What if your donor retention problem is not a copy problem, but a brand problem?

Farra Trompeter has spent 30+ years in the nonprofit sector and 19 of those at Big Duck, helping organizations build brands that move donors. In this episode, she breaks down why brand is more than logos and colors, how brand stickiness inside your team determines whether donors recognize you, and why most rebrands fail to lift fundraising results.

We dig into the donor retention crisis, the difference between major-donor stewardship and the watered-down version everyone else gets, and the sub-brand strategy Big Duck used with the International Rescue Committee to build the Rescue Collective. Farra also explains why Q4 planning starts in Q3, and ends the episode with a tactical move every fundraiser can do this week: become a secret shopper to your own giving.

If you want donors who stay, this is the conversation.

Chapters

00:00 - Cold open: Be a secret shopper to your own giving

00:38 - Welcome and intro to Farra Trompeter

01:48 - Farra's path: from telefundraiser to Big Duck Co-Director

03:30 - What brand actually means for a development director

05:33 - Brand, culture, and where they overlap

06:22 - Why rebrands fail to lift fundraising results

09:04 - AI, generative tools, and brand consistency

10:43 - Donor retention is a stewardship problem, not a copy problem

12:54 - Monthly giving and sub-brands (Rescue Collective)

15:26 - Designing Q4: start in Q3 with a warm-up

17:25 - Prioritizing stewardship year-round

18:31 - Segmentation and treating mid-level donors like they matter

20:31 - Tactical takeaway: secret shop your own giving

21:46 - How to connect with Farra and Big Duck

Key takeaways

- Brand is every email, ask, event, and acknowledgement, not just your logo.

- Internal "brand stickiness" comes before external recognition.

- Donor retention is built between asks, not inside them.

- Q4 results are decided in Q3 with a non-fundraising warm-up.

- The fastest way to find your stewardship gaps: give to your own organization from a personal account and watch what happens.

Links

- Smart Communications Podcast: https://bigduck.com/insights/?type=podcasts

- Farra Trompeter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farra

- DonorDock: https://www.donordock.com

Tori Tishman has fundraised across education, healthcare, and political campaigns, and she came out of it with strong opinions about what the sector gets wrong.

In this episode, Rob and Tori dig into relationship mapping for major donors, why grant reporting needs a radical transparency overhaul, the uncomfortable truth about pay in nonprofits, and how cognitive biases might be quietly tanking your fundraising results.

Whether you're running your first capital campaign or you're a seasoned development director, Tori's systems-driven approach to CRM documentation, institutional knowledge, and storytelling will give you a new way to think about the work.

What you'll learn:

How to use relationship mapping and LinkedIn to unlock the right person to make a major donor ask

Why fundraising is never just about numbers — and what that means for how you build trust

The case for radical transparency in grant reporting (and why it protects you legally)

Tori's honest take on pay transparency and executive compensation in the nonprofit sector

How to structure a capital campaign — from goal-setting to leveraging foundation gifts as social proof

Storytelling in HIPAA-sensitive environments: how Tori tracks and anonymizes client stories

Why the playbook you build today protects your org the day you're gone

The one exercise every fundraiser should do to uncover the biases holding them back

Chapters

00:00 - The Ask Has to Come From Someone They Trust

00:42 - Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

01:15 - Tori Tishman's Background in Fundraising

02:09 - Diversifying Revenue and Relationship-Centered Fundraising

03:48 - What Actually Works With Major Donors

05:37 - AI + CRM: Why Unstructured Data Is a Game Changer

06:50 - Dysfunction in the Nonprofit Sector

07:11 - Radical Transparency in Grant Reporting

09:38 - Pay Transparency and Executive Compensation

10:46 - Capital Campaigns: Strategy, Goals, and Getting There

12:59 - Advice for Fundraisers New to Multi-Million Dollar Campaigns

13:46 - Storytelling as a Fundraising Tool

15:16 - Telling Stories in Healthcare Under HIPAA

16:23 - Systems Thinking, CRM Documentation, and Institutional Knowledge

18:37 - Tactical Takeaway: Examine Your Cognitive Biases

19:50 - Where to Find Tori Tishman

Connect with Tori Tishman:

LinkedIn: Victoria Tishman

Medium: Fundraising blog

Learn more about DonorDock: donordock.com

What if you thought about fundraising the way a farmer thinks about soil, not just what you can extract, but what you're building over time?

Terrence Mugova joins Rob Burke from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where he founded Educate, a financing company that helps students at more than 50 schools afford school fees, and runs a hunger relief program and money coaching practice in his community.

Terrence brings a perspective rarely heard on fundraising podcasts: what it actually looks like to raise money without collateral, without a wealthy network, and inside an economy that's wrestled with hyperinflation.

In this episode, Terrence breaks down how he built a sustainable funding model that blends donor relationships, corporate shared-value partnerships, micro-loans, and earned revenue — and why he believes nonprofits everywhere need to start thinking more like business operators. He also shares a sharp critique of how global organizations often get it wrong when they show up in Africa with a predetermined vision and no understanding of local context.

If you work in fundraising — whether in the US or anywhere else — this episode will challenge you to widen your lens.

Chapters:

00:00 - Fundraising as Ecosystem Building (Teaser)

00:22 - Welcome and Guest Introduction

01:21 - Terrence's Story: Almost Losing His University Seat and Founding Educate

04:15 - Starting Small: Six Students, One Proof of Concept

07:25 - What Success Really Means: Identity, Action, and Dreams

08:57 - The Fintech Partnership: Making Diaspora Education Funding Direct and Accountable

10:26 - Building a Sustainable Funding Mix Beyond Grants

14:14 - Shared Value Partnerships: Speaking the Language of Business People

15:53 - What Global Nonprofits Get Wrong When They Enter Africa

19:11 - Tactical Takeaway: Approach Fundraising Like Building an Ecosystem

Learn more about DonorDock: https://donordock.com

Andrew Kerr shares how he grew the Georgia Conservancy's donor base from 500 to 3,200 donors, lifted retention from 33% to 51%, and built a planned giving program with 25 estate commitments totaling over $2 million — all in just a few years.

This episode is packed with practical tactics: how to scale your thank-you process with a handwriting robot and video messages, how to use the PASS Framework to create urgency without fear-based fundraising, how to prospect for foundation and corporate grants using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and exactly how to start the planned giving conversation without it feeling awkward.

Andrew's tactical takeaway alone is worth the listen: time blocking the last 30 minutes of every day for stewardship will change your numbers.

Key Takeaways:

• Fix your leaking stewardship bucket before spending a dollar on acquisition
• Donor avatars (Engaged Explorer vs. Legacy Builder) let you tailor messaging that actually resonates
• Video thank-yous get shared — 250 videos watched by 350 unique IPs
• Planned giving doesn't require a direct ask, just consistent conversation throughout the year
• A donor match is the most effective tool to get estate gift amounts on record
• Time blocking is the one habit that keeps your pipeline from drying up

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction & Andrew Kerr's Origin Story
03:30 - Why Fundraising Is Relationship Selling
04:35 - Donor Identity and the Conservation Giving Mindset
05:29 - The PASS Framework: Creating Urgency Without Fear
07:37 - Balancing Grants and Individual Donors
09:00 - LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Chambers of Commerce & Getting Past the First Filter
11:36 - Growing Your Donor Base When the Sector Is Shrinking
13:13 - Building a Stewardship System That Scales (Handwriting Robots, Video Messages)
15:37 - Introduction to Planned Giving: When to Start the Conversation
18:28 - How to Capture Estate Gift Amounts Without Pushing Donors Away
21:33 - Tactical Takeaway: Time Block the Last 30 Minutes of Every Day
22:39 - How to Connect with Andrew Kerr

Links & Resources Mentioned:

Georgia Conservancy

DonorDock — donordock.com

If your fundraising strategy is basically "year-end campaign and maybe a gala," Christina Edwards has something to say about that. As founder of Splendid Consulting and creator of the Sprint Method, she has worked with thousands of nonprofits and identified the same bottleneck again and again: organizations stuck in the grant-gala cycle, burning out their teams, and getting diminishing returns.

In this episode, Christina breaks down why email is where conversions happen (not social), how to build a "social street team" using ambassadors and micro influencers you already know, why you should be planning in 3-6 month windows instead of annually, and how the Sprint Method lets you fundraise from your laptop in short controlled bursts throughout the year — including when a surprise donor match lands in your inbox this week.

Her tactical takeaway is one of the most actionable ones we've had on the show: send your list a micro moment email today.

Key Takeaways:

• Email is the conversion channel — social is for visibility, not dollars
• The Sprint Method replaces the exhausting grant-gala cycle with focused, repeatable online campaigns
• You don't need a celebrity influencer — your most engaged volunteers and community members are your social street team
• Start with just 3 email segments: monthly givers, major donors, and last campaign donors
• Fundraisers struggle to close gifts because the campaign isn't doing the lifting — not because the ask is scary
• Planning annually is fine as a skeleton, but execute in 3-6 month windows

Chapters:

00:00 - Why Compounding Systems Beat One-Off Campaigns
03:12 - What Compounding Fundraising Actually Looks Like in Practice
04:31 - The Social Street Team Method: Ambassadors Over Celebrities
07:53 - Email vs. Social: Where Conversions Actually Happen
09:44 - Introducing the Sprint Method (and Why the Gala Is Burning You Out)
12:45 - Can You Use Sprints for In-Person Events? (Yes, and Here's How)
15:03 - Planning in 3-6 Month Windows Instead of Annually
16:28 - Micro Events: Which Lane Are You In?
17:44 - Donor Segmentation: Just 3 Buckets to Start
20:23 - Why Fundraisers Struggle to Close Gifts (Hint: It's the Campaign, Not the Ask)
22:38 - The Mindset Layer: Fear Is Costing You More Than You Think
23:19 - Tactical Takeaway: Send a Micro Moment Email Today

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Splendid Consulting — Christina's consultancy
• Purpose and Profit Club — Christina's coaching program and podcast
• DonorDock — donor segmentation and stewardship

Most nonprofits have a fundraising plan. Very few have a fundraising pipeline. And that difference? It's costing them corporate partners, donor retention, and long-term sustainability.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Alexa Diaz Formidoni, founder of Be Better Together and creator of the Development Fundraising Pipeline (DFP). Alexa brings 20+ years of experience from both sides of the table, leading development inside major nonprofits like Junior Achievement and Neighbors for Neighbors, and now consulting organizations on how to build the systems that make funding predictable.

They dig into why corporate sponsorship feels hard (and how to fix it), why the first "no" is just a touch point, and what it actually takes to build a relationship-based funding model that holds up when the economy shifts.

What you'll learn:

• Why a strategic plan is not a fundraising pipeline and why you need both
• The touch point framework for corporate partnerships (no ask required at first)
• Why corporate giving takes 12 to 25 months to convert and what to do in the meantime
• How to use AI to research corporate philanthropy pillars before you ever reach out
• The mindset shift from transactional fundraising to relational funding
• Alexa's tactical takeaway: the one question every fundraiser should ask themselves today

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

00:53 - Alexa's 20-year journey: LLS, Junior Achievement, and building community

06:06 - The difference between a fundraising plan and a real funding pipeline

10:21 - Stewardship starts at acquisition: why it's all relationship building

13:35 - Corporate sponsorships beyond galas: common mistakes and smarter approaches

17:00 - Touch points, timelines, and why 12-25 months is the real runway

22:17 - Tactical takeaway: ask yourself this question before tomorrow

24:34 - How to find Alexa and the Development Fundraising Pipeline

• Be Better Together: https://www.bebettertogether.org
• DonorDock: https://www.donordock.com

What happens when your nonprofit's biggest outcomes can't be captured in a spreadsheet? Kerry Lowry, founder of the M25 Initiative in Reno, Nevada, has figured out how to fundraise anyway.

In just 18 months, Kerry has grown M25 from a vision to an organization running programs in rehab facilities, building toward prison reentry work, and housing people in sober living, largely through grassroots community relationships, radical transparency, and a simple but powerful approach to storytelling that makes donors feel like the heroes they are.

In this episode, Rob and Kerry dig into what it actually takes to fundraise without grants, without a big team, and without a perfectly packaged impact number — and how organizations serving the hardest-to-quantify populations can still build deep donor trust.

Key takeaways:

• Why consistency, not tactics, is the real inflection point in fundraising growth
• How to tell a story that connects a simple donation (like flooring) to a life changed
• Why donor stewardship matters more than most nonprofits realize
• How a CRM becomes a community-building tool, not just a database
• The "learn, implement, teach" framework that drives Kerry's organization

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome
• 00:47 - Kerry's Story: From Lived Experience to Founding M25 Initiative
• 03:17 - Growing a Reentry Nonprofit in 18 Months
• 07:03 - The Real Fundraising Strategy: Consistency Over Tactics
• 09:43 - Why AI Can't Replace the Donor Relationship
• 12:22 - Donor Retention: What Kerry Actually Invests In
• 14:00 - How Kerry Uses Her CRM to Deepen Community Connection
• 15:58 - Make Your Donor the Hero: A Storytelling Framework
• 16:16 - Quantifying the Unquantifiable: The Flooring Story
• 20:14 - Tactical Takeaway: Learn, Implement, Teach

About M25 Initiative: https://m25nv.org/

🔗 Learn how DonorDock helps nonprofits like M25 build stronger donor relationships: https://www.donordock.com

What happens inside the leader when the systems around them stay broken?

Daniela Cohen, founder of Transformative Conversations, has spent 15+ years in nonprofit leadership in Canada and South Africa, and experienced burnout firsthand. Now she works at the intersection of leadership coaching and conflict transformation, helping nonprofit leaders (especially women) shift out of survival mode so they can lead with confidence and sustain their impact long-term.

In this episode, Rob and Daniela unpack the invisible patterns that drain nonprofit leaders: conflict avoidance, over-giving, the confidence gap you can't see from the outside, and the identity trap that turns dedication into depletion.

If you've ever felt like if you stop, everything falls apart — this conversation is for you.

Key Takeaways:

Why conflict avoidance is costing your organization more than you think

What the "invisible confidence gap" looks like for development directors

How over-giving is different from mission alignment — and how to tell the difference

The mindset shift that changes everything: "just because I can doesn't mean I should"

One simple, practical thing you can do today to stop running on empty

Connect with Daniela:Website: https://transformativeconversations.ca

Learn how DonorDock helps nonprofits build a strong donor base through smart stewardship: https://donordock.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:58 - Daniela's Background: 15 Years in Nonprofit Leadership
02:18 - What Is Conflict Transformation?
04:12 - Why Nonprofit Leaders Avoid Hard Conversations (and What It Costs)
07:17 - The Invisible Confidence Gap in Development Directors
09:16 - Over-Giving vs. Mission Alignment: Do You Know the Difference?
11:12 - Identity, Women, and the Nonprofit Sector
12:09 - Where the Overwhelm Breaks Down First — and What to Do About It
15:19 - Freedom to Thrive: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
16:35 - Tactical Takeaway: Create Space in Your Day

Most fundraising teams don't have a technology problem. They have a process problem. And buying a new tool just makes the broken process run faster.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Matt Bitzegaio, CEO and co-founder of DonorDock, to discuss where the nonprofit sector is right now and where it's headed.

Matt has spent over 20 years working with CRMs across for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He's seen what works, what doesn't, and what's actually changing versus what's just hype.

They dig into the biggest shifts happening in fundraising operations, why "tool fatigue" is real and getting worse, what AI can genuinely do for you today (and what it can't), and what the next generation of nonprofit software actually needs to look like.

If your systems feel messy, your team is stretched thin, or you're wondering whether AI is going to save you or just create more noise, this episode is for you.

Links & Resources

• DonorDock Nonprofit Maturity Assessment: donordock.com/tools/smart-steward-assessment
• Learn more about DonorDock: donordock.com

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: A Different Kind of Episode
01:26 - Matt's Background and Building DonorDock
05:02 - The Biggest Shift in How Fundraising Teams Operate
07:30 - Tool Fatigue and the Year of Consolidation
08:30 - Process Before Platform: Getting the Order of Operations Right
10:54 - Your Process Needs to Be Tool-Agnostic
12:24 - AI in Fundraising: What's Real vs. What's Hype
17:06 - AI as an Exponent, Not a Replacement
18:19 - What the Next Generation of Nonprofit Software Needs to Look Like
22:39 - Clean Data Is the Foundation
23:13 - Advice for Fundraisers Who Feel Stuck
26:27 - Tactical Takeaway: Work Your Lapsed Donor List
28:36 - Closing Thoughts and Where to Learn More

Key Takeaways

• Technology amplifies your process — good or broken. Fix the process first.
• AI is genuinely useful for drafts, summaries, data cleanup, and unstructured notes. It is not a relationship builder.
• The 2026 consolidation trend is real. Teams are asking "what can we get rid of?" not "what can we add?"
• Small teams now have the tools to do what large teams used to do. That's both an opportunity and a pressure.
• Your lapsed donor list (gave last year, not yet this year) is your highest-ROI activity for the next 30 days. Pick up the phone.
• AI can only be as good as the data you've been keeping. Start tracking donor interactions now — in any format.

The average development director lasts 18 to 24 months, and that number is shrinking. Christina Martin Kenny, founder of Guava Tree Strategies, has spent her career figuring out why fundraising teams burn out, why they leave, and what it actually takes to fix it.

In this episode, Rob and Christina dig into the structural problems that lead to constant fundraiser turnover: hiring when you're already desperate, writing job descriptions for an imaginary unicorn, and expecting one person to build a culture of philanthropy from scratch. Christina also shares her Solo Fundraiser Survival Guide framework for pushing back on unrealistic revenue goals with data.

If your organization has ever lost a great development director too soon, this conversation is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: Why fundraiser burnout is a structural problem 00:44 - Christina's path into nonprofits and her own experience with turnover 03:19 - The 18-24 month average tenure — and why it's getting worse 03:48 - The root cause: organizations hire fundraisers when they need money 07:00 - Writing job descriptions for who you want to be, not where you are 08:02 - Flipping the budget mindset: profit first for nonprofits 09:22 - The Solo Fundraiser Survival Guide: pushing back with data 13:29 - Shared ownership of fundraising across the organization 17:43 - Reframing what fundraisers actually do (it's not asking for money all day) 20:31 - What to do when you're a few months in and already seeing red flags 22:18 - Go see your programs: the antidote to fundraiser burnout 23:25 - How to interview when job descriptions are unrealistic 25:22 - The fractional fundraiser movement and where it fits 25:22 - Tactical Takeaway: experience your programs firsthand

Key Takeaways:

• Organizations hire fundraisers out of desperation, that's the root cause of the turnover problem
• Job descriptions that list 40 responsibilities set fundraisers up to fail from day one
• Hire for where you currently are, not who you aspire to be
• Use data and projections to push back on unrealistic revenue goals — not just "no"
• A culture of philanthropy starts with leadership, not the development director
• Before updating your resume: go see your programs in person

Connect with Christina:

• Guava Tree Strategies: https://www.guavatreestrategies.com/
• LinkedIn: Christina Martin Kenny

Learn more about DonorDock: donordock.com