Responsive Lab Podcast

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Chris Larson, President & CEO at Ligonier Ministries. Chris has been with Ligonier since 2004, directing all strategic outreach initiatives and overseeing daily ministry operations through significant growth and leadership transitions.

You'll hear about:
* Why monthly sustainers became the backbone of Ligonier's 55-year mission
* How to create "beautiful reciprocity" where donors benefit from the org they support
* Balancing investment in younger donors while honoring longtime supporters
* Using AI and technology as force multipliers for human relationship building
* How to navigate the K-shaped economy without compromising donor relationships
* Why fundraising conversations should focus on alignment rather than guilt

Links from the episode:
* Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislarson73/
* Learn more about Ligonier Ministries: https://www.ligonier.org/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Chris Palombo, President and CEO of MAP International. Chris leads the organization that serves as the global relief valve for surplus healthcare products, shipping $1.26 billion in medicines and medical supplies to 100 nations annually. His core belief? Nonprofits must speak four distinct languages to demonstrate true impact: heart, finance, medical outcomes, and operational efficiency.

You'll hear about:
* The four tribes every nonprofit must serve and how to speak their different languages
* Why heart stories remain important but can't stand alone in today's accountability landscape
* Why transparency should include both successes and the hard realities of nonprofit work
* How technology is improving data collection capabilities in developing countries
* Building credibility through industry partnerships, accreditation, and codes of conduct

Chris shares vivid examples of measuring blood pressure in Sierra Leone villages and implementing electronic medical records in Honduras shrimp farming communities. He demonstrates how sophisticated nonprofits can maintain heart-centered storytelling while building the systems and metrics that demonstrate genuine impact.

Links from the episode:
* Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispalombo/
* Learn more about MAP International: https://www.map.org/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Audrey Cooper, Associate Director of Philanthropy at Evidence Action. Audrey brings 10 years of nonprofit development experience across social services and international development, and has helped Evidence Action scale from its 2013 founding to raising over $60 million annually. 

You'll hear about:

• Why donor portfolio concentration becomes dangerous and what the moment of recognition usually looks like
• How to make strategic first moves when diversifying revenue streams without spreading your team too thin
• Building the case for unrestricted giving in ways that build trust rather than create donor hesitation
• Evidence Action's four-category framework for deploying unrestricted donor investments
• Why data and story are mutually reinforcing rather than competing approaches to donor communication
• The power of "fundraising sprints" to focus on just a few priorities and follow them through completely
• How boldness in sharing impact creates collaborative donor relationships that feel more like partnerships

Links from the episode:
* Connect with Audrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreymcooper/
* Learn more about Evidence Action: https://www.evidenceaction.org/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Randy Molland, Founder and Chief Giving Officer at Impact Circle. Randy spent years building businesses as an entrepreneur before a trip to an orphanage in Mexico shifted his focus entirely. 

Since then, he's built a career around one specific gap: helping nonprofits build real relationships with the business community.

His core belief? The people with money to give are already on LinkedIn, and most nonprofits aren't showing up.

You'll hear about:

• Why only 43% of nonprofits use LinkedIn and what that gap means for organizations willing to show up
• How Randy reframes LinkedIn as a Chamber of Commerce, not a job board
• The outreach approach that separates genuine connection from marketing spam
• Why funders fund people, not organizations, and how that should shape your LinkedIn presence
• How to use LinkedIn to find sector-aligned donors and partners at any scale, local or national
• Three real success stories showing what's possible in the first weeks of using this approach
• How to think about personal profiles versus org pages and how much posting actually matters

Connect with Randy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randymolland/
Learn more about Impact Circle: https://impactcircle.network/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Dr. Jeff McGee, a leadership and organizational culture strategist and creator of the Triple Loop Leadership framework. Dr. McGee has worked in nonprofits from frontline staff to executive leadership for over a decade and now coaches organizations nationwide on building healthy cultures and managing AI adoption.

You'll hear about:
* Why lack of honest communication creates quiet disengagement and an "us versus them" mentality between leadership and staff
* The key to retention: making staff feel valued, respected, and truly part of the mission they serve
* Three major challenges nonprofits face when introducing AI: ethics and privacy concerns, mixed readiness levels, and treating AI as threat versus efficiency tool
* How to frame AI as a relationship-building enabler rather than job replacement in the service-oriented nonprofit sector
* Using mentorship programs to bridge generational gaps when implementing new technology like AI
* Why effective AI adoption is really about strong change management that includes voices from every organizational level

Links from the episode:
* Connect with Dr. Jeff McGee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jeff-mcgee-38185468/
* Learn more about Cross-Cultural Dynamics: www.ccdynamics.org
* Get Dr. McGee's book "Reimagining Learning: The Power of Triple Loop Leadership": Order Here
* Email Dr. McGee: [email protected]

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Griff Bohm. As one of the founders of Momentum, an AI-powered donor engagement platform for mid-level & major gifts, Griff brings unique insights into how artificial intelligence can transform fundraising without losing the human connection that drives giving.

You'll hear about:
• Starting with problems instead of solutions when adopting AI tools
• Building major gift programs that leverage technology to create more donor time
• Understanding why major giving continues to grow as a percentage of overall fundraising
• Recognizing donor expectations for personalized, impact-focused communication
• Preparing teams for an AI-enhanced fundraising future
• Identifying practical AI applications that remove friction from daily work
• Creating systems that amplify relationship-building rather than replace it

Links:
Connect with Griff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinbohm/
Learn more about Momentum: https://virtuous.org/momentum/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at https://virtuous.org/.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Carly Plate and Dominika McLean from the University of South Florida to talk about building a consecutive giving recognition program that celebrates loyalty over gift size.

Their core belief? The donor who gives $25 every year for 30 years deserves just as much recognition as someone who writes one large check.

You'll hear about:

• Why USF created Loyalty Herd to close the gap between major giving programs and unrecognized lower-level consecutive donors
• How the program defines eligibility: any dollar amount, three or more consecutive fiscal years
• How USF scaled stewardship across 20,000 donors using milestone touch points, in-house design, and creative campus partnerships
• Why they chose not to offer a buyback option, and how that decision strengthened the program's intent
• How to approach data, communications, and development teams before launching a program like this
• The real ROI of recognizing giving behavior over giving amount
• Practical advice for teams with small budgets who want to start something meaningful now

Links from the episode:

• Connect with Carly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-plate-a8373b2b/
• Connect with Dominika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikamclean/
• Learn more about the USF Foundation: https://giving.usf.edu/about/about-usf-foundation

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Dean Axelrod, Vice President of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Direct Relief. Dean's career has spanned business, law, and financial services. But the common thread? Helping people and organizations succeed.

His core belief? If someone is giving all they have to give, they're a major donor. No matter the dollar amount.

You'll hear about:

• Why Direct Relief moved away from traditional major donor definitions
• How to build a stewardship philosophy rooted in gratitude and impact
• The balance between thanking donors and confidently making asks
• How to use technology to scale personalization without losing the human touch
• Why hiring for culture fit matters more than hiring fast
• How to prepare for the future of fundraising in an era of rapid change

Dean also shares why every communication should carry value to the donor, not just value to the organization. And why confidence in asking comes from laying the relational groundwork first.

Links from the episode:

• Connect with Dean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-axelrod-mba-jd-bb010071/
• Learn more about Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/

Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing and Development Officer at Joni and Friends. Donna spent decades in consumer products marketing at brands like Adidas, K-Swiss, and Dickies before making the jump to the nonprofit world.

Her core belief? Planting comes before the harvest. Brand awareness has to come before the fundraising ask.

You'll hear about:

Donna also shares how the team achieved a 12% increase in fundraising revenue the first year after their rebrand and why momentum became the proof that kept the strategy moving forward.

Links from the episode:

92% of nonprofits are using AI. Only 7% say it's actually making a strategic impact. So what's going wrong?

In this episode, Carly and Scott sit down with Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and co-founder of Fundraising.ai, to unpack the findings of the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report. Nathan breaks down why more AI tools don't equal better results, what happens when organizations use AI to speed up broken practices, and what the 7% are doing differently.

You'll hear about:

-The AI adoption paradox and why high usage doesn't mean high impact
-Why an AI governance policy is the most important first step
-How to break through the efficiency plateau
-What predictive and generative AI look like in action for fundraisers
-Why the habits you build in 2026 will compound for years 

Download the full report: https://virtuous.org/resource/the-2026-nonprofit-ai-adoption-report-download/

Learn more about Virtuous Momentum: https://www.givemomentum.com/