Nonprofit Lowdown

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 much, and what you actually need to know to identify the right donors. Let’s dig in. Important Links: I...

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 awkwardly asking friends for money. Of course they avoid it. When we shift the definition to something more r...

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, everything leaves with them. That’s not a people problem. It’s a systems problem. In this episode, I ta...

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. Because when you’re anxious or rushing to “get it right,” donors feel that—and they pull back. But when...

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, even to themselves), and how shifting his focus to real relationships—not big events or big hype—comple...

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 team members quietly drain revenue, and what it actually takes to build a culture where people (and fundra...

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 herself after arriving in Canada as a refugee. We talk about one of the most important questions in fundrais...

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 know if your organization is ready, and why planning matters far more than people realize. If you’ve e...

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 mutual clarity: Are we aligned on timing? Do you actually want to explore a bigger partnership? Did we...

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 for a shift. We’re talking about how to build a signal-driven pipeline—one rooted in consent, clarity, an...

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 executive director, I remember thinking: “I’m out here writing grants and running events. Can you just call yo...

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 issue usually isn’t effort, motivation, or commitment. It’s the system. Most of us are driving a fundrai...

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. Activity isn’t a system, and burnout isn’t a strategy. I share what it actually looks like to build a donor-...

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. But joy wasn’t part of the equation. I talk about burnout that doesn’t look like collapse—but like numbne...

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 afloat. That's not sustainable, and it's definitely not the future. 2026 is the year we stop...

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 another priority to the list, but the kind that asks us to choose one thing and let the rest go. The kind...

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 much of what many of us in this sector experience: curiosity, frustration with “best practices,” and a d...

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 still showing up anyway… This episode is for you. Nonprofits are the quiet machinery of hope. When the worl...

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 burnout is not a personal failure—it’s a structural reality - The 5 trends that will define successful...

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 kickoff to the most important 28 days of your fundraising year. Important Links: Year-End Sprint Webinar:...

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, the world in general—I just want you to know: I see you. You’re doing meaningful work in a very complica...

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 my own journey as an accidental fundraiser and how AI would’ve saved me years of stress. Today, AI can h...

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. Major donor pipeline. Let’s go. Why Giving Tuesday is secretly one of the BEST moments to surface major...

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 in 2026. Let’s be real — one of the biggest blockers I see when folks reach out to me is their board....

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 securing a match donor (“matches are magic!” ✨) to building real momentum before December 31, this epis...