Fundraising Growth Now!

We're continuing our podcast series: Hear From Your Peer. In our latest episode, Jeremy Hatch talks with Brittany A. Hall, President and CEO of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, about how that mindset shapes audience experience, builds stronger engagement, and supports the path from attendance to philanthropy.

 Earlier this year, we launched a special series, Hear From Your Peer, spotlighting arts leaders and their fundraising practices. Now, we're going to give you more of what you want with an encore series. Join guest host Jeremy Hatch, principal consultant of RSC Associates, as he speaks with more leaders in the field, uncovering the shared practices and mindsets behind today's most successful fundraising teams.Listen in to today's conversation with Carmel Bach Festival Executive Director Nathan Lutz, as we explore how leading meaningful change in an arts organization requires building the trust that helps people move forward together.

 Earlier this year, we launched a special series, Hear From Your Peer, spotlighting arts leaders and their fundraising practices. Now, we're going to give you more of what you want with an encore series. Join guest host Jeremy Hatch, principal consultant of RSC Associates, as he speaks with more leaders in the field, uncovering the shared practices and mindsets behind today's most successful fundraising teams.Join us this week as Jeremy speaks with Shannon Walenta, COO of Opera Omaha, to hear about how organizations earn trust when community engagement is part of how they operate, not just something they add on.

If individual giving is critical to fundraising growth, the next question is simple: how healthy is the donor pipeline feeding that growth?This week on the podcast, RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New takes a close look at the components of a healthy donor pipeline and how organizations can assess whether their pipeline is strong, developing, or at risk.

If you’re a fundraiser in the weeds right now, you might be blaming yourself for what is actually a systems problem.“In the weeds” is restaurant lingo for what happens when the load exceeds the structure. When rotation breaks, a good server can look like they’re failing in just a matter of minutes.Fundraising is no different. When goals rise, and everything lands at once, the solution is not more hustle. Just like in a restaurant, speed without structure usually leads to more cleanup.Being in the weeds does not mean you’re failing. It means the system can’t hold the load. But systems can be redesigned.RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New unpacks this metaphor and a few practical ways to create capacity in the latest episode of Fundraising Growth Now!

We’re at our last week of our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer, where each week we’ve shared a conversation with an arts leader who’s achieved meaningful fundraising results in their organization. We’ve explored how they approached their biggest wins, what’s driven their momentum, and the practical insights they’ve gained along the way. Today’s episode features Jeromy and Lyndy Franklin Smith, co-founders of the Lexington Theatre Company. In just ten years, they’ve thoughtfully balanced resources and opportunity to grow the organization into the largest arts organization in Lexington, Kentucky.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward. 

Today’s episode features Rachel Ford, Chief Executive Officer with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee, who has successfully built major gifts through strong portfolio-management, despite a small team.

We’re continuing our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer, where we’re sharing conversations with arts leaders who have achieved meaningful fundraising results in their organization. We’re discussing how they approached their biggest wins, what’s driving their momentum, and the practical insights they’ve gained along the way. Today’s episode features Sidney P. Jackson, President and CEO of the Chicago Sinfonietta, who shares how lessons from his fundraising career have informed his transition to Chief Executive—and how curiosity and courage can shape stronger donor relationships.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward. 

We’re continuing our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer. Today’s episode features Amy Williams, President and CEO of the Savannah Philharmonic, who has reshaped the orchestra’s programming to uniquely serve its community—and in doing so, unlock new fundraising growth.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward. 

We’re continuing our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer. Today’s episode features Kathryn R Martin, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Symphony, who reflects on securing transformational gifts and the universal principles that inspire donors to make a gift of a lifetime.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward. 

We’re in our new podcast series: Hear from Your Peer. Today’s episode features Mary McFadden Lawson, Chief Philanthropy Officer with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, who highlights how team alignment and intentional planning, paired with a culture that celebrates every win, are the foundations of meaningful long-term donor success.

Last week, we launched our new podcast series: Hear From Your Peer.Today’s episode features Paul Hogle, President and Chief Executive Officer with the Cleveland Institute of Music, who has crafted ambitious Strategic Plans that stay pragmatic and relational, and most importantly, drive fundraising growth.

We’re starting the new year with an 8-week podcast series: Hear from Your Peer. Each week through January and February, we’ll share a conversation with an arts leader who has achieved meaningful fundraising results in their organization.Across the series, we’ll explore how they approached their biggest wins, what’s driving their momentum, and the practical insights they’ve gained along the way. Our first episode features Jonathan Norris, Chief Development Officer at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan led the organization to reverse a multi-year decline in membership levels through an overhaul of both the internal process and external communications. 

We’re keeping things short and sharp this month. Everyone’s busy and could use a quick laugh and some practical advice. So, listen today for a practical approach on how to quickly increase results.

We’re mixing things up this month with a quick, 90-second spin—because everyone’s short on time and could use a laugh and a little practical advice.Listen today for THE most important thing you need to know about DAFs.

We’ve been talking about the "Art of the Ask" lately, but today, we’ll take a step back and address a question we hear all the time: what if I can’t even get the meeting?It’s one of the top frustrations we hear from fundraisers – “I ask, but my donors won’t meet with me.” Sound familiar? Listen today as we talk through some practical tactics that are working in the current environment.

Relief funds are a thing of the past. Expenses keep climbing. Ticket sales are unpredictable. And public funding is shifting. It’s no wonder so many organizations are feeling paralyzed when it comes to fundraising.Listen today for why individual giving still reigns supreme when it comes to driving sustainable revenue growth.

Today, let’s talk about YES. This is a word every fundraiser wants to hear, especially when it’s in response to a major gift Ask. But it’s important to remember that BIG yeses are built on SMALL yeses.Listen today, and learn how small yeses are the path to strong donor relationships.

Let's address a topic that comes up with EVERY organization we work with regardless of staff or budget size, and that’s: getting your Board more active in fundraising.Often, this begins with the client sharing they’ve TRIED EVERYTHING but still feel stuck. If you’re there, I’m going to share two practical tips to help you move forward.

The “Ask” moment can fluster even the most seasoned fundraiser, but with a few simple steps, you can create a conversation that feels natural, authentic, and effective while strengthening your donor relationshipsListen today, and become more confident and prepared for your next donor conversations.

We often hear: “I know I need to Ask more personally, but once I’m face-to-face with a donor, what do I say?” It’s a big topic, so we’re breaking it down, starting today with an overview of a full Ask conversation and the first two steps that set you up for success.Listen today as we talk about a roadmap for your next donor solicitation meeting.

If you’ve been in the trenches long enough, you know exactly what we’re talking about today when I say a single word: burnout. Leadership burnout is not just some buzz phrase. It’s a very real problem in arts organizations, and if we don’t take it seriously, we’re going to continue losing great industry people. So, let’s break it down. What is leadership burnout in arts management and Board leadership? Why is it more widespread than it was ten years ago? And most importantly, what can we do about it?

One of the biggest obstacles to sustainable revenue growth? Making time to consistently fundraise.Whether you're a CEO, a Development Committee member or a Board member at-large, your job isn’t just about keeping the lights on to provide your art – it’s about building the future. And guess what? That future depends on fundraising. But let’s be honest – most leaders know they should be more engaged in fundraising, yet somehow, there’s rarely enough time. Listen today as we talk about why this happens, and more importantly, how you can fix it. 

You’ve heard it a thousand times probably since childhood: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In the world of arts fundraising, it’s more than just a moral guideline—it’s a practical strategy for building donor relationships that last.Today, we’re going to explore how applying the Golden Rule at each stage of RSC’s Donor Flywheel—Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation, and Appreciation / Stewardship—can help your organization get donors, keep donors, and upgrade donors.

RFPs are a friend to no one. Not to arts organizations, not to their Board or staff, not to the consultants vying for the work, and certainly not to the project’s ultimate success. Yet, many organizations feel bound to this process, thinking it ensures fairness, transparency, and a good outcome. But in reality? It usually does the opposite. Today, we’ll cover five reasons why RFPs fail each of these parties, five best-practice alternatives, and three next steps for any organization that truly wants to find the right fundraising consultant.

AI has made significant inroads into the arts sector, offering tools that can analyze data, predict trends, and even create art. However, its application in arts fundraising presents both opportunities and challenges. Listen in today as we examine how these technologies are reshaping our approaches, discuss top AI tools and adaptable CRM platforms in our sector, and outline actionable steps to incorporate AI into your fundraising programs.

Many organizations think they have a fundraising program when really, they’re just fundraising. And let me tell you, there’s a big difference! It’s the difference between sprinting and running a marathon, between a one-time transaction and a long-term relationship. And if you want to build something sustainable, you need to know the difference.Listen today for insights on the obvious differences and the deeper nuances. We’ll cover what makes a healthy fundraising program and how you can transition from simply fundraising to building something that lasts. 

An often-overlooked fundamental that separates a successful fundraising program from a stagnant one? Measuring Results. Let’s face it—if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. In today’s podcast, we’re focused on why measuring fundraising results is essential, what data points you should be tracking, who should review the information, and how to use that information to make tactical and strategic decisions. All because growth starts with knowing where you stand.

Too often, arts organizations look past small business owners, chasing instead after big corporate sponsors or national foundation grants. But here’s the truth: small businesses are our communities' backbone and prime candidates for arts partnerships that can be mutually beneficial and help enrich the local economy. Listen today for insights on why small business partnerships matter, how to cultivate them, and what obstacles to anticipate and overcome.

How do arts organizations grow fundraising and ensure long-term sustainability when expenses are rising faster than earned revenue growth?The reality is this—as expense budgets increase, arts organizations become more dependent on their donors and grantors for fiscal sustainability. So, how do we close that funding gap? And perhaps more importantly, how do we attract donors who may not be consumers but still believe in the value of the arts as part of the community fabric?

Whether you’re a Board member wondering “What exactly am I supposed to do in fundraising?” or an executive leader struggling to equip your Board for successful fundraising, today’s podcast is for you. We’re going to unpack the Board Member’s Fundraising Toolbox—what you MUST have, what you’ll eventually NEED to have, and what you’d LIKE to have but can probably do without.

At RSC Associates, we’ve seen firsthand how artists who engage with fundraising create stronger organizations, deeper donor connections, and greater financial stability. In today's podcast, I’m going to walk you through seven common-sense ways artists can help fundraise. More importantly, I'm going to talk about why some artists hesitate to get involved and how we can overcome those barriers.

Donor-advised funds are transforming charitable giving, offering donors a strategic, tax-efficient way to support nonprofits. But, like any fundraising tool, DAFs have their pros and cons—both for the families who create them and the nonprofits that rely on them. At RSC, we’re getting more and more questions about DAFs, so today's pod will help break it down and answer some of the more frequent questions we hear.

Leadership turnover is increasing, and highly valuable management leaders at all levels are either moving to another arts organization or completely out of the arts. New executive leaders are ascending to roles so quickly that they are often unprepared for the role’s expectations and challenges. Fewer seasoned leaders also means fewer mentors in the field willing—or able—to invest in the next generation of leadership.   If you’re feeling this in your organization, you’re not alone. And if you’re not feeling it yet, buckle up, because it’s coming.   Today's pod will examine these issues in seven key points of concern and explore seven practical solutions that can help us reverse this troubling trend.

Developing a highly active, energetic, responsible, and productive Board is the single most important element required for the long-term success of any nonprofit organization, including those in the arts sector. Mission, vision, standards of excellence, and fiscal sustainability all thrive through steady and dedicated leadership. In short, leadership either makes or breaks your organization. Today, we're sharing insights on just a handful of things that it takes to attract and maintain an exceptional Board. We’ll also discuss some common pitfalls that organizations face when building their Boards and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

In this episode, we're diving into Board engagement with special guest Susan Howlett, a highly respected expert with 40+ years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and Board development. Known for her direct, practical approach, Susan has empowered thousands of organizations to build strong boards and achieve sustainable fundraising success.   As a sought-after speaker, trainer, and author of the award-winning books Boards on Fire!, and Getting Funded, Susan shares actionable strategies to inspire authentic connections and lasting impact.     Bonus: Use code “RSC” at SusanHowlett.com and get free shipping on her book, Boards on Fire!

If you have ever seen the classic Bob Newhart sketch, “Stop It”, you know how hilarious it is. But it's also very relatable for anyone involved in arts fundraising. Staff and volunteers are under constant pressure to keep contributed dollars rolling in, yet often slip into habits that hurt more than help results.   So, in Bob Newhart’s fashion, Bob Swaney will visit seven common pitfalls in arts fundraising. While each comes with a declaration to “stop it,” Bob will follow up with a “start it” counter to help you build healthier, more effective fundraising habits. 

Contributed revenue goals drive the financial engine of your arts organization, empowering mission-driven programs, performances, and exhibitions, so fundraising goal-setting is too important to get wrong. Too often, organizations underestimate their potential or set their sights unrealistically high, leading to missed targets, underfunded projects, or overworked staff.    Today, Bob shares the key do’s and don’ts of goal-setting so you can create realistic—yet inspiring—revenue objectives that galvanize your team and motivate your supporters. 

When Giving Tuesday rolls around each year, nonprofits of all kinds buzz with energy, hopeful for a big day of donations. Yet, for arts and cultural organizations, putting too much weight on Giving Tuesday can be fraught with potential pitfalls. In this episode, Bob outlines five reasons why relying heavily on Giving Tuesday could be more of a setback than a windfall, and then provides five alternative approaches that can create lasting support beyond just a single day.

We've all been in those Board meetings or had those conversations where someone drops a big name or points out a high-net-worth individual with the phrase, 'Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get them to give?' But chasing people who may have deep pockets but no real interest in the arts is most often a fool's errand, and it pulls us away from building lasting relationships with people who actually want them. Today, Bob will give you five reasons why this obsession isn't productive. Then, we'll flip the script to look at why we should focus on the people who are already passionate about your arts organization.

Whether you’re a staff member or a Board volunteer, you know the pressure of asking for money. That pressure can manifest in hesitation, overthinking, and—let’s be honest—a lot of “what ifs” with things that almost never happen. Today, we’ll cover six common fear-based mistakes that fundraisers in the arts tend to make. Bob will also suggest some mindset shifts and practical alternatives to help you overcome those fears and take positive action.

In the past decade, the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera has journeyed from near-insolvency to a sustainable fiscal and artistic future. Bob Swaney interviews the SP&O’s CEO, Giuliano Kornberg, along with Giuliano's longtime mentor, Paul Hogle, President & CEO of the Cleveland Institute of Music, to discuss the details of the incredible organizational success story, with a hint of what lies ahead.  Apologies for the slight technical issues encountered during the recording and editing of this episode.

In an earlier episode a few weeks ago, Bob shared a few of his favorite quotes. We all like funny, smart, creative sayings, the kind that remind us to be our best, do our best, and forge onward. But like with all things, there’s another side to this coin, and we frequently hear quotes that are limiting and, yes, irritating. This episode will highlight a few of those less-favored sayings—the ones we at RSC Associates tend to avoid using. You will no doubt agree that at least one of these sayings is designed to limit, not expand, creativity and productivity.

When developing the fundraising message, how do YOU promote your arts organization? What words do you use? What stories do you tell? Many staff, board, and artists have a tough time answering. Let’s touch on how to get better at telling your organizational story and selling it, too. At RSC Associates, we help clients build their messages balanced on Facts, Finances, and Feelings. The first two – facts and finances are fairly easy for anyone to pull together based on the information on hand. However, the “feelings” that can strongly influence a donor prospect can often be a ‘miss’ in the message. Without the ‘feelings’, the facts and finances fall flat. Facts and finances “Tell,” while Feelings “Sell.” This episode will help you find that sweet-spot in balancing your message.  

In this episode, we're tackling a topic that every fundraiser has faced at some point: excuses for not making a major philanthropic gift. We’ll review the top ten reasons we often hear and, more importantly, what arts organizations can do to be more persuasive. We’re also going to get honest about what those reasons might truly indicate yet remain unspoken by your donors. 

RSC’s fundraising coaching approach is geared toward time-tested best practices and fundamentals that arts and cultural organizations can rely on to grow their fundraising programs. However, we must always adapt best practices to present-day realities. This installment features RSC's CEO, Catherine Heitz New, who joins Bob Swaney in a lively discussion about adapting the fundamentals to a changing philanthropic environment.

In recent years, there’s been a shift towards what I like to call the "power of sharing stories." This approach goes beyond just telling a story; it's about fostering meaningful conversations and genuine connections between donors and our beloved arts organizations. It’s what the true meaning of the word “inclusive” should be in a philanthropic environment.

I like clever sayings, fun saying and sayings that help me remember to be focused and effective. So today, and out of several dozen such sayings, I’m going share ten of my favorites – most of which I use regularly. I thought it might be fun to describe the saying, tell you where I heard it and what it means to me, especially when applied to fundraising in the arts. I hope you like these, too, and find some value and application in hearing them.

There are numerous reasons why fundraising staff and volunteers won’t ask a prospect for support without a lot of feet-dragging. Whether it’s for annual giving, a major gift or a planned gift, hesitation often seems more comfortable than taking action. This episode addresses the causes for delays in asking for support, and what you and your team can do to get out of your comfort zone and instead, 'err on the side of asking'.

Sometimes arts and cultural organizations treat their board like artificial intelligence, as if every board member should be all-knowledgeable and flawlessly responsive bots to answer questions, reveal solutions and be ready, willing and able to advance the herculean tasks to advance our arts organization. However, they should make themselves available only when we decide they are needed. It’s ok to treat A.I. this way, but don’t treat board members like this. This episode explores activating the board from the viewpoint of the board member, and what your arts organization can do to better encourage and equip your board to be part of a productive fundraising program.