First Day Podcast

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., brings a dose of optimism as he dives into the newly released Giving USA 2025 report, spotlighting charitable giving in 2024. The big headline? Americans donated a record-breaking $592.5 billion, a 6.3% increase in current dollars and a healthy 3.3% bump after adjusting for inflation. It’s a hopeful sig...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. is joined by philanthropic power duo Una Osili, Ph. D. and Jon Bergdoll, M.A., to unpack the freshly minted Giving USA 2025 report. Spoiler alert: Americans gave over $590 billion in 2024. Adjusted for inflation, giving grew a solid 3.3%, with a hefty assist from a booming stock market, low unemployment,...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with executive search guru Bill Peterson of CarterBaldwin to unpack the high-stakes world of CEO transitions, and their ripple effect on fundraising. Think of it as succession planning with heart, spreadsheets, and maybe a few tissues. Drawing from the recent Compassion International case stud...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. sits down with philanthropic power couple Linn and Byron Braun, who offer a refreshing and candid look into the donor’s mind. From third-grade campaign trail adventures to launching garden programs and anti-child abuse foundations, the Brauns’ journey is a masterclass in giving with heart. They walk us t...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes back the brilliant Una Osili, Ph. D., Associate Dean for Research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. They dive into the hot-off-the-press study, The Next Generation of Philanthropy, revealing how Millennials and Gen Z are shaping the future of charitable giving. Spoi...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. welcomes back the ever-insightful Lindsay Marciniak, MPA, Managing Director of CCS Fundraising, to dissect the latest edition of CCS’s Philanthropy Pulse Report. Broadcasting from the heart of Chicago, Lindsay dives into this year’s fundraising pulse check, highlighting trends, triumphs, and the occasio...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., reconnects with his longtime mentor and fundraising sage, Tim Seiler, Ph. D., Director Emeritus of The Fund Raising School. Together, they dive into a topic that’s more relevant than ever: how to navigate the stormy seas of fundraising during uncertain times. Dr. Seiler shares war stories from his earl...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes Dr. George Newman, Associate Professor of Management and Marketing at the University of Toronto, to explore one of the most deceptively simple questions in fundraising: Should we give donors gifts? Backed by years of research and a background in psychology, Dr. Newman offers a compelling and s...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., sits down with Virginia Harrison, Ph. D., Assistant Professor at Clemson University, to dig deep into a question many nonprofit professionals fear to ask out loud: Why do donors leave? With a background in public relations and firsthand fundraising experience, Dr. Harrison brings both academic insight...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes back Dan Heist, Ph. D. and Gen Shaker, Ph. D., to explore new research on how fundraisers are navigating relationships with donors who give through donor-advised funds (DAFs). With nearly 2 million DAF accounts holding $250 billion and distributing over $50 billion annually, these philanthropi...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes back the legendary Kay Sprinkle Grace to tackle a critical topic: staying resilient in fundraising during turbulent times. Kay emphasizes that the nonprofit sector becomes even more essential when the world feels shaky. She reminds fundraisers that their steadiness provides the strength commun...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., welcomes back Rick Dunham, founder and chair of Dunham+Company, for an insightful breakdown of donor confidence heading into 2025. Drawing on a fresh national survey of 1,500 active donors (each having given at least $20 in the past year), Dunham reports that 91% of donors plan to continue giving, an e...

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D. sits down with Mark Mayer, Ph. D., clinical associate professor at the Kelley School of Business and former brand manager turned humor scholar, to explore the serious power of being funny in fundraising. Mayer’s deep dive into advertising and branding reveals that humor isn’t just a crowd-pleaser, it’s...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz welcomes Jaclyn Piatak, Ph. D., professor at UNC Charlotte and co-author of Volunteer Management: A Strategic Approach, to bust the myth that volunteers are just free labor. Piatak lays the groundwork for a new way of thinking about volunteers, not as warm bodies to do the grunt work, but as essential, diverse contributors who requ...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Geah Pressgrove, Ph. D., professor at West Virginia University and public relations maven-turned-research powerhouse, to explore the mighty mechanics of donor stewardship. Dr. Pressgrove pulls back the curtain on her groundbreaking 2017 research that distilled 26 donor engagement practices into five clear stew...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Patty McIlreavy, President and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), to discuss how charitable giving shifts during times of disaster. Patty begins by reframing the very concept of disaster—not as the event itself, like a hurricane or wildfire, but as the collision of an event with a community’s v...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Dr. Ashutosh Nandeshwar, Senior Vice President at CCS Fundraising and author of Data Science for Fundraising, to explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in nonprofit fundraising. Dr. Nandeshwar breaks AI into two key categories: traditional AI, which includes predictive analytics and...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Dr. Patrick Rooney, Emeritus Professor at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, to discuss the ongoing debate over the Universal Charitable Deduction (UCD). With decades of expertise in philanthropy and economics, Dr. Rooney explains how tax incentives impact charitable giving, particular...

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Robert Osborne Jr., principal of The Osborne Group, to discuss the often-overlooked but crucial segment of mid-level donors. With extensive experience in frontline fundraising and consulting, Robert highlights the importance of mid-level gifts—typically ranging from $1,000 to $50,000—as a key driver of nonprof...

In this episode of the First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Lynne Wester, founder and principal of the Donor Relations Group. Drawing from her background at Walt Disney World and expertise in fundraising, Lynne shares how nonprofits can enhance donor relations by creating memorable, emotionally engaging experiences. She emphasizes that donor stewardship isn’t just a fo...

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Cherian Koshy, CFRE, CAP®, Vice President at Kindsight and co-author of the study Donor Perceptions of AI. The conversation discusses how donors perceive the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the nonprofit sector. This independently funded study surveyed over 1,000 U.S. donors who contributed betw...

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Ann Fitzgerald, MA, founder of AC Fitzgerald and alumna of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Ann shares her expertise on helping nonprofits navigate financial crises, offering practical strategies for organizations that find themselves overly reliant on a single funding source. The co...

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Arleen Peterson, ECRF, MA, Executive Director, Relational Services for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Arleen shares her experience leading growth at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, highlighting how visionary leadership and strategic engagement can drive significant fundraising success. She discusses t...

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Angela Altamore, Associate Vice President of Donor Relations and Experience at BWF. Angela provides an in-depth look at the importance of donor relations in nonprofit fundraising, breaking down the distinctions between donor relations, donor stewardship, and donor experience. She uses the metaphor of building...

In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed. D., is joined by Laura MacDonald, CFRE, Founder and Principal of the Benefactor Group. Laura discusses the critical role endowments play in fostering long-term financial resilience for nonprofits. She emphasizes that endowments, distinct from operating reserves or rainy-day funds, are strategic investments in which the princip...