Responsive Lab Podcast

Speed matters. So does being seen. In this episode, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraiser, former executive director, and founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency, Rachel Bearbower, to unpack how small teams can deliver big-feeling donor experiences. We cover the “first 100 days” journey, the one-minute thank-you, and why silence erodes trust faster than anything. You’ll hear practical steps to turn repeatable stewardship moments into lightweight systems, how to anchor automation in your CRM, and a candid look at what Rachel learned by donating to 15 nonprofits to audit their follow-up.

 

Links from the episode:

Learn more about Rachel’s business, Nonprofit Automation Agency: https://www.nonprofitautomationagency.com/

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbearbower/

Get the 5 Ways to Automate Your Donor Stewardship ebook: https://www.nonprofitautomationagency.com/ebook

Book a demo with the Nonprofit Automation Agency: https://www.nonprofitautomationagency.com/pricing

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

Launching a capital campaign is one thing. Raising over $200 million and outgrowing your original goals is another. In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Dr. Will Smallwood, Vice President for Advancement at Cedarville University, to unpack the story behind the wildly successful “One Thousand Days Transformed” campaign.

 

Dr. Smallwood shares the campaign’s roots in mission-first storytelling, how strategic planning turned into campus-wide buy-in, and what it really takes to build momentum, from data-informed planning to real-time transparency with donors. You’ll hear the lessons Cedarville learned while expanding a campaign goal from $125M to $175M, and ultimately raising over $205M. Plus, Will reflects on what he’d do differently, including that time they switched CRMs mid-campaign.

 

Links from the episode:

Connect with Will

Learn more about Cedarville University and the “One Thousand Days Transformed” campaign

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus are joined by Aarika Riddle, Executive Director of Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, for a conversation about leading through uncertainty, stewarding well in challenging moments, and grounding your work in mission when fatigue sets in.

 

Aarika shares lessons from navigating multiple economic downturns in her fundraising career, including the 2008 recession and recent years of uncertainty. She gets tactical about the basics that still work (thank-you notes, stewardship, donor storytelling), how to personalize at scale using simple tools, and why leadership energy makes or breaks team morale.

 

Links from the episode:

Connect with Aarika

Learn more about Always Dream

Follow Always Dream on Instagram

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with capital campaign expert Amy Eisenstein of Capital Campaign Pro to demystify one of the most ambitious and often misunderstood fundraising tools in a nonprofit’s playbook: the capital campaign.

 

Amy shares her journey from development director to co-founder of a firm that has guided hundreds of organizations through campaigns ranging from $3M to $150M. You’ll learn the key elements of a successful campaign, including when to launch, who should consider one, how to engage donors, and why feasibility studies aren’t about saying “no,” they’re about choosing the right path forward.

 

This episode includes practical advice, like:

Why your internal team shouldn’t carry a campaign alone

How feasibility studies help you plan, not pause

What stewardship looks like during a multi-year fundraising effort

How technology can reduce burnout and elevate donor engagement

Why donor joy and fundraisers’ happiness habits matter in long campaigns

 

Links from the episode:

Listen to the All About Capital Campaigns podcast

Learn more about Capital Campaign Pro

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott bring you the closing keynote from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Victoria Harrison, co-founder of Charity: Water, shares how they created an in-person, immersive storytelling experience that could deepen donor connection and spark transformative generosity.

 

From VR headsets and interactive water walks to science labs and kinetic sandboxes, the Experience Lab is unlike anything else in the nonprofit space. And it’s already raised $2 million in just a few months.

 

In this episode, Victoria shares:

Why small towns like Franklin can rival major cities for donor community-building

The importance of leading with a “hook” before sharing your mission

How immersive, tech-driven experiences can reignite giving in a post-COVID world

What it means to “zag when others zig” in nonprofit marketing

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraising powerhouse Tammy Zonker to talk about her new book, Calling All Heroes. Tammy brings 25+ years of experience and over $1B raised to the conversation. She shares why our sector needs a third way: human-centered fundraising.

 

From the hidden pitfalls of both donor and community-centered approaches to the practical steps organizations can take to adopt a more holistic model, this episode is filled with a whole lot of wisdom and inspiration. Plus, Tammy drops strategies for mid-level giving, donor acquisition, and how AI can actually free fundraisers up for the relational work that matters.

 

Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn

Learn more about Fundraising Transformed

Pre-order Calling All Heros

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Brady Josephson (Charity:Water), Chris Barlow (Beeline Marketing), and Matt Scott (CauseMic) tackle the three most common mistakes nonprofits make in marketing and engagement and how to avoid them.

 

From trying to do everything at once, to neglecting brand investment, to overcomplicating donor segmentation, this discussion is packed with tactical insights you can apply right away.

 

You’ll hear:

Why identifying your organization’s true “engine of growth” is critical

How to balance brand-building with direct response

The role of donor motivations in shaping meaningful segmentation

Practical ways to future-proof your nonprofit’s marketing

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, John and Becky, co-founders of We Are For Good, talk movement-building from the stage at the Responsive Nonprofit Summit 2025.

 

John and Becky share their deeply practical framework for moving from donor acquisition to donor multiplication by centering believers, fueling joy, and letting go of control. Through stories from Komen, charity:water, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and their own early experiences in healthcare philanthropy, they make the case that responsive fundraising isn’t just a strategy, it’s a belief system.

 

You’ll walk away with:

The 8 steps to multiply your mission through community

A shift from passive donors to active builders

Practical ways to foster shared ownership and belonging

A reminder that joy is a powerful multiplier

 

🔗 Learn more at https://www.weareforgood.com/

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Russell James, a leading voice in planned giving strategy, psychology, and research. Russell brings his unique background as a lawyer, fundraiser, college president, and now professor at Texas Tech, to unpack the practical steps any nonprofit can take to start (or strengthen) a planned giving program.

 

From the “magic age” for engagement to the psychology behind why donors give at end-of-life, this episode is packed with insights, phrases, and donor stories you can start using today.

 

You’ll also learn:

Why the biggest mistake fundraisers make is going radio silent on aging donors

How to use donor stories to create a powerful social norm

Which phrases work (and which don’t) when talking about estate gifts

How to motivate legacy giving without triggering death-avoidance

The secret to turning one legacy gift into two—starting now

 

Get your copy of The Socratic Fundraiser: https://www.encouragegenerosity.com/TheSocraticFundraiser.pdf

Get Russell’s other free resources here: https://encouragegenerosity.com/

Follow Encourage Generosity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/encouragegenerosity/

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, fundraising experts Missy Gale (M. Gale & Associates), Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group), and Andrew Olsen (DickersonBakker) discuss how to balance long-term relationship building with the realities of fiscal year deadlines, limited capacity, and changing donor behaviors.

 

You’ll learn practical strategies for portfolio segmentation, leveraging donor signals, stewarding mid-level donors, and moving beyond “spray and pray” tactics.

 

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist