, Holly Rustick. Holly’s previous episode where she told us how to transition from your toxic nonprofit job to freelancing freedom is one of our most downloaded episodes, so I’m happy to have her back on to dig a bit deeper into her expertise of grant writing. In our conversation, we discuss the significant advantages of hiring freelance grant writers over staff members, and the strategic approach necessary for success in this field. Holly shares valuable insights into her program, which helps new and seasoned grant writers replace their full-time income through flexible freelance work. We also touch on the importance of having a master grant template, the benefits of specialized training, and how to create a high-impact grant strategy. And the episode wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t bring up the role of AI in grant writing. Holly’s expertise and passion for creating equity in the space made for an engaging and informative conversation that will leave you feeling more confident when you write your next grant (or hire it out)! 

Topics:

• The difference between hiring an on staff grant writer or a contracted grant writer and how Holly thinks in house grant writing needs to change
• What it actually means to have a grant writing strategy and if you should hire a specialized or more of an agnostic grant writer 
• The importance of creating a standard grant template, a main focus, and a timeline when you’re writing grants so that you can prioritize ROI and get your nonprofit executives on board 
• Reimaging what it means to set your staff up to succeed and the need for continuing education in the nonprofit sector 
• Remembering that the nonprofit grant writing process is not personal, how to overcome rejection, and focusing on the right criteria 
• Holly’s thoughts on using ChatGPT and AI for grant writing and the magic of the master grant template (again) 
• Trends that Holly is currently seeing in the grant space, what is working, what’s not working and where to focus in the next year
• The one piece of advice that Holly would give to the aspiring grant writer and what she’s currently celebrating in her own business  

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Got a fundraising question you want Christina to answer?

Send the campaign problem, donor situation, email question, board issue, or fundraising advice you want a straight answer on. Christina is answering listener questions on upcoming episodes of The Purpose & Profit Club® Podcast.

Submit yours at splendidatl.com/ask

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links

Recently I’ve had several calls with different service providers and tech companies to potentially partner with their service or tool. In these conversations, my goal is to see if this is a fit for anyone in my community? Is this a fit for any of my clients? Do my clients need to know about this? Will this make their life better? But what I’ve found is that when I ask what makes their company A different from company B or C, they don’t know how to answer this question. So that’s what I want to talk about in this episode – the critical importance of differentiation for nonprofit organizations. I’m going to share how you can uncover the essence of what makes your organization unique, while urging your nonprofit to define your brand beyond just logos and colors. I highlight the significance of authentic storytelling and targeted communication, particularly to engage younger generations like Gen Z. We also discuss the necessity for innovative fundraising methods and moving away from traditional, outdated practices (while also including your board to lead to more engagement). This episode is a call to action for nonprofits to be bold, authentic, and clear about their unique contributions to their communities.

Topics:

• The importance of recognizing and understanding the reasons behind unexpected successes
• Exploring what makes an organization unique in its mission, programs, and services
• Emphasizing the need for organizations to be bold and authentic to stand out
• Defining and understanding an organization's brand beyond logos and colors, focusing on who the organization serves
• Tailoring communication and branding strategies to appeal to different generations, particularly Gen Z
• How to involve the board in branding and differentiation exercises to ensure everyone is aligned
• Challenging traditional fundraising methods and promoting innovative approaches
• My favorite exercises to help organizations identify their unique attributes and effectively communicate them

For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.
Connect with Christina on Instagram: @splendidconsulting

>> Click here to get the free guide on me

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

It's not too early to start developing a strategy for the end of 2026! Snag Bloomerang's 12 Year-End Fundraising Checklists here. 

Resources:

• Easy Emails For Impact™: The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System
• Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator   
• The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers 
• Instagram, LinkedIn, website , weekly newsletter  
• [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide: Stop getting ignored. Start raising more.
  
  May contain affiliate links