Ask Allison

Treating donors like ATMs is a direct resource leak for nonprofits. With grant guidelines constantly shifting and donor retention requiring deeper attention, leaning into authentic human connection is a practical necessity right now. Today, certified fundraising executive Allison McElroy flies solo to share hard-earned lessons from over three decades of boots-on-the-ground nonprofit work. We get i...

With shifting economic landscapes and looming federal budget cuts, fundraising leaders must learn how to strategically leverage big opportunities before time runs out. In this episode, Allison McElroy sits down with Frankie Rankin, the CEO of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas, to uncover how her organization successfully unlocked a major milestone under immense pressure. We...

Board member disengagement is a silent profit leak that keeps most nonprofits playing small. Many executive directors feel like they are pulling teeth just to get a board member to share a post or make an introduction, but the reality is that most members are simply intimidated by the "F" word: fundraising. If your board views their role as a monthly meeting rather than a mission-driven...

A lot of people think fundraising is just asking for money. That idea is not only wrong, it can quietly wreck your donor relationships. I’m joined by Amy McGovern, Director of Development for the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas and President of AFP Northwest Arkansas, for a real-world conversation about what actually moves giving: listening, trust, and inviting people into something they already...

What if your marketing plan isn’t extra, it’s the engine? We sit down with Peyton Stewman, marketing strategist at the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County, to unpack how communications becomes core infrastructure for fundraising, trust, and long-term growth. Peyton shares how she helped launch and legitimize a $15M capital campaign, moved storytelling in-house, and built a steady cadence...

Ever feel like you’re running at 95% capacity and one small hiccup sends the whole day sideways? We’ve been there. That’s why we sat down with meditation teacher and former publisher, Leslie Zanoff, to unpack how small, simple practices can restore your energy, sharpen your focus, and help you lead with calm, even when budgets are tight and event season is on fire. We start by busting myths around...

What happens when the grant you’ve always counted on disappears? We sit down with Teresa Mills, CEO of Peace at Home Family Shelter, to unpack a calm, practical roadmap for nonprofits facing sudden funding cuts. From building a pet sanctuary that keeps survivors and their animals safe to rebuilding donor trust after tough seasons, Teresa offers clear steps leaders can use right now. We start with...

The room goes quiet, the story lands, tears well up—and then the program shifts and the moment to give disappears. If you’ve ever watched donations evaporate in a 30-second transition, this conversation will feel like a masterclass in what to fix and how to do it fast. I sit down with 3W Magazine founder Kasie Yokley to unpack the playbook that helped Northwest Arkansas stop stepping on its own to...

If you’ve ever been told to keep “overhead” low, this conversation might change your entire fundraising playbook. Allison sits down with grant-writing powerhouse Melanie Palmer to unpack the long-standing myth that administrative costs should be separate from program costs, and reveals a better way to budget, report, and raise money that actually fuels impact. We dig into how 990 categories and ch...