Marketing That Made the Difference with Mario Galeano | Ep. #128

In this episode, Mario Galeano of Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena explores marketing that made the difference for his organization. Mario explains how the Eaton Fire, which hit neighboring Altadena, tested strategies in real time. With about 8% of the organization's major donors affected, the usual fundraising playbook didn't work. The team segmented outreach by geography and impact status, suppressing communications to affected donors while activating unaffected supporters, and personally calling everyone in the burn zone to check in. The result was deeply impactful fundraising, including funds raised for fire recovery. The conversation then expands into Mario's framework for how communications, marketing, and fundraising work together: communications builds trust, marketing drives action, and fundraising converts that trust into revenue. He grounds this in examples like a geofenced campaign tied to Union Station's Rose Parade float and the strategy behind Masters of Taste, the organization's signature Rose Bowl fundraiser. He closes with advice to move past vanity metrics, be honest about team capacity, and treat marketing as a revenue strategy rather than a support function, since sustainable fundraising starts long before the ask. Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies   Mario Galeano LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marioegaleano/   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ Connect with Union Station Homeless Services: https://ushs.org/ Follow Union State Homeless Services: https://www.instagram.com/ushsnews/ Learn More About Masters of Taste: https://mastersoftastela.com/