Nonprofit411 Podcast

Your donors may not want to talk to you. They want the person doing the work.

Pradnya Haldipur is the founder of Strategy. Creativity. Mentorship. She has spent going on thirty years in the sector, starting as executive assistant to the director of an art museum, where she fell into fundraising by accident. She has since worked with Doctors Without Borders, Mount Sinai, Boston Children's, and Children's National. She calls the work revenue generation, because that's what it is.

One of Pradnya's favorite moments is a colleague's first donor visit. An assistant professor with a first big grant, a systems engineer, someone just starting out. They prep together, the colleague talks about their work, and afterward she hears the same thing every time: "That wasn't as hard as I thought it was gonna be. When do I get to do that again?"

If asking has always been one person's job at your organization, this conversation is about sharing it.

In this episode

• Why "nonprofit" is a tax designation, and why Pradnya says revenue generation instead of fundraising
• The scarcity cycle: raise more first, then we'll invest
• Patient capital, endowments, and why the long game looks different in the social good sector

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

• Bring a program person on your next donor visit. Prep together, then let them talk about their work.
• Ask whether development can have 5% of each person's time, written into their role and their year-end review.
• Put endowment and earned revenue on the agenda for one board conversation, even if the answer is not yet.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Pradnya

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pradnya-haldipur/

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:22 The hobby question
• 03:54 Falling into fundraising by accident
• 07:54 Why "nonprofit" is only a tax designation
• 08:23 Donors want the expert
• 12:07 A shared desire to solve a problem
• 15:58 Talking about money as money
• 17:08 Bringing colleagues into the work
• 20:13 Five percent of everyone's time
• 23:01 The scarcity mindset
• 26:22 The long game and patient capital
• 28:07 What we forgot about endowments
• 31:56 Who goes unserved in the meantime
• 32:46 Where to find Pradnya

Nonprofit Branding: Roger Starkweather on How Your Team Is Showing Up

Your brand isn't the logo. It's whether everyone around you tells the same story.

Roger Starkweather is co-founder and CEO of ANEWbrand, a Seattle-born agency whose motto is branding for the greater good. He got his start in sales, selling rubber stamps door to door, and has built businesses of his own ever since, including one in construction. He and his business partner, Steven Picanza, have worked together in the agency world for fifteen years, and both have worked with SCORE, a nonprofit that mentors people starting businesses.

Roger describes a project his team is working on right now that never leaves the building. The organization's own groups were arguing among themselves, so ANEWbrand came in with workshops and surveys to say what nobody inside could. Sarah connects it to the mergers she's seeing across the sector. When two people who each own a house get married, building a new one together is easier than moving into either.

If your staff, board, and supporters would each describe you a little differently, start here.

In this episode

• Why Roger calls brand guidelines an operating system, and what happens when nobody feeds it
• Marketing as the road brands drive down, and return on experience as a way to measure what dollars can't
• The internal side of a brand, when staff and volunteers need the same clarity your donors do

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

• Read the top section of your homepage. Does it say why you exist before it shows a single pretty picture?
• Give branding and marketing its own pillar in your strategic plan, with a budget line that can stand up to it.
• Put Roger's question on your next team agenda: how are we showing up today? Any hesitation is worth a conversation.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Roger

• ANEWbrand: https://www.anewbrand.co/
• Email: roger@anewbrand.co

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:03 The hobby question
• 03:09 Why nonprofits, and why now
• 05:49 Is branding a real investment?
• 06:15 Your brand is an operating system
• 07:34 What a clear brand does for fundraising
• 10:12 The road brands drive down
• 11:38 Return on experience
• 14:36 Competing on a world stage
• 16:02 Thinking like a retailer
• 17:45 The biggest challenge: the budget
• 19:16 Evolution or revolution
• 20:57 Do nonprofits invest enough?
• 22:49 Signs it's time
• 25:05 When the brand problem is internal
• 26:18 Mergers and the new house
• 28:00 How am I showing up today?
• 29:25 Where to find Roger

Michelle Benson spent 18 years chasing funders, then crossed to the other side of the desk and watched them go looking instead.

Michelle Benson is the founder of Culture of Philanthropy, online training that teaches fundraisers, CEOs, communications staff and consultants how to be found on LinkedIn by the people they want to reach. She was a fundraiser for 18 years and has spent about ten on the funding side. She joins Sarah to explain what changed when she stopped chasing high value funders and started building a way for them to find her.

She tells it from inside a trust fund. Two colleagues came in every morning to a flood of applications, most of which missed the criteria, and had to wade through the weak ones to reach the strong ones. So the fund closed its open application process. Those same two people were handed the giving criteria and, by her account, fifteen million pounds to place, and sent out to find charities themselves. The quality of the pipeline went up. So did the mood of the two people doing the work.

If your whole pipeline runs on cold outreach, this is the second string.

In this episode

Why funders are closing open applications and going out to look instead

The algorithm as a sniffer dog, and what your words and actions send it after

Why a post with plenty of likes can still be a post that failed

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

Write the goal down before you touch LinkedIn. Something as specific as four new corporate funders at around $20,000 in the next 12 months.

Describe your best supporter and your worst one, then write your profile for the best one. Your profile is what the algorithm reads.

Give every post one job, then judge it against that job. If the job was clicks to your site, likes are not the score.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Michelle

• Culture of Philanthropy: https://www.cultureofphilanthropy.co/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-benson-creates-digital-pipelines

Connect with Sarah

• Follow the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcast.nonprofit411.org/
• Nonprofit411: https://www.nonprofit411.org/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:20 Eighteen years of chasing

07:14 "My job is to be found"

14:33 The algorithm as a sniffer dog

25:18 When likes mean the post failed

People don't say yes to the item. They say yes to the reason you're asking.

Jo McPartland is the fundraising coach at Dutch Mill Bulbs, a fundraising company founded in central Pennsylvania in 1960. She ran fundraisers as a teacher and as a volunteer leader before she moved to the other side of the table. Dutch Mill Bulbs works with hundreds of groups every season, and Jo coaches them through it, from Scout troops and churches to sports teams and animal rescues.

One group Jo works with has to travel for every field trip. They hit their goal every single year. The kids could say they're raising money for buses. Jo's point is that they aren't. "It's not gas, it's not transportation. That's the means to have that experience."

If your goal feels too big to say out loud, start by dividing it.

In this episode

• Why so many groups start with "whatever we can make," and what changes when they pick a number
• The one sentence every volunteer can say: what it's for, how much, and how to help
• Celebrating halfway, and the pink ribbon tulips that support the National Breast Cancer Foundation

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

• Divide your goal by the number of people asking. Six or seven sales each is a couple of neighbors and a coworker.
• Name what the money makes possible, not what it pays for.
• Give supporters two ways to help, in person and online, so a grandparent in another state can still say yes.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Jo

• Dutch Mill Bulbs: https://dutchmillbulbs.com
• Fundraiser Goal Calculator: https://dutchmillbulbs.com/goal-calculator/
• Pink Ribbon Tulips: https://dutchmillbulbs.com/product/o-pink-ribbon-tulips/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-mcpartland

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:05 The hobby question
• 02:17 From teacher and volunteer to fundraising coach
• 03:43 How a bulb fundraiser works
• 06:56 The groups Jo loves working with
• 09:55 Choosing the bulbs
• 12:10 Start with the goal
• 13:35 It's not the item, it's the why
• 14:54 Smaller numbers feel doable
• 16:39 Celebrate the wins
• 18:15 Pink ribbon tulips
• 21:30 What groups run into
• 23:30 The group that hits its goal every year
• 25:34 Say it more than once, in more than one place
• 27:10 Not gas money, an experience
• 27:36 Tell them how to help
• 29:16 Where to find Jo
• 30:00 If I were starting from scratch

The update your donors remember is rarely the polished one.

Brad Ton is a senior account executive at FundMiner. He studied sports marketing at Indiana University and sold tickets for the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers before a sales boot camp through TechPoint, an Indianapolis nonprofit, introduced him to fundraising through OneCause. After eight or nine years in fundraising technology, he moved to the donor relations side, where he works with community foundations and hospital foundations on what happens after the gift.

Sarah describes the email she suggests to the rural nonprofits she works with. Open a blank screen and write that you just saw Susie come in, over the moon, because they finished her porch. Brad's first reaction was that there's no ask in it. Send that out. Then he pointed out that before they hit record, Sarah had asked for his mailing address so she could mail him a handwritten note. "That's everything," he said.

If stewardship keeps waiting for a free afternoon, this conversation is about sending it anyway.

In this episode

• Why donor relations gets treated as work that doesn't raise money, and why Brad says that couldn't be further from the truth
• Sarah's porch email, and why the less fancy the update, the better
• Ten handwritten notes or 500 newsletter emails, and what makes a touch point count

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

• Count last week's new donors. Write each one a short note about one thing their gift touched, with no ask.
• Keep a running bank of small stories as they happen, so impact updates and year-end reports never start from a blank page.
• Put stewardship on the daily list, not the someday list. Brad keeps his short, works it in order, and crosses things off.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Brad

• FundMiner: https://www.fundminer.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradton/

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:40 The hobby question
• 04:02 From ticket sales to nonprofit tech
• 08:24 Fundraising isn't begging
• 09:40 What happens after the gift
• 12:05 Technology that frees us to be human
• 13:08 The porch email
• 13:57 Why stewardship gets pushed aside
• 15:21 One email, one reader
• 17:30 A bank of stories
• 18:07 Making it a habit
• 19:08 The bar for human connection
• 20:02 Ten notes or 500 emails
• 21:45 Count your new donors
• 23:13 Technology as a habit tool
• 24:35 Human is better than done
• 25:25 Video messages, stumbles and all
• 27:34 Where to find Brad
• 28:12 Stack days

A sponsorship pays for one program. A partnership can change what your organization is able to do next year.

Dan Drucker spent more than 35 years in corporate B2B sales and marketing, the last twenty or so at Canon, running sales and marketing for the US. He retired at the start of 2024 and founded Philanthropy Fuel, where he helps nonprofits build corporate partnerships. He writes The Fuel Tank, a free weekly newsletter. He volunteers at an animal shelter, and he and his wife are birders.

Dan tells the story of a conversation he had with the head of employee volunteerism at Goldman Sachs. He was asking her about her work when it occurred to him to ask whether the bank's financial experts ran financial literacy workshops in underfunded communities. They did. It's one of the biggest things they do. He was already working with a hospital system in an underfunded community near him. He introduced the two. That match existed before the call; nobody had asked the question.

If the only thing you've ever asked a business for is a check, this conversation is about everything else you could be asking for.

In this episode

• Why a sponsorship keeps an organization living paycheck to paycheck, and what a partnership does instead
• The translation test: the two-word question that turns your impact into something a business can use
• Skills-based volunteering, and why twenty scientists beat twenty extra hands on a volunteer day

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit

• Take one line from your last appeal and ask "so what?" until it describes something a business gets. "We planted 10,000 trees" becomes a hands-on volunteer experience their employees will ask about.
• Write down every business you already know: current sponsors, vendors, volunteers' employers, board connections, recurring donors. Those calls are warm. Start there before you research anyone new.
• Look past the CSR officer. Employee engagement, HR, marketing, and volunteer services all have a reason to say yes, and they're easier to reach.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Dan

• Philanthropy Fuel: https://www.philanthropyfuel.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/druckerdan/
• The Fuel Tank, his free weekly newsletter, comes out every Sunday. Sign up from his website or LinkedIn.

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:03 Photography, Birding, and Paying Attention
• 03:31 Thirty-Five Years on the Corporate Side
• 04:57 Two Sides That Don't Speak the Same Language
• 07:13 Start by Looking Inward
• 11:59 The Translation Test
• 16:07 Your Sponsors Are Your First Stop
• 20:04 Reaching Beyond Your Region
• 22:17 Sponsorship or Partnership
• 25:08 Skills-Based Volunteering
• 30:15 Joint Research With Health and Education
• 31:42 Where to Start Today

Abbey Harlow works with rural nonprofits, and she'll tell you burnout isn't a personal failing.

Abbey Harlow founded Harlow Nonprofit Consulting in 2022, after twenty years in nonprofit strategy, fundraising, and facilitation. She came in sideways: music venues, a semester interning at a Smithsonian museum, then fundraising jobs at museums and performing arts organizations. She works from rural Vermont, where she grew up and lives now, and she helps stretched teams move out of survival mode.

Abbey walks through an exercise she runs with rural leaders. Write down everything you did in the last week. Sort each item into one of four quadrants: urgent and important, urgent but not important, and so on. Then look at what surprised you, and which quadrant took more of your week than you meant to give it. The last question is the one that does the work: what could you have delegated, and if there's nobody to delegate to, what could you have not done, and how would that have felt? Most of us keep carrying tasks because we assume something bad happens if we stop. Naming the task makes that assumption testable.

If the only advice you've been given about burnout is to take better care of yourself, this conversation offers a different place to look.

In this episode:

• The three things rural leaders named when Abbey surveyed them: funding, isolation, and burnout
• Why the burnout conversation starts with a sector-wide belief about mission work, not with the individual
• The four-quadrant exercise she runs with leaders, and the question at the end of it

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit:

• Write down everything you did last week and sort it by urgent and important. Look for the quadrant that took more of your week than you meant to give it.
• Pick one task you've been carrying and ask what would actually happen if it didn't get done. Test that assumption before you keep paying for it.
• Try one micro boundary. One leader Abbey works with stopped answering email the minute it arrived, and found that some things resolved without her.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Abbey

• Harlow Nonprofit Consulting: https://www.harlownonprofitconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlownonprofitconsulting
• Rural Nonprofit Leader Summit: https://www.harlownonprofitconsulting.com/rural-nonprofit-leader-summit

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://www.nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 09:47 Funding, isolation, burnout
• 11:57 Squeezing water from dry sponges
• 19:22 Burnout starts with the system
• 20:49 The four-quadrant exercise
• 29:23 What every rural leader should know

Kind Persuasion — with Madeleine Nance

Your supporters have already told you why they give. Most organizations let it evaporate.

Madeleine Nance has spent seventeen years in the nonprofit sector. She started in-house in Australia as a development director, working inside three organizations that ranged from an animal shelter to one of the country's largest national charities. She then spent seven years as a fundraising copywriting specialist, and now runs Kind Word, where the work is mostly strategy and training. She joins Sarah to explain where fundraising copy actually starts: not with words, but with the person who is going to read them.

She walks through a real example. A woman being interviewed for an animal organization mentioned, almost in passing, that she keeps old towels in the back of her car, just in case she comes across an injured animal that needs help. That one sentence tells you more about who gives to that cause than any donor persona ever will. Put it in an appeal, and the next supporter reads it and recognizes herself.

If your appeals sound like everyone else's, this episode explains why, and what to do about it.

In this episode:

• The name cover test, a five-minute check on whether your copy sounds like anyone at all
• The four steps of Kind Persuasion: I care, I feel this, I trust you with this, I'm in
• The one phrase to listen for in every supporter conversation
• Why demographic personas miss what actually moves people
• How to reframe the ask so it stops feeling like a favor you're begging for

A few ideas to apply at your nonprofit:

• Cover your logo and read your last appeal cold. If a stranger couldn't name your cause, the words aren't working yet.
• Start a spreadsheet. Every time a supporter tells you why they give, write down their exact words. In a few months you'll hold language more persuasive than anything you'd draft alone.
• Listen for "I'm the kind of person who…" Everything that comes after it is usable.
• Open donor interviews with easy yes-or-no questions, then follow with "tell me more." People warm up as they go.
• Decide what feeling you're after before you write, whether that's warmth, outrage, or heartbreak, then build toward it on purpose.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Madeleine

• Kind Word: https://kindwordreview.com
• Join Madeleine's newsletter where she shares Kind Persuasion strategies for cause leaders: https://resources.kindwordreview.com/profile
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleinenance/

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit411: https://www.nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:03 Where Copywriting Actually Starts
• 14:11 Tapping Into What People Care About
• 21:14 The Name Cover Test
• 28:01 Persuasion Without Pressure

Gold Mines of Stories — with Don Martelli

Every nonprofit is sitting on a gold mine of stories. Most never mine them.

Don Martelli is a former Boston Globe reporter and longtime PR agency executive who now leads PR Bunker, working with mission-driven, impact-focused organizations. He helps nonprofits tell the stories their communities need to hear so they can engage the people who fuel the mission. He joins Sarah to explain how nonprofit PR actually works: how to find the one human story that carries your whole mission, how to place it with the right reporter at the right moment, and how to turn a single piece of coverage into a campaign that raises real money.

He walks through a real example. A woman named Lisa, once homeless, now helping others through the same organization that housed her. That one story, told well, raised nearly a quarter million dollars in a week.

If PR feels like a black box, this episode opens it.

In this episode:

• The "micro that fits the macro" method for finding a story reporters actually want
• Why the most positive stories are the hardest to place, and how to place them anyway
• Paid, earned, shared, and owned media, explained simply
• How to pitch a reporter in 250 words or fewer
• Why a fractional expert often beats hiring in-house

A few ideas to steal:

• The story is the headline. If you have to sell it, it isn't a story yet.
• Keep the pitch to one paragraph, then follow up until you get a yes, a no, or silence. Silence is a no.
• End or start each week by asking your team, "What happened this week that made you feel good?" Those are your stories. Someone has to own collecting them.
• One good story, repurposed across your site, newsletter, socials, and a podcast, is a marketing campaign, not a one-and-done.

Connect with Don

• PR Bunker: http://www.prbunker.com
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/donmartelli
• The PR Bunker podcast: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pr-bunker/id1839463900

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit 411: http://www.nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Nonprofit 411
• 02:57 The Power of Impactful Storytelling
• 05:56 Telling Impactful Stories through PR
• 09:06 Advice for Nonprofits on PR
• 17:23 The Role of Consultants in Nonprofits
• 24:09 Utilizing Impactful Stories in Nonprofits

The conversation covers the concept of social fundraising, the evolution of fundraising work, engaging donors and advocates, borrowing a crowd and corporate partnerships, media partnerships and retention strategies, the importance of consistent communication, and concludes with a call to action for the listeners. Key takeaways include the importance of social fundraising, understanding the donor journey, and the need for consistent communication with donors and supporters.

Connect with Daryl

• FundRazr: http://www.fundrazr.com
• ConnectionPoint: http://www.connectionpoint.com
• LinkedIn: search Daryl Hatton
•

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit 411: http://www.nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: https://nonprofit411.org/generosity_map

In this episode:

• Why you should share results 80% of the time and only ask 20%
• How to borrow a crowd from your board, volunteers, and corporate partners
• Why your best advocate might be your smallest donor
• The "forgettable zone," and the simple weekly habit that keeps you out of it

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Alignment
• 02:05 The Concept of Social Fundraising
• 03:37 The Evolution of Fundraising Work
• 06:28 Engaging Donors and Advocates
• 10:07 Borrowing a Crowd and Corporate Partnerships
• 13:24 Media Partnerships and Retention Strategies
• 26:01 The Importance of Consistent Communication
• 32:13 Conclusion and Call to Action

Not because they don't care but because they think they're about to get blamed.

That’s why Tim Sarrantonio’s so excited about the Generosity Roundtable - a role-playing game for nonprofit professionals. It creates a safe space for nonprofit professionals to think through real problems, without the finger-pointing.

Listen to the full conversation on theNonprofit411 Podcast

STOP CALLING IT FUNDRAISING — with Tim Sarrantonio

What if fundraising isn't really about money at all, but about generosity, trust, and the ways people choose to participate?

Tim Sarrantonio joins Sarah to rethink what fundraising actually is. They get into why generosity and identity are tied to trust, why creative play matters for understanding it, and how a role-playing game might be one of the best professional development tools the sector has. Along the way: the state of nonprofit education, budgeting under pressure, using feedback and data to make better calls, and what AI is changing.

Tim Sarrantonio is the founder of The Generosity Spectrum and the creator of The Generosity Roundtable, the nonprofit sector's first role-playing game designed to help organizations practice decision-making together. He has spent nearly fifteen years working at the intersection of generosity, technology, and nonprofit practice, supporting organizations as they navigate participation, trust, and change.

In this episode:

• Fundraising, redefined as generosity
• How role-playing sharpens nonprofit learning and decision-making

Connect with Tim

• The Generosity Spectrum: http://www.generosityspectrum.org
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/timsarrantonio
• Email: hello@generosityspectrum.org

Connect with Sarah

• Nonprofit 411: http://www.nonprofit411.org
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• The Generosity Roadmap for Nonprofits, a free class to explore the systems that keep community at the heart of fundraising: http://class.nonprofit411.org/fundraising_roadmap-440406

Chapters

• 00:00 — Redefining Fundraising as Generosity
• 02:33 — Journey into the Nonprofit Sector
• 04:07 — Challenges in Nonprofit Education
• 06:10 — The Role of Generosity in Community Resilience
• 07:08 — The Need for Practical Application in Nonprofit Education
• 07:29 — The Importance of Professional Development
• 08:59 — Budgeting Challenges in Nonprofits
• 10:37 — The Role of Role-Playing in Nonprofit Learning
• 16:27 — Feedback and Data in Nonprofit Decision-Making
• 23:00 — The Impact of AI on Nonprofit Dynamics
• 30:09 — The Generosity Roundtable Game

Harnessing the Power of Ethical Photography in Nonprofit Storytelling In this episode of Nonprofit 4 1 1, Sarah Barton hosts Michelle Riley, founder of Lens for Change, to discuss the importance of ethical photography in nonprofit organizations. Michelle explains how authentic and ethical images can significantly impact fundraising, expand an organization's reach, and maintain credibility. They delve into the principles of ethical photography, the pitfalls of using stock and staged photos, and the process of planning an effective photo shoot. The conversation highlights the value of visual storytelling in building trust and emotional connections with donors. 00:00 Welcome to Nonprofit 4-1-1 00:28 Meet Michelle Riley: Ethical Photography for Nonprofits 04:34 The Importance of Authentic Visual Storytelling 08:03 Ethical Photography: Principles and Practices 10:17 Challenges and Solutions in Ethical Photography 18:18 Building a Photo Library for Your Nonprofit 29:05 The Visual Truth Matters Campaign 34:31 Final Thoughts and Resources

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The importance of curiosity in donor relationships: Fundraising isn't about selling but building genuine connections with community members.

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Phone calls as an effective tool for engaging mid-level donors: Personal connections and voicemails can foster trust and increase donor retention.

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Systems and strategies that work: How having the right tools in place can make a huge difference in donor engagement and nonprofit growth.

Show Links:

Find more of Michelle's work at:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-riley-56866714
• http://www.lensforchange.net/(Company)
• http://www.visualtruthmatters.com/(Other)

Find more about Nonprofit411 at:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• http://www.nonprofit411.org
• Listen to other episodes of Nonprofit411 Podcast(RSS Feed)

Check out our partners:

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Hoot Host | Affiliate Code NONPROFIT411

In this episode of Nonprofit 411, host Sarah Barton explores strategies to cultivate broad-based community support for nonprofits. Sarah highlights the shift from broad to narrow community support and offers practical steps to rebuild a wide-reaching support network. Key topics include engaging donors beyond monetary contributions, the importance of personal connections, and innovative ways to maintain donor relationships. The episode concludes with actionable challenges and organizational tips to enhance nonprofit outreach and donor engagement. 00:00 Welcome to Nonprofit 411 00:46 The Shift in Fundraising Trends 01:49 Defining Broad-Based Community Support 03:00 Engaging and Retaining Donors 04:50 Practical Steps for Community Engagement 08:30 Building Meaningful Relationships 10:07 Effective Communication Strategies 13:52 Managing Your Outreach Activities 18:46 The 10 Connections in 10 Days Challenge 20:11 Conclusion and Resources

Find more about Nonprofit411 at:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411
• http://www.nonprofit411.org
• Listen to other episodes of Nonprofit411 Podcast(RSS Feed)

Check out our partners:

Give Suite

AI For Anyone | Discount Code: NONPROFIT411

Hoot Host | Affiliate Code NONPROFIT411

In this episode, Sarah Barton is joined by Kel Haney, founder and CEO of Kel Haney Consulting. They dive into the power of curiosity in fundraising, the importance of personal connections with donors, and how to build relationships that go beyond transactions. Kel shares her methodology for mid-level donor engagement and explains why phone calls, though intimidating for some, can build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

Key Takeaways:

•

•

The importance of curiosity in donor relationships: Fundraising isn't about selling but building genuine connections with community members.

•

Phone calls as an effective tool for engaging mid-level donors: Personal connections and voicemails can foster trust and increase donor retention.

•

Systems and strategies that work: How having the right tools in place can make a huge difference in donor engagement and nonprofit growth.

Show Links:

Kel Haney Website: https://www.kelhaney.com/

Kel Haney on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kel-haney/

Nonprofit411: http://www.nonprofit411.org

GiveSuite Affiliate Link: https://sales.givesuite.com/get-a-demo?am_id=sarah7593

In this episode of the Nonprofit411 Podcast, Sarah Barton is joined by Kelly McLaughlin, founder and CEO of From Scratch Fundraising. They discuss building individual giving programs from scratch, the importance of community-driven fundraising, and the unique approaches Kelly uses to help small organizations create sustainable funding strategies. Kelly also shares insights on engaging donors and making marketing an integral part of nonprofit success.

Kelly McLaughlin is the founder and CEO of From Scratch Fundraising, specializing in helping nonprofits build individual giving programs from the ground up. She brings years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and focuses on creating systems that enable smaller organizations to scale their donor engagement and fundraising efforts efficiently.

Key Takeaways:

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Building sustainable individual giving programs from scratch is essential for nonprofits, and starting with simple systems can set the foundation for long-term success.

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A focus on donor relationships and understanding how to make fundraising personal and mission-driven leads to higher donor retention and engagement.

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Nonprofits need to show their donors who they are and build community with them, rather than just focusing on asking for donations. Show LInks

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From Scratch Fundraising (https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com)

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Nonprofit411 Website (http://www.nonprofit411.org)

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Find Kelly on LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mclaughlin-funds/)

• Visit Our Sponsor GiveSuite: (https://sales.givesuite.com/get-a-demo?am_id=sarah7593h7593)

In this episode, Sean Littman, founder and CEO of Give Suite, shares his insights on how nonprofits can streamline their fundraising and marketing efforts. Sean discusses the importance of integrating donor management with marketing systems and how nonprofits can leverage technology to simplify processes and improve outreach. He also emphasizes the need for nonprofits to run like businesses and the importance of a strong marketing strategy in achieving success.

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Marketing and fundraising should work together as a unified strategy, where consistent outreach and genuine donor engagement are key to building sustainable growth for nonprofits.

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Nonprofits should view marketing as an essential part of their operations, not just an afterthought. Effective marketing helps raise awareness, build relationships, and attract more support.

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Technology and automation can significantly ease the workload for nonprofits by streamlining donor management, marketing, and communication efforts, allowing them to focus on their mission.

Show Links

GiveSuite Affliate Link - https://sales.givesuite.com/get-a-demo?am_id=sarah7593

Sean Littman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-littman-catch22nonprofit/

Nonprofit411 - http://www.nonprofit411.org/

Nonprofit411 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonprofit411/

In this episode of the Nonprofit411 Podcast, Sarah Barton sits down with Rachel Platt, CEO of Platinum Consulting. Rachel shares her insights into the world of human resources for nonprofits, focusing on creating strategies that allow organizations to build strong, thriving teams. From improving the employee experience to developing better people strategies, Rachel emphasizes the importance of balancing mission and the well-being of staff. She also introduces the simple yet powerful "Stop, Start, Continue" exercise that can improve communication and reduce misunderstandings in the workplace.

Rachel discusses the challenges that small and mid-sized nonprofits face in managing their human resources and explains how strategic HR planning can be the key to avoiding burnout and ensuring long-term success. This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit leaders looking to strengthen their team dynamics and create a more sustainable organizational culture.

• Platinum Consulting Website:https://www.plattinumconsulting.com
• Rachel Platt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelplatt/
• Nonprofit411 Website: https://www.nonprofit411.org

In this episode of the Nonprofit411 Podcast, Sarah Barton is joined by DeaRonda Harrison, founder and president of June 1st Firm. DeaRonda shares her journey from working in higher education fundraising to launching her own consultancy focused on providing grant writing services for nonprofits. She explains how her expertise in federal grants, including HRSA, DOJ, and DOE, helps nonprofits secure funding to maximize their impact.

DeaRonda also shares her insights on the challenges nonprofits face when it comes to grants, from building partnerships to navigating the complexities of federal applications. She emphasizes the importance of having a sustainable revenue strategy, with grants being just one piece of the puzzle. In this episode, DeaRonda highlights how nonprofits can leverage grants while ensuring they have a robust and diversified funding strategy in place.

Episode Links:

• June 1st Firm Website: https://www.junefirstfirm.com
• DeaRonda Harrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dearondaharrison/
• Nonprofit411 Website: https://www.nonprofit411.org

In this episode of the Nonprofit411 Podcast, Sarah Barton is joined by Anne Murphy, founder of She Leads AI and CEO of Empowered Fundraiser. Anne shares her journey into fundraising and how she transitioned from higher education fundraising to launching a consultancy that helps nonprofits leverage AI to streamline operations and enhance impact.

Anne discusses the challenges nonprofits face, particularly with limited resources, and explains how AI can help nonprofits optimize their staff energy, enhance their operations, and improve donor engagement. Through AI, Anne has been able to help nonprofits increase efficiency without losing the human touch that is central to their mission.

From AI training and governance to implementation, Anne offers insights into how nonprofits can stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape. This episode is filled with practical advice for nonprofit leaders looking to embrace new technologies and enhance their organization's capacity for success.

Episode LInks:

• Empowered Fundraiser - https://empoweredfundraiser.com/
• She Leads AI Website: https://www.sheleadsai.ai
• Anne Murphy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-murphy-philanthropy/
• Nonprofit411 Website: https://www.nonprofit411.org