Go Beyond Fundraising: The Podcast for Nonprofits

In the first installment of a two-part episode, we grabbed some time with Mary Beth McIntyre, Principal at Win-Win Giving, to get her perspective on the recent numbers around donor retention. AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q4 2020 numbers revealed that retention dropped by 4% between 2019 and 2020, despite new donors and dollars being up. Mary Beth also weighed in six different metrics (i...

Does it pay to have a fundraising plan? According to a recent study: Yes. It seems like an obvious statement, but having a strategy for your fundraising has been proven to make a measurable (and lucrative) difference in year-over-year results. In this episode, we grabbed some time with Barbara O’Reilly, CFRE and Principal Consultant at Windmill Hill Consulting, to learn more about her recent partn...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. In this episode, Debbi Stanley, CFRE, sat down to interview Holly Ferree, Vice President of Philanthropy at Big Brothers Big Sisters...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. The Center for Development and Learning is a Louisiana-based nonprofit organization that provides practical knowledge and strategies...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. This episode continues our series in looking back at how fundraisers shifted in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020. Daniel Ross, Director,...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. In this episode, Kim Cogswell, Director, Technology Solutions, sat down with Kayleen Berwick, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at...

Is voicemail dead, or actually a secret, powerful engagement tool? When it comes to communication channels that nonprofit marketers and fundraisers use to engage their constituents, chances are you instantly think of direct mail, digital, events, and radio slash telethons. But our guest today has some insights around voicemail, or voice broadcasting, that might change the way you think about your...

In this episode, Jennifer Bielat, Executive Vice President of Client Strategy, explains how the fundraising results from the end of 2020 are shaping strategy in 2021. We also discuss the emerging economic recovery, including how a "k-shaped" recovery model may affect philanthropy. If you're evaluating your Q2 and Q3 fundraising strategy, you won't want to miss this conversation! Are you asking que...

It’s 2021, and doing things virtually from home — whether it’s holiday zooms with family, game nights with friends, or religious services — has become the new normal. Last year, we tapped our friend Reggie Rivers at the gala team to get his insight into how nonprofits can maximize virtual galas. We got Reggie back on the line to learn how this model has evolved in the subsequent months, and what t...

Most nonprofits focus on direct metrics to guide them through their budgeting process. Often, they look at figures like the number of emails and mailers sent, how many gifts were received, and gain/loss metrics (like net revenue and cost per dollar raised). This data indicates how a given program is performing. However, it doesn’t explain why you’re getting those results. In this episode, we sat d...

In a year like 2020, it can be difficult to establish a baseline metric for success. Given the importance of major giving to many nonprofit organizations, knowing if you are on track or off couldn't be more crucial. 
 We set out to explore the ins and outs of major giving in 2020 in this episode. Kristin Priest and Doug Cogswell explain: 
 * Why not all major gift prospects should be viewed the sa...

In this episode, Leah and Matthew sat down to discuss the latest findings from the donorCentrics Q2 2020 report. Nonprofit leaders are facing a wide arrange of questions as we head into year end giving, including:’ - Did giving increase, remain flat, or decline in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic? - What is on the horizon for year-end giving? - How could the results of the 2020 election p...

JDRF is dedicated to finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, and has a large base of fundraisers who are passionate about their cause. But like many organizations, they experienced a disconnect between departments when it came to making decisions about how to segment their donor database. Sound familiar? That’s why we sat down with Myrna Mulholland, Vice President of Integrated Fundraising at JDRF to...

In this episode of Go Beyond, we sat down with Doug Cogswell to get into a conversation on Major Giving Metrics and performance drivers. Doug is a guru when it comes to applying data-driven strategies to the performance of a fundraising team, and he has key recommendations on what to measure, how to measure it and how to drive change management within your organization. In this episode you will he...

What’s first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “AI?” If you thought about artificial intelligence or the 2001 Steven Spielberg movie, that’s not what we’re talking about. We recently sat down with our CEO Trent Ricker and EVP of Analytics, Insights, and Experience Hilary Noon to discuss Augmented Intelligence. In a nutshell, augmented intelligence blends human instincts and data to...

If you’ve ever had to write a request for proposal for a new fundraising tech stack, you know that evaluating technology for your nonprofit can be a long, drawn out, hand-wringing process. What’s more, once you’ve made your decision and started implementing it, you find there are little quirks and shortcomings that you never even considered asking about during a demo. That’s a feeling that our fri...

In this episode, Gabe Cooper, founder and CEO of Virtuous CRM, explains how nonprofits often lag behind businesses when it comes to deepening relationships with their supporters. The Responsive Fundraising model enables nonprofits to switch from one-to-many messaging to engaging, personalized experiences. Each of your donors gives out of deeply personal convictions, and it's crucial that your inte...

If you're like many nonprofits that rely on galas and events to engage your most valuable supporters, you're probably wondering how to best move forward in the next "normal." In this episode we've brought back Reggie Rivers, president and founder of the Gala Team, to tell us how his team pivoted to help more than a dozen organizations retool their fundraising efforts to maximize this new channel....

We live in a loud, digital world. Capturing the attention of your supporters is more challenging than ever before. In this episode of Go Beyond, Pursuant's Taylor Shanklin sat down with Ryan Quinn, CEO and Founder of Brightguest, a platform focused on creating unique and personal digital experiences. Taylor and Ryan discuss the craft of capturing attention. In this episode you'll learn about: - So...

In today’s climate of tight budgets and unpredictability, it’s more important than ever for nonprofits to maximize available resources. It’s also important to ensure you are using data to inform these key decisions. That’s why we're excited to sit down with Mollie Yoder from the Pocket Testament League to learn more about how they recently leveraged data to streamline a variety of programs and pro...

Does your nonprofit have a strategy for engaging Donor Advised fund donors? If you don’t, you’re not alone. Many nonprofits overlook this growing sector of givers. That’s why we teamed up with experts at Fidelity Charitable to bring you the third installment of this three-part series on Donor Advised Funds. In this episode, Amy Pirozzolo, head of donor and nonprofit engagement, lays out 6 ways to...

After a short hiatus that we took in order to address the fundraising challenges surrounding COVID-19, we're diving back into our series on Donor Advised Funds with Fidelity Charitable! In this second installment, Karen Heald, vice president philanthropic strategist, unpacks how donors who prefer DAFs think, their typical giving behaviors, and how your nonprofit should approach these types of supp...

Editors Note: We originally broadcast this series before the COVID-19 pandemic demanded we shift our podcast episodes to address the unfolding crisis. Now we're proud to re-introduce this 3-part series in partnership with Fidelity Charitable. Donor Advised Funds are an increasingly popular giving method, but many nonprofits struggle to cultivate and steward donors who utilize these funds. We teame...

When it comes to the technology your nonprofit uses to raise money, connect with donors, and deliver on your mission, we know that sometimes things can get complex. That’s why we recruited the expertise of Jennifer Thall and Cynthia Coleman from Heller to explain how to get the most out of your systems… especially at a time when the ground beneath us is shifting with the economy and in fundraising...

Amy Pirozzolo from Fidelity Charitable sat down with us to discuss Donor Advised Funds and how they provide stability at an unstable time. As a rapidly growing channel through which donors are choosing to give, this is an area of fundraising that nonprofits need to craft a strategy around — quickly. Visit Pursuant.com/covid-19 for more free resources on this topic.