Just Ask - Rethinking Development

Welcome to part two of a two part podcast series with our guest Stephanie Ballis, Director of Development for University of Idaho College of Law. Greg picks up where we left off, diving deeper into Stephanie’s journey and insights from her career in fundraising.

Welcome to part one of a two part podcast series with our guest Stephanie Ballis, Director of Development for University of Idaho College of Law. Stephanie spent almost seven years working in development for a Catholic elementary school, where she organized everything from gala auctions to fun runs — often with a very hands-on, community-driven approach. There she ran up against the "candy bar" fu...

Bryan challenges the unspoken status quo of the non-profit world: spend as little money as possible. Find out why you may be stunting the growth of your mission by striving to spend as little as possible under the pretense of “good stewardship.”

Are you comfortable giving your donors the honest truth? Bryan discusses the necessity of honesty it comes to fundraising. On the surface, this sounds like a no brainer. However, in practice, there are a few obstacles you must be prepared for if you want to stay honest in fundraising.

We’ve all been in work meetings that took up massive amounts of time and accomplished very little. Greg proposes one essential question to ask in every meeting. This question is your key to more purposeful meetings. Spoiler: there may even be a surprise bonus question at the end.

Raiser’s Edge, Bloomerang, Donorbox, and every other database. What do they have in common? Greg explains why one rule applies to each and every database.

What would happen to your fundraising if you listened to your people? Greg discusses the timeless need to listen within your organization. Discover what holds employees back from sharing some of the best ideas leadership has never heard. Learn what you can do to listen more effectively.

Have you ever received a great gift that was unexpected or unusual? Greg and Bryan shares their experiences of coming face to face with “miraculous” gifts.

Bryan and Greg are the Just Ask dynamic duo. From the outside, it may seem like they have fundraising all figured out. But even they face times where they need to take their own medicine. Bryan dives into the necessity to re-commit to successful fundraising practices.

What will it take to revitalize Catholic schools? Greg continues his search for the answer with Daniel Baillargeon from Mission Driven Catholic. This is part two of a two part series. To find out more about the work of Mission Driven Catholic, visit https://missiondrivencatholic.com/

How can Catholic schools be revitalized? To answer this question, Greg sits down with Daniel Baillargeon, founder and President of Mission Driven Catholic. Their mission is to help Catholic schools become centers of evangelization. As a nonprofit, they do this by working with Catholic schools to recruit, form, and equip leaders. Listen to part one of a two part discussion on the key components nee...

An unfortunate belief is that non-profits are, by nature, non-efficient. Bryan discusses with Greg why people have come to believe this and how we, as non-profits, can work to change this view.

The newsletter: is it still relevant to fundraising today? Are there better ways to keep donors engaged? Listen as Greg shares his take on the need for fresh perspectives in donor engagement.

When it comes to fundraising, it should not come as a surprise that the more consistent you are, the more successful you will be. But, even the best fundraisers have days where you come to work, and you just don’t feel like doing it. Bryan shares three ways to fundraise more consistently.

One thing matters when choosing a fundraising consultant.

Listening to what donors tell you they “want” can be dangerous. Why? In this episode, Bryan makes the case that donors don’t know what they really want, and you will fundraise more when you invest in actions that really matter.

We apologize for the cutoff audio last time! Enjoy the complete episode here. Greg tackles the dysfunction of putting loyalty to an individual above the overall well-being of the organization. Some organizations have employees who are simply not right for their job — but leadership turns a blind eye. Learn how to address this situation in a way this is kind to the underperforming employee and fair...

Today Greg tackles the dysfunction of putting loyalty to an individual above the overall well-being of the organization. Some organizations have employees who are simply not right for their job — but leadership turns a blind eye. Learn how to address this situation in a way this is kind to the underperforming employee and fair to the co-workers who likely have been picking up the slack.

Is your timely execution of plans hampered by a boss or peers who agonize over decisions? Today, Greg discusses what lies at the root of why some people find themselves unable to just make a decision. Find out how you can still move the ball forward.

Is your boss a micro-manager? Understand what drives that behavior and what you can do about it. Last week, Greg dived into topic of what causes a Dysfunctional Organization. Now Greg discusses the behaviors at the root of dysfunction. This is part one of a three part series on Dysfunctional Behaviors.

Are there days where it feels like you work in a dysfunctional organization? Greg shares the one thing you need to know to begin to deal effectively in this situation.

When is the right time to hire a Development Director? You are a non-profit facing a tight budget with a need to raise greater funds. But with a tight budget, can you really afford to hire someone for development? Bryan shares some advice for when you know you are ready to hire a Development Director.

Bryan issues a challenge for fundraisers in 2025, and no it’s not applying to more grants. Listen as Bryan and Greg discuss an audacious goal that will set up you and your nonprofit to have your best fundraising year yet.

At the heart of any true and lasting relationship, you find what? Love. Fundraising is all about relationships. Today, Bryan and Greg discuss the importance of learning your donors’ love languages. Knowing this can help you to better serve and connect with benefactors in a meaningful way.

Bryan discusses an important truth in fundraising: you may be sowing seeds you never reap. In any profession, it can be discouraging to act but not see immediate fruit. How do you persevere when success doesn’t seem to follow your hard efforts?