I've always wanted to grab a gift officer right in the middle of donor visits and ask "how's it going." On this episode, Mike Herdlick from Tiffin University joins the podcast, live from a Hampton Inn. He was a professor, a Dean, and now he's a fundraiser. We talk about how relationships matter in getting appointments and boosting excitement about …

Our boards, who give us advice, guidance and often, big gifts, are an important area of support in our advancement efforts. But we're not doing great with diversity on our boards. Just 22% of board members nationwide coming from underrepresented backgrounds. We have work to do. GHJ and the GHJ Foundation have been hard at work on this issue, and we…

Crypto donations have become a hot topic in philanthropy. The incredible growth in crypto token popularity and value, along some significant incentive give in order to manage taxes means we’re all going to see more crypto donors in the coming years. And the cool thing is, these donors often work together. That’s what happened when a diverse group o…

Creating great donor event experiences can go a long way toward inspiring philanthropy. Bob Westfall at Westfall Gold has helped inspire over $1B in gift commitments with their unique event strategy. Truly inspiring donors with the opportunity to make a transformative impact, giving them time to reflect, including great experiences, and surrounding…

Creating a positive environment for our fundraising teams is crucial to our success. How inclusive we are, how we behave as leaders, and how we value and support members of our teams makes a big difference. Maryann Kerr, a fundraiser with a ton of experience, has just released a groundbreaking new book, Tarnished, on this topic. It combines researc…

Donors want to make an impact. And when we think about transformative interventions, cleft palate and cleft lip surgery has incredible impact – literally changing lives of the recipients. Operation Smile has been around almost 40 years, providing this life-changing care. We got on the line with Joanne Bowers, Lauren Lemmons, and Amber Leonti from O…

That thing we used to call phonathon has changed. It’s now about engagement, and the place where that happens is the engagement center. Every day, hundreds of locations across the US and Canada (with a lot of remote activity too), fuels the philanthropic outreach for great institutions. And the people driving the engagement are our engagement cente…

Jim Harris, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Ohio University joins the podcast with RNL's Theresa Jubert to talk about the power of crowdfunding to engage donors. Jim brings a wealth of experience and insights as a marketing and communications expert. Ohio U set records for alumni engagement last year, and one part of that was the creation of…

One of the world’s top giving expert, Dr. Russell James from Texas Tech University joins MarketSmart’s Greg Warner to give a rundown on how some of the key research on donor decisions impacts our work as fundraisers. A key goal in our donor engagement is tell the donor’s story, or better yet: let the donors tell their own story. Research shows that…

RNL's AJ Pennington offers insights from two decades of experience in talent management. AJ offers advice on how to assemble and submit a good application, key tips for the application process, and what it's like to work at RNL. Check out the latest job postings at RNL

Marc A. Pitman, CSP®, The Fundraising Coach, joins the podcast to talk about how we've all adapted this year, the power of investing in your personal development, and key things fundraisers need to do as we transform donor engagement going forward. Marc says: It's about finding your unique style. His new book, "The Surprising Gift of Doubt," challe…

Greg Warner at MarketSmart is known for challenging the norm. In this conversation, we talk about the best ways to find major and planned giving donors. Spoiler alert: it's not moves management, or relentlessly sending gift officers at them. We talk about the value of engagement, crafting a great donor experience, and how data is changing the way w…

Fundraisers and alumni relations professionals are increasingly working together. As we’ve said before, it’s about treating alumni as more than walking ATMs--and truly investing in the value of a lifetime experience with our supporters. Gary Toyn, senior researcher at Access Development, and one of the creators of the VAESE survey of alumni relatio…

Religious centers at our universities have been part of the student life experience for decades. What happens when the pandemic means that we can’t be next to students in the same way? Well, enterprising faith leaders come up with new ways to stay connected to their students, and to donors. Andrew Robinson, owner and president of Petrus Development…

Alright podcast listeners, here’s a tip. If you want to get invited to be on Fundraising voices, be sure to put something like the “neuroscience of education” in your email to me. That’s what my new friends at FuelEd, who have used their experience as researchers and therapist to help educators transform their relationships with students, did. They…

There's no doubt that applying for and getting grants is a key priority for your organization. Shavonn Richardson at Think and Ink Grant Consulting has made it her mission to help nonprofits, especially those who are serving diverse communities, to maximize their grant success. I got on the line with Shavonn to talk about the environment for grant …

We have a lot of work to do in diversifying our teams, and truly supporting professionals from diverse backgrounds. Nneka Allen, Co-editor and Author of Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love and Birgit Smith Burton from Georgia Tech joined the podcast to discuss this important topic. They’ve assembled the experiences of diverse professionals…

Diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice are important priorities for charitable organizations. Tanya Rumble and Mariya Yurukova are passionate about the topics of diversifying our fundraising teams, and our donor base. They come at the issue from different backgrounds, and with a wealth of experience in the non-profit world. They’ve been wr…

Kevin Collins, Associate Vice President and Assistant Athletics Director for athletics development at the University of Iowa is part of a fundraising family. And he's been engaging donors for decades across a wide range of institutions. We talked with Kevin about the incredible generosity of athletics donors, even when they can't see competitions o…

It’s one thing to talk about access to education, and it’s another thing to live it, to make transformative change for a diverse and global population of students. Tanya Ramos, CEO of of Pencils of Promise, is doing just that. I got her on the line to talk about the mission of Pencils of Promise, how they’ve supported the building of over 500 schoo…

In the face of tragedy, we all want to do something. That's the case for Susie Harder, a speech pathologist whose community was changed forever by the California wildfires. So, after she donated, she started on something new - to both help kids with the healing process and to raise more funds to support them. The result is the Junior Authors progra…

Fundraising is a challenging and rewarding profession. And it seems like some people are just born to it, that engaging donors and amplifying philanthropy just come naturally. That’s the case with Emily Collins here at RNL. She’s part of a fundraising family – and I got her on the line to talk about why she joined the field, how she mentors young p…

Shira and Jay Ruderman from the Ruderman Family Foundation join the podcast to talk about their efforts to advance a more inclusive society. The Ruderman Family Foundation has dedicated the past two decades to enhancing awareness of, and providing programming and services in, the field of disability inclusion. And they are growing to support more n…

2020 was a challenging year for all of us. But there were also opportunities brought about from the shifts we all made in the pandemic, and Pamela Barden recently wrote: it's time to stop complaining and get back to serving donors. In this podcast, we explore what fundraisers can be doing proactively to provide great donor service, even when we can…

Chris Collins, Vice President for Development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, talks about engaging donors during the COVID pandemic, the impact of generous gifts to fuel vaccine research, and what's special about working to support a higher education and healthcare partnership.

Engaging mega-donors is key to any campaign, and to the long-term future of your organization. Russ Hodge, CEO and Founder of the Hodge Group says focusing on the right prospects, listening to their passions, and connecting with their key influencers is important. It can unlock something he calls "hyper philanthropy." Here's our conversation about …

As fundraising leaders, we have an important commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in how we channel philanthropy. The national focus on social justice has caused many of us to think critically about where the money comes from, where it's going, and how our actions as leaders build an environment for inclusion with both donors and the recip…

Americans are generous, but who wants to give of their time and who wants to give money? What are the similarities of those that give one or both? What are the differences? And how can nonprofit organizations engage them? Newport One, along with some other top industry experts, surveyed over 2,000 donors prior to the pandemic, and gained some insig…

Telling your organization's story - and your personal story, is key to connecting with supporters. Who could be better to help us do that then a former standup comedian turned professional storytelling consultant for major non-profits? Carlos Maestas, Founder & Chief Storysmith @ Key Ideas, and author of Mommy Lied to God joins the podcast to talk …

Investing in your students, while they are still on campus, is crucial to your advancement mission. Research tells us that philanthropy is a learned behavior, and your students also have a lot to offer in engaging donors directly and authentically. Jessica Elmore is Associate Director of Diversity Programs for the Kansas State University Alumni Ass…

Can we raise money in this challenging time? Well, many of our bigger donors have more cash right now, quite a few have seen investments balloon, and the need is very great. Gail Perry spends her time helping fundraisers and non-profit leaders. And she thinks we should look at it differently. It's not about a better "pitch." Sometimes, we just need…

Heard about remote engagement, P2P Texting, artificial intelligence, and visual caller ID and wondering how they work? Interested in the latest in crowdfunding, giving days? We've got something great for you. Coming up on Sept. 17-18, we're hosting the RNL Advancement Innovation Summit, free and online. Part of the event is something we call Key In…

Planned giving is crucial to securing the long-term future of your organization. But to many fundraisers, it's mysterious, scary and something they shy away from. Lori Kranczer from Everyday Planned Giving unpacks why fundraisers shouldn't be afraid of planned giving, and how to work gift planning into just about every conversation. We also talk ab…

If you're running a non-profit or a fundraising program, you're a juggler. Keeping all the balls in the air is tough, and only tougher in times of crisis. Sarah Olivieri at PivotGround knows this, and she's created a system that helps leaders find confidence, clarity and create the same in supporters. Check out our conversation to hear more. Sarah …

I’m excited to bring back on today’s episode Brady Josephson, managing director of the NextAfter institute. He spends his days conducting experiments, tests and looking deep into the data of donor response to see how we can do a better job communicating with and spurring action from our supporters. We cover what he's seeing as organizations reach o…

Have you harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to personalize your communications to donors and supporters, based on what you can see they actually care about? Not too many fundraising shops have, and this is a huge miss. Our RNL QuadWrangle experts, Solomon Grey and Peter Caron, join this episode to talk about the power of AI-driven commu…

Video rules in today’s communication landscape. Whether it’s powerful video for a campaign launch, educational video to help boost awareness of what you’re doing, or even personal videos we can now make and deliver quickly to supporters, fundraisers and non profits need a strong video strategy. We’re in a world where Tik Tok and YouTube are the pri…

It’s a remarkable time for healthcare philanthropy. Every day, our healthcare heroes are on the front lines of the COVID -19 pandemic. And donors of all sizes are stepping up to support them. This virus impacts entire communities, and philanthropy is part of what is going to get us through this. We wanted to hear what it’s like to be in the middle …

In a world where we compete with spammers, scammers, and all kinds of causes contacting our supporters, it's become harder to get donors to pick up the phone. Great new solutions, including advanced whitelisting of numbers and visual caller ID can really help. You now have the ability for your organization's logo and even a call to action display o…

We're changing things up a little bit here on the podcast. On this episode we hear from Emma Gawor and Sofia Bermejo, two daughters of RNL parents who had their college lives totally changed as their campuses responded to COVID-19. They're highly connected to their friends, they communicate at light speed, and they have a lot of insights on how thi…

RNL's Autumn Horton and Brian Cass unveil the new way we're talking about and thinking about students who can now make contact via expanded, integrated methods like P2P texting, personalized video, and are doing much more than annual giving outreach. It's time to retire the term "student caller" and take our donor engagement to the next level! Find…

How do you reach the right donor at the right time with the right message? Advanced, predictive and prescriptive analytics can help you do that. Harnessing the data you have, with data available out there in the world can help you maximize your ROI, and provide a better donor experience. Don't worry if it sounds confusing - RNL's Josh Robertson bre…

Communicating with supporters about social change initiatives takes planning, investment, and careful use of resources. Vanessa Wakeman, futurist, acclaimed speaker and CEO of the Wakeman Agency knows this. She's helping amplify the voices of mission-driven causes and the people that lead them every day. We talked with Vanessa about how to organize…

We’ve launched something big here at RNL. The RNL Digital Engagement Center combines advanced predictive analytics with calling, texting, personalized video and integrated email to create the first ever omnichannel solution that continues to leverage your engagement ambassadors to connect personally with donors. We've done this successfully for dec…

Making a strategic plan for your donor outreach that encompasses all levels of donors is really important. With resources tightening, that strategy has high stakes now more than ever. Our RNL consultants have been working on a daily basis with partners facing these challenges. One of them is Jay Finney, who has been doing this for decades across a …

Making sure your books are clean, and that you can account for how gift resources were driven to your cause is a key part of engaging donors. We talk with with Tosha Anderson, founder of the Charity CFO, about what good non-profit and charitable accounting looks like, how it's more than just numbers, and how we can best serve supporters who want tr…

Pressure in higher education advancement offices is high right now. In part from the economy and how tough it is for many donors. And in part because the double whammy of economic issues and real enrollment concerns amidst this crisis are causing institutions to evaluate budgets. Motivating your team, especially when you can’t be with them physical…

On this episode, Shaun Keister, Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations at the University of California, Davis talks to us just a few days before their annual giving day. We discuss maintaining relationship with donors amidst the COVID-19 crisis, how donors are responding, and what we've learned from previous financial crises.…

Matching gifts can increase an annual giving total in the range of 10% and also can really help boost major gifts. But it’s a challenging time right now. I was wondering, are companies pulling back on this support during the challenges of this health crisis and economic slowdown? Teddy Callow at HEPData reports that corporate social responsibility …

As we navigate uncertain times, a big question has arisen for many higher education fundraisers: What do we do with our spring or summer giving day? About half of higher education giving days are held between February and June, and they've really taken off in popularity. Many institutions rely on them for end of the year excitement, and to meet the…