In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Karen Baldwin talks with Mike Richey, who retired recently as vice president of philanthropy and alumni engagement at the University of Kentucky after a five-decade career at the school.

In their discussion, Mike addresses:

• The motivation to stay committed to one university for 50 years.

• Changes he’s seen in higher education philanthropy over the course of five decades.

• What he considers important qualities to look for in hiring an advancement professional.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Harry Chapman talks with Dr. Russell James, professor in the School of Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, about making the ask.

In their discussion, Russell addresses:

• What Obi-Wan, Gandalf and Morpheus can teach us about major gifts.


• The specific process to epic storytelling that puts the donor front and center as the hero. 


• The three-sentence roadmap that lets you know when you’re ready to make the right ask at the right time for the right thing.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Director of Business Development Ryan Woroniecki speaks with John Taylor, principal at John Taylor Consulting, a leading firm in the field of advancement, campaign management and board development, about preparing for a capital campaign.

In their discussion, John addresses:

• The Association of Advancement Services Professionals, which he founded in 2007.

• How organizations should consider fundraising opportunities as they eye a capital campaign.

• Recommendations for assessment tools organizations can use to determine their readiness for a capital campaign.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Martha Ross talks with Ken Cheeseman, head of school at The Webb School, a boarding and day school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

In their discussion, Martha and Ken talk about:

• The challenges of leadership and fund development at a boarding and day school.

• Helping students who are attending from other countries deal with isolation and loneliness.

• Fostering camaraderie and a feeling of family among students of different backgrounds, as well as between day students and those who live on campus.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Martha Ross speaks with Patricia Glaser Shea, founder and CEO of Being Giveful, about giving as a wellness practice and how individuals and nonprofits can foster a more giveful life.

In their discussion, Pat addresses:

• The benefits of developing a philanthropic mindset to our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing

• How to put that mindset into action

• How nonprofit leaders can help to develop a giveful mindset within their organizations

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel President Jeff Jowdy welcomes Dr. Lilya Wagner and Dr. Mark Hager for a discussion on dysfunctional organizations.

Mark and Lilya go way back to when they co-authored “Board members beware! Warning signs of a dysfunctional organization” in the late ‘90s for Nonprofit World magazine.

In this lively discussion, they address the five most common signals that an organization is in trouble and what staff can do when they discern signs of dysfunction.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Director of Business Development Ryan Woroniecki talks with Micah James, manager of professional services at data management company Bloomerang, about technology for nonprofits.

In their discussion, Ryan and Micah discuss topics including:

• Some of the biggest advances in technology over the past decade and how they’ve empowered fundraisers

• The important considerations nonprofits often overlook when thinking about purchasing fundraising technology

• Proper implementation of new technology and the consequences of doing it poorly or too quickly.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Martha Ross talks with longtime independent school leader Brad Gioia about some of the changes he’s seen in the independent school landscape over his 40-year career.

Martha and Brad talk about topics including:

• How both students and parents have changed over 40 years in what they expect, what they want, what they need

• How finances and fundraising have changed in independent schools

• Changes in school culture and how important culture is to the longevity and success of a school

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Joan Bahner speaks with Bob Poole about donor relationships. For 14 years, Bob was senior vice president at Meherry Medical College and is now senior philanthropic advisor at Saad & Shaw.

In their discussion, Joan and Bob talk about:

• The unfortunate circumstance where fundraisers think of themselves more as salespeople rather than relationship builders

• The consequences of that mindset

• And how to change it

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Dr. Lilya Wagner speaks with Erik Daubert, who’ll be sharing insights from AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s latest report.

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project was created in 2006 as a joint project of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute to conduct research on fundraising effectiveness and help nonprofit organizations increase their fundraising results. Erik was the project’s first volunteer chair.

In their discussion, Erik talks about:

• The Fundraising Effectiveness Project, its purpose and origins

• The FEP’s latest report, its top three takeaways and implications for nonprofits

• Actionable items nonprofits should be doing as a result of the findings in the report