The Petrus Development Show

Have you ever wondered how Petrus views its role as a fundraising coach?  Or, why Petrus offers services the way we do?  If so, this episode is for you!  Andrew and Rhen take a look at all the ways fundraising consulting services can be offered, and they share details on Petrus's educational and service philosophy.  Petrus is a "teach to fish" consulting firm.  Listen in to learn what "teach to fish" means to us and hear how we coach our clients to build the skills necessary to maintain a sustainable, successful fundraising program for years to come!

Andrew and Rhen are back with a fun episode this week where they discuss and debunk all kinds of fundraising myths.  Rhen comes armed with nearly 20 fundraising myths that have been misleading nonprofits for years, and Andrew doesn't hold back in unpacks each one with hard truths and real-world wisdom. 


A very small sample of the fundraising myths discussed includes:

• Skip hiring a fundraiser - people will automatically give to organizations doing good work. (Spoiler:  they won't!)
  
  
• Donors hate being contacted by fundraisers.  (Often, the opposite is true!)
  
  
• Organizations need to host big events to make big money. (Small moves, big impact!)
  
  
• A single big donor can fund everything!  (Recipe for disaster.)
  
  
• Introverts cannot be successful fundraisers. (Some of the best are quiet powerhouses.)

 

Do you think Andrew got it wrong on any of these?  We want to hear your take!  Drop us a line at [email protected] and join the debate.

What if you could have an intern who works 24/7, never complains about tedious tasks, and costs almost nothing? While finding human help for repetitive fundraising tasks can be challenging and expensive, AI tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing how nonprofit development offices operate.


Join Andrew and Rhen as they explore the practical ways artificial intelligence can become your most valuable (and affordable) team member. They'll share specific strategies for leveraging AI in fundraising while highlighting the crucial boundaries every development professional needs to understand.

Andrew begins this episode by emphasizing that fundraisers should expect failures as normal parts of the job.  There's no way to avoid potential donors who respond unfavorably, and to effectively handle this inevitable rejection, fundraisers have to remember that rejection isn't personal.  Donors have countless reasons for declining that rarely relate to the fundraiser themselves.


After sharing their list of daunting statistics for fundraisers, Andrew and Rhen follow up by discussing coping strategies for perceived failure.  Long story short:  a resilient mindset and supportive community help fundraisers persist through challenges, knowing that facing and overcoming failure is fundamental to eventual fundraising success.

Yes, you read that correctly!  In this week's episode of the Petrus Development Show, Rhen quizzes Andrew on which fundraising concepts he would choose to kill, date, and marry.  Listen as Andrew shares his thoughts on which fundraising ideas that should be nixed, which should be further explored, and which ideas merit long-term commitment.

Ever faced a frustrated donor? If you've been fundraising for any length of time, chances are you've been on the receiving end of donor displeasure. 


Donor frustration comes in many forms - from upset letters and negative social media comments to exasperated responses when you reach out. Andrew and Rhen tackle these awkward situations with practical advice for becoming a supportive listener. 


Their key insight: when donors express frustration, it often stems from genuine care about your organization and a desire to see improvement. As a fundraiser, learning to separate a donor's anger from their feelings about you personally is essential for navigating these challenging interactions successfully.

As spring blooms, so does the opportunity for growing monthly giving. May sees a surge in new sign-ups, and in this episode, Andrew and Rhen share creative strategies to engage and inspire new monthly donors.



(For more on the nuts and bolts of monthly giving programs, check out episode 139 of the Petrus Development Show.  Listen HERE.) 

It's a recurring question the life of a fundraiser:  "How much money should I request from a donor when I meet with them?"  If that's a question that continues to baffle you, we have good news!  Andrew and Rhen return with an episode on tools you can use to determine the appropriate dollar amounts for donor asks. 

In this epsiode, Andrew shares his experiences with determining donor ask amounts.  He highlights tools he uses to help him come up with his ask range, and he discusses the clues you can look for in your initial interactions to help you determine ask amounts down the road.  Most importantly, however, Andrew emphasizes the need for boldness when you make your asks.  The consequences of being bold are often much less than the lost opportunity that comes with caution.

Andrew and Rhen return to the podcast to discuss how organizations improve their chances of success when hiring development staff.  As Andrew sums it up, he'll always choose to hire for passion and train for skill.  Andrew also shares several soft skills that he seeks in potential development staff, and he closes by reminding organizations that once they find good development directors, they should be prepared to invest in them for the long-term.


In this episode, Andrew answers the following questions:

• What characteristics should you look for when hiring a new fundraiser?
  
  
• If a new fundraiser fails, what likely caused the failure?
  
  
• Can introverts be successful fundraisers?
  
  
• What salary should you expect to pay a new development director?

If you'd like to access the free sample incentive plan that Rhen mentions in the episode, you can find it HERE.  We hope you'll find it useful!

The phrase "stacking the deck" often has a negative connotation, leading people to think you're doing something unfair or manipulative.  Good news!  As we share in today's podcast episode, we think that "stacking the deck" in fundraising terms can be a wise and helpful strategy in many situations. 


As Andrew and Rhen explain, when they talk about "stacking the deck", they're really talking about strategic preparation before giving days, matching gift and capital campaigns.  This intentional preparation allows you to often have a handful of known donors committed BEFORE the event even begins.  In laying this groundwork and announcing success early, you encourage new and returning donors to give because they see your momentum and want to join in.  Simply put, the odds are already in your favor before your campaign officially starts! 


Note:  If you're planning a giving day in the near future, click HERE and check out our self-paced online course titled "Raising Money with a Giving Day".  Petrus would love to help boost your giving day results!