Go Beyond Fundraising: The Podcast for Nonprofits

Blackbaud’s 2021 Charitable Giving Report dropped recently, and we couldn’t wait to dive in and see what trends from last year will influence (and are already influencing) 2022. We grabbed time with Kristin Priest, Vice President, Client Solutions, and Matthew Mielcarek, Senior Vice President, Analytics & Insights Strategy, to get their take on what fundraisers should pay attention to as we enter...

The Great Resignation has shed light on the timeless reality that effective organizations require empowered people. Good leaders are able to recognize their direct reports' unique talents and passions and harness that potential to grow both the employee AND the organization... but how is this accomplished? In this episode, our Executive Vice President Becca Segovia shares how she grew into the eff...

In the 2nd release of this two-part podcast, we continued our conversation with Maureen Wallbeoff, by looking at how technology is bringing us out of a "brick-n-mortar" mindset and into a "cloud" mindset. We’ll examine how the pandemic has transformed the mission of our organizations and how we operate as nonprofits. The results of these experiences are valuable lessons you can deliver to your tea...

Like so many things, the pandemic accelerated trends in technology, including the degree to which consumers expected the experience organizations deliver to be highly personal and relevant. Nonprofit organizations are now left wondering if their legacy systems can support their rapidly evolving needs. In this two-part conversation, we spoke with Maureen Wallbeoff, an "accidental techie" who has mo...

Given her 20 years of writing direct response copy, we couldn't think of a better person to sit down and interview about matching gifts than Cathe Hoerth. As one of the most popular (and sometimes confusing) methods of direct response fundraising, we figured it was past time to share her wisdom. We explore... - What are the different types of matching gifts? - When is it best to use a matching gif...

If you’ve ever found yourself in a place of authority at your organization, at one point or another you’ve probably experienced what our guest Tim Arnold describes as a “leadership tension.” It’s that either/or thinking that causes stress, anxiety, and division within your organization. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this conversation between Tim and our CEO Trent Ricker, we’ll explore how...

In the influential book “Leaders Eat Last,” author Simon Sinek opines, “We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it.” Larger-than-life volatility has become a hallmark of our current “normal,” and it’s created challenges for leaders of business and nonprofits. As someone with a unique perspective into both realms, we knew we had to sit down with our CEO and president, Trent Ri...

In this episode, we spoke with Claire Logue, our new director of technology solutions. With over a decade of experience in SaaS technology, data analytics, and technical consulting, she makes an incredible addition to the growing GivingDNA team. Claire is an accomplished leader in the nonprofit industry with experience in major gift fundraising, campaign management, and prospect research. She come...

The events of 2020 and 2021 changed the way we form our tribes in significant ways. In the nonprofit space, fundraisers and marketers had to think differently about community engagement when it came to their operations, and in how they cultivated their donors. Now that something of a “next normal” has been established, what do our digital and in-person communities look like? How can we reclaim the...

Video is one of the fastest ways to stir a donor’s affections for your cause, and also the medium that intimidates so many fundraisers and nonprofit marketers. In this episode, we spoke with Coury Deeb and Ryan Galanaugh of Nadus Films to learn how nonprofits can create powerful video content that reaches hearts and raises more money -- no matter what your budget. To learn more about Nadus Films a...

Is the donor pyramid a dusty model that needs to be swept into the dustbins of history? In this episode, we spoke with fundraising consultant Claire Axelrad to discuss her recent revision of her popular article, RIP Donor Pyramid, in which she proposes a dynamic and exciting way nonprofits can align fundraising, marketing, and technology to create a vibrant culture of philanthropy. Read the full a...

Cryptocurrency is a hot topic right now among finance enthusiasts, and nonprofit leaders are cautiously curious. But with year-end giving right around the corner, it’s definitely a giving channel to explore given the relatively untapped potential. A recent report from Gemini found that 14% of adults (21 million individuals) in the US own cryptocurrency. A further 66% of the remaining adults survey...

Since its conception nearly a decade ago, #GivingTuesday has become the kickoff to the year-end giving season. But if fundraisers aren’t prepared to maximize this window of generosity, they could be leaving revenue on the table. A powerful strategy for making the most of the giving season is to develop versioned messages for various donor groups. The good news is advanced donor engagement technolo...

Come October, you start seeing them: postcards and fat envelopes from charities reminding you of those less fortunate and the tough times ahead during the upcoming holiday season — the meals they’ll do without, the gifts they can’t provide their kids, the coats they need to stay warm. You’ll see these appeals begin popping up in your inbox, too, especially if you’ve donated to those organizations...

Today we'll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and Associate Vice President of Client Strategy Britney Mathias as they take a look back on the top 5 takeaways from the 2021 ANA nonprofit Conference

We know that storytelling is the most powerful way to reach donors’ hearts and minds... but is there a way to use data to inform WHICH stories are going to get you the results you need? With year-end approaching, you need a strategy that works. 2020 saw historical levels of giving on #GivingTuesday and in December. This year, you may be wondering how many of those gifts and givers will turn up aga...

A record number of people lined up to support local, national, and international charities in 2020, which has fundraisers wondering if the historic levels of giving will continue or level out in the coming months. While predicting the future is nearly impossible in 2021, economic indicators point to a dynamic environment for giving at year-end and into 2022. We asked our resident fundraising analy...

It's hard to believe, but we've now released 100 episodes of the Go Beyond Podcast! To celebrate the occasion, we sat down with our president and CEO, Trent Ricker, to reflect on the changes in the fundraising landscape since the inception of COVID-19. We also explored the evergreen value of positive donor experiences, and how nonprofit leaders can confidently move forward in a world of increasing...

Today we’ll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and newly announced Vice President of Digital Kacey Crawford as they discuss the ever changing role that digital plays in the nonprofit world.

Does your nonprofit have a monthly giving program, but wonder if there’s more you could be doing to engage those donors? Or maybe you are looking to start one. Regardless of where you are in your journey to a robust pipeline of recurring givers, we know you’ll enjoy this conversation with Erica Waasdorp, who literally wrote the book — and recently published a new one — on the topic of monthly givi...

This year we’re seeing many nonprofit conferences take on a hybrid, or virtual-only model. AFP Icon, which is always well attended, went all virtual. For some, this may have been more convenient, but for those who might have missed the sessions, we’ve got you covered. Today we’ll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and Director of Client Strategy David Sacchett...

What began in 1917 as a group of 12 people, the movement of tens of thousands of volunteers and supporters worldwide has grown into the Lutheran Hour Ministries, which broadcasts now weekly to over 125 million people through its various programs. As a program that is now more than one hundred years old with a wide-ranging goal of spreading the gospel worldwide, Lutheran Hour Ministries needed to c...

In this episode, Kelley Stewart, Executive Vice President at Pursuant, sits down with Chris Lyons, President and Publisher of Nonprofit Pro to discuss the predictions shared last December in NonProfit PRO's 40 Nonprofit Trends for 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many trends in remote working and learning, and the nonprofit industry was no exception. Matt Hugg, creator of Nonprofit Courses, saw traffic to his curated collection of online nonprofit and fundraising education more than double in 2020 as leaders scrambled to find new ways to resource their causes. We sat down with Matt to learn more about why he started the no...

In the second installment of a two-part episode, we grabbed some time with Mary Beth McIntyre, Principal at Win-Win Giving, to discuss how nonprofit organizations can get stymied by data and departmental silos. This divide often results in disjointed donor experiences. Mary Beth is a data consolidation expert, so if your organization is experiencing the consequences of disparate data, she has some...