Purpose & Profit Club® – The Nonprofit Fundraising & Marketing Podcast

Mars Sailors joined my coaching program, The Purpose & Profit Club®, as a graphic designer and marketing manager, not a fundraiser. The work already included telling the story of The Source LGBT+ Center across communications, social media, and email. What changed was learning how to connect those dots to donors. In this conversation, Mars shares how that mindset shift turned into a first full SPRINT™ campaign: a Give Out Day fundraiser that raised $16,000 , exceeded a $15K goal, included a $5,000 match , and brought in 100+ donors . Mars also shares the story behind the Build to Belong capital campaign, which has raised nearly $700,000 toward a $1 million Phase One goal to secure a permanent home for LGBTQ+ people in California’s Central Valley. This one is for every communicator, designer, or marketing manager who’s been handed fundraising responsibilities and isn’t sure they belong there. You do. Topics: How Mars reframed fundraising as a communications discipline , and why the stories he was already telling were halfway to a donor ask The Give Out Day campaign: a $5K match, 100+ donors, and exceeding a $15K goal with a campaign built around "Pride doesn't end in June" What it felt like to send that last email and have two donors independently close the $1,000 gap at the same time The Build to Belong capital campaign: $700K raised, a campus purchased, and belonging framed as infrastructure Fundraising in a politically turbulent climate , and why The Source doubles down instead of going dark Being named a PR Daily finalist alongside Make-A-Wish, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and MD Anderson For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Most established nonprofits aren't stuck because they're not working hard enough. They're stuck because they run fundraising like separate projects, not one connected operation. In this episode, I walk through seven signs your fundraising isn't compounding, why that disconnection is the slowest path to millions, and why it's also the fastest path to burnout. I also share what one client did differently that led to $50,000 more across their digital campaigns (no new channels, no additional budget). The only change was connecting their communications strategy to their fundraising. If you have the pieces and they're still not working together the way they should, this one is for you. Topics: Why fundraising runs like separate projects (not one connected operation) creates a revenue ceiling even for established organizations How adding more channels, events, and campaigns without optimizing what already exists keeps organizations stuck at the same level Why isolated wins don't compound, and what a repeatable, buildable result actually looks like The hidden cost of hiring execution before shared strategy is in place What the compounding path actually looks like, and how one client raised $50K more simply by connecting their communications to their fundraising Why the slowest path to millions is also the fastest path to burnout , and how to break the cycle For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What happens when a former midnight-shift postal worker with zero nonprofit background builds a health organization by ignoring every rule she never bothered to read? In this episode, I sit down with Kathy Ruiz-Carter, co-founder and Executive Director of the Lichen Sclerosus Support Network, for one of the most energizing client spotlight conversations I've recorded. Kathy sent 33 emails for her sixth annual summit, kept unsubscribes under 1%, and nearly doubled revenue to $29K with the exact same audience as the year before. Her organization has grown 30-50% year over year. She raised $1,000 in seven minutes from a single emergency email. And she built all of it while working solo, serving a community that deals with a deeply personal and stigmatized health condition. We dig into how she thinks about email as a daily conversation rather than a campaign tool, why she stopped feeling guilty about asking her patients to donate, how AI collapsed her timeline and dramatically changed her results, and why leaving the nonprofit marketing rulebook behind was the best thing she never did. P.S. If you're ready to grow the way Kathy has, The Purpose & Profit Club® is where we do this work together. Go to splendidatl.com/start to learn more. Topics: From monthly newsletter to daily emails : why more frequency means more revenue , not more unsubscribes Asking patients and service recipients to be donors , and why the guilt around this is costing organizations real money How AI collapsed her summit timeline and helped her go from $16K to $29K with the same audience Why radical financial transparency builds more donor trust than any campaign strategy The e-commerce and customer service mindset that outperformed the nonprofit playbook every time The emergency email that raised $1,000 in seven minutes, and what it proves about community trust For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Most nonprofit founders and leaders think DIYing their fundraising is the responsible choice. It feels like smart budgeting and being resourceful, but it quietly costs the organization more than any support ever would. In this episode, I share why free fundraising advice, AI-generated campaigns, and trial-and-error in front of donors aren't savings; they're expenses that never appear on a budget line. I walk through what DIY fundraising actually costs in time, momentum, donor relationships, and delayed campaigns, and share stories from clients like Mary who went from raising just $3,000 in her year-end to multi-five-figures with one change. You’ll hear about Sophia and Jamie who canceled a gala and raised $20,000 in one simple online campaign, and why investing in a proven system is the fastest path to your first $250K, $500K, and beyond in unrestricted individual donations. Topics: Why DIY fundraising costs more than it saves: in time, donor relationships, and revenue never raised The "we can't afford support" loop and why it keeps organizations stuck at the same funding level year after year Why AI is making it easier to produce more mediocre fundraising , not better fundraising Mary's story: from a $3K year-end campaign to $12K after joining The SPRINT Method™ Why my clients canceled a gala , raised $20K in weeks, with less work, less overhead, and a lot more fun What investing in a fundraising system actually gives you: accountability, community, expert feedback, and a repeatable process For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Dina Besic started Maxwell's Toy Box because her two-year-old son Max wanted a train table in his oncology playroom. Three years later, while working a demanding full-time corporate job, raising two kids, and navigating Max's cancer treatment, she built an organization that has supported over 5,000 children, donated $9,100 directly to families, delivered 8,500 toys, and created 4,064 joy packages for children receiving chemotherapy… and she doubled her fundraising year over year with the support of The SPRINT Method™. In this episode, Dina shares how she got out of her own way, moved from begging friends and family to running peer-to-peer campaigns and securing corporate sponsorships, and shifted her donors from giving physical toys to unrestricted cash donations. We also talk about the identity shift that changed everything, and what she would tell the version of herself who was terrified to ask. Topics: How 108 donated toys grew into an organization serving thousands of children and families Moving supporters from donating physical toys to giving dollars the organization can put to work How peer-to-peer fundraising opened the door to corporate sponsorships and new donor acquisition Getting out of draft mode when you’re the founder, fundraiser, marketer, and decision-maker What doubling fundraising looks like when you have a full-time job, two kids, and a nonprofit to run For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Most nonprofit leaders don't have a strategy problem. They have a complexity problem. In this episode, I'm breaking down the 5 signs your fundraising campaign has gotten too complicated to actually launch, and what to do instead. From planning that never ends, to waiting for the perfect story, to campaigns so exhausting that nobody wants to do them again, these are the patterns I see most often in small and solo-led organizations (and every single one of them is fixable!). If your campaigns feel like a production, if your board needs to approve every subject line, or if the last fundraiser left your team too tired to run another one, this episode will show you exactly what's getting in the way and how to get out of your own way before year-end arrives. Topics: Why planning can quietly replace actual fundraising What happens when you build the graphics before the message is clear How too many opinions weaken the campaign Why waiting for the perfect story keeps you stuck The sign that your campaign is too exhausting to repeat For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

I recently spent a full day with one of the healthiest nonprofit boards I've ever seen, spread across the country, meeting mostly virtually, with 100% attendance, full fundraising participation, and zero circular conversations. And by the end of the day, I realized there was one thing this executive director never once did. It's probably the thing you're doing the most. In this episode, I share 7 lessons from that experience that every nonprofit leader needs to hear: from how great board meetings start weeks before anyone arrives, to why connection isn't a nice-to-have but actual infrastructure, to the most common mistake executive directors make that quietly turns their board into their managers. If your board is disengaged, inconsistent, or draining more than it's building, this episode will show you exactly why and what to change starting today. Topics: Why great board meetings start weeks before the meeting, and what an impeccable board packet actually looks like How clear expectations create 100% attendance and real accountability, even across a fully virtual board The most expensive mistake executive directors make: training their board to manage them instead of leading with CEO energy Why not every board member's idea should become a strategy, and how to honor input without losing focus Why the connection between board members isn't a nice-to-have; it's the infrastructure that makes everything else work How fundraising becomes a culture , not a committee, and what "done" looks like on a high-performing board For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What does it look like when a nonprofit team thinks like a business, not a charity? In this episode, I sit down with the powerhouse team behind Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center: founder and CEO DiDi Ellis, Director of Development Erica Smith, and Donor Relations Manager Paige Thames. In 11 years, Kids Hub has grown from 1 paid employee to 21, from 1,300 square feet to nearly 7,000, and from grant-dependent to running one of the most creative individual donor programs I've heard of, including a Power of 100 Women giving circle that raised $149,000 this year alone. We dig into how they think about donor acquisition in a rural southern community, why the chicken plant became one of their sponsors, how they tell emotionally compelling stories without ever showing a child's face, and why Paige says fundraisers have the cushiest job in the building and should act like it. This conversation will change how you think about the ask. All of it. Topics: The Power of 100 Women giving circle: from $0 to $149K and how peer-to-peer became their #1 donor acquisition pipeline Why a chicken plant , a yeast company , and a paper mill are now sponsors, and the mindset that made the ask possible How to tell emotionally compelling stories when you can never show a child's face or share specific details Building donor relationships that go beyond the gift: volunteer days, feedback conversations, and year-round connection The relay race model: splitting donor acquisition and donor retention between two people with different gifts Why DiDi paid cash for a $680K renovation while still raising the money, and what that business mindset means for any nonprofit For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Most nonprofit leaders play it too safe . In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why a little “healthy delusion” might be the missing ingredient in your fundraising and leadership success. You’ll learn why being overly realistic can quietly cap your revenue potential, and how the right dose of ambitious, slightly unreasonable belief in your vision can get you into rooms, conversations, and opportunities you didn’t think were possible. This isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about expanding it. Topics: Defining “healthy delusion” : What it means and why it works for nonprofit leaders Breaking free from playing small: How being “too realistic” keeps you in the same lane year after year Why wait for evidence before acting slows your growth Real client wins sparked by leaning into healthy delusion How to test bigger asks, expand your network, and approach opportunities without self-disqualifying This is part two of a two-part mindset series we're re-releasing. For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Something is missing in your recipe for success. Not a tool. Not a strategy. But something deeper: your inner grit . This isn’t about hustling harder or pushing yourself until you burn out. It’s about the strength you draw on when you’re tired, when the campaign feels heavy, when the grant report is due, and when your to-do list is longer than your capacity. In this episode, I’m sharing why grit matters just as much as skill in fundraising, the mindset shifts that make it sustainable, and how to build your own reserve of inner strength so you can lead with clarity, joy, and resilience, even when the work gets hard. If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on fumes or questioning if you’ve got what it takes, this episode will remind you: you do . You just need to reconnect with it. Topics: Why inner grit is the missing ingredient in many nonprofit leaders’ success How grit differs from hustle culture (and why that matters) Practical ways to build mental and emotional resilience The connection between grit and long-term fundraising success Signs you’re running low on grit (and what to do about it) Why skill without grit leads to stalled progress How to rally yourself when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or uninspired This is part one of a two-part mindset series we're re-releasing. Listen to this, then go straight to Episode 207. For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What does it look like when a 35-year-old organization that has never fundraised decides to go all in on individual donors? In this special episode recorded live at GiveCon, I sit down with Penn Street, returning podcast guest, Development & Outreach Director at Aftersight, and host of The Blind Chick podcast. Penn walks us through Aftersight's transformation from a grant-only model to running successful sprint campaigns, including a $20K in 20 Days campaign that exceeded its goal and changed how the entire organization thinks about fundraising. We also dig into something most nonprofits completely overlook: accessibility as a revenue strategy. Penn makes the case that blind and low vision donors have money and want to give it to you, but your fundraising materials, events, and technology are making it impossible. Plus we talk about turning podcast audiences into email subscribers, using past guests as Social Street Team® members, and why your volunteer list might be the most underused donor pipeline in your organization. Topics: How Aftersight went from zero individual fundraising to exceeding its first $20K in 20 Days campaign goal Why your podcast guests, volunteers, and past event attendees are untapped donor pipelines Using lead magnets to move podcast listeners into your email list , and why that matters for campaigns Accessibility as a revenue strategy: what nonprofit events and emails are missing and what it's costing them The Social Street Team® method is applied to an organization with a national and international audience Live Q&A: lapsed donor strategy, CRM migration, and alt text for inclusive email storytelling For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What's the real difference between a donor who gives once and disappears and one who goes to bat for your organization in rooms you've never been in? In this conversation, I sit down with Jaz' Vick , Managing Director of Development at One Goal Georgia , a pastor, and one of the most genuinely gifted relationship builders I've ever met. We dig into what it actually means to fundraise from a place of connection instead of transaction, why assumptions about donor capacity destroy trust faster than almost anything else, and the simple habits that have made Jaz' one of the most effective development professionals in the sector. We also talk about what scared fundraising costs organizations, what great leadership actually looks like for a development team, and why the next generation of donors gives Jaz' so much hope for the future of philanthropy. This one is equal parts tactical and deeply human, and I think you'll feel it. Topics: Why transactional fundraising destroys donor trust, and what relationship-based fundraising actually looks like in practice The simple 10-second habit that has changed Jaz' donor relationships How to build deep donor relationships at scale without burning out Why assumptions about donor capacity are one of the fastest ways to breach trust What strong ED support looks like for a development team, and what it doesn't Scared money doesn't make money: how fear-based fundraising keeps organizations stuck in the same cycle For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Americans gave $592 billion to charity last year. That was a record year, in the same economy, in the same tumultuous climate, with the same donors everyone says are pulling back. So why does it feel so hard? In this special session recorded live, I break down the summer fundraising forecast and make the case for why right now (not September, not year-end) is the most wide-open fundraising opportunity of the year. I cover what's actually keeping organizations stuck (it's not donor fatigue, it's messaging), why 60% of nonprofits are fighting over 0.4% of grant money, and how to run a focused sprint campaign this summer that seeds your strongest year-end ever. Plus real client results, live Q&A, and details on how to work with me inside The SPRINT Method™ and The Purpose & Profit Club® . Topics: Why there is no generosity crisis , only a messaging and strategy crisis The summer fundraising opportunity most organizations completely miss Why 60% of nonprofits are fighting over 0.4% of grant money, and what to do instead Email as the foundational backbone of online fundraising , and why "it doesn't work" usually means the recipe was wrong Monthly giving as the most sustainable revenue stream, and why most organizations don't have enough monthly donors Sprint campaigns vs. endless soft asks , and why short, focused bursts beat marathon fundraising every time For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

There's a marketing concept that applies directly to how nonprofits fundraise: some messages are painkillers, and some are vitamins. Painkillers solve immediate problems: urgent, scarce, make-or-break. Vitamins build something sustainable: aspirational, visionary, long-term. Most nonprofits accidentally built their entire fundraising strategy around one extreme or the other, and both extremes are costing them donors. In this episode, I break down the difference between painkiller and vitamin fundraising, when each one belongs in your strategy, and what happens when you overuse either. I also dig into the dangerous gray zone I call vague vitamin messaging, content that sounds nice, means nothing, and converts nobody. If your campaigns are flatlining, your donors are churning, or your monthly giving program isn't growing, this episode will show you exactly why and what to do instead. Topics: The painkiller vs. vitamin fundraising framework , and why most organizations are stuck in one extreme Why chronic panic messaging trains donors to churn, distrust, and disappear What vague vitamin messaging looks like, and why it's just as dangerous as over-urgency How the Chicks for Change campaign hit 115% of its goal in under two weeks using a pure vitamin strategy Why monthly giving is the ultimate vitamin , and what a small monthly donor program signals about your messaging How to balance both painkiller and vitamin in a sustainable fundraising calendar For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What does it look like to fundraise tens of thousands of dollars before a single wall is built? In this episode, I sit down with Louise Henry , founder of Tim's Club , a nonprofit community space in Panama being built from scratch to support individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. Inspired by her younger brother Tim, Louise spent years building an online business first so she could dedicate herself to bringing this vision to life. We dig into how she transferred her entrepreneurial and email marketing skills to nonprofit fundraising, how she uses Pinterest vision boards to hold belief before there's evidence, what a hard hat tour does for donor trust, and how her monthly progress reports keep international supporters connected and coming back. This is a conversation about clarity, courage, and what it really means to fundraise before you have proof, and it's one of my favorites. Topics: Building a nonprofit capital campaign from scratch (land, structures, and programming) in Panama How entrepreneurial and email marketing skills transfer directly to nonprofit fundraising Using Pinterest vision boards to hold donor belief before there's tangible proof Creative low-lift campaigns: stepping stone sponsorships, bench naming, product bundles, and peer-to-peer Why hard hat tours are one of the most underused donor engagement tools Monthly progress reports and live workshops as donor retention and connection tools For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

This is a special episode recorded live at GiveCon 2026 , sponsored by Bloomerang . I joined three powerhouse experts, fundraising event strategist Samantha Swaim, digital marketing consultant Julia Campbell, and Bloomerang CMO Ann Fellman, for a candid panel called "The Advice We Don't Put on Slides." No safe takes, no polished talking points, just the real stuff consultants say behind closed doors. We cover what nonprofits consistently get wrong, the trade-offs nobody wants to make, what actually moves the needle, and the advice we give all the time but wish we didn't have to. From a scarcity mindset to the 17 touchpoints it takes to convert a donor, from abandoning friend-raisers to stepping into CEO energy, this conversation is packed with the kind of honest, actionable insight you don't usually get in a conference session. Topics: The most expensive mistakes nonprofits repeat Why the call is coming from inside the house when donor numbers decline , and what to do about it Why "just do a raffle" and "friend-raiser" events are costing organizations more than they raise The 15–17 touch points it takes before revenue comes in, and why that changes everything For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Apply here: splendidcourses.com/apply Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

What if the pressure you're putting on your fundraising campaign is actually the thing slowing it down? In this episode, I'm talking about something I watched play out on a Little League field this weekend: two coaches, same-age kids, same skill level, completely different energy, and completely different outcomes. And I couldn't stop thinking about how much it looked like what I see inside fundraising campaigns every single week. When you hold too tightly to a goal, when every quiet day feels like failure, when the whole campaign starts to feel like a final exam, that pressure changes everything: your messaging tightens, your team feels it, and your donors feel it. And ironically, the pressure creates the very outcome you were trying to avoid. I talk about what pressure actually does to campaign performance, why three of my clients inside The Purpose & Profit Club® thought they were behind when they were actually ahead, the difference between a dirty win and a beautiful loss, and what it really means to lead a campaign well all the way to the end. Topics: How white-knuckling a fundraising campaign changes the outcome, and not in the way you hope The payoff of pressure and why we hold onto it even when it hurts us What pressure actually does to campaign pacing , messaging , and team energy Why three clients thought they were behind , and were actually ahead The difference between a dirty win and a beautiful loss in fundraising How to lead a campaign well without making it a final exam For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

Your donors don't need a goodie bag, a raffle prize, an auction item, a t-shirt, or a chicken dinner. If your fundraising strategy is built around giving them something in order to get something back, that's the give-get model , and it might be exactly what's slowing your organization down. In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between a real SPRINT™ campaign and an old-school fundraising method wrapped in new language. I talk about why events, raffles, auctions, and 5Ks aren't inherently bad, but why building your entire fundraising strategy around them adds friction, drains people's power, and quietly signals that you don't trust the mission to be enough on its own. If you've ever said, "Why don't we just do a raffle?" , this episode is for you. Topics: What a SPRINT™campaign actually is, and what it isn't Why wrapping an old-school fundraiser in SPRINT™ language doesn't make it a sprint How events add friction for donors and where the money gets lost in the process The give-get mentality and why donors don't need to be bribed to give Questions to ask before choosing your next campaign vehicle Why defaulting to events usually means you don't yet trust the ask, and what to do instead For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

I recently got an email from a development manager telling me I send too many emails. She's not wrong for feeling that way, but that feeling is rooted in one of the most expensive beliefs in nonprofit fundraising. And that's exactly what I'm unpacking in this episode. Today, I'm breaking down the data behind email frequency, what it actually costs your organization when you hold back, and why the inner monologue of "I don't want to bother people" is quietly limiting your mission. I talk about what the M+R benchmarks report actually shows about how many emails high-revenue nonprofits are sending, why campaign-based intensity is where your revenue is sitting, and what happened when one development manager followed the Easy Emails For Impact™ process and 9x'd their typical campaign results, without a single new donor on the list. P.S. Easy Emails For Impact™ enrollment is now open with 50% off. Go to splendidcourses.com/email for all the details. Topics: Why "you send too many emails" is rooted in one of the most expensive beliefs in fundraising What the M+R benchmarks report actually shows about email frequency and revenue growth The difference between sending more emails and sending more emails at the right time Why holding back during a campaign window is limiting your mission, not protecting your donors How one development manager 9x'd campaign results by staying in the conversation longer Why you're not building your strategy around your donors Why email revenue grew 16% last year, and what that means for organizations not tapping into it For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links

AI is everywhere right now, and in the nonprofit sector, it's making some organizations' fundraising sharper and others completely generic. The difference isn't the tool; it's how you're using it. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly where AI helps and where it quietly hurts your fundraising emails. I talk about the most expensive mistake I see nonprofits making - handing the wheel over to AI completely and treating the first draft like the final answer. I share how my clients inside The SPRINT Method™ and The Purpose & Profit Club® are actually using AI as a thought partner, not a ghostwriter, and what the difference looks like in results. If you've been using AI to write your emails faster but wondering why nothing is converting, this episode will show you why, and what to do instead. P.S. Easy Emails For Impact™ enrollment opens May 7 with 50% off the course. Go to splendidcourses.com/email to get first access and learn more. Topics: Why AI is making some nonprofit emails sharper and others completely generic, and what determines the difference The GPS analogy: why AI should help you get there faster, not decide where you're going What to use AI for and what to never hand over to it in your fundraising How to spot an AI-written email , and why they raise nothing even when they look polished Using AI as a thought partner to push your ideas deeper, not replace them A simple three-question filter to run before you hit send For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here . Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here . Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here . Resources: Easy Emails For Impact™ : The $5K+ Fundraising Campaign System Purpose & Profit Club® Fundraising + Marketing Accelerator The SPRINT Method™: Your shortcut to 10K fundraisers Instagram , LinkedIn , website , weekly newsletter [FREE] The Brave Fundraiser’s Guide : Stop getting ignored. Start raising more. May contain affiliate links