Are you tired of feeling awkward or unsure when pitching your nonprofit’s mission? Imagine building confidence, creating stronger donor relationships, and increasing your fundraising success, all by transforming how you approach difficult situations. In this episode of Hey Nonprofits, hosted by Trevor Nelson, fundraising expert Julie Ordoñez reveals how embracing honesty and rethinking outdated strategies can revolutionize your donor conversations. This episode is packed with actionable fundraising tips designed to help you grow your impact and connect with donors on a deeper level.

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In Episode 18, "Stop Letting Awkwardness Ruin Your Nonprofit Pitches," Julie shares her journey from reluctant consultant to successful fundraising coach, teaching nonprofit teams to overcome scarcity mindsets and build pathways to abundance. Whether you're navigating board pushback, learning to ask for larger donations, or figuring out how to address fear in fundraising, there’s something in this episode for everyone. Plus, we dive into the importance of emotional intelligence, meaningful donor relationships, and adapting to a fast-changing nonprofit landscape. Need help with fundraising? Get FREE nonprofit coaching here: https://hgafundraising.com/nonprofit-coaching/.

Don’t let fear hold you back from making bigger asks or improving your nonprofit’s funding strategies. Watch now and hear how to turn challenges into opportunities with real, practical advice you can start using today. Subscribe to Hey Nonprofits for more expert insights, meaningful conversations, and tools to grow your mission with confidence.

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Chapters:

0:00 Honest Tips for Awkward Donor Moments

1:58 Update Your Old Fundraising Tactics

6:44 Julie’s Path to Fundraising Success

9:13 $5M Raised by Teaching Fundraising

13:54 Change Your Money Mindset Now

16:08 Handle Board Pushback on Big Asks

20:35 Ask Bigger, Get Bigger Donations

22:58 Overcome Fundraising Fear with Courage

26:52 Learn and Grow from Fundraising Wins

29:21 Accountability Leads to Fundraising Success

33:44 Wealthy Donors Want Connection

36:03 Wealthy Donors Struggle Too

40:26 Go Beyond Money with Donor Support

42:12 Honest Fundraising Builds Trust

46:03 Understand Donors Before You Ask

47:58 Rebuild Trust with Past Donors

51:45 Use Silence to Seal the Deal

53:50 Prep for Big Donor Talks

57:19 Engage Your Board Without Asking

59:08 Personal Touches Strengthen Donor Bonds

1:03:11 Don’t Fundraise Alone

1:05:35 Build Confidence to Ask Big

1:09:20 Gratitude Changes Everything

1:11:29 Give More, Receive More

1:15:09 Follow Julie Ordoñez’s Journey