Just Ask - Rethinking Development

Who are the donors most likely to make the ultimate gift—and what keeps your nonprofit in their will? Dr. Russell James returns to Just Ask to share the top three insights every fundraiser needs to understand bequest giving.

Dr. Russell James of Texas Tech joins Greg today to share insights from decades of charitable giving research—and why three words, “identity, challenge, and hero”, can reshape how you connect with donors.

If you think the top reasons a campaign fails are because of money, messaging, or motivation—you’d be wrong. The real killers are much simpler—and far more common. Last time, we uncovered the #1 reason campaigns fail. This week, Greg pulls back the curtain on reason #2, and it’s one that might be hiding in plain sight.

The last place any nonprofit wants to end up is in a stalled—or worse, failing—capital campaign. But what’s the real cause when that happens? With more than 30 years of experience leading campaigns for Catholic schools and institutions, Greg reveals the number one reason campaigns fail—and what you should be doing to avoid it.

What’s the difference between good and great? Bryan makes the case today for why “hustle” is one of the key ingredients for fundraising success today, and yet, many nonprofits lack it.

What happens when you ask for too much? Bryan is back with Greg to unpack a recent visit—one that led to one of the worst reactions to an ask he’s ever seen. It raises the age-old fundraising question: Can you really ask for too much? Bryan says yes... but the story doesn’t end there. Tune in to hear why.

Welcome to part two of Greg’s conversation with Karyn Macfarlane, founder of Supporting Stars and certified Working Genius Certified Facilitator. How does the Working Genius apply to a development teams of one? Together Greg and Karyn go through the 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni and why knowing them can enhance your fundraising potential. You can learn more about the Working Genius...

Greg sits down today for part one of a conversation with Karyn Macfarlane, founder of Supporting Stars and certified Working Genius Certified Facilitator. Together they go through the 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni and why knowing them can enhance your fundraising potential. You can learn more about the Working Genius, take the test, or purchase the book at: https://www.workinggeniu...

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...