As fundraisers, we often feel under the gun and under a deadline to Make. Something. Happen. NOW! I thought our jobs were high stakes until I met Troy Smith. Troy Smith and Chris Voss used to be FBI hostage negotiators. So, if you think talking to a donor is stressful, be glad it’s not an […]
Today, we’re talking about a really cool topic – using hostage negotiation tactics in fundraising. Our guest today is none other than Troy Smith, a seasoned hostage negotiator who’s going to share his expertise with us. We’ll dive into what hostage negotiation is, how the principles of it can be applied to fundraising, and the
Negotiating like a Hostage Negotiator with Troy Smith Read More »
“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”-Zig Ziglar The biggest mistake that I see among nonprofits is that they spend too much time talking about what they want, what they do, what they need. We train fundraisers to “strategize” for gifts that meet their
It’s not about you Read More »
In this interview, I talk about Donor-Advised Funds or DAFs and crypto donations with Alexis Miller, who is the donor engagement and strategic partnerships lead at Endaoment. Listen to this entire podcast episode if you want to know more about NFTs, DAOs, and a lot more interesting topics of cryptocurrencies in the nonprofit space. Alexis
DAFs and Crypto Donations with Alexis Miller Read More »
This weekend, I was in LA with my cousins. We were celebrating the Lunar New Year with our own version of homemade dumplings and noodles. We were thrilled to be in each other’s company, sharing jokes, running after giggling children and catching up. Meanwhile, 8 miles east, 11 people were killed at a celebration that
In this episode, Adam Michael Royston and Marvin Vilma are back and they’re diving into the hot topic of East Coast vs. West Coast fundraising. These two fundraising experts have a wealth of experience between them, and they’re bringing their unique perspectives to the table to give listeners a deeper understanding of the differences and
East Coast vs. West Coast fundraising with Adam Michael and Marvin Vilma Read More »
This is it. We’re in full swing of the year now and I predict that 2023 will be fast and furious. I’ve got one word for you: ChatGPT. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know about ChatGPT which is Open.ai’s chatbot that uses the entire internet as a dataset. This thing is a
11 ways to use ChatGPT for fundraising Read More »
In this delightful podcast episode, Yamilee Toussaint Beach shares her wealth of knowledge and experience in scaling up her nonprofit STEM from Dance. She explains how having a clear mission and vision, strong leadership, and a dedicated team are essential for any nonprofit looking to grow. One of the key takeaways from the episode is
Exponential Growth with Yamilee Toussaint Beach Read More »
In this interview with Jason Frazell, we discuss the three levels of listening and how they can impact our ability to connect with others, particularly in the context of fundraising. Listen in to find out the difference between pretend listening, active listening, and energetic listening. We also discuss how the need to be right or
Listening + Speaking with Intent with Jason Frazell Read More »
Happy 2023 friends. I hope that your holiday break was joyful and restorative. As for me, there’s always a Venn diagram between anticipation, general holiday anxiety, waiting for the holidays to be over and a sliver of actual enjoyment. I digress. I am, as I’m sure many of you are, thinking about goal setting for
Happy 2023 everyone! 🎇 To start off our year right, join me and Hardy Smith to discuss his book Stop the Nonprofit Blame Game. Hardy and I touch on some of the hot-button 🔴 issues like why board members don’t do what they’re supposed to do (i.e. fundraising), what the role of the governance and
Stop the Nonprofit Blame Game with Hardy Smith Read More »
We are in our very last week of 2022 and I think we can all agree, it has been a lot. After the upheaval of the pandemic, I feel like life is back to normal-ish. And what I’ve been hearing from a lot of you is that you are feeling really tired and so that
Top 10 Fundraising Trends in 2023 with Rhea Wong Read More »
Dearest readers, This will be the last missive of the year and I wish you and yours a very happy, joyful and restful holiday break. It is well-deserved, amirite? I also want to thank you sincerely for welcoming me into your overstuffed inbox every week. It is an honor and privilege to share my thoughts
Happy holidays, friends. As we wind down, I wanted to give you the gift of this podcast episode with my dear friend Glasa Gottschalk. Glasa is a coach who specializes in working with women of color. We talk about Glasa’s own professional journey, how coaching is different than therapy, how coaching can help you progress
Coaching for BIPOC leaders with Glasa Gottschalk Read More »
Join me and my guests Christal Cherry and Renee Rubin Ross to talk about doing DEIAB work right. Often our boards lag behind the efforts of the staff and this dynamic duo helps to bring your board up to speed on issues of equity and inclusion. We talk about the myth of diversity vs. wealth,
Doing Board DEIAB Work Right with Christal Cherry and Renee Rubin Ross Read More »
Recently, I was on a mastermind call with a bunch of entrepreneurs and I was on the hotseat. I was venting/complaining/whining about the tedium of churning out content, answering the same kinds of questions and generally the tyranny of routine. Not only did I get zero sympathy, I got a metaphorical slap across the face.
For those of you who have been readers for any length of time, you know that my beloved Stevie Wonderdog passed away in May. After giving ourselves time to grieve, we welcomed ten-year-old Stella into our lives in October. Though they look alike, they could not be more different in temperament. Stevie was spicy, Stella
Join me and co-founder of Pond, Mitch Stein, to talk about the power of community building, the role of trust in doing business with nonprofits and what pink sherbert has to do with marketing. Mitch is the founder of the online platform Pond that helps nonprofits and consultants connect. Part of his journey was building
Tips for Community Building with Mitch Stein Read More »
When I get depressed about the future and the state of the world, I want you to listen to this podcast episode. Meghana Gunturi is an enterprising 16-year-old who runs four clubs, is a full-time student, and has successfully launched an international nonprofit. Join me and Meghana as we talk about how to leverage the
Tapping into the Power of Gen Z with Meghana Gunturi Read More »
Man oh man, do I love a good quiz. Chalk it up to my being of the YM generation 📣 (shout out to my Gen X’ers!) Join me and Brian Saber to deconstruct your Asking Style. Did you know that there are four kinds and that you have a primary and secondary style? Learn more
Asking Styles with Brian Saber Read More »
This webinar will guide you through common constraints that limit the success of your major gift program.
I’ll show you how to realign your focus on what truly matters—building genuine, lasting relationships with your donors.
