The Focused Fundraiser

What does it really take to build strong donor relationships that last?

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, Rob Burke and Serena Steele, Development Director at the Center for Working Families, talk about relationship-based fundraising, donor stewardship, and why doing less—but better—leads to greater impact.

Serena shares her unconventional path into nonprofit fundraising, practical systems she uses to steward donors long-term, and how setting healthy boundaries makes you a better fundraiser—not a weaker one. This conversation is packed with grounded wisdom for fundraisers navigating year-end pressure, burnout, and the constant tension between short-term revenue goals and long-term donor retention.

If you’re a nonprofit professional looking to focus on what truly matters in fundraising, this episode is for you.

• How to steward donors without fancy systems or automation
• Why Google Alerts are an underrated fundraising tool
• How relationship-based fundraising drives retention and sustainability
• Setting boundaries to avoid burnout in nonprofit work
• Balancing year-end fundraising with long-term donor trust
• Why “doing more” can actually hurt your fundraising results

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

00:28 Serena’s Path Into Nonprofit Fundraising

02:32 Turning Volunteering Into a Career

04:48 Stewarding Long-Term Donor Relationships

05:16 Practical Donor Stewardship Systems

07:55 Using Google Alerts for Donor Engagement

08:46 Staying Focused During Uncertain Times

11:32 Short-Term Revenue vs Long-Term Relationships

15:28 Doing Less to Raise More

16:11 Setting Boundaries as a Fundraiser

18:12 Recognizing Seasons of Work and Rest

18:54 Tactical Takeaway for Fundraisers

What does it really take to build sustainable fundraising without burning yourself (or your team) out?

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke sits down with Maddie Szymanski, Director of Development & Marketing at CP and founder of Lucky Seven Dog Rescue. Maddie shares hard-earned lessons from more than a decade in nonprofit leadership—from building donor relationships and running successful appeals to avoiding burnout and creating systems that last beyond any one fundraiser.

If you’re a nonprofit fundraiser, development director, or executive leader juggling too many priorities, this episode will help you refocus on what actually moves the needle.

This episode of The Focused Fundraiser dives into how small-shop fundraisers can beat burnout, build better donor relationships, and focus on what matters most. 

Rob Burke sits down with Pam Thompson, Development Director at Cystic Fibrosis of North Dakota, to unpack what 13 years in the same fundraising role has taught her about avoiding burnout, setting boundaries, and juggling “all the hats” in a tiny development shop.

Pam shares how she turns a Turkey Trot into a year-end fundraising engine, uses donor segmentation and journeys in DonorDock, and treats every supporter according to their unique “donor love language.” You’ll hear practical ways to use your nonprofit CRM for better notes, stronger donor retention, and moving people from a $25 gift to long-term, major-donor relationships.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, behind on thank-yous, or afraid to pick up the phone, this conversation will help you simplify, refocus, and build a healthier, more sustainable fundraising practice.

What you’ll learn:

• How to recognize and fight fundraiser burnout
• Why boundaries and a shorter work week can actually improve results
• Turning event participants (like Turkey Trot runners) into year-round donors
• Using tags, journeys, and notes in DonorDock (or any CRM) to personalize outreach
• How to discover each donor’s “love language” and steward them accordingly
• Simple ways to re-engage lapsed donors with authentic conversations
• The #1 action you should take today: pick up the phone and call a donor

If you’re curious how DonorDock can help you focus on what matters most and build a strong donor base, visit DonorDock.com and keep up with future episodes of The Focused Fundraiser.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser & intro to Pam

00:27 Pam’s unlikely path into fundraising

01:28 Burnout is real: how Pam stayed 13 years in the same role

02:37 Wearing all the hats in a small development shop

03:24 Prioritizing the “loudest” tasks & Turkey Trot focus

05:10 Turning a Turkey Trot into a year-end fundraising engine

06:45 Tagging Turkey Trot participants & email journeys in DonorDock

07:31 Donor “love languages” & personalized stewardship

09:12 Using CRM notes to deepen donor relationships

11:10 Fighting fundraiser burnout with peers & perspective

12:50 From $25 gift to major donor: the long game

13:36 Overcoming overwhelm with simple next steps

15:39 The one thing every fundraiser should do today: pick up the phone

16:42 Closing thoughts & DonorDock invitation

How do you run year-end fundraising without burning out your team or putting donors in a “fishbowl”? 🎧

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke sits down with Raegan Mach, Director of Development at Urban Bridge in Oklahoma City, to talk about relationship-based, community-centric fundraising, trauma-informed donor engagement, and how project management can totally transform your nonprofit fundraising strategy.

You’ll hear how Urban Bridge invites donors into a youth-focused space without centering donors, how Raegan builds an annual and quarterly development plan, and how her team launched a “10 for 10” monthly giving campaign for Urban Bridge’s 10-year anniversary. They also dive into using your nonprofit CRM and integrations (like DonorDock) to track campaigns, tag donors, and avoid siloed spreadsheets.

Raegan also shares why fundraiser burnout and high turnover are one of the biggest threats to long-term sustainability—and what leaders can do to better invest in their development teams with benefits, professional development, and healthy culture.

If you care about major gifts, year-end fundraising, donor stewardship, and retaining both donors and fundraisers, this conversation is for you.

👉 Learn more about DonorDock and how it can help you simplify donor management and fundraising: [add your link here]

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

00:30 – Raegan’s path into nonprofit development

01:58 – Fundraising as relationship-building

03:33 – Trauma-informed donor engagement at Urban Bridge

06:30 – From donor-centric to community-centric fundraising

08:58 – Development planning, calendars & project management

11:46 – CRMs, integrations & tracking campaign data

14:42 – Designing a strategic year-end giving campaign

19:45 – Turning year-end giving into year-round relationships

21:45 – Micro-reporting, touchpoints & donor storytelling

23:03 – Fighting fundraiser burnout & investing in your team

25:38 – Wrap-up & DonorDock invitation

What if your most personal pain became the fuel for a powerful fundraising mission? 💛

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke talks with Ashley Hamm, co-founder and Executive Director of Dear NICU Mama. Ashley shares how her son’s 3-month NICU stay led her to launch a nonprofit that provides peer support for NICU moms—and how she’s learned to focus her fundraising, not just “do more.”

You’ll hear:

– Ashley’s NICU story and why Dear NICU Mama exists

– The surprising challenge of fundraising for a deeply personal mission

– How a small nonprofit measures impact when the work is emotional and relational

– Why revitalizing their nonprofit board in 2024 was a game changer

– Practical ways small-shop executive directors can stay focused and avoid burnout

– The fundraising quote that changed everything: “How dare you assume they don’t want to give?” (via Patrick Kirby)

– How tools like DonorDock help build a strong donor base through better stewardship

If you’re a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, or executive director wearing “all the hats,” this conversation will encourage you to focus on what matters most: your mission, your people, and your donors.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

00:28 Ashley’s NICU story & founding Dear NICU Mama

03:05 Fundraising when the mission is personal

06:03 Measuring impact for peer support nonprofits

09:25 How Ashley stays focused as an executive director

13:06 The one thing she’d invest in sooner: the board

14:57 Building a supportive, high-impact nonprofit board

17:50 “How dare you assume they don’t want to give?”

19:39 DonorDock and episode wrap-up

Want to learn how DonorDock can help you find clarity and build a strong donor base through smart stewardship?

Visit: DonorDock.com

Rob and Trevor unpack the real truth behind successful fundraising events, why “fundraising is an AND game, not an OR game,” and how organizations can reduce burnout, retain donors, and design smarter, more intentional events that raise more money.

Trevor and his team at HGA have supported thousands of fundraising events and helped raise millions, giving him a deep, data-backed perspective on what actually works. From redefining what an event is, to avoiding the most common preventable mistakes, to creating donor experiences that actually build long-term loyalty—this conversation is full of actionable insight.

00:00 – Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser

00:39 – Introducing Trevor Nelson of HGA Fundraising

01:47 – Trevor’s background & how he fell into fundraising

03:13 – The most common preventable event mistake

04:47 – Micro vs. macro events: why smaller can be more impactful

05:22 – Fundraising as an AND game, not an OR game

06:38 – Avoiding fundraiser burnout & protecting your energy

09:23 – How events impact donor retention

11:28 – Messaging & stewardship after the event

11:57 – What’s working in events heading into 2026

13:30 – Stop nickel-and-diming: be bold in the ask

15:57 – Misconceptions nonprofit leaders have about events

18:17 – Redefining “events” & operating on a budget

20:11 – Trevor’s #1 tactical takeaway for fundraisers

21:31 – Closing & where to connect with Trevor

In this episode of the Focused Fundraiser podcast, host Rob interviews Rachel Bearbower, founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency and former executive director, about how nonprofits can use automation to improve their fundraising effectiveness. Rachel shares her journey from accidentally starting in the nonprofit sector to becoming an automation expert. The conversation covers key topics including how automation can make fundraising more consistent and personal rather than cold or impersonal, the importance of starting with a CRM as your source of truth when building a tech stack, and specific automation examples like draft thank you emails that speed up donor response time. Rachel addresses common misconceptions about automation being impersonal and provides practical advice for dealing with fragmented technology systems. The discussion also touches on how proper systems and documentation can help mitigate knowledge loss from high fundraiser turnover. Rachel's key takeaway emphasizes building systematic donor stewardship processes before implementing automation tools.

This interview features Elizabeth Scott, Director of Development at Galleo Latino Community Development Fund, sharing her journey from ordering copy paper at the League of Women Voters to managing a multimillion-dollar fundraising budget. Elizabeth Scott discusses practical fundraising strategies including grant writing techniques, the importance of accurate data and approachable language, and building relationships with funders. She emphasizes planning ahead by using slow periods to prepare grants, limiting daily tasks to 3-5 items for better focus, and reusing successful grant language. The conversation covers current challenges in fundraising due to political uncertainty affecting foundation and corporate giving, especially for DEI-focused organizations. Scott also addresses nonprofit burnout, advocating for open conversations about mental health and the importance of taking breaks. She concludes with tactical advice for fundraisers to subscribe to newsletters from potential funders to stay informed about their current funding priorities.

In this episode, Amy Pocola, a seasoned nonprofit strategist, shares her journey into fundraising, emphasizing the importance of focusing on what truly matters. She discusses the common challenges faced by fundraisers, regardless of the size of their organizations, and highlights the significance of building strong donor relationships. Amy encourages fundraisers to prepare for key giving periods while maintaining a long-term vision and strategic planning. She also stresses the importance of self-care, urging fundraisers to prioritize their well-being amidst the stresses of their work. The session concludes with an invitation to explore additional resources for support.

In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke sits down with Kristen Mitchell, co-founder & executive director of Youth Futures, to unpack practical nonprofit fundraising strategies: leading as an accidental fundraiser, why authenticity beats charisma, lessons from capital campaigns, building business-grade systems, and how to prioritize donor outreach with time blocking, your CRM, and LinkedIn/Sales Navigator. Kristen also shares a refreshing take on “burnout,” staff wellness programs, and staying connected to client stories to fuel resilience.

You’ll learn: