Nonprofit Lowdown

Join me and my friends as we tackle the big questions: what does "disrupting" fundraising really mean in theoretical and practical terms?  How do we develop our own theories of change and operation beyond the frameworks of "donor-centric" versus "community-centric" fundraising?  This trio is a masterclass in asking important questions, practicing fundraising as justice and daring to drea...

Join me and my long-time friend Gabe Scheck to talk about how to successfully open, cultivate and solicit gifts from foundations.  Gabe has raised money for Teach for America and New Leaders among others and shares his top tips for raising major money.  He shares some early lessons learned, his guidance for how to network in order to get a warm intro and how to get the lead funder in. &n...

Join me and my friend Darren Isom as we discuss the case for endowing Black-led nonprofits.  Darren published a thought-provoking piece in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on this topic and we do a deep dive on how we can shift the conversations from the myths and unhelpful narratives that keep Black-led nonprofits from growing endowments.  In this conversation, Darren offers up hel...

Join me and adventurer, writer, environmentalist and former Patagonia executive Rick Ridgeway as talk about his many adventures and his experience in building Patagonia's famous corporate culture.  We talk about the hows and whys of his decades at Patagonia and how his adventures have informed his leadership.  This is a really fun conversation and I hope it inspires you to go outside and...

Did you know that 5% of your supporters and responsible for 100% of your word-of-mouth referrals?  Do you know how to engage and activate your best supporters?  What is the role of a CRM system in engaging your supporters?  Join me and Hilary Doe of Nationbuilder to talk about how to start, nurture and leverage networks on behalf of your nonprofit.  We discuss common misconcept...

#realtalk: I never pursued government funding for my nonprofit because I was always so deterred by the administration.  It all seemed so complicated and bureaucratic that I never invested the time and energy to pursue it.  Enter Patrice Davis.  Patrice is a government grants expert who demystifies the process and has valuable information about new money through the America Rescue Pl...

I've turned the keys over to my designated driver Patrick Kirby.  Patrick and I talk about my new book Get That Money, Honey.  We talk about my origin story, why I wrote the book and what to expect when you read it.  Patrick is a ton of fun and we have a blast shooting the sh*t about book-writing, fundraising and being in this sector.   To buy the book, visit: Get That Money, Honey! To learn more...

Do you freak out when people unsubscribe to your newsletters?  Are you overwhelmed with marketing on different platforms: Facebook, email, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, oh my?  If so, this episode is for you.  Christina, email marketing maven, walks us through some actionable tips on how to clean up your lists, increase your opens and conquer email for conversions to donations. Get Ch...

I've met my Canadian sister from another mister!  Expert fundraiser Cindy Wagman and I talk about brain science and how it trips us up in fundraising.  By unpacking the ways in which the brain works, we can unlock the power for good.  We talk about heuristics, how your fear keeps you from living your best life and why we're so messed up about money.  This is a good one for the...

My new BFF Oly and I have a blast answering all of your questions about boards. Listen to our take on hot topics like board fundraising, changing your board culture and loving board members right out the door. This is a fun, high-energy interview about a not-always-fun topic. To learn more about Oly, visit: www.theolympiacollective.com/ To download my training about sourcing board members and dono...

Friends--this episode is a veritable smorgasbord of insights.  Greg, a master marketer, and Dr. Russell James, an academic, break down the data and practices of major gift fundraising.  If you're looking to make bigger, transformational asks, this episode is for you.  We break down the framework and power of story, the ways to add value before an ask and how to overcome the chasm of...

In this episode, Derrick Coleman and I discuss some of the top myths about  Black board members.  Some of the top myths: they're not out there, we  can't have diversity AND financial capacity, we don't know how to find  them...etc.  Derrick and I talk about concrete ways to find, attract and  retain Black board members for your nonprofit.  This is a highly  ...

What are some of the biggest mistakes that people make on their homepages?  Are you guilty of it? Join me and my friend Boris as we discuss fundamentals of good marketing, how to use storytelling as a tool and how to take your homepage from snoozefest to sizzle.  Boris, a former coder turned actor turned nonprofit marketing strategist, shares helpful insights into how to make your market...

Otis Rolley, Senior Vice President at the Rockefeller Foundation, discusses his career in government and philanthropy.  We talk about how the Rockefeller Foundation has implemented DEI through its practices, how Otis has been at the forefront of equity at the foundation and his views on the trends in philanthropy.  This is a thoughtful and insightful conversation from a philanthropy insi...

Sometimes, we're overwhelmed with the enormity of solving problems in the world that we forget small actions can make a difference.  Join me and Masami Sato who is the founder of the global Buy One Give One business model that helps businesses big and small make impacts on nonprofits.  It's a reminder that we can all do something. To learn more about Buy One Give One, visit: https://b1g1...

When we're in the role of fundraisers, there is so much that is unsaid and lurking just below the surface.  Join me and my dear friend Christine Lai to talk about how to approach philanthropic partners from a place of strength ("Who deserves to fund you?").  This is a wide-ranging and energizing conversation about creating culture, the value of white space and how to Christine designs he...

Let's face it: PR and marketing are the first to get cut in a budget.  And yet, you're still the best kept secret in your city?  What gives?  Rebekah walks us through actionable strategies and tips for small nonprofits on a tight budget and even tighter labor market.  You can't afford NOT to let the media know about your work, and Rebekah shows us how to do it ourselves. For mo...

Happy 2022 y'all.  This pod is here to help you start off the new year right by getting money through the door.  Join me and my dear friend Chitra Ayar as we talk about how to get money back from the IRS for all those payroll taxes you paid during the pandemic.  If you're like me and the word taxes creates a twinge of anxiety, listen up to this podcast where Chitra explains all. &nb...

This is a rebroadcast of one of the most popular episodes of 2021 and one of my personal faves.  Happy new year, friends! Podcast fans, if you listen to only one episode of NPL, this should be the one.  Join me and Expert on The Ask Laura Fredricks to talk all about the ask.  She breaks down her five-step formula for an ask, how the getting the ask out of your mouth IS the win and h...

This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes!  Happy holidays fam! Happy 2021 to the Nonprofit Lowdown family!  Let's get this 2021 party started off right.  Join today's conversation with expert fundraising consultant and board whisperer Jay Frost to activate our boards to bring resources to the table.  We discuss juicy topics like defining a give/get for board me...

As my guest Esther points out, vilifying and stereotyping wealthy people is the last acceptable prejudice.  Join me and Esther Choy as she discusses her research on first-generation wealth creators and how they might be different than your assumptions.  For example, did you know that most wealthy people in the US are self-made and don't come from money?  By challenging our assumptio...

This interview is a goldmine, y'all.  I interviewed my friend, Rob Lapidus, who should rightly be considered a major donor by most measures.  He's also incredibly forthright and I ask him all the questions that fundraisers wonder about all the time.  He gives a no BS, no holds barred interview about the worst fundraisers he's ever encountered, how he and his wife make philanthropic...

This is a solo show where I'm spilling all the tea on how to get started with your major gift program.  It's not rocket science and it's not magic.  Tune in for actionable tips and tricks for how to identify the 20% of donors who will support 80% of your operations.  My two favorite words in the English language: unrestricted gifts!  Tune in to this episode to help you build yo...

Ah, Giving Tuesday for fundraisers: it's like Christmas, Tax Day and Lunar New Year all rolled into one.  Love or hate it, my friend Asha Curran (CEO of Giving Tuesday) shares her perspective on it.  She offers some best practices, advice on what to avoid, surprising stats and how to inspire generosity year-round.  This is a really important and full-hearted interview for any (read:...

Y'all: the time has come to consider a crypto strategy for fundraising.  Join me and co-founder of the Giving Block, Pat Duffy, to discuss some of the misconceptions and benefits of accepting crypto for your nonprofit.  We discuss how to deal with volatility, some of the common misunderstandings and misgivings about crypto and some of the mistakes (i.e. don't put all your eggs into a cry...