Raise & Engage: A Filters-off Podcast Series For Nonprofits

How has the future of social good changed since COVID? Much of the answer has to do with how the pandemic impacted leaders in the nonprofit sector. Here to talk about it is Marc A. Pitman, founder and CEO of Concord Leadership Group. Listen in to hear what Marc has to say about the effects of uncertainty on nonprofit leadership, what needs to be left behind as leaders and organizations move forward, and what isn’t coming back post-pandemic.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: What leaders need to understand about where we are now The effects of uncertainty on nonprofit leadership Areas that need to be left behind in order to move forward Letting donors make decisions for themselves Fundraising without big events   Resources: Marc A. Pitman Blackbaud Institute npEXPERTS 2021 eBook The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be by Marc A. Pitman   Quotes:  “Anytime we start taking over the decision-making for someone else, we’re robbing t

Inclusivity matters. Diversity makes organizations stronger and better. So how do social good organizations engage donors of color? Joining the podcast today to talk about this issue are Brenda Asare, President and CEO of The Alford Group, and JoAnn Yoshimoto, Senior Consultant at The Alford Group. Listen to today’s show to hear what they have to say about why it’s important to engage donors of color, how to build trust with donors of color, and what you need to think about to understand different types of donors.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Brenda’s background JoAnn’s background Why engaging donors of color is so important How to build trust with donors of color Understanding different donors What suggests hope for the future Examples of how organizations are doing it right What organizations can do to get started Where listeners can get more information   Resources: Brenda B. Asare JoAnn Yoshimoto The Alford Group The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy AFP   Quotes: 

The past year or so has changed things, including how organizations reach their goals and how they think about their employees. Here to talk about some of these changes is Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, Managing Director, Corporate Strategy & Impact, CECP. Listen in to hear what Kari has to say about what companies have learned in the past year and a half, how CECP started their journey to racial equity and inclusion, and how they’re supporting other companies along this path.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Who Kari is and what she does What companies have learned from the past year and a half CECP’s racial equity and inclusion journey over the last four years Understanding frontline needs and employee wellbeing What ESG means to different companies How CEOs can stand up for what’s right Studies and reports that listeners can learn more about   Resources: Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas CECP Global Impact at Scale Report CECP Reports CECP Pulse Surveys Giving in Numbers Investing in Society Value Volunteer

Systems make up the circumstances we live in, so changing the systems can change the circumstances. But how can you make systems change? And how can social good organizations that share common causes come together to make systems change? Today’s guest is Dr. Sally Uren, CEO of Forum of the Future. In today’s episode, she’ll explain what systems change is and why it’s needed, how organizations can come together to make it happen, and how those organizations can measure their impact. Listen in to learn more about Sally, Forum of the Future, and the importance of systems change to address global challenges.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Dr. Uren's work at Forum of the Future Defining systems change Why are systems changes important in solving big problems How organizations that share a common interest can come together How to tell when progress is actually happening Pitfalls in measurement How an organization can measure its impact on systems change Why taking a systems change lens can speed up the j

The story of philanthropy as multi-cultural people experience it is not being told. Today’s guest, Dr. Tashion Macon, is setting out to change the narrative and add nuance and truth to help evolve the philanthropy sector. Dr. Macon is the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Branding and Social Justice Strategy at Bridge Philanthropic Consulting. Listen in to learn more about what Bridge Philanthropic Consulting does, who the pioneers of African American and Hispanic American philanthropy are, and how organizations can adopt a more diverse approach in their fundraising strategies.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Tashion Macon’s background About Bridge Philanthropic Consulting Why Bridge launched the Iconic Impact Series The history of African Americans and Hispanic Americans as philanthropic leaders Philanthropists across pop culture platforms Advice for organizations that want to adopt a more diverse approach to fundraising strategies Where listeners can learn more What makes Dr. Macon hopeful &nbs

Protecting patient information is critical. But it is a delicate balance between minimizing a healthcare organization’s risk and enabling development staff to raise mission-critical funds. In this episode Marti Arvin, Executive Advisor at CynergisTek, joins Blackbaud’s Liza Turcotte for a candid discussion on working together to create this appropriate balance.    Topics Discussed in This Episode: Compliance officer’s viewpoint on sharing patient data Grateful patient programs Creating a balance between data needed and wanted Expectations for the development team related to patient information Ideas for working together as a team DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this podcast is intended to be legal advice—please consult your organization’s own legal counsel.  Resources: Marti Arvin White Paper: HIPAA and Fundraising: Understanding the Regulations, Roles, and Compliance   Quotes:  “The risk appetite of the organization is something that’s up to senior leadership.” “As long as

High donor attrition is a fact of life for fundraisers—even those who excel at donor retention. To grow revenue, social good organizations must attract a steady stream of new donors each year to replace those that will be lost. However, your organization likely has supporters who, despite a lack of giving history, have engaged with you in some way in the past. In today’s episode, Brooke Hansel, Nonprofit Principal Solutions Marketer at Blackbaud, discusses the challenges associated with acquisition, how to determine which supporters to steward, and the practical steps you can take to establish a more streamlined process for converting your supporters into donors.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Donor acquisition growth in 2020 The importance of diversifying revenue Multi-year donor retention vs. first-year donor retention Talking about acquisition in the context of retaining the donors Understanding donor acquisition cost How to acquire donors efficiently Wealth screening tools What to consider in a

What’s the difference between fundraising and raising money? Many people may think of successful fundraising as simply getting donations, but that definition leaves out another important element: engaging smaller or future donors. Some may not be able to give large gifts, but they can still become an important source of support for an organization. Listen in to today’s episode to hear Melissa Rancour, principal instructional designer for Blackbaud University, talk about what social good organizations can do to get others invested and talking about their cause, the effect this has on donor retention, and how it can reduce donor remorse. Topics Discussed in This Episode: What successful fundraising is The focus on donating money and getting money donations How to think about retention Thinking about the “why” Getting others invested in and talking about your cause Long-term impact on donor retention Reducing donor’s remorse Getting started engaging younger supporters   Resources: Melissa Rancour Blackba

The last year has brought a lot of change and a lot of new learnings. And from healthcare to poverty to racial justice, social good organizations are looking to find new solutions that meaningfully impact these important issues. However, as with any big social impact initiatives, that will require that organizations embrace learning from the inevitable failures along the way. That’s why today we’re bringing back an episode from August 2019 featuring Kate Robinson, executive director of the documentary film Failing Forward: On the Road to Social Impact. Kate talked to host Steve MacLaughlin about how nonprofits and other social good organizations can use failure to make a bigger impact. Listen to the episode to hear what Kate Robinson has to say about learning culture, the questions that organizations should be asking to improve programs, and what role funders play in the process of failure and learning. Topics Discussed in This Episode: The purpose of Kate’s documentary, Failing Forward: On the Road to

There’s always something that can throw your organization’s budget off track. Some crises are worse than others – the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, for example, brought completely unforeseen challenges – but even if internal or external factors don’t rise to that level, you can count on some type of shift. Today’s episode covers how to prepare for budget shifts so you are ready when they come. Listen in to hear Mary Aquino and Melissa Rancour from Blackbaud University talk about how to identify potential causes of budget changes, understanding the legal process for budget shifts, and anticipating and handling fundraising impacts.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: How COVID-19 impacted budgets and how organizations responded Causes of budget variance The legal obligations that organizations have for using donations Education about restricted and endowment funds Documenting the budget process Questions to ask yourself to get your policy documented   Resources: Mary Aquino Melissa Rancour Webinar: Kee

Relationships are everything. While networking may be a buzzword, intentionally building a community and making deep and meaningful connections can have vast positive professional impacts. But how do you get started? Today’s guest has answers. Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of the new book The Lost Art of Connecting, joins the podcast to talk about how she became such a prolific networker, the differences between networking and connecting, and the steps to take to build a network of meaningful connections.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Susan became such a prolific networker The differences between networking and meaningful connections The key to building a successful network of connections Following the gather-ask-do method of building meaningful business connections Work that people need to do themselves before they can build deep connections How building deep connections can help an organization or company grow Where to learn more   Resources: Susan

For decades, fundraisers have been trying to understand some of the differences in philanthropic giving between men and women. And, while much remains to be studied regarding same-sex families, women in heterosexual households have increasing financial power. It is a crucial element in understanding decision-making about giving across households. In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about that process as you listen to Jeannie Sager and Jaquie Ackerman of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, part of the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, talk about this year’s Women Give report. They explain what they were hoping to understand from the research, how it compares to previous years, and how the conversations couples have about philanthropy can affect their giving.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: The history of research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute The focus of the Women Give 2021 report What the Women’s Philanthropy Institute was hoping to understand from the research The cha

This episode was originally published in September 2019.  As a charitable organization, how can you leverage the popularity of live streaming to fundraise? How do you find a live streamer to pair up with? And how can you build and have a successful relationship with live streamers? Today’s episode features Alyssa Sweetman, the Charity Program Manager at Twitch. Tune in to hear her talk to Roz Lemieux, director of Blackbaud Labs, about how nonprofits and other social good organizations can work with live streamers, also known as content creators, to raise money on live streaming platforms. Topics Discussed in this Episode: What is Twitch? Who is a content creator? How to get started with partnering with a live streamer, or content creator The kind of support or assets organizations should plan to provide content creators to build relationships and aid them in fundraising What makes for a good impact statement? How live streamers make nonprofit content engaging for viewers The most interesting fundraising

Today’s guest has a mission, and that mission is to teach the people who are doing good how to get noticed by using their words. Erica Mills Barnhart is the CEO of Claxon Marketing, and she joins the podcast today to discuss what people in the social good community need to be saying in order to get noticed in a good way. Listen in to hear Erica discuss why a social good organization needs an elevator pitch, the biggest mistakes that she sees, and how nouns and verbs need to be used in a mission statement. You’ll also learn how to craft an effective elevator pitch for your organization.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Erica’s background and professional focus What an elevator pitch is and why social good organizations need one The biggest mistakes Erica sees in elevator pitches How deep you get into the mission before you get to the how The size correlation Improving your mission statement How to use nouns and verbs in the mission statement Where the elevator pitch starts Resources for listeners &nb

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Joanne Pasternack, president & chief impact officer at Oliver+Rose and creator of Athletes’ Voices, about her work with athletes who want to engage in philanthropy. Listen in to hear about how Joanne is helping athletes and examples of athlete stories that she is particularly proud of.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Joanne helps athletes engage with the causes they care about What Athletes’ Voices does Examples of athletes’ philanthropic actions that Joanne is really proud of How people can find out more about Athletes’ Voices   Resources: Joanne Paternack Athletes’ Voices Athletes’ Voices webinars   Quotes:  “We are based on the philosophy that athletes could and should and can speak up on any issue that’s of interest to them.” “In truth, there’s nobody better you could hire than somebody who’s been through everything and has worked over the barriers that have been in their way.” “You might have kicked the own goal. But, like, what are y

We already relied on technology to communicate before the pandemic, but over the past year we’ve become even more dependent on video and digital communications to live and work. So, how can you make use of the tech you need to navigate the world without succumbing to burnout? Today’s episode features mindfulness expert Meico Marquette Whitlock in an excerpt from the sgENGAGE Rethinking Change webinar series. Listen in to hear Meico explains how distractions impact us and how to make space for mindfulness and intentionality to avoid burnout.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: How distractions impact our lives Spending mental energy bridging the technology gap The effects of trying to do multiple things at once How the time you’re spending online has changed Why slowing down helps Mindfully engaging with devices Reclaiming our lives   Resources: Meico Marquette Whitlock The Mindful Techie 7 Steps for Mastering the Art of Work/Life Balance in a Digital World Starter Kit Webinar: Why Technology is Ru

The last year has taught us that change is the only constant - however, that makes it difficult to stick to a traditional 3-year or 5-year strategic plan. So, how can social good organizations plan in a way that allows for change? Here to talk about why adaptive strategy is the new strategic plan is Steve Strang, senior consultant and practice director at Spectrum Nonprofit Services. Listen in to hear what Steve has to say about what an adaptive strategy is, what it looks like when organizations implement an adaptive strategy, and how to get started.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: What adaptive strategy is Why organizations decide to make the shift from the traditional strategic plan to adaptive strategy Benefits of shifting to an adaptive strategy How adopting adaptive strategy can better engage board members The two steps for implementing adaptive strategy What adaptive strategy looks like in action How to influence stakeholders to buy in to implementing adaptive strategy Steps for getting your o

Database administrators (also commonly called database managers, DBAs or DBMs) are often operating behind the scenes, outside of the spotlight. However, DBAs are critical team members and it’s important they promote their value within their organizations. That’s what today’s host and guests are here to discuss. Listen in as guest host Ashley Sweeney, Technical Solutions Engineer for Blackbaud talks to Sunshine Watson, Donor Database Manager for Valleywise Health Foundation, and Carlene Johnson, Database Administrator for BC High, about how they shine as DBAs and make sure their value is recognized. They also discuss the importance of networking and continuing education.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: How Sunshine and Carlene shine as DBAs Helping others understand what you do and how you help them Making sure you have a seat at the table Tips for showing your value to leadership Making the case for professional development to your manager The value of networking and user groups   Resources: S

Everyone knows about Giving Tuesday, but it’s not the only giving day out there. At this point, a lot of organizations are running their own giving days that have become a part of their regular giving and fundraising programs. Today’s guests, Kelly Cortes of St. Joseph’s College, New York, and Jeffrey Starrett, of Pine Crest School, join the podcast today to talk about how their organizations gave implemented these giving days and what lessons they’ve learned from their giving days.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Why Kelly’s org decided to have a giving day Why Pine Crest School began doing giving days How Jeffrey dealt with resistance to the giving day plan Lessons that Kelly has learned from her first few giving days How the giving days are approached at Jeffrey’s school What was different about giving days in 2020 Feedback about shifting to text and email from phone calls Feedback about the use of giving days   Resources: Kelly Cortes Jeffrey Starrett 5 Tips for Successful Online Giving Da

Sometimes, change is hard – especially when it seems that there isn’t enough money or other resources to accomplish your organization’s mission. However, by adopting the right mindset, social change leaders can begin to attract more support. That’s where today’s guest comes in. Nell Edgington is the president of Social Velocity, a management consulting firm for nonprofit organizations, and the author of Reinventing Social Change: Embrace Abundance to Create a Healthier and More Equitable World. She joins the podcast today to discuss moving from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset and what that looks like for social good organizations. Listen in to hear what Nell has to say about why there’s a scarcity mindset in social good organizations, what to do to move to an abundance mindset, and how social change leaders can bring others along into their abundance mindset.   Topics Discussed in This Episode: Why the way we do social change is broken Why a scarcity mindset is happening How the way leaders a