Let's Talk Fundraising

Resolutions fail because they demand perfection. What if there’s a better way to grow in 2025? Here’s the truth: most resolutions don’t make it past January. You miss a day, fall short, and suddenly, it feels like you’ve failed. Sound familiar? But success—whether in life or fundraising—doesn’t come from all-or-nothing extremes. It comes from progress. Small, intentional steps forward, repeated consistently over time. That’s where the magic happens. This year, I’m embracing a new approach: choosing a Word of the Year. It’s not a resolution. It’s not a list of to-dos. It’s a single word that becomes your guide, your anchor, and your focus for the year. For me, that word is consistent. Consistent in showing up for my goals. Consistent in serving my donors. Consistent in delivering value to you. What’s your word for 2025? In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Fundraising, I share how you can move beyond resolutions and set intentional goals that actually stick. 🎧 Plus, I reveal how this mindset is shaping my year—and how it can transform your fundraising and your life. Catch a sneak peek of the episode below. Listen now on your favorite platform: 👉 Listen now on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/g4Ccfjkd 👉 Listen now on Spotify https://lnkd.in/gVyX2cyP Let’s make 2025 the year we stop chasing perfection and start building momentum. What’s your Word of the Year? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear it! 🎯

🎄 Holiday Break Announcement 🎄 The Let’s Talk Fundraising podcast is taking a little break for the rest of the year to rest, recharge, and enjoy the season. To all you ambitious fundraisers out there who are closing out year-end campaigns—your hard work is making a difference. I see you, I celebrate you, and I hope you find a moment to sip some cocoa, soak in the season, and maybe even sneak in a little well-deserved rest. We’ll be back in January with fresh episodes to kick off 2025, including topics like building stronger boards and creating employee wellness programs to prevent burnout (because let’s face it, we all need it). In the meantime, you can: 🌟 Join the Let’s Talk Fundraising newsletter for insights, tips, and resources at https://lnkd.in/g-cihbSE 🌟 Catch up on previous episodes on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 🌟 Catch up on previous episodes on Spotify https://lnkd.in/gr8_4p_r Wishing you a joyful, peaceful, and love-filled holiday season. See you in the New Year, Ambitious Fundraisers! 🎉 #Fundraising #NonprofitLeadership #HappyHolidays #LetsTalkFundraising

What if AI could save you hours and make your fundraising even more impactful? Two years ago, AI felt like a threat—job loss, less human connection, and worries about authenticity. Today, it’s a game-changer for fundraisers who want to save time, streamline their work, and focus on what really matters: building donor relationships and driving impact. In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Fundraising, we explore how you can use AI to: 🎯Quickly create donor appeals and social media posts that reflect your mission. 🎯Repurpose stories across channels, keeping your messaging consistent and impactful. 🎯Ethically integrate AI while maintaining trust with your donors. AI isn’t here to take over our job. It’s here to make our job easier—and give you the freedom to focus on your biggest goals. Discover how to make AI work for you: 👉 Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 👉 Spotify https://lnkd.in/gvjx2hyC What’s one way AI could make your life easier? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

🌟 Do you find being authentic at work a struggle? It’s tough when workplace norms push conformity over individuality. So, how do you lead authentically without compromising your organization’s values? 🤔 I explored this question with Lasha Murray, founder of The Unapologetic Leadership Coach, on the latest Let's Talk Fundraising podcast. Lasha shared her BANG framework, a game-changer for leaders: 🤝✨ Cultivate Belonging so your team feels seen and valued. 🌟💬 Foster an Authentic culture where true selves shine. 🔗🤝 Build genuine connections through Networking. 🌱📈 Focus on Growth for your team and yourself. A highlight? Lasha shared how one supportive leader changed her career by creating space for her to be herself. It only takes one person, one conversation, to change everything. 🎧Listen now on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 🎧Listen now on Spotify https://lnkd.in/gKWqcdx7 How do you encourage authenticity in your team? 💬 Let’s discuss in the comments!

🚀 Ready to elevate your nonprofit's messaging? Imagine having an AI tool that’s tailored to your mission—creating copy that speaks with the same passion, warmth, and authenticity as your team! With AI Powered Copywriter, you’ll learn to build a CustomGPT that understands your nonprofit’s unique voice. No more bland, robotic writing—just consistent, mission-driven messaging that resonates. And here’s the best part: Sign up this week and get 25% off with early-bird code READY25! Offer ends soon, so don’t wait! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gMPt8_Rh

Ever been in a job interview that was going perfectly... until it wasn't? 😬 A good friend of mine was interviewing for a new fundraising role. The organization was a perfect fit—the mission, the values, everything. Then, during the final round, the CEO asks: "So, which donors are you bringing with you?" Ouch. My friend gave a thoughtful response: “I’ll build relationships with your existing donor base, find new connections that align with your mission.” But that wasn’t enough for the CEO. What they really wanted was a list of names and exact dollar amounts. A quick win. A guarantee. But here’s the thing: Donors aren’t chess pieces to be moved from one board to another. ♟️ Fundraising is about building authentic relationships based on shared values—not using donor connections as bargaining chips. That conversation? It sparked a deep dive into how we, as fundraisers, walk a fine line between ethical stewardship and relationship-building. 🚫 So how do you navigate the pressure to "bring donors with you" when you move to a new organization? 💡 How do you protect the integrity of your donor relationships *and* the mission you’re representing? In my latest episode of Let’s Talk Fundraising, we explore these tough questions and talk about setting boundaries that protect both the organization and the donor. If you’ve ever felt torn between short-term metrics and long-term relationships, this one’s for you. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 🎧 Listen now on Spotify https://lnkd.in/gQZZW4xC Let’s keep the conversation going—what would you have said to that CEO? 🤔

🎤 Imagine this: You're sitting in a packed room, all eyes on the speaker... then suddenly, the speaker hands you the microphone and asks you to sing in front of 200 people. 😱 Heart racing, palms sweating, and every instinct screaming, "No way!" But here's the thing—you step up anyway. You start singing, off-key, nervous as heck, but you’re doing it. Sound terrifying? Maybe. But the courage to show up when it’s uncomfortable is what truly transforms us. Just like fundraising. 💡 Fundraising is about courage, but not in the way you think. It’s about stepping up—over and over again—when the fear of rejection is real. It’s about putting your heart out there for a mission bigger than yourself. 👇 In this episode, I dive deep into the emotional rollercoaster of fundraising, the courage it takes to face fear, and how to embrace those off-key moments that push us forward. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 🎧 Listen on Spotify https://lnkd.in/g9hGrpzT 🌱 If you’ve ever faced fear in your fundraising career (or life), share your moment of courage below. Because courage doesn’t mean the fear goes away—it means you step up anyway. #Fundraising #Courage #LetsTalkFundraising #NonprofitLeadership #PersonalGrowth

Excited to be participating in the AFP Leadership Institute next week. It’s such an incredible group of nonprofit leaders coming together to learn, grow, and challenge each other to be better tomorrow than we are today!

Have you ever walked into a donor meeting and felt the tension in the room because of politics? 😬 It’s election season, and the political divide is wider than ever. But what if I told you there’s a way to bridge that divide and stay focused on your mission? 🌉 In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Fundraising, I sit down with Dawn Strauss, Director of Development at Braver Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together across political lines. Dawn’s approach to fundraising in this climate is nothing short of inspiring—finding common ground where it feels impossible. She shared real, practical tips on how to navigate tough conversations with donors, even when political views seem to threaten everything. If you’ve been feeling the weight of today’s polarized world, this episode is for you. 🎙️ 🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/gQ2i9myh 🎧Listen on Spotify https://lnkd.in/g4Fqcw84 Because at the end of the day, we’re all here for one thing: impact. 💪

🎉 We just hit 500 downloads of our podcast! Thank you to everyone who has tuned in and supported us along the way! 🙌 One of the coolest things has been building an international audience with regular listeners from Germany, Sweden, Kenya, Lebanon, Canada, Israel, and more countries joining in! 🌍 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gN9E59Xr 🎧 Listen on Spotify https://lnkd.in/g9bPJ6Tx Your support means the world to us—stay tuned for more amazing content! 🚀