The Cause+Effect Podcast

Trent leads a lively round table discussion with D+C Chief Creative Officer, Dan Sumpter and our Director of Marketing, Anna Ponton. They lay out struggles organizations face when it comes to marketing and solutions to those challenges. You’ll get insight into the importance of the energy around your brand, tools you can develop, and how to bring symmetry to your content. Marketing is more than ju...

The myth of the summer slump in fundraising is often used as an excuse to justify dips in revenue during June, July and August. But instead of making this assumption and dialing back on your efforts and communication, Trent shares a better way. In this episode, he charges churches and nonprofits to combat this mythical summer slump with some practical tips on communication, summer campaigns and cl...

How can you motivate your donors to be as generous as possible? Rick and Trent dive into some practical ways to effectively engage your supporters and move them toward supporting Kingdom purposes. They explore what you can control and what you cannot control. Be careful not to “get in the way” of the things that motivate your donors to give. With donor retention at an all time low, it’s more impor...

The podcast world is exploding. Nils Smith and Chris Lawson are here to talk through all things podcasting and some shifts happening with big companies like Apple and Facebook. They explain why staying diversified in your distribution and flexible when it comes to technology is crucial. Chris unpacks the biggest barrier to a successful podcast (Hint: it’s all about content) and why doing the same...

iDonate is a digital giving system and fundraising software provider that exists to help nonprofits grow. Founder and CEO Ray Gary shares his vision of bringing excellence to the nonprofit world by building a unified donor account across all channels. He emphasizes the importance of giving the donor the ability to dictate how and when they want to transact and ways to ensure your organization is r...

Trent tackles the last four points of our 10-part series, Top Ten things to look out for in 2021. He talks of the critical need for nonprofits to emphasize new donor acquisition, prioritize data, invest the surplus wisely and bring back the QR code. Finally, he explains why you need to focus on these things today in order to set yourself up for growth tomorrow.

What kind of leader are you? Kevin is the lead pastor of The Fellowship Church, a vibrant, diverse congregation in Texas City, Texas. Kevin unpacks what it means to be ‘aggressively obedient’, how your self-worth related to Christ affects those around you more than you realize, and how his new podcast is equipping leaders to lead the hard way – from the heart. Whether you’re leading a massive orga...

With now over four billion active users on social media, the potential for expanded reach is greater than ever. But with that opportunity comes some challenges. If your social accounts were shut down tomorrow, what would happen to your organization? Are you too dependent? Nils Smith dives deep into this social dilemma, unpacking ways to avoid pitfalls that accompany social media in 2021, and the o...

If anything has taken off in the last decade, certainly it’s audio consumption. In part six of Trent’s 10-part series on things to look out for in 2021, Cory Verner, President and CEO of ONE Audiobooks takes the mic to unpack how to maximize your audiobook strategy. Cory has a gift for helping ministries and publishers leverage this format… a format with the highest engagement in publishing. He gi...

In part 5 of our 10-part series, Erik Rogers, D+C Chief Strategist for Major Gifts, dives into the importance of a defined strategy to invest in your mid-level donors and why it’s crucial to the growth of your organization in 2021. Erik and Trent explore how to identify a mid-level donor, specific ways to cultivate that relationship and keep them engaged, and intentional strategies to see year-ove...

If texting is not a part of your 2021 strategy, it will be after you listen to this. In part four of our 10-part series, Mike Cantrell, founder of Ministry by Text joins the podcast to lay out the importance of integrating text messaging as part of your omni-channel communication plan… and doing it effectively. Mike gives us the two most important things to think about as you launch your text stra...

In part 3 of our 10-part series, Trent unpacks the need to clarify your brand and case for support in 2021. In a world that’s getting noisier by the minute, what makes you distinct from other organizations and how do you communicate that effectively? How good are you at listening and how do you determine the felt need of your audience? Are you telling your story consistently? So much has changed i...

Part 2 in this 10-part series, Trent welcomes our friends from Engiven, a company on a mission to crypto enable the nonprofit community. They unpack its functionality and purpose, some macro trends they are seeing, and when and how this currency might normalize. Don’t be overwhelmed! It’s so much easier and more accessible than you think.

Part 1 in this 10-part series, Trent talks with Rick Dunham, Founder and CEO of Dunham+Company, about a number of factors that are likely to contribute to what happens to giving to charities in the U.S. in 2021. Should we anticipate similar levels of giving in 2021 that we saw in 2020, or are things about to get much worse? Rick and Trent discuss several factors and their likelihood to contribute...

In this episode of the Dunham podcast, Trent interviews Alan Wright, lead pastor at Reynolda Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to unpack incredible insight from his book, ‘The Power to Bless, How to Speak Life and Empower the People You Love.’ You’ll discover what Alan calls the most important spoken blessing in the Bible, learn how to move from an ‘unblessed mentality’ to a ‘blessed mentali...

Join as Trent unpacks how this update will greatly affect its users, the importance of transparency from big tech, the implications for Facebook, and why it’s critically important to stay informed, now more than ever. Listen to the end for three practical tips on what you can start doing… today.

We’re all leaning into the digital environment more than ever, and leading that charge is our Chief Strategist for Digital + Data Science, Danielle Rice. Danielle has found a niche in applying for-profit technologies and cutting-edge innovation to nonprofits like you. She unpacks why data science should be a priority, gives practical, accessible digital marketing tips for churches and nonprofits,...

Understanding someone else’s story often informs and gives perspective to your own. And this is one story you’ll want to hear! Today Trent talks with Steve Gatena, CEO of pray.com, the one-stop shop for faith audio content. Steve unpacks his eventful journey to creating what he calls the ‘digital destination to faith’, leadership lessons he learned along the way, the challenges of launching someth...

No matter how big or small your sphere of influence, this leadership insight from Jay Strack, founder of the Student Leadership University, will strengthen and inspire you. Jay is passionate about starting early when it comes to leadership training and reminds us that what we do today determines our tomorrow. He and Trent discuss the importance of servant leadership, remaining steadfast through va...

Trent takes the mic and challenges us to pause as we consider the whirlwind of 2020 for churches and ministries across the globe. He looks at how donors responded to the pandemic, why so many churches and nonprofits saw an increase in giving, and most importantly, where we go from here. The current state of things in 2021 will no doubt provide opportunities like never before to be a place of refug...

As leaders launch into 2021 after an exhausting 2020, how do we equip ourselves to lead most effectively? Trent and Chuck talk about practical ways you can transform your leadership in the midst of high demands and constant pressure.

Brad Davies, VP of Salem Web Network, is in the studio offering best practices for ministries in the digital space, no matter the size. Brad is a leader in innovation and helps ministries maximize engagement and potential donors, leveraging that audience for the growth of the organization. He offers keys to digitally capturing, cultivating and converting high lifetime value donors, and challenges...

The Giving Company is a technology company in the Christian space with the goal of distributing revenue and income to those who need it. They are 100% faith and family friendly with a mission to leverage the platforms already developed for the purpose of maximum Kingdom impact. President and CEO David Henriksen joins Trent to unpack their unique process of innovation and creativity, the biggest mi...

Dealing with stress, difficult people, and marriage hardships are just a few real life issues facing so many today. Berni Dymet, CEO and Bible teacher of Christianityworks is bringing these topics back to the Bible and taking new ground for the Kingdom everyday. Berni shares insights on his powerful conversion, the challenges and opportunities that come with leading a global ministry, facing spiri...

Brian Mountjoy, our Chief Encouragement Officer, is back to talk with Trent about creating a healthy culture in your organization through the means of accountability, humility, ‘leading up’ and giving honor to whom honor is due. Don’t miss these simple tips for improving the culture of your organization in 2021 – and beyond.