The ENGAGE Podcast

Over the past months, racial equity and racial justice have come to the forefront of public consciousness and advocacy in the U.S. and around the world. And while this has also been a topic of discussion in philanthropy for some time, there is a real opportunity now for all social good organizations to really respond in a meaningful way that effects change.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Marcus Walton, President & CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Listen in to hear Marcus talk about the current movement, the steps that responsive philanthropy must take to advance racial equity, and how all social good organizations can approach their work through a racial equity lens.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Marcus’s background as a leader in philanthropy and in working on racial equity initiatives
• What GEO does and how it’s working with members
• Whether Marcus is hopeful that the current moment will move the needle on racial equity
• Steps that responsive philanthropy needs to take to advance racial equity
• What advice Marcus would give to funders right now
• Why it’s critical for all social good organizations to look at their work through a racial equity lens
• The importance of partnerships and data

Resources:

Marcus Walton

Article: "Hope is Not a Strategy for Change"

GEO's Vision for Smarter Grantmaking

Marcus Walton's Resource List on Leadership and Racial Equity

Quotes: 

“I can only be hopeful, because I’ve seen how quickly change can happen.”

“What I’m observing on one hand is an inclination to do something, to react.”

“Before we make a decision and head down a particular course of action, let’s ground ourselves in the current moment.”

How do leaders embrace their role in the new normal today? What does it mean to lead strategically and purposefully?  The experts in today’s webinar will answer these questions.

Listen in to hear Eddie Thompson, Founder and CEO of Thompson & Associates, Mark McCampbell, Senior Vice President of Advancement Resources, and Betsy Chapin Taylor, CEO of Accordant, talk about the challenges of leadership during times of change, why purpose and values are central to good leadership, and the importance of reconsidering strategy right now to lead your organization into a successful future.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• The role of leaders in today’s changing new normal
• Why who you are is more important than what you do
• How values lead to actions
• Leadership strategies
• Affirming your organization’s vision
• Thinking about areas that need to be pruned or changed going forward
• The importance of connecting meaningfully
• Considering strategic decisions
• Holding board members accountable
• Using board members as fundraisers
• Thinking about how to go after major gifts in the future

Resources:

Eddie Thompson

Mark McCampbell

Betsy Chapin Taylor

WEBINAR: Leadership During Times of Change

TIP SHEET: 8 Things Successful Healthcare Philanthropy Leaders are Doing Right Now

ARTICLE: 6 Tips for Managing a Virtual Workforce

Quotes: 

“When you’re authentic, you’re being yourself, and you’re leading from who you are, that’s really the place to be.” –Mark McCampbell

“I think that we are unfortunately entering a period in our hospitals of austerity.” –Betsy Chapin Taylor

“I want to encourage you to reconsider having perpetual naming rights.” –Eddie Thompson

Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of purpose. But what does it really mean to have a purpose-led organization? And how can you help your organization more effectively put its purpose into practice?

That’s what today’s guest, Bobbi Silten, managing director of the Shared Value Initiative, is here to discuss. Bobbi explains the importance of leading with purpose, the role of shared value and why you need to understand your organization’s cultural dynamics to succeed in being purpose driven. She also discusses The Purpose Playbook, which was recently released by Shared Initiative as an actionable guide for practitioners looking to lead change in their organizations and society.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• What the Shared Value Initiative does and how it originated
• The definition of shared value
• Being a purpose led organization
• What the Purpose Playbook teaches practitioners about leading change
• Why it’s important to have a grounding in leading with purpose
• The importance of understanding an organization’s cultural dynamics

Resources:

Bobbi Silten

The Purpose Playbook from the Shared Value Initiative

CSR 2020: Experts Look Ahead

Quotes: 

“Our whole philosophy in building this playbook is that it’s not a cookie-cutter approach.”

“First you have to, as a company, get really clear about what your reason for being is, and your reason beyond profits alone.”

“The more a leader can understand the cultural dynamics of their organization, the more than can use it or start to dial down the things that are getting in the way.”

What do you need to know about talent management to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your team? Today’s episode features an excerpt from Part One of a three-part Blackbaud webinar about how better talent management can up your fundraising game. In the excerpt, you’ll hear from Eric Bowman, talent manager at Texas A&M Foundation. Listen in to hear what Eric has to say about what talent management is, the building blocks of talent management, and the importance of determining your organization’s mission, values, goals, and strategies.

After listening to the episode, click on the link to the webinar in the Resources section to watch the full recording, where you'll hear from Stacy Rooney, business consultant principal at Blackbaud, whose discussions will also include how to seamlessly integrate core fundraising systems into your talent management practices

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Eric’s background
• What talent management means
• Examples of function areas of talent management
• The building blocks to effective, aligned, coordinated talent management
• Determining mission, values, goals, and strategies
• Talking and thinking about competencies
• Building core processes
• The new-hire experience
• Making sure that people can grow in their role

Resources:

Eric Bowman

Webinar Series: How Better Talent Management Can Up Your Fundraising Game

White Paper: Blackbaud's Strategic Guide to Effective Talent Management

Quotes: 

“The ultimate driver to an organization’s success are its people.”

“Having a defined vision, mission or purpose, and values are critical to help the entire organization know why they exist, where they are going, how they will get there, and how they should act along the way.”

“You cannot expect CRM-level performance if you only have Excel-level resources.”

Livestream fundraising – you’ve probably heard the term, but do you really understand how your social good organization can leverage this popular strategy? Have you wondered how you can you use livestreaming to connect with donors and raise more funds?

Robyn Mendez, Principal Product Marketing Manager at Blackbaud, joins the podcast today to explain. Listen in to hear Robyn talk about why livestream fundraising can be an important fundraising tool, the main platforms organizations can use for livestreaming (such as Twitch and Facebook Live), and some of the ways that organizations can leverage livestreaming to reach a larger audience.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• The definition of livestream fundraising
• Why livestream fundraising can be an important fundraising tool
• Popular livestreaming platforms and types of content appropriate for each
• Different ideas for livestreaming content
• Examples of standalone organizational livestreaming
• Advice for organizations considering adopting livestreaming

Resources:

Robyn Mendez

Webinar: Decoding Livestream Fundraising

Livestream Fundraising 101: What is Livestream Fundraising?

How to Harness the Fundraising Power of Twitch

Quotes: 

“Generally speaking, livestreaming is becoming a mainstay of our marketing channel mix.”

“Anything that you would have a conversation with your friend about at dinner, they’re doing that. They’re just hanging out online as opposed to hanging out physically together at a restaurant.”

“If you have a phone and an online donation form, you can absolutely use Facebook Live to do livestreaming.”

COVID-19 has impacted fundraising in various ways. What will major and planned giving programs look like in our current landscape, and how can your organization adjust to see continued success with these programs?

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Eddie Thompson, founder and CEO of Thompson and Associates, and Russell James, Professor of Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, in an excerpt from a Blackbaud webinar. They discuss the challenges of raising major and planned gifts in the current environment, give advice on how to talk to donors and consider how they are feeling and faring during this time, and highlight different giving strategies that can benefit organizations and donors. 

After listening to the episode, click on the link to the webinar in the Resources section to watch the full recording, including a panel discussion featuring Eddie and Russell as well as Page Bullington, president and general manager of Blackbaud Healthcare Solutions and Blackbaud Foundation Solutions, and Heather Wiley Starankovic, principal consultant at Accordant Philanthropy.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Four pieces of the frame that holds the nonprofit mosaic together
  • Excellent leadership
  • Appealing mission
  • Dedicated staff
  • Visibility in the community
• Replacing fear with focus
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on major and planned gifts
• Short-term impacts on major and planned giving
• Questions that donors are asking themselves
• Types of wealth accumulators
• Showing support to donors during crisis
• Transitioning to different giving opportunities
• Permission marketing
• Donor-advised fund holders
• Plan B for planned gifts
• Charitable gift annuities
• CARES Act charitable donations

Resources:

Webinar: Raising Major and Planned Gifts in the Current Environment

Tip Sheet: 6 Planned Giving Options to Offer Donors

Tip Sheet: Questions Major Donors Are Asking Themselves Before Making a Gift

Quotes: 

“We are really positioning ourselves not just for today, but for the future.” –Eddie Thompson

“I’ll tell you this, almost everyone has been impacted emotionally.” –Eddie Thompson

“We want people to ask us for more information or more details.” –Russell James

Giving days are an increasingly important fundraising tool for social good organizations. And while #GivingTuesday may be the most well-known event, there are a variety of ways to hold a giving day, from organization-specific to regional to national or international, each with their own benefits.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Amanda Baldwin, Sr. Principal Solutions Engineer at Blackbaud, about how to plan a successful giving day for your organization. Listen in to hear what Amanda has to say about the importance of giving days as a fundraising strategy, the benefits of organizations holding their own giving days, and technologies that organizations should consider for giving day success.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Why giving days are such an important fundraising strategy
• Whether organizations with small budgets and staffs can have successful giving days
• The benefits of organizations holding their own giving days vs. participating in regional, local, or international giving days
• Key steps that organizations need to keep in mind when organizing giving days
• The importance of setting and communicating tangible fundraising goals
• Technologies that organizations should consider when planning giving days

Resources:

Amanda Baldwin

Webinar: How to Hold a Successful Giving Day for Your Nonprofit

Free Giving Day Toolkit

Creating a Giving Tuesday Strategy That's 'Just Right'

Quotes: 

“It is important to remind your audience that fundraising is how you are able to reach those outcomes.”

“You shouldn’t have to apologize for needing to fundraise in order to do all the good work you’re doing in your community and around the world.”

“I think that the more unique you can be, the more you can make yourself stand out, the more likely you won’t have to be concerned about feeling like you’re in competition for donor dollars all on one day with other organizations either in your community or around the world.”

Nonprofits that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may be able to receive help through the CARES Act – the large relief bill that Congress passed in an effort to help individuals and organizations weather the crisis. But it can be difficult to understand all of the ins and outs of such a large and complex piece of legislation.

In today’s episode, Ben Kershaw of Independent Sector joins Blackbaud’s Government Relations Manager Sally Ehrenfried to answer questions about the CARES Act that especially concern nonprofit organizations. Listen in to hear what Ben has to say about how nonprofits can get help, how to think about long-term support, and what aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program nonprofits need to be aware of.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• The aspects of the CARES Act that apply to nonprofits
• How nonprofits can get help through the CARES Act
• Whether there’s any thought of long-term support in addition to meeting short-term needs
• Insight about charitable tax deductions
• Communicating changes to donors
• When the 8-week period of the Paycheck Protection Program starts
• Whether organizations that receive PPP funds can hire temp employees
• The rules around non-payroll expenses
• What the process will be around the recent replenishment of funding that Congress has added to the Payroll Protection Program
• What reforms and changes will come with the next relief package
• What long-term changes might come from coronavirus responses generally and the CARES Act specifically
• The importance of speaking up in the nonprofit sector

Resources:

Ben Kershaw

CARES Act Resources from Independent Sector

Blackbaud COVID-19 Resource Center

Blackbaud CARES Act Resource Hub

Quotes: 

“As we turn to other legislation, we’ll be talking about 2 trillion-dollar responses, so it’s just a reminder of how quickly both the public awareness and the policy response to this have grown.”

“We will certainly be advocating to extend this incentive and to expand it, so that it can help incentivize the sort of giving that we need as a nation.”

“The intent of the Paycheck Protection Program is clear. It is not small business or a small non-profit protection program, it’s a paycheck protection program. The intent is to make sure that employees stay on payroll.”

In the new normal in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what’s the best way for organizations to engage and inspire their audiences? Should they be looking to newer types of media, such as podcasts, to help humanize their organizations and more deeply connect with their supporters, customers, donors, etc.?

Today’s guest is Camille Laurente, co-founder and CEO, of Hueman Group Media. Listen to the interview to hear what she has to say about how to engage audiences through storytelling across multiple digital channels, what powerful and compelling stories look like, and how organizations should be thinking about using podcasting and other types of new media.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• What Hueman Group Media does
• How organizations can engage their audiences using different types of media during this pandemic and beyond
• How organizations not on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic can still engage supporters in their ongoing missions
• Examples of powerful and compelling stories
• The importance of humanizing content
• How organizations should think about podcasting and other types of media use in addition to the other things that they’re doing
• What Camille is working on right now and what impact she’s hoping to have in the social good sector

Resources:

Camille Laurente

Humaen Group Media Podcast Series

Blackbaud University Course: Multimedia Storytelling

Quotes: 

“I think one of the key approaches to this pandemic is really being transparent and really authentic in your messaging.”

“Data is good, and your impact or what you’ve done in the past is good, but don’t forget to humanize your content.”

“I love sharing this because, in the next few weeks, we’re launching a new slate of podcasts on our network.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the funding landscape in various ways. It’s important that both grantmakers and grantees understand each other’s needs and challenges right now.

In today’s episode, Lauren Steiner, president and founder of Grants Plus, talks with Blackbaud’s Rachel Hutchisson about the current trends she is seeing in grantmaking. Listen in to hear what Lauren has to say about COVID-related funding resources, changes to funding practices and requirements, and how nonprofits should approach conversations with funders.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• General trends in the funding landscape
• How many funders are changing practices and requirements in response to the current situation
• The importance of transparency and relationship building
• Advice for starting conversations with funders
• Changes in the funding situation that may continue once the crisis has passed
• The COVID-related funding resources that Lauren has been gathering

Resources:

Lauren Steiner

Grant Plus's Guide to Grant Seeking During the COVID-19 Crisis

COVID-19 Industry Resources for Foundations and Grantmaking Organizations

3 Best Practices for Remote Disaster Grantmaking Response

Chronicle of Philanthropy article: 6 Steps for Grant Makers to Take Now to Ensure Nonprofits Recover From Coronavirus Spread

Quotes: 

“The general consensus was we need to advise organizations to not stop because of what’s going on.”

“One of the trends that I’m seeing – and I am here for it – is that foundations are loosening restrictions.”

“If you haven’t started that kind of frequent connection with your funders, do that now.”