Episodes
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#411- Plugging Donor Leaks Before Year-End
We’re in what I like to call the Super Bowl of fundraising, that mad sprint to December 31st. Before you pour all your time and energy into your year-end campaign, I want to make sure you’re not losing money through hidden leaks in your donor funnel. In this episode, I break down the four biggest...
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#410 - Why Your Board goes Quiet after Yes
A board member once read me the riot act because I never told her that a friend of hers had given to our year-end campaign. She was right. I hadn’t closed the loop, and her friend ended up asking her why nobody had thanked them. I still think about that call. I’ve now worked with dozens of boards...
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#409 - The 5 Financial Red Flags Fundraisers Miss
I came into this conversation thinking I knew how to raise money. Turns out, I've been fundraising with a broken financial house and didn't notice until Susan DeMarco walked me through it. Susan DeMarco is the CEO of Brand K Partners, an accounting firm that works exclusively with small to…
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#408 - Email's Hidden Value: Why Donors Wait
I came into this thinking email was dead. Ben Smithee and Brad Duff-Hudkins from NextAfter walked me back from the ledge with 17 million email subscribers worth of actual data. Spoiler: email is fine. You're just bad at it. Ben Smithee is Chief Growth Officer at NextAfter. Brad Duff-Hudkins is VP...
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#407 - The Gen Z Donor Strategy Nobody's Building
I'll admit it. I came into this conversation ready to talk about "those damn kids." They give me the blank stare. They call me bro. My friend in staffing says they show up for one day of work and never come back. Phil Putnam walked me back from the ledge. (Mostly. The bro thing still bugs me.)…
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#406 - Who Told You It Was Supposed To Be Easy?
Most nonprofit leaders think the problem is the workload. I had a week that told me otherwise, and it took a coaching call to see it. I was venting about year eight feeling harder than year three when my coach said, "You're upset because life does not fit your model of reality." Somewhere around...
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#405 - Yes! Your Nonprofit Is Allowed To Do This
Most nonprofit leaders think their biggest problem is raising money. Ny Whitaker says the real problem is influence, and money follows influence. Ny is the founder and chief strategist of Project NYNE, a former White House senior advisor and NYU professor of leadership who has spent 30 years...
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#404 - The DAF Money You're Probably Missing
Donor-advised funds are everywhere. But for a lot of nonprofit fundraisers, they’re still a little mysterious. So I invited Liza Carballeira onto the podcast to break them down. She brings a pretty unique perspective. Liza spent more than 10 years as a frontline fundraiser, then seven years…
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#403 - DAF Donor Targeting Playbook
Your year-end plan is actively insulting a segment of your donor file. It's September and that plan is nearly locked, so let's fix it before it goes out. When I was a baby ED, we'd get a $7,500 check from Schwab Charitable in December and I'd code it to Schwab. Not to Susan, who actually made the...
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#402 - Your board isn't lazy. They're uninstructed.
I had a board member, let's call her Lena, who told me she'd rather stick hot needles in her eye than ask her friends for money. So I asked if we could count on her for the $35,000 check instead. She said yes, done, no problem. Then she spent the next several years opening her home and hosting...
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#401 - Why AI Cannot Replace Fundraising Strategy
Why AI Cannot Replace Fundraising Strategy I use Claude every day, he's literally my side piece. And I'm telling you to stop buying AI tools. Here's what I'm seeing across nonprofit shops right now: everyone's buying wealth screening software, AI donor tools, personalization platforms. They think...
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#400 - 8 Years, 400 Episodes, and the One Thing I Got Wrong About Marketing
When I started this podcast in 2018, I had no strategy. No content calendar. Just a cheap microphone and a genuine desire to connect with busy nonprofit friends who never had time to grab coffee. I didn't think I was doing marketing. I thought I was just... connecting. Turns out, that's exactly...
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#399 -Stop Chasing Newly Liquid Founders
Here's what nobody tells you: when a founder gets $47M in liquidity, they don't call you. They call their advisor. And by the time you find out they exist, the giving decision's already locked in with someone else. Most nonprofits are still running the old playbook. Cold outreach to newly wealthy...
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#398 - The Old Way Doesn't work
In this episode, I'm calling out the thing nobody says out loud: your major gift program isn't really a program. The gifts come in, but you can't predict them. Your board member lands a home run, then goes quiet. Your ED holds all the relationships in their head, and when they leave, the revenue...
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#397 - Your Next Million-Dollar Donor Gives $10 a Year
The biggest gift your organization will ever receive might come from a donor who's been quietly giving you $10 a year for two decades. And most of you are ignoring them. Planned giving evangelist Tony Martignetti, retired attorney and author of the upcoming Planned Giving Accelerated, is back to...
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#396 - How a Teacher-Turned-CEO Landed Her First Six-Figure Gift
I love a good transformation story, and Lucy Madden's is one of my favorites. Lucy was a middle school science teacher who ran a snail mail pen pal program in her classroom, pairing her students with STEM professionals around the world. She watched her kids start imagining bigger futures for...
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#395 - Why Your Major Gift Program Can't Wait
This episode is a little different. It's a bit of a public service announcement. I recently read new nonprofit sector data, and honestly, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The numbers tell a pretty clear story: organizations that rely heavily on grants and government funding are...
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#394- What Pricing Strategy Can Teach Us About Major Gifts with Claire Wang
One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation with Claire Wang is that fundraising and pricing have more in common than you might think. At their core, both are about understanding people their values, motivations, and the stories they tell themselves about who they are. Claire shares how...
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#393- Burnout, Budget Cuts, and the Future of Fundraising with Glennda Testone
I sat down with my friend Glennda Testone, CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, to talk about what we're both seeing across the sector right now: burnout, funding uncertainty, increasing demand for services, and nonprofit leaders trying to do more with less. It's easy to get caught up in the...
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#392- Fundraising Without Fear: Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability with Andrew Murphy
One of my favorite parts of this work is watching nonprofit leaders grow into fundraisers not because they become slick salespeople, but because they discover that fundraising is really about relationships. That's exactly what happened with my guest this week, Andrew Murphy. When Andrew stepped...
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#391- What Happens When You Stop Fundraising on Hope with Amy Lester
Ever feel like your major gifts program is held together by spreadsheets, good intentions, and crossed fingers? This week, I'm joined by my client and friend Amy Lester, Major Gifts Officer at Polar Bears International, for a candid behind-the-scenes look at how she transformed her fundraising...
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#390- The Fundraising Strategy Too Many Nonprofits Ignore with Tess Conrad
This episode honestly changed the way I think about planned giving. I sat down with Tess Conrad and walked away realizing that planned giving isn’t just for giant institutions with fancy development teams. Tess made the case that even small nonprofits can start building a legacy giving…
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#389- The Human Side of AI with Janine Quijije
In this episode of Nonprofit Lowdown, I sat down with Janine Quijije to talk about AI but probably not in the way you’re used to hearing about it. Instead of asking, “How can AI help us do more?” Janine asks a much more important question: How can AI help us preserve our energy and prevent…
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#388- The Development Director Exodus
This episode felt personal for me because I’ve been watching so many development directors quietly disappear from organizations lately. And honestly? It’s not just about burnout or “bad hires.” Most of the time, it’s a systems problem. In this episode, I’m unpacking the two biggest reasons...
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#387- The Real Mental Health Crisis No One Is Talking About
This episode felt personal—because it is. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I sat down with Lauren Carson (Black Girls Smile) and April Walker (Philanthropy for the People), and we got real about what’s actually happening right now—in our work, in our communities, and in our bodies. If…
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#386- How to Actually Use Wealth Screening (Without Getting Burned) with Tina Duong
We’re diving into a topic I have a serious love-hate relationship with: wealth screening. My guest is Tina Duong, founder of Impact ProTech and a 25+ year fundraising veteran. And let me tell you she has thoughts. We’re getting into what wealth screens get wrong, why fundraisers rely on them too...
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#385- Why Your Boards Won't Fundraise and How to Change That
I hear this all the time: “Why won’t my board fundraise?” And I get it—it’s frustrating. But here’s the truth I’ve learned: it’s usually not because they don’t care. It’s because no one ever showed them a version of fundraising that feels human. Most board members think fundraising means…
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#384- Stop Flying Blind: Fix Your Leaky Fundraising System
I’ve been in this sector for over 20 years, and I keep seeing the same thing: Great fundraisers don’t stay. And it’s not because they don’t care—it’s because we’re asking them to be the system. They’re holding donor relationships, strategy, and next steps all in their heads… and when they leave,...
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#383- Equanimity is a Fundraising Strategy
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately: before you even say a word, your donor can feel you. Your energy—your calm, your stress, your urgency—it all shows up in the conversation. In this episode, I’m making the case that equanimity isn’t just a nice-to-have… it’s a real fundraising strategy....
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#382- Cracking the Oprah Effect with Kyle Woody
What happens when your nonprofit gets featured by Oprah? This week, I sat down with Kyle Woody to talk about his “Oprah moment”—and why it didn’t instantly change everything the way you might think. We got into the deeper story behind his work supporting male caregivers (who are often invisible,...
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#381- Building Trust and Psychological Safety in Fundraising with Marcia Beckner
What if your fundraising challenges aren’t really about strategy—but about culture? In this episode, I sit down with Marcia Beckner to unpack how trust, safety, and leadership shape everything—from team performance to donor relationships. We dig into why fear holds fundraisers back, how toxic…
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#380- No More Poverty Porn in Fundraising with Maria Rio
In this episode, I sit down with fundraising strategist Maria Rio, founder of Further Together Fundraising and host of the Small Nonprofit Podcast. Maria brings a powerful perspective to the conversation—not only as a longtime fundraiser, but as someone who once relied on nonprofit services…
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#379- So You're Thinking About a Capital Campaign with Amy Eisenstein
Capital campaigns sound exciting—big vision, big gifts, big impact. But they’re also one of the most misunderstood parts of fundraising. In this episode, I sat down with my friend Amy Eisenstein, CEO and co-founder of Capital Campaign Pro, to talk about what a capital campaign actually is, how to...
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#378- Why Your Donors Are Ghosting You
If a donor has ever gone silent after a few “great” meetings, let me gently suggest: It’s probably not you. It’s probably qualification. We move from conversation to cultivation to ask — without getting real, explicit consent to go deeper. Qualification isn’t a wealth screen or a good vibe.It’s...
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#377- MrBeast Is Not Your Fundraising Strategy
Stop fundraising like you’re buying lottery tickets. In this episode, I’m breaking down why chasing random donors and one-off opportunities keeps you stuck in scarcity mode—and what to do instead. If your fundraising strategy feels like crossing your fingers and hoping for a miracle, it’s time…
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#376- Boards Don't Avoid Fundraising. They Avoid Embarrassment.
I got so much feedback from the last episode about boards that we’re going there again. Here’s the hot take: Your board isn’t avoiding fundraising. They’re avoiding embarrassment. They’re protecting their reputation. Their relationships. Their social capital. And honestly? I get it. As an…
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#375- Why Boards and Executives Keep Talking Past Each Other About Fundraising
Real talk: I tried very hard to avoid this episode. Because boards + fundraising can get… messy. But if we’re serious about major gifts, we can’t keep skipping this conversation. In this episode, I unpack why boards and executives keep blaming each other for fundraising results and why the real...
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#374- Building a System in 2026
If your fundraising feels scattered, exhausting, or like it all lives in your head, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, I’m breaking down why the old fundraising model is no longer working—and why in 2026 we can’t keep relying on vibes, guesswork, or the heroics of one person....
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#373- Out of the Ayahuasca Closet
This is not a normal episode of Nonprofit Lowdown. In this one, I’m sharing something deeply personal: my experience with ayahuasca and why it mattered so much to me as a nonprofit leader. From the outside, my life looked great. The business was working. The mission was working. I was working.…
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#372- Worst Fundraising Advice I've Ever Heard
If your fundraising results depend entirely on one person holding everything together, that's not strategy- that's a vulnerability. And I see this all the time. Too many development programs are built on transactional asks, heroic effort, and one exhausted fundraiser keeping the whole thing…
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#371- Focus on What Matters: Goal Setting for Nonprofit Leaders in 2026
Nonprofit friends — I’ve been thinking a lot about why so many of us feel exhausted heading into 2026. And honestly? It’s not because we’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s because we’re trying to do everything. This week on Nonprofit Lowdown, I talk about focus — real focus. Not the kind that adds...
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#370- The Neuroscience of Generosity (and What Fundraisers Get Wrong) with Cherian Koshy
We’re kicking off 2026 with a big conversation—and the perfect guest to start the year. I’m joined by my friend Cherian Koshy, author of NeuroGiving and Vice President at Hindsight. Cherian’s journey from accidental frontline fundraiser to nonprofit tech founder to bestselling author mirrors so...
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#369- The Quiet Machinery of Hope
This final episode for 2025 has no tips, no tactics, no strategies. Just a moment to acknowledge the grief, exhaustion, and weight so many of us—especially in the nonprofit sector—are carrying right now. If leadership feels heavier than usual… If fundraising feels harder… If you’re tired but…
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#368- What Happened in 2025?
2025 was a pressure cooker year. Tariffs. Funding cuts. Attacks on DEI. AI overload. Donor fatigue. Burnout everywhere. In this episode, I reflect on what 2025 revealed about leadership, fundraising, and trust—and more importantly, what to do next as we head into 2026. Here’s what I cover: - Why...
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#367- Giving Tuesday Flop...Now What?
If your Giving Tuesday results felt… underwhelming, you’re not alone. And more importantly—you’re not too late. In this special episode, I break down the real reasons campaigns flop and show you exactly how to course-correct for your year-end campaign. Giving Tuesday isn’t the finale.It’s the...
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#366- A Giving Tuesday Pep Talk You Actually Need
I’m coming to you the Monday after Thanksgiving, still full of pie and finally catching my breath. I hope you had a moment to rest too, because I know what tomorrow means for so many of us: Giving Tuesday and the sprint to year-end. If you’re feeling the weight of it all—your goals, your board…
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#365- Stop Drowning in Admin and Let the Robots Robot
In this episode, I get real about the biggest pain point every fundraiser knows too well: we’re drowning in admin and not spending nearly enough time building real relationships. I share why most of us feel burned out, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the work we came here to do. I talk about…
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#364- Giving Tuesday But Make It Major Gifts
In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Lowdown, I’m sharing a juicy slice of one of my free live webinars—and trust me, this isn’t your typical “Giving Tuesday tips” vibe. Instead of talking about social posts, I break down how to turn Giving Tuesday into a major donor discovery day. Yep. One day....
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#363- Making the Case for Your Board
If you’ve been listening to me for a while, maybe caught one of my trainings, or you’re on my email list, this is your nudge: now is the time to work with me on your major gift strategy. I only have 20 spots left between now and the end of 2025 in my Big Ask Gift Program, and prices will increase...
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#362- What You Need to Know Before Giving Tuesday with Jess Campbell
We’re counting down to Giving Tuesday, and my good friend Jess Campbell is dropping ALL the fundraising wisdom you need to finish the year strong. She’s the queen of email 👑 — but in this convo, Jess goes way beyond inbox strategy to share the “do this, not that” of end-of-year campaigns. From...
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