First Day Podcast

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with sits down with A.J. Steinberg, CFRE, CEO of Queen Bee Fundraising and certified nonprofit rockstar, to talk about the not-so-small challenge of engaging Millennials and Gen Z as donors, volunteers, and board members. AJ opens with a truth bomb: nonprofits have talked about multi-generati...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., rings in the new year with a bang, and a tax code, diving headfirst into the new federal tax policies that officially took effect on January 1, 2026. While the legislation passed in mid-2025, the real fireworks are just starting for fundraisers. Bill breaks it all down, starting with the triumphant ret...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with Nicholas Kristock, Executive Director of Fleece & Thank You, to talk about how storytelling isn’t just an art, it’s a survival skill for nonprofits in the age of distraction. Nicholas shares how his blanket-making nonprofit went from a heartfelt request by his twin sister into a statewid...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Martin Georgi, Board Chair of the German Fundraising Association, to explore the powerful partnership between board chairs and CEOs, and how that dynamic drives better fundraising results. Martin, with a resume that spans continents and causes, shares how rebuilding trust, clarifying missi...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by the philanthropic powerhouse himself, Gene Tempel, Ed. D., Dean Emeritus and founding father of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Together, they dive headfirst into a question that keeps many nonprofit leaders up at night: “Is this a bad time to launch a capital ca...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Cheryl Contee, MBA, co-authors of AI for Nonprofits: Putting Artificial Intelligence to Work for Your Cause, to demystify what artificial intelligence means for the social sector. Spoiler alert: it’s not a robot apocalypse, it’s an efficiency revolution. From do...

In this retention-minded, myth-busting episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with Erica Dollhopf, PhD, Associate Director of Research at the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, to explore what hybrid work really means for fundraising outcomes. Spoiler alert: it's not the productivity killer some fear, it might just be a revenue booster. Dr...

In this donor-focused, data-packed episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. is joined by Jon Bergdoll, Interim Director of Data and Research Partnerships at Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, to break down the latest findings from the 2023 Bank of America Study of High Net-Worth Philanthropy. Now in its 20th year, the report off...

In this data-rich, globally-minded episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. is joined by researchers Dana Doan, PhD and Afshan Paarlberg, JD to explore the newly released Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI). With contributions from over 170 experts across 95 countries, the GPEI paints a detailed picture of the philanthropic landscape in 15 re...

In this research-powered, globe-spanning episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. welcomes Craig Furneaux, PhD to unpack the how, why, and how-much of building a reserve fund for nonprofit organizations. With his classic Aussie warmth and academic rigor, Craig takes us behind the scenes of nonprofit finance in Australia, where the accounting system do...

In this insightful and timely episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes back Jacqueline Ackerman, Interim Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI), to explore how women navigate charitable giving during times of economic and societal uncertainty. From pandemics to recessions, Jacqueline dives into the resilient giving habits of wo...

In this lively and eye-opening episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Rachel Gerrol, founder and CEO of NEXUS Global, and her COO Liza Heavener, to pull back the curtain on the philanthropic habits of Gen Z and millennials. NEXUS Global isn’t just another networking group, it’s a global movement with 6,000 members across 70 countries r...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes Abhishek Bhati, Ph. D., Associate Professor at Bowling Green State University, to dive deep into the ever-buzzing world of social media fundraising. Spoiler alert, it’s not just about asking for money. Drawing on fresh research, Dr. Bhati reveals that nonprofits who blend a variety of six messa...

In this data-packed and donor-loving episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes Mark Rovner, JD, Founder of Sea Change Strategies to uncover the goldmine hidden in plain sight: mid-level donors. Nope, not the cast of that sitcom based in Indiana, but the generous souls giving between $1,000 and $10,000 annually who somehow manage to be both inc...

In this soul-soothing episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with fundraising coach, burnout buster, and author of What the Fundraising, Mallory Erickson. A former “accidental fundraiser” turned executive coach, Mallory brings a compassionate yet data-backed perspective on one of the sector’s stickiest problems: burnout. Spoiler alert, tur...

In this wide-ranging episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with rural fundraising champion Julie Bianchi, CFRE, Campaign Practice Director at Cloudbreak Collective. With deep roots in small towns and a career spanning both urban and rural philanthropy, Julie brings a fresh and honest perspective on what it really takes to fundraise where...

In this heartwarming episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes certified fundraising dynamo Jennifer Oyer, CFRE, MA, Founder & Chief Joy Officer at Community Impact Advisors. Joy lives and breathes The Fund Raising School’s signature mantra: Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. Broadcasting straight from her home base i...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with veteran fundraiser and Scouting America CEO Andy Price, who is blazing a trail through the digital frontier with his trusty sidekick… an AI assistant named Cassie. Yes, Cassie. Named after a Netflix thriller, because why not? In this lively conversation, Bill and Andy explore how artifici...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. is joined once again by fundraising researcher and nonprofit rockstar Ruth Hansen, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Together, they dive into Ruth’s latest co-authored paper, “A Literature Review of Experimental Studies in Fundraising,” which combs through 187 academic s...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. welcomes Dr. Kraig Kinchen, Executive Director of 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, for a conversation on how this impactful nonprofit is embracing the power of planned giving. From a career in medicine and corporate America to nonprofit leadership, Dr. Kinchen shares his journey and explains how his organi...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with Muhsin Hassan, Managing Director at Lever for Change, to unpack the power, and practicality, of nonprofit collaboration. Drawing from his role advising the Community Collaboration Initiative led by the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philant...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes digital fundraising expert Michelle Boggs, MBA, CFRE, Executive Nonprofit Industry Adviser at Classy from GoFundMe, to explore the ever-shifting world of online giving. With 20 years of frontline fundraising experience and insider knowledge from one of the biggest names in crowdfunding, Michel...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes fundraising trailblazer Ann Updegraff Spleth to discuss one of the most inevitable, and nerve-wracking, aspects of nonprofit life: change. With decades of experience and a suitcase full of real-world examples, Ann explores how effective change management can strengthen an organization’s stabil...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. dives into the big, shiny (and slightly confusing) changes in federal tax law passed in July 2025, and what they mean for your fundraising plan in 2026 and beyond. Bill brings clarity with his signature blend of research, wisdom, and a dash of humor. The laws don’t take effect until 2026, which gives fu...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with fundraising powerhouse John Zeller, former Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at the University of Pennsylvania, to unpack the behind-the-scenes magic of major gift fundraising. While the headlines may tout seven- and eight-figure gifts, Zeller emphasizes that con...