Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast

Getting the meeting is half the battle. In this installment of Abundant Vision Academy, Tom gets practical and tactical on exactly how to reach out to donors, what to say when you do, and how to keep the conversation moving when they push back. You'll hear Tom's actual phone script, why you should never ask if it's a good time to talk, how to use a referral to get past a gatekeeper, and why meetin...

You can't close a major gift you weren't ready for. In this installment of Abundant Vision Academy, Tom gets into the mechanics of preparation: what has to be in place before you ever schedule a meeting with a donor. This episode covers the full donor cultivation cycle from suspect to steward, why your vision has to be fundable before it's compelling, and how to build a major gift portfolio that a...

Before you ever sit across from a donor and make an ask, there's work to do in your own head. In this episode, Tom opens the vault on Abundant Vision Academy, a major gift training program he built from 25+ years of frontline fundraising experience at places like Ohio State and OhioHealth, and he's giving it to you free, one part at a time. Part 1 is called "First Things," and it covers the mindse...

Early in his career, a colleague looked at Tom Dauber's resume and said: "I guess you won't be able to scare people with the threat of hell anymore, will you?" Tom didn't have a response. He just absorbed it. Years later, he found the words he wished he'd had -- in a 60-page book by a Catholic priest named Henri Nouwen. In this episode, Tom walks through the ideas in A Spirituality of Fundraising...

A friend texted Tom asking how to raise money for her kid's lacrosse team. His answer? The same three questions he's used for 30 years — from asking his Sunday school teacher for a $75 check at age 16 to running major gift campaigns at universities and health systems. In this episode, Tom breaks down the framework that scales from youth sports fundraising all the way to seven-figure campaigns, and...

In the final part of my conversation with Jason Lewis, we move from diagnosis to direction. If fundraising has drifted toward systems, scale, and transactional thinking, what does it look like to recover something more human? Jason argues that the answer is not better technology or smarter dashboards. It is proximity. It is presence. It is getting fundraisers back in front of donors and letting re...

In Part 3 of my conversation with Jason Lewis, we move into uncomfortable territory. If fundraising feels transactional, the issue may not just be external systems. It may also be how we use data, how we scale, and how we supervise fundraisers inside our organizations. Jason challenges the assumptions behind: Wealth screening and hidden data CRM systems and personalization The pressure to grow don...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Jason Lewis, we move from defining gift theory to examining what may be distorting modern fundraising. If fundraising often feels transactional, there may be a reason. Jason unpacks how market thinking, grant structures, and subtle power dynamics shape the way organizations approach donors. What happens when generosity begins to resemble a purchase? What happens w...

Most fundraisers have never heard the term “gift theory.” Yet it may explain many of the frustrations we experience in our work. In this conversation,  Jason Lewis and I explore a foundational question: what actually makes a gift different from a sale or a tax? Jason introduces the concept of “modes of exchange” and explains how societies have historically organized themselves around three di...

This bonus episode features the full Q&A from the Brady Ware webinar. Thomas answers practical questions about overcoming fear, stretching vision responsibly, building donor confidence, and creating the structures that keep fundraising focused and sustainable. This final installment brings together the most actionable insights from the entire series. Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out...

In Part Three of the Brady Ware training, Thomas focuses on the structures and weekly habits that drive major gift momentum. You will learn a simple rhythm for donor engagement, a practical meeting script that centers purpose, and a framework for aligning your time, message, and goals. Whether you lead a small shop or a large team, these disciplines help create steadiness, clarity, and long-term g...

Part Two continues the Brady Ware webinar series with a deep dive into leadership vision and the emotional steadiness required for transformational philanthropy. Thomas walks through why donors respond to clarity, why vague vision creates doubt, and how leaders can cast a compelling future that donors want to join. The story of two university deans illustrates the difference between shrinking an o...

In Part One of this special three-part training, Thomas shares the opening portion of a webinar he delivered for Brady Ware’s nonprofit division. This session explores how personal history, family money messages, and early experiences with asking quietly shape the way fundraisers show up with donors. Thomas offers practical tools for grounding yourself in mission, understanding the roots of fear,...

December has a way of messing with a fundraiser’s head. If you hit your goal, there is relief. If you came up short, it can feel like the year somehow failed. In this end of year episode, Tom Dauber reframes what a truly positive year-end looks like and why December does not define your worth as a fundraiser. This episode is not about last-minute tactics or magical December hacks. It is about fini...

After decades in fundraising, Joe Bull has seen nearly everything—from million-dollar surprises to the conversations that quietly define a donor’s legacy. In this episode, he joins Tom Dauber to share the stories, near-misses, and timeless lessons that shaped his approach to planned giving and donor relationships that last a lifetime. In this conversation, Joe and Tom discuss: How one sponsorship...

Economic downturns test every fundraiser’s patience and creativity—but Joe Bull has seen enough recessions to know that generosity doesn’t disappear, it just shifts form. In this conversation, Joe and Tom Dauber unpack how planned giving holds steady when annual and major gifts tighten, and what leaders can do now to build resilience before the next market slide. In this episode, Joe shares: Why d...

Joe Bull never set out to become one of the most respected voices in planned giving. Trained in law and athletic administration, he thought he’d spend his career on the sidelines of college sports—not in development offices. One unplanned job at Duke University changed everything, launching a forty-year journey through higher ed, national nonprofits, and the evolution of modern fundraising. In thi...

A pop-culture detour with a purpose: Tom breaks down how Netflix’s Wednesday (Season 2) portrays fundraising—manipulative galas, predatory leaders, “mind-control” asks—and contrasts it with ethical, mission-centered practice. If your board’s first idea is “throw a gala,” this one’s for you. In this episode Why TV gets fundraising wrong (manipulation, greed, event-centric thinking) What ethical fun...

In this final segment of Tom’s conversation with Phil Washburn, President and CEO of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, the focus turns squarely to the inner game of fundraising, the power of relationships, and what it takes to lead a mission-focused organization through major campaigns and big transitions. Phil shares honestly about his own journey from nervous asker to more confident, conversat...

In this episode, Tom continues his conversation with Phil Washburn, President and CEO of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio and a black belt in Lean Six Sigma. Phil pulls back the curtain on how process improvement tools, ownership culture, and clear values can transform the way any nonprofit operates, serves clients, and supports fundraising. You do not have to be a data geek or a manufacturing n...

In this episode, Tom sits down with his longtime friend and fellow Bowling Green alum, Phil Washburn, President and CEO of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio. Phil shares honestly about what it looks like to lead an entire organization while still staying personally engaged with donors and major gifts work. Whether you are a frontline fundraiser or in senior leadership, this conversation will help...

Too many fundraising leaders fall into the trap of focusing on what’s missing—trying to “fund the gap” instead of casting a bold vision for what’s possible. In this solo episode, Thomas Dauber challenges nonprofit professionals to shift their mindset from scarcity to abundance. He explains why donors are more inspired by dreams than deficits, and how articulating a compelling future vision—not jus...

In part two of our conversation, Brianna Quinn flips the script: she talks about what hiring managers get wrong, how organizations unintentionally repel great candidates, and what both sides can do to create a better process. From pay transparency to interview equity, this is a practical guide for anyone building a team—or considering their next move.

In this candid conversation, Brianna Quinn, VP of Development at Let’s Get Ready, shares what it was like to conduct a public job search after leaving a role that wasn’t the right fit. She talks about how to spot red flags in job descriptions, how she thought about values alignment, and the challenges of vetting organizational culture from the outside. Whether you're hiring or job hunting, Brianna...

In this episode of the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast , Tom Dauber breaks down the hidden costs of underinvesting in fundraising staff—and why small, understaffed teams often struggle to unlock their full revenue potential. He explores how specialization (rather than forcing generalists to do everything) leads to healthier donor relationships, less staff burnout, and greater returns. From tea...