Sustainable Giving

What if one of the key secrets to sustainable giving isn’t more staff or bigger budgets, but a better rhythm?

In the latest episode of the Sustainable Giving podcast, Dave Raley sits down with Dr. Sanjay Bindra, a full-time cardiac electrophysiologist and co-founder of the zero-staff GOSUMEC Foundation USA. Together, they explore how Sanjay is combining medical insights, personal passion, and data-driven experimentation to help small nonprofits succeed in the world of recurring giving.

Sanjay’s foundation supports scholarships for medical students at his alma mater in India – but his vision goes far beyond a single cause. He’s launching The GIVE Study, a first-of-its-kind research project designed to uncover how small, under-resourced nonprofits can thrive in recurring giving without a full-time team or flashy tech. 

If you're part of the 92% of nonprofits operating under $1M, this episode is for you!

Key Topics They Discuss:

• The GOSUMEC Origin Story: A Phone Call, A Birthday, and a Bold IdeaLearn how a single conversation on his wife’s birthday sparked a nonprofit built on gratitude, legacy, and long-term thinking.
  

• Why Small is Mighty: Debunking the “Miniaturized Large Nonprofit” MythSanjay challenges conventional wisdom by highlighting the unique needs and power of small, zero-staff organizations, and why they deserve their own playbook.
  

• The GIVE Study: What Happens When You Apply Medical Rigor to Fundraising?With a research-backed framework rooted in gratitude, impact, voice, and engagement, this 12-month prospective study is designed to test recurring giving strategies for small nonprofits.
  

• The 4S Framework: Storytelling, Smart Tech, Simplicity, and Supportive Community Sanjay outlines the four pillars driving GOSUMEC’s success, and how any nonprofit can replicate them with minimal resources.

• Recurring Giving as Trust Giving More than a monthly donation, recurring giving is a relationship. Sanjay makes the case that “trust is the rhythm” that keeps a nonprofit’s heart beating strong.






More Resources:




Givebutter → A community-driven fundraising tech platform partnering with GOSUMEC on the GIVE Study.

MemoryFox → A storytelling platform that supports authentic, consent-based video collection from both donors and recipients.




Additional Links:




- Discover More: sustainablegiving.org/podcast

- Grab Dave’s book: https://sustainablegiving.org/




Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.

What if generosity is the most underutilized force for global change?

In this episode of the Sustainable Giving podcast, host Dave Raley is joined by Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer of GivingTuesday, to unpack how generosity is evolving, and what that means for the future of philanthropy. From invented holidays to the power of recurring giving, Woodrow brings a data-rich and human-centered perspective that challenges the status quo.

You’ll hear how GivingTuesday grew from a simple idea into a global movement, and how the GivingTuesday Data Commons, now over 2,400 collaborators strong, is uncovering billions in untapped generosity.

Key Topics We Cover:

1. What Generosity Really Means Today: Reframing generosity as more than money, but rather showing up, creating belonging, and participating in community change.

2. The Evolution of GivingTuesday: From a humble “what if” question to a global movement across 105+ countries, GivingTuesday became so much more than just a day.

3. Recurring Giving as a Game-Changer: Why GivingTuesday is one of the biggest days for new recurring donors, and how those donors are more loyal, more generous, and more engaged.

4. The Power of Invented Holidays: How cultural traction is built around invented moments like GivingTuesday, and how your organization might do the same.

5. The GivingTuesday Data Commons & Collective Innovation: How over 2,400 collaborators are pooling data to unlock $52 billion in missed philanthropic opportunity each year.

Also in this episode, we discuss:

- The surprising truth about who really gets left out of the giving conversation

- Why many orgs still default to “one-time” giving, and what it’s costing them

- How your nonprofit’s “natural resources” can unlock recurring revenue

- Why European nonprofits are light-years ahead in recurring giving

What if sustainable giving isn’t just a fundraising strategy, but a mindset shift?

More Resources:

- Discover more: sustainablegiving.org/podcast

- Get the data from GivingTuesday: https://data.givingtuesday.org

- Growing Giving research: https://www.givingtuesday.org/blog/growing

-giving/

- Check out the Fundraising Effectiveness Project: https://fepreports.org/

- Learn more about the GivingPulse: http://givingpulse.givingtuesday.org/

- Get to know Woodrow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodrowrosenbaum/

- Grab Dave’s book: https://sustainablegiving.org/

Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.

What if your donors aren’t just generous—but are craving more ways to give?

In this episode of the Sustainable Giving podcast, host Dave Raley sits down with Abby Jarvis, Head of Research and Editorial at Neon One. Abby brings over 12 years of nonprofit technology and communications experience, offering a rich perspective on how data can humanize the giving experience—and how nonprofits can harness donor behavior to cultivate long-term sustainability.

Together, they explore why recurring giving is on the rise, what motivates modern donors, and how nonprofits can build deeper, more human-centered relationships with their supporters.

Key Topics They Cover:

- Humanizing Donor Data: How data can tell powerful stories, and why every data point is a person, not just a number.

- The Power of Recurring Giving: Why recurring donors are often your most committed supporters and how to build lasting programs around them.

- Insights from the Generosity Report: What Neon One’s latest research reveals about everyday donor behavior, and what nonprofits may be missing.

- Generosity Beyond the Gift: Why donations aren’t the only metric that matters, and how advocacy, volunteering, and engagement show up in big ways.

- Narrative, Myth, and Motivation: How fairy tales, storytelling, and meta-narratives shape the way we understand generosity and connect with causes.

Also in this episode, they talk about:

- How Abby’s background in literature and poetry influences her data work

- Misconceptions about recurring donors and why you should ask them to do more

- The emotional impact behind donor notes and the use of sentiment analysis

- Lessons from the recurring giving surge in 2020, and what it reveals about donor behavior

- The correlation between non-monetary involvement (volunteering, memberships) and increased giving

- Generational shifts in giving and the influence of the subscription economy

- Why fundraisers must reframe giving as an empowering invitation, not a burden

Additional Resources:

- Discover more and pick up a copy of Dave's book: sustainablegiving.org

- Register for the Sustainable Giving Workshop: imago.consulting/workshop

Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.

Is it innovation if it doesn’t have sustainability built in?

That’s the bold question at the heart of this conversation between your host, Dave Raley, and guest Becky Straw, Co-Founder and CEO of The Adventure Project.

Together, they challenge the nonprofit sector’s obsession with short-term wins and one-time donations, and make the case for deeper, more sustainable change. 

Drawing on Becky’s early work with charity: water and her decade-plus leading The Adventure Project, this episode explores how job creation, dignity, and recurring giving can reframe how we approach generosity and build true sustainability.

Key Topics They Cover:

1. Redefining Sustainability in the Nonprofit Sector

• Why “walking away” should be possible – and desirable – when programs are truly sustainable

• The failure of water projects without local ownership and ongoing maintenance

2. The Power of Job Creation as a Sustainable Solution

• The dignity of work vs. the danger of dependency

• The role of social enterprise and VC-like support models at The Adventure Project

3. Growing Sustainable Giving Through Innovation and Trust

• Monthly and multi-year giving as long-term impact tools

• How a women-focused quiz generated $40K in donations and recurring support

4. Experiencing and Modeling the Joy of Generosity

• Childhood lessons in service and generosity

• The importance of modeling generosity for the next generation

5. Applying Social Work Principles to Nonprofit Leadership

• Listening to communities and building with – not for – them
• Combining empathy with operational excellence Social Work Principles to Nonprofit Leadership

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Sustainable Giving podcast, where we’re shining a light on how generosity works in a world increasingly shaped by the subscription economy.

Hosted by Dave Raley—speaker, consultant, and best-selling author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving—this show explores the trends, tools, and tactics powering the future of nonprofit fundraising through recurring giving.

In this episode, Dave is joined by Nathan Chappell—Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and co-author of The Generosity Crisis—to tackle the tough questions facing generosity today.

Nerding out together over this up-and-coming trend in the nonprofit space, Dave and Nathan dive into the state of generosity in North America, explore how nonprofits can build more sustainable giving models, and discuss the massive implications of artificial intelligence for the future of philanthropy.

Key Topics They Cover:

1. Why This Podcast, Why Now

2. The Generosity Crisis

3. Recurring Giving & The Subscription Economy

4. AI and the Future of Generosity

5. Inspiration for a Generous Future

Also in this episode, you’ll hear:

- How fewer individuals are giving to charity, and why that matters

- Why innovation is mission-critical, not optional

- The rise of AI fluency in nonprofit leadership

- Practical ways to start or improve a recurring giving program

- The joy of generosity—from French macarons to freedom fighters

Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.

Welcome to the very first episode of the Sustainable Giving Podcast, where we explore how the subscription economy is reshaping generosity and creating new opportunities for nonprofits to grow recurring giving.

Hosted by Dave Raley—speaker, consultant, and best-selling author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving—this show will dive into the trends, tools, and tactics powering the future of nonprofit fundraising through recurring giving.

Dave is the founder of Imago Consulting, an innovation advisory firm helping organizations grow sustainable giving through forward-thinking strategies. He's also the voice behind The Wave Report, a weekly leadership and innovation briefing, and the co-host of the Purpose & Profit Podcast.

In this premiere episode, he's joined by his good friend Jon McCoy, co-founder of We Are For Good and a leader in nonprofit storytelling and innovation, to flip the script and introduce Dave to the world as the creator of this (hopefully) inspiring new podcast.

With lots of laughs and a good deal of casual storytelling, they explore why sustainable giving is more than just a buzzword—it's the future of generosity.

Key Topics They Cover:

1. The Heart Behind the Podcast

2. The Rise of the Subscription Economy

3. Defining Sustainable Giving

4. Behind the Book

5. Inspiring Real-Life Story: International Justice Mission

Also in this episode, you’ll hear:

- Childhood experiences that shaped Dave’s views on generosity

- How nonprofits can respond to the "generosity crisis"

- Practical takeaways for launching or improving recurring giving programs

- The role of community, trust, and identity in donor behavior

- Building recurring giving programs with intentionality and heart

Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.