How is your nonprofit's brand significant in the lives of your loyal users? That's the question branding expert Cynthia Round asks every organization that works with her. The reason? Studies have shown that building and maintaining an emotional connection with your users is what inspires their loyalty. In this episode, learn how Cynthia has worked with some of the nonprofit industry's most distinguished institutions to ensure they remain relevant in the lives of their most valuable supporters. Along the way, you'll discover: - Successful strategies for discovering what your donors care about beyond surface metrics - Tactics for creating an emotional connection with your audience - Ways to encourage buy-in of a new brand identity across your entire organization

As you grow your channels to meet donors where they are, you must also measure your performance in each medium. But with an omnichannel approach, that’s way easier said than done. Did the email prompt a gift, or was it a social media post? Your direct mail piece or the text message? Measuring an omnichannel campaign gives a holistic view of your engagement and performance. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we break down the attribution methods that can best help you wrangle all the metrics you’re tracking so you can more clearly communicate your ROI. Learn the difference between direct, indirect, and time-based attribution models, then put them to work in your presentations to executive leadership and board members. And if this all sounds too complex, we offer three easy tips to get you started.

Omni-channel fundraising strategies are the foundation of every nonprofit we work with. But to ensure you’re reaching the right donors with the right messaging, you need to step back and evaluate every constituent relationship and communication. A touchpoint audit is part of a larger journey-mapping exercise that lays out the many ways donors and leads interact with your organization. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, Matthew Mielcarek, SVP of Analytics & Insights Strategy, walks us through this valuable tactic. You’ll learn: How to begin journey mapping Why it’s important to put on your “donor hat” How the donor vortex comes into play How touchpoint audits differ for new leads vs new donors Why it all comes down to stronger donor relationships

As fundraisers, we’re trained to focus on the response to each campaign or effort. Every channel collects and analyzes data so you can optimize your messaging. But can you accurately say that a donor who doesn’t scan your postcard’s QR code doesn’t want direct mail? What about the person who received a text and then donated via email — is email really their preferred channel? An omni-channel approach might muddy the attribution waters, but it’s crucial for a comprehensive view of the series of touchpoints that led to a gift. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, our tech experts break down the tools you need to unify your data and build a successful omni-channel strategy. Mark Leta, VP of Technology, and Stephanie Drahan, an AVP on the Client Experience Team, share tips and best practices to help you overcome the challenges of managing multiple channels. They also discuss the steps your team should take as you move toward omni-channel marketing and fundraising so you can deliver a more consistent and engaging donor experience.

Are you overwhelmed by omnichannel fundraising? As tricky as this approach can be, it’s crucial to build deeper loyalty with your constituents. On this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with Laura Hinrichsen, VP of Advertising, and Kacey Crawford, VP of Digital Strategy, about how nonprofits can master omnichannel fundraising and marketing. We break down crucial concepts, share practical tips, and discuss real-world success stories to help your nonprofit thrive in a competitive landscape. Our two Allegiance Group + Pursuant experts also offer advice on breaking down internal siloes that may be holding your organization back. They’ll help you secure buy-in from each team and upper management so you can work together to achieve your goals. Listen now to start building the foundation for an omnichannel strategy that puts your constituents front and center.

In this episode, Pursuant's CEO Trent Ricker sat down with Kevin Hagan, President and CEO of PAN Foundation, to talk about the effect of global crises on fundraising. With the current Ukraine crisis, we've seen nontraditional or so-called 'unorganized' giving, as people adopted unique ways to support and donate. In this dialogue, these nonprofit leaders discuss lessons that nonprofits can learn from grassroots efforts like these when it comes to funding specific missions.

The lines between responsibilities and budgets of the marketing and fundraising departments can often blur at nonprofits. Although each department brings important and unique assets to an organization, when they align and work together, they can create a more impactful experience for constituents. In this episode, Pursuant CEO, Trent Ricker spoke with Sue Citro, Chief Experience Officer at Best Friends Animal Society about ways leaders can encourage collaboration between the fundraising and marketing departments to create optimal stewardship experiences. As Chief Experience Officer, Sue ensures that the marketing communications, fundraising, and experience teams are working in unison to create the best experience possible for donors and people who interact with Best Friends Animal Society.

Many nonprofits tend to focus their ad dollars at the crucial end of the year when people are naturally more inclined to give. However, spreading your advertising budget across the year can set your year-end campaign up for optimal success. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, Laura Hinrichsen, VP of Advertising, and Megan Morris, Director of Advertising, discuss the challenges of focusing solely on year-end advertising — and why a year-round ad strategy may be more effective. By hooking a prospect early, you can spend weeks or even months sharing your story with them. Then, when you ask for support at year-end, they’ll be more likely to act. Our experts also share how a year-round ad spend can help you generate more leads and build your list. They wrap up with quick tips for navigating the presidential election.

When we look at generational giving, it’s easy to focus on baby boomers, millennials, and Gen Z. But tucked in between these groups is Gen X, which is projected to inherit $30 trillion in the Great Wealth Transfer through 2040. Could Gen X be the hidden key to the future of philanthropy? In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we welcome Alyssa Boger, EVP of Client Strategy, as she unpacks this question and more. The oldest Gen Xers are nearing retirement age, while the youngest are reaching their peak earning years. These stages of life stand to shape their giving today and tomorrow. This is a group that seeks to make an immediate impact with their time, money, and advocacy. We also talked about Gen X’s children, Gen Alpha. While they’re too young to engage with direct messaging, this generation’s online behaviors point to strategies that could reshape how you think about fundraising.

Digital advertising is full of mystery — it certainly doesn’t help that the rules seem to change every day. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we aim to make digital advertising a little easier. Our guest, Allegiance Group + Pursuant VP of Advertising Laura Hinrichsen, joins us to dispel five myths about digital advertising. From Google Ad Grants and Facebook advertising to last-click attribution and video content, this conversation highlights what you need to know for an effective digital advertising campaign. It’s time to leverage your full potential in the digital space. Listen to the full episode now.

What if the key to transforming your fundraising efforts lies in a technology many fear? In this Go Beyond Fundraising Podcast episode, we explore the bold new frontier of artificial intelligence (AI). Allegiance Group + Pursuant's Chief Strategy Officer, Trent Ricker, considers the nuanced role of artificial intelligence in enhancing human connections. Rather than replacing personal interactions, AI can be a powerful tool to augment our ability to build and maintain deeper, more sincere relationships. Trent highlights the importance of leveraging technology to organize our lives better, prioritize effectively, and ultimately become more empathetic and attentive individuals. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that explores how AI can help us achieve the very human goal of closer, more meaningful relationships between donors and nonprofit organizations.

Recent statistics show continued declines across all types of donors from 2022 to 2023 — except those who had given seven or more gifts, which increased. This growth highlights the significance of donor loyalty. In this Go Beyond Fundraising podcast episode, Allegiance Group + Pursuant Chief Strategy Officer Trent Ricker discusses the value of fostering deep, meaningful relationships with donors. He emphasizes quality over quantity and says loyalty to an organization can lead to deep-rooted support that will last regardless of what’s happening in the short term. Trent also explains the difference between transactional and relational fundraising. He urges nonprofit professionals to return to the basics and focus on stewardship, using data and donor preferences as a guide. He even shares how a positive stewardship experience turned a planned gift from his stepfather into family-wide support for a children’s healthcare organization.

Determining the health of your organization can be tricky. The success of one campaign or a decrease in one certain metric isn’t enough to know whether your fundraising efforts are working. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re joined by Teena Wright, Annual Giving Director at Idaho Public Television, and Debbie Merlino, an Executive Vice President at Allegiance Group + Pursuant. Together, they outline the seven key database metrics you should track to get a better sense of where you stand. They’ll also address some common questions: - How often should you look at your data? -How can you account for seasonality as you compare one time to another? -What KPIs do you track for a campaign vs. long-term planning? Listen to the full episode now to get the seven database KPIs that will give you a clear snapshot of the overall relationship donors have with your organization.

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s latest Quarterly Fundraising Report™ is out, and we’re digging in! In this episode of Fundraising Today, VP of Client Strategy Kristin Priest breaks down the key findings that compare overall philanthropic giving trends in 2022 and 2023.   The report tracks macro trends in donors, dollars, and retention, then looks deeper at each category. The leading takeaway is that all three show a continued decline, but there is a glimmer of good news. For instance, in 2022, donors were down 10%; but in 2023, they’re only down about 3.4%. Join us as we discuss what the report means for fundraisers as we prep for the second half of 2024. Will we continue to see decreases, or is this the year that things start to stabilize? Kristin also shares five strategies fundraisers can use to acquire, engage, and retain donors.

Does your organization have a rich history that your donors love? The magic of digital archiving is that it makes historical artifacts available to anyone, anywhere. However, not everyone has the know-how or the technology to properly preserve their physical media for future generations or how to leverage it in fundraising communications. In this episode of Fundraising Today, we'll sit down with Kristen Gwinn-Becker, PhD from HistoryIT, to explore digital archives' challenges, opportunities, and future, emphasizing the power of storytelling and engagement. Don't miss our webinar with HistoryIT on May 16! Register here: https://info.teamallegiance.com/connecting-with-faces-from-the-past-leveraging-digital-archives-for-non-profit-storytelling-and-engagement

It’s hard to miss the fact that 2024 is an election year. The presidential race is dominating news cycles and social media, but what does it mean for your fundraising efforts? On this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with Allegiance Group + Pursuant Chief Strategy Officer Trent Ricker about what nonprofits can expect. Organizations often fear that political giving will impact their fundraising; however, studies show this simply doesn’t happen. Instead, nonprofits should adjust their timing and approach to campaigns based on the political climate. Ricker highlights the need for nonprofits to stay agile and responsive to changing advertising policies in terms of ad content, imagery, and cost. He also stresses the power of data to inform how nonprofits address local and national issues in their fundraising. Finally, he emphasizes that while it’s important to be aware of the election, organizations should stay focused on advancing their mission and engaging their donors.

What does it take to start and scale a nonprofit? Elana Frank is still learning, and she’s sharing her lessons in this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast. Frank is the founder and CEO of the Jewish Fertility Foundation, which provides financial assistance, support, and education to those struggling with infertility. In just nine years, the nonprofit has grown to eight locations across the country. She discusses what she’s learned while scaling the organization, including the qualities she seeks in those hired to lead each location. Frank also emphasizes how important it is for founders and CEOs to work with a professional business coach, as well as why all leaders need to slow down sometimes and give themselves some grace.

The world is changing, and it’s time for nonprofits to change too — including their boards. To better fulfill your mission, your stakeholders and leaders should reflect the communities you serve. That’s why, on this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re exploring the principles behind DEIAB. Joining us are Christal Cherry and Dr. Renee Rubin Ross, who work with boards and lead inclusive workshops and conversations. They’ll define what diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging mean for nonprofits and why these principles should begin with your board. We cover how you can get started with hard conversations, including ways to engage people who may not initially recognize the value of DEIAB work. They also share advice for making sure your efforts become part of the fabric of your organization and are sustained for the long term.

In this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we explore how nonprofits can use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to boost their fundraising efforts. Emil Isaakov, a data analyst with Allegiance Group + Pursuant, walks us through the significant changes that GA4 brings, such as event-based tracking and predictive metrics. Emil also outlines the steps nonprofits can take to optimize their websites for better conversions. He touches on additional integrations with Google Ads and Google BigQuery that can help organizations build on and store the data they’re getting through GA4. In addition, we’ll look at GA4 through the lens of a few specific examples: How nonprofits can determine which communication channels are giving them the biggest bank for their buck, and how they can use GA4 to grow their email newsletter.

Most nonprofits rely on volunteers, but managing this group can be tedious. In this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with Albert Vasquez, Head of Sales and Operations for Rosterfy North America. Rosterfy is an end-to-end volunteer management and reporting tool that helps organizations onboard, engage, and track their volunteers. In this conversation, Vasquez shares how organizations like the NFL and FIFA use the platform to manage the thousands of volunteers they depend on. We also discuss the overall state of volunteerism and its impact on organizations — particularly how engaged volunteers often become passionate advocates and donors. Vasquez also offers solutions for the common challenges nonprofits face in managing their volunteers.

In this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with philanthropist and fundraising coach Lisa Greer. Author of the bestseller Fundraising Revolution, Greer is on a mission to save giving by helping nonprofits move away from the impersonal interactions and scripted outreach that have dominated the sector for so long. In 2012, Greer and her husband became part of the 1% practically overnight and wanted to share their new wealth. In our conversation, she discusses the strange practices and frustrations they experienced for years with traditional fundraisers. Today, with her background as a successful businesswoman as a foundation, she promotes fundamental change in how fundraising works by teaching nonprofits how to do better. Greer says one of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make is not offering a recurring giving program, especially when a subscription business model is so popular among consumers. We break down ways charities can start or boost recurring giving programs to create loyal supporters, such as surprise gifts and exclusive webinars.

In this episode of Go Beyond Fundraising, we sit down with Mitch Stein. Mitch is the Head of Strategy at Chariot, a donor-advised fund (DAF) fundraising solution provider. We discuss the increasing popularity of DAFs as a giving vehicle; the challenges associated with anonymous DAF donations; and the barriers that prevent nonprofits from maximizing DAF gifts. Mitch stresses how important it is for nonprofits to understand DAFs to unlock meaningful relationships with donors who use these funds. We also delve into the controversy around DAFs, including the lack of regulations that force DAFs to distribute a certain amount annually. Throughout the conversation, Mitch highlights the tools Chariot offers to ease the transfer of funds from DAFs to nonprofits and improve donor engagement.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to review your systems for marketing and fundraising. But as you evaluate your processes, it’s equally important — if not more — to also evaluate how you measure success and improvement in your programs. Of course, it takes more than just logging into Google Analytics. In this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re counting the Five Fundraising Measurement Mistakes to Avoid in 2024. Allegiance Group + Pursuant agency leaders Liz Murphy, EVP of Client Relationships, and Kim Richardson, AVP of Client Strategy, share what they’ve learned in their years of experience and with clients so you can better measure your digital channels. These are the most common pitfalls fundraisers and markets can fall into: 1. Not having a measurement mark 2. No system set up for channel attribution 3. No way to integrate data across platforms 4. Not having web analytics set up properly 5. Not being prepared for the ever-changing digital landscape

Two of the hottest topics in philanthropy are the declining number of donors and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). In this episode of Fundraising Today and the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we bring these issues together in a stirring conversation with Nathan Chappell, author of The Generosity Crisis. As a founder of the Fundraising.AI collaborative, Chappell discusses the role of AI in the fundraising sector. He highlights the key elements that are necessary to ensure “responsible AI,” such as reducing bias, maintaining privacy and security, and adopting a sustainable approach. He also emphasizes the importance of embracing AI as a tool to improve both efficiency and precision.

Cheers to 2024! In our first Go Beyond Fundraising podcast of the new year, we’re reflecting on the giving trends that emerged in 2023 and how they may impact the landscape in the year ahead. Is there still some uncertainty in the air? Or will things level out? And what can your organization do now to set itself up for a strong performance? Allegiance Group + Pursuant Chief Strategy Officer and President Trent Ricker led the conversation. He’s joined by Alicia Lifrak, Executive Vice President, and Matthew Mielcarek, SVP of Analytics & Insights Strategy. Alicia shares what she’s seeing through her interactions with clients, while Matthew brings the data points. In general, growth and revenue look flat; but as you’ll hear, that may not tell the whole story of where fundraising is heading in 2024.

Giving USA’s 2023 report on Charitable Giving, a cornerstone in tracking philanthropic trends, notably observed a 10.5% drop in giving year-over-year in 2022. While this data provides valuable insights, it's crucial to consider its alignment with the experiences of fundraising professionals and the true reflection of current giving trends. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, our Chief Strategy Officer Trent Ricker engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Jeffrey Cain, who authored a series of compelling articles challenging Giving USA’s perspective.

In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, Pursuant CEO and President Trent Ricker talks with Tim Arnold, whose work in leadership and team development focuses on helping leaders unleash the power of both/and thinking in an either/or world. Tim’s latest book, Next-Level Teamwork: The 5 Tensions to Manage for High-Performance Teams, guides leaders through overcoming the five common tensions or dysfunctions that all teams face. In his conversation with Trent, Tim illustrates how, through a both/and approach, each dysfunction becomes a healthy tension that takes teams from unproductive to unstoppable. It’s an episode that’s chock full of practical advice that your team can start using immediately. The goal is to produce a team that is productive but also has fun together and enjoys their work.

Let’s start with some astounding numbers: More than half of all U.S. households own stock, and about 5 million stockholders have portfolios worth millions of dollars. For these individuals, a major gift such as $10,000 to a nonprofit would be a drop in the bucket. But this amounts to $50 billion of potential charitable giving from the top stockholders alone. If you consider all stock owners, you could double the potential impact. So, with $100 billion of stock gifts at stake, it begs the question: why don’t more nonprofits accept stock donations? In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with Steve Latham, co-founder and CEO of DonateStock. Latham has been determined to make it easier for people to donate stock gifts for more than a decade.

In the highly competitive nonprofit world, your organization needs a way to show that you’re a high-performing charity in your sector. Similarly, it can be hard for donors to find nonprofits that align with their values. Charity Navigator stands as a unique solution for both. Charity Navigator is the nation’s largest not-for-profit rating organization. For more than 20 years, the free website has rated charities based on their 990 tax form information. However, recent changes to the rating system are giving users a more holistic view of a charity and leveling the playing field for smaller nonprofits. In this episode, we’re talking with Laura Andes, Chief Program Officer for Charity Navigator, about the changes. We’re also joined by Amy Warren, Associate Vice President of Product Solutions at Pursuant and Allegiance Group.

You know your organization’s mission and likely have some successful programs. But when you step back and look at the big picture of what you want to achieve, are your programs moving the needle? Or is there a way you can make an even bigger impact, even if it means significant (and maybe scary) internal changes? On this Go Beyond Fundraising podcast episode, Whitney Norman, Pursuant’s Vice President of Client Solutions, chats with Michelle Romero, Chief Strategy Officer at Dream.org. Michelle has been leading some meaningful conversations about what transformative change is and how organizations can approach it authentically. Let’s dig in.

More than 50 years ago, Robert Greenleaf broke ground with his concept of servant leadership. And while this idea is still relevant today, we believe it’s more than putting others first. In fact, author and self-proclaimed nonprofiteer Evan Wildstein says that by hyphenating the term, you become both — a servant and a leader. And that’s where the magic happens. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we talk with Wildstein about his new book, “The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide.” He outlines the 10 traits of a servant-leader that Greenleaf introduced and proposes a new way of looking at them that can help you grow your mission.

Steve Jobs famously wanted the iPhone design to be so simple that a child could use it just by picking it up. As a result, Apple set the standard for inclusive and accessible design. And in an age where our interactions grow more digital by the day, accessibility can’t be overlooked. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re talking with Stan Shinn, Mark Leta, Kacey Crawford, and Russ Chettiar on why accessibility matters and how nonprofits can achieve it. Now is the perfect time to ensure your digital campaigns and websites comply with accessibility standards. With end-of-the-year appeals being developed and sent out before you know it, you’ll want to ensure that every piece is fully optimized for its target audience. Let’s dig in.

Membership organizations are an interesting segment of the nonprofit world — “Join our club, and you’ll get XYZ benefits.” We see this in the arts and culture realm, especially. Think museums, zoos, theaters, and other places that rely on philanthropy to operate and offer what’s called a “visitation membership.” These organizations often see support come from three areas: members, donors, and member-donors. - Members pay a monthly or annual fee for a special perk, like free admission to your museum or a discount in your store. - Donors support you because they believe in your mission. They don’t necessarily visit your organization and aren’t interested in benefits. - Member-Donors are both. They likely started as a member and were effectively stewarded to becoming a donor through enriching and engaging experiences. Member-Donors are the goal. And in this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, Pursuant’s President Trent Ricker hosts a roundtable discussion with Debbie Merlino, Alicia Lifrak and Nicole Gardell on how your membership organization can compel more members to take the next step and become active donors.

Has this ever happened to you? Your nonprofit has a robust contact list, but general emails don’t seem to go anywhere. You wonder if there’s a better way to reach supporters, especially during critical giving seasons like the year-end campaign. You could benefit from creating targeted communications for different types of donors! By using the tools already at your disposal, narrowing down segmentation can be beneficial in meeting the needs of different types of donors. This week’s installment of “Year-End in July” examines overlooked segments nonprofits can benefit from engaging with during year-end campaigns. Guests Ryan Carpenter and Colleen Patel join us for a special bonus installment.

When it comes to year-end campaigns, sometimes it’s hard to know how to integrate digital fundraising alongside direct mail. How often should you post about a year-end campaign on each of your social media platforms? Is it okay to send donors, potential donors, and lapsed donors an email and a direct mail ask in November and December? How does your organization’s website play a part in digital conversations? In this week’s installment of “Year-End in July,” we’ll answer these questions and explore how you can leverage digital fundraising with guests Ashleigh Lambert, Kacey Crawford, and Kim Richardson. After all, integration can seamlessly happen between all the different elements, and our team at Pursuant and Allegiance Groups are happy to guide you through the process.

In this episode of our series, we explore the importance of donor relationships and stewardship in ensuring a successful year-end fundraising season. We share strategies for donor retention, expressing gratitude, and building long-term engagement. Discover how to create meaningful connections with your supporters and cultivate a loyal donor base that continues to support your mission beyond the year-end campaign.

In December, every nonprofit organization, including your own, sends out multiple communications each week, all in an effort to make year-end fundraising goals. It’s easy for organizations to get lost in a sea of sameness, especially at this time of year. That’s why this week’s episode of “Year-End Fundraising in July” is focused on helping you stand out when it matters most. Listen, as we dive into creative storytelling practices to help nonprofit organizations successfully navigate year-end giving campaigns. For our team here at Pursuant and Allegiance Group, we often remind clients that year-end campaigns can incorporate different facets of fundraising appeals, including photos, videos, and written copy. Going beyond merely telling donors about what you do and how you do it, and instead, graciously inviting them to become part of your organization’s impact is critical. When your nonprofit can create a compelling story, include concrete proof points, and identify a clear goal, year-end efforts will be successful.

In this episode, we kick off our series by highlighting the importance of data-driven planning for a successful year-end fundraising campaign. We explore how leveraging data can provide valuable insights and help you make informed decisions. Join us as we discuss the key metrics to analyze, such as donor demographics, giving patterns, and previous campaign performance.

The 2023 Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy is out! Taken at face value, the findings are a bit disheartening. But don’t get discouraged by the state of giving just yet. There are also myriad opportunities for you to set your nonprofit on the right course. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re joined by Matthew Mielcarek, Pursuant’s Senior Vice President of Analytics & Insights Strategy. He’s hitting the highlights in this exciting report that looks at calendar year 2021–2022. We strongly encourage you to go through the report at your organization and rationalize it against your local economic situation. Remember, this national report is a smoothed-out average. So, as you consider these findings, tap into your local associations and networks to bring additional power to your data.

Is artificial intelligence (AI) coming for your job? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind as tools like Chat GPT emerge and become more mainstream. But behind this fear lies the question you should actually be asking: How can this tool help me do my job better? In this Go Beyond Fundraising podcast episode, we talk with two GivingDNA tech experts: Dawn Galasso, Vice President of Technology, and David Stanton, Vice President of Product. There’s a lot to unpack about AI, and we expect to have more conversations around this topic. But for now, we’re addressing some of the leading concerns fundraisers have about how AI could impact nonprofits.

If you can only boost one program, make it monthly giving! The 2023 M+R Benchmarks report found that monthly giving increased by 11% in 2022, accounting for 28% of all online revenue. Don’t discount your sustaining donors — they’re the ones helping you meet your goals. In the latest Go Beyond Fundraising podcast episode, we’re sharing the latest tips and trends just in time for your Q3-Q4 planning. Need to increase online giving? What about your Giving Tuesday plans?

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s Annual Report findings were a bit of a surprise to most nonprofits. For the first time in years, the FEP found a decline in not only the number of donors, but also a decline in total dollars given in 2022. In this episode of GoBeyondFundraising, we chat with Pursuant SVP of analytics, Matthew Mielcarek to glean his insights about what the new FEP report findings mean for nonprofits as well as dig into donor data.

What does a post-COVID-19 nonprofit look like? Smaller organizations are seeing their woes deepen as emergency aid from the government ends. Plus, staff shortages are increasing, thanks in part to widespread burnout. Don’t worry—it’s not all doom and gloom. Listen to the latest episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast to learn how fundraisers can navigate these trying times.

Artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and other tech tools are emerging to (supposedly) make our lives easier. But at what cost? So many of our interactions occur over a digital channel that it can be easy to forget there is an actual person on the other end. Being human in our communications is what makes the difference to our donors. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re talking about why humanity trumps everything else in fundraising. Our special guests are Tim Kachuriak, Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer at NextAfter, and Whitney Norman, Vice President of Client Solutions at Pursuant.

Why all the fuss about Gen Z? This generation is primed to reshape the future of philanthropy through its values-led giving and social activism. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast, we’re previewing the new report, “The Nonprofit’s Guide to Engaging Gen Z.” Learn what motivates Gen Z to give so you can acquire and steward this key demographic.

In this episode, we catch up on what’s happening across the fundraising and marketing landscape as we talk through trends we're seeing. From taking a look at who 2022’s top donors were, to a new study that sheds light on donor behavior as we spring forward, and new limitations TikTok is implementing for minors, we dig into all these consumer trends: Donor Behavior Economic Insights Digital Trends

A January National Review article declared “Middle-Class Philanthropy Is Collapsing,” but is that really the case? The number of donors might be declining, but gift amounts are increasing. So, is it a decline in donors or of small-dollar donations? In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising Podcast, we’re taking a deeper look at this claim through the trends that are driving donor giving. Our experts are also sharing tactics to attract, retain, and re-engage donors through storytelling, personal connections, and transparency.

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, total donor-advised fund (DAF) contributions grew 48.4% between 2020–2021, from $9.7 billion to a whopping $14.56 billion. Are DAFs part of your fundraising strategy? In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising Podcast, we talk with Vicky Kelberer of Vanguard Charitable about why DAFs are the fastest-growing giving vehicle in the U.S. — especially for millennials and Gen Z. We’re digging into why donors choose DAFs and sharing 6 easy ways your organization can start promoting and accepting this type of gift.

It’s hard to believe we’re already nearing the end of 2023’s first quarter! These first three months have been full of headlines nonprofit professionals should pay attention to. In this episode, we’ve invited Pursuant Insights Consultant Nicholas Hedenkamp to discuss the latest trends and biggest news in the fundraising world. Four topics have been on his radar: generational giving, the loss of AmazonSmile, tips for live streaming, and Chat GPT.

Are you aware that only 7% of a person's wealth is held in cash? That means the vast majority of their assets, like stocks, real estate, and artwork, are being overlooked by most nonprofits when it comes to fundraising. In this episode of our podcast, we're diving into the world of non-cash donations with fundraising expert Dawn Galasso from Pursuant. She'll reveal how your nonprofit can tap into this often-ignored revenue stream and unlock the potential of non-cash gifts. With inflation on the rise, many people are hesitant to part with their cash. But non-cash assets offer an appealing alternative, especially since their value can fluctuate. And with the current economic climate, giving a non-cash gift can be a smart way to avoid unfavorable capital gains taxes. The key to successful fundraising is meeting donors where they are and accepting the types of gifts they want to give. Is your organization set up to receive non-cash donations? It's becoming easier every day to accept non-traditional gifts, and it's more important than ever if you want to attract younger donors.

LinkedIn is no longer a platform solely for housing digital resumes and sharing job postings. In recent years, it has turned into a space to engage with more than 800 million users from over 200 countries, making it the ultimate networking tool any nonprofit should have in its brand awareness toolbox. In this episode, we chat with Taylor Shanklin, one of the original founders of the “Go Beyond Fundraising” Podcast, Motivational Speaker and Founder and CEO of Barlele—a brand-building service, about ways nonprofits can build and enhance their brands on LinkedIn.

Concierge service is no longer just an amenity hotels offer to elevate experiences for guests, now, it is something nonprofits can utilize to heighten the giving experience for their donors too. Kacey Crawford, vice president of digital strategy, and Kristin Priest, vice president of client strategy at Pursuant discuss how concierge giving can empower you and your organization to offer donors a high-quality, personalized experience that will ensure your organization’s stability in uncertain times.

The lines between responsibilities and budgets of the marketing and fundraising departments can often blur at nonprofits. Although each department brings important and unique assets to an organization, when they align and work together, they can create a more impactful experience for constituents. In this episode, Pursuant CEO, Trent Ricker spoke with Sue Citro, Chief Experience Officer at Best Friends Animal Society about ways leaders can encourage collaboration between the fundraising and marketing departments to create optimal stewardship experiences. As Chief Experience Officer, Sue ensures that the marketing communications, fundraising, and experience teams are working in unison to create the best experience possible for donors and people who interact with Best Friends Animal Society. Where should stewardship live? “I lead a team that is a three-legged stool,” Sue explains. “Development is one of the legs, marketing communications is the second and experience is the third. We have stewardship pulled out from marketing and development, but we are all part of one bigger team together.” By pulling stewardship out of the fundraising department, Sue believes it encourages people in all departments of the organization to participate in stewardship. According to Best Friends, 4.6 million cats and dogs entered animal shelters in 2021 alone. These numbers make the work they do critically important and their focused efforts on stewardship have allowed them to gain and retain donors and volunteers. Here’s how they do it: Sue’s Stewardship Sauce: Saying thank you “It is cool to say thank you,” said Sue. Taking the time to thank your donors and volunteers at all levels will make them feel valued and continue working with your organization. Emails and calls Emailing and calling donors and volunteers to say thank you is the bare minimum. Sue suggests getting creative with these calls. At Best Friends, her staff has received notoriety for their points of contact by letting constituents know exactly where their money is going by introducing the dog their donation helped keep alive for example. Engaging with new donors and keeping them as long-term donors Rather than exclusively writing to high-value donors, Sue writes thank you notes to new donors on a daily basis. She says letting them know we value them and are excited to have them there is key to retention. Creating unique experiences Creating a memorable experience for constituents is vital to every organization. At Best Friends, donors can feed pigs and regularly engage with the animals they are helping support. This leaves a lasting impact and lets them see first-hand the value of their contribution. Put yourself in the constituents’ shoes If you were a donor or volunteer, how would you want to be treated? What experiences come to mind and how can you make that happen for your supporters? Sue suggests actually asking your constituents and putting their feedback into action. Sue says keeping the constituent journey at top of mind rather than getting caught up in “what marketing does” or “what fundraising does” will lead to the best outcome.

In this episode, we sat down for our monthly check-in with Pursuant Insights Consultant, Nicholas Hedenkamp, to get his insight into what’s happening in the fundraising and marketing landscape. With it being February, we set out to explore the top trends nonprofits may experience in 2023. Of the trends he sees coming, all have one thing in common–digitalization. Nicholas’s 2023 Fundraising Trends: Digital wallets E-commerce Crypto Leveraging LinkedIn Hybrid events Subscription-based giving SMS communication

AI-created content has been a reality on the Internet for a while now, but when OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it turned heads like no AI before. For the first time, content written by an AI actually surpassed the writing abilities of many humans, even if its accuracy sometimes missed the mark. ChatGPT goes beyond predictive texts to write long-form content such as letters, blog posts, poems and even songs. Cherian Koshy, fundraiser extraordinaire, joined the Go Beyond Fundraising podcast to share why he believes generative AIs like ChatGPT are here to stay, and how he thinks they will transform the fundraising industry

Can you double your ROI by allowing constituents to donate now and pay later? Adam Martel, Founder and CEO of Givzey, is betting his business that you can. Givzey enables nonprofits to offer flexible payment options with no hidden fees, interest, or credit checks. Donors can contribute to organizations and charities today, but instead of paying for it all at once, they can spread their payments over time. The give-now-pay-later model is already popular among retailers, and more than half of all Americans have used it. It’s a game-changing option for many donors who may not have the financial means to give a large sum upfront but still want to make a meaningful impact. It also allows organizations to secure funding for their programs and projects more predictably, as donors can make smaller, regular payments rather than one-time gifts. In this episode, Adam shares what he’s learned in Givzey’s first year of bringing this model to nonprofits. For example, donors find it easy to use and report feeling more comfortable making larger gifts. As for nonprofits, Adam points to three significant benefits: 1. More donor engagement 2. Larger gift amounts 3. More first-time donors becoming sustainers Adam cites a church he worked with that was collecting money to repair flood damage. By implementing Givzey, the church quadrupled what its members could give. He also believes this model can help nonprofits navigate challenging economic times while taking away the sting of giving donors might feel — especially if the predicted recession comes to fruition. His goal is to provide donors the means of supporting the causes important to them without ever having to reach for a credit card and pay interest on their generosity.

The fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has many nonprofits wondering whether accepting donations in the form of crypto is still a good idea. Just as many may be wondering what it all even means — FTX? SBF? Worry not. In this episode, we talk with Pat Duffy, co-founder of The Giving Block, a platform that makes it easy for crypto to be both donated and accepted. Pat walks us through what nonprofits need to know. But first, a brief explainer: FTX stands for Futures Exchange. It was one of the biggest exchanges for trading cryptocurrency and was lauded for being one of the most transparent. SBF is Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX’s former founder and CEO. He resigned when the company filed for bankruptcy on November 11, 2022. It was reported that FTX transferred $10 billion of its customer assets to its sister company, Alameda Research. Investors pulled out, the value plummeted, and the money disappeared. Simply put, people deposited their crypto on FTX, and Bankman-Fried used it to make various investments and acquisitions. When the FTX value tanked and investors wanted to cash out, their money wasn’t there. CoinDesk, a digital currency news site, broke the story and has covered it extensively. It’s a great resource if you want to learn more. The news may have you rethinking whether crypto is safe for your organization, but Pat says there’s little need to worry. Few nonprofits are holding or investing in crypto; most crypto gifts are converted to cash as soon as they’re made. If you do hold crypto, make sure the exchange you use is supported by a trusted company that will back your investment 1:1. Pat encourages nonprofits to stick with cryptocurrency donations, expanding donors' options and enabling them to give more while claiming generous tax advantages. The number of cryptocurrency donors continues to grow each year. Plus, diversifying the ways you accept donations will accommodate younger generations. You can read The Giving Block’s response to nonprofits asking, “What’s next?” regarding the FTX crash here. You can also check out Pat Duffy’s recent article for CoinDesk: “Greed, Lies and FTX: Is Crypto a Force for Good or Evil?”

What tops your 2023 New Year’s Resolutions? For Pursuant CEO and President Trent Ricker, it’s bringing marketing and fundraising together. In this episode, we talk with Trent about how organizations can ease the tension between these two departments to better serve their constituents and drive stewardship. These teams are interdependent but often have conflicting key performance indicators (KPIs). Therefore, you must structure them to be mutually beneficial. First, ensure you know who does what. Your marketing team builds awareness and visibility through advertising and social media to acquire customers and drive revenue. Your development team focuses on fundraising and retaining donors. Stewardship is where these two departments overlap. Stewardship includes reporting to your donors about how their gifts have been used and why they’re essential to your organization. Effective stewardship should lead to sustained giving, which often puts the activity under the fundraising umbrella. But spin things another way in the case of mass-communicated stewardship, and the Marketing team starts to get involved. Still muddy? Don’t worry — you can get these teams aligned. Trent shares these tips: Your C-suite leadership must be on board. Remove territorialism around budgeting and revenue goals. Everyone in your organization should think of themselves as brand ambassadors, meaning they should all be mission-driven. Have your Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Development Officer partner to discourage a competitive scarcity mindset. Encourage your marketing and development teams to work with your external agency. Get input from both departments on your creative materials and consider how each team could use the collateral. Remember, a brand is more than fonts, colors, and logos. It’s an overall sense of a constituent getting from your organization. It’s driven by every interaction and touchpoint they have with you and your team, whether through a welcome email, live event, or services directly. When everyone on your staff knows their role in fulfilling your mission, they bring clarity and cohesion to you.

Why do people give? As nonprofit fundraisers and marketers, it’s a question you should try to understand if you want to be successful. Here’s another one that may at first seem unrelated: Why do people consume content? Often in our work, we create content, reformat it for a particular platform, blast it out with a scheduling tool, and check it off our list. But, with so little thought behind it, that content may do you more harm than good. In this episode, we’re joined by Dana Snyder, founder and CEO of Positive Equation and host of the podcast Missions to Movements. Dana gives nonprofits the tools and resources they need to raise more funds online through digital marketing. Her keynotes focus largely on topics related to social media, such as “3 Social Media Ad Strategies – Which One Works for Your Nonprofit?” We posed these questions and others to Dana, whose expertise is sure to help you hone your digital content to be more impactful. Why do people give? Dana outlines three reasons pulled from a recent study by Neon One: 1. Situation-based, such as a natural disaster 2. Relationship-based, which is something you have a close tie to 3. Identity-based, such as an organization you stand for Some donors may check more than one box. The key is to put yourself in your constituents’ shoes: what they’re thinking and feeling, what action they’re trying to take, and what might move them along the donor journey. If you don’t feel comfortable making guesses or assumptions, you can survey your constituents and ask them directly why they give to your organization. Then, segment them based on their responses and send them relevant content. Why do people consume content? Understanding this question can help you determine what content to post on which social media channels. Similarly, remember that each social platform has a distinct purpose and that the content should be tailored to match that purpose. Dana recommends focusing on one or two platforms. If you aren’t sure which ones are best for you, utilize your free Google Analytics account, which outlines what social channels are driving the most traffic to your website. Then, think about the information people want to see on those platforms, and craft your content accordingly.

On today’s episode, we’re diving into Classy’s fourth annual Why America Gives Report and talking through some of the data points that caught our eye. We’re also thrilled to be joined by Michelle Boggs, the executive nonprofit industry advisor at Classy, who has more than 15 years of experience in fund development, community partnerships, team and constituent building, and strategy for nonprofit organizations. This report offers numerous significant insights we know you’ll want to dig into as you plan fundraising strategies for 2023. It relays how donors feel in these times of economic uncertainty and shares critical data nonprofit leaders can use to inspire giving. The main takeaway: people want to help others now more than ever before. In preparing the Why America Gives Report, Classy surveyed 1,000 donors across the United States. Half said they have a pessimistic view of the current economic climate, but 90% of those still plan to donate at the same or higher rate. The report also looked at loyal donors vs. passive donors and found fascinating trends within each group: - 50% of loyal donors are open to supporting a mix of new causes or organizations alongside those they’ve given to in the past - Loyal donors are twice as likely to increase donations and are expected to give four times more this year - 70% of passive donors only give to one cause - Passive donors are more likely to give to an individual directly, although they often research organizations working to solve the same issue Finally, the report explored the generational divide among donor segments, generally grouping Gen X and Baby Boomers into one group and Gen Z and Millennials into another. The findings will change how you engage with each group and can drive your communication and outreach strategy for the year ahead. For example: - Older donors prefer longer and less frequent updates, perhaps in a quarterly newsletter - Younger, next-gen donors are 3x more likely to prefer monthly or bi-monthly email updates

In this episode, we’re talking year-end trends with Nicholas Hedenkamp, Pursuant’s Insights Consultant. There were three big topics that recently caught our attention. 1. Volunteerism Recent studies show a lack of diversity in volunteerism. There are higher rates of volunteerism among white people than among people of color, although it may be that people of color donate their time in less formal ways. In addition, 84% of volunteer coordinators are white. What does this mean? To encourage more people of color to seek volunteer leadership positions, nonprofits must look for opportunities to make it easier for people to get involved and understand the different ways their talents and perspectives can bring value to the mission. Another study found that two-thirds of volunteer programs have decreased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many volunteers say they’ve lost communication with the nonprofits they were working with and don’t realize there are opportunities to get involved again. To rebuild volunteer support, nonprofits can take a simple step: say thank you. Reach out to your volunteers with calls or emails, or even host a luncheon or dinner. Thank them for their support and update them on where your programs stand and what your needs are. 2. Overhead and Budgeting A recent study found nonprofits need to spend a third of their budget on overhead to thrive. It also noted that nonprofits that spend more on costs such as IT facilities, staff, equipment, and development tend to be more successful than those that don’t. Now, this obviously varies depending on which sector you work in. But by investing in your organization, you can provide a better experience through your programs and services and for donors. 3. Donor Loyalty Always a popular topic, Nicholas discussed some strategies for strengthening donor loyalty. Some of the top tips: - Talk with donors, not at them. Ask for their opinions and learn more about their stories. - Be transparent. Make sure donors know the impact their gift is making. - Literally open your doors to your donors. Invite them in to see your work first-hand. - Make sure all donors are thanked, regardless of the size of their gift.

Non-profit communicators know that personalization is more important than ever. But given our tech-enabled reality, personalization is evolving. How can you leverage data to create highly relevant and customized content for your audience? That's what we’ll explore in this podcast with two experts from Pursuant: Jennifer Bielat, Executive Vice President of Client Strategy, and Dom Spinosa, Chief Creative Officer. Not too long ago, personalization was limited to the salutation in your letter or email. Today, technology has made it easier to personalize outreach, in both print and digital spaces. Advanced tech also drives data collection and gives fundraisers more nuanced insights about their donors. Emerging tech is also creating a variety of ways to reach your constituents, leading to an authentic omnichannel experience. Consumers flow from one communication channel to another throughout their day, giving you multiple opportunities to deliver your message. An email, a catalog, a text message, a Facebook post — they should all work together to align your mission with your constituents’ interests and drive them toward action. While this sounds like a can’t-lose situation for nonprofits, there are some pitfalls to avoid. Jennifer and Dom share these examples, based on their combined experience in the fundraising space: · Don’t confuse omnichannel with every channel. Use your data to prioritize the channels your constituents spend more time in and the ones they’re most likely to transact in. · Don’t over-personalize. You must be very selective in terms of what data you use. For instance, the donor expects to see their first-party data in your communications because they willingly gave it to you. However, third-party data calls for more restraint. · Don’t make assumptions about why they’re supporting you. Instead, send out a simple survey and ask what brought them to you. The donor will feel like their voice matters, and you’ll have additional insights to drive personalization. The goal is to show constituents you care about them and their support while also communicating how their gift is making a difference. It’s a fine line to walk, but when done well, personalization can help your donors feel like they’re part of your organization.

When times are tough, and wallets shrink, how do you keep your nonprofit a top priority for your donors? The goal is to be a fixed line item in a donor’s budget — non-negotiable, even in hard times. To achieve this, you must understand where your donor’s values align with your organization's. In this episode of the Go Beyond Fundraising Podcast, we tackle this question and others with GivingDNA’s General Manager Rebecca Segovia, and VP of Client Success Ryan Carpenter. Spoiler: Data can reveal the key to your donors’ hearts. The donor knows your case for support, but do you know theirs? Once you understand why a donor supports your cause, you can build a more intentional relationship with them. Becca and Ryan will discuss how data can help unearth your donors’ reasons for investing in you. Just having data isn’t enough. It matters how you use it. Data can support your strategies, uncover opportunities, and build relationships. Simply asking donors why they give to your cause and what communication they prefer can be a powerful way to build trust and win their loyalty. To make the most of your data, first ensure it’s clean and consistent. Then, recognize what you’re tracking. You’ll have demographic information, but what else do you know about your donors? Interests, passions, giving behavior, communication preferences — all of this helps you get to know your donors better. Finally, look for trends. What outreach are people responding to? Your year-end appeal, a summer campaign, or something else? Can you tell when their habits change? These insights will show you where to focus resources. Once your database is clean, stories about your donors will emerge. Demographics, psychographics, communication preferences, disposable income, and other data points will paint a more colorful and detailed picture of your donors. In turn, you’ll be in an ideal position to deliver customized experiences that leads to deeper loyalty, more revenue, and a secure future.

As you begin planning for 2023, the current economic climate may have you tightening your belt to stay on budget. Donor acquisition tends to be singled out for cuts in tough times because the ROI isn’t always obvious. In this episode, Pursuant Executive Vice Presidents Jennifer Bielat and Alicia Lifrak will help you make the case for responsible investment in acquisition. You'll learn how metrics like the acquisition cost, payback period, and long-term value of donors can help you convince your organization’s leadership that donor acquisition is not just a valid investment, but a vital one. The consequences of scaling back acquisition cannot be overstated. Did you know removing just one cycle of acquisition efforts can take three years to recover from? You might save money now, but it will cost you in the long run. Responsible decision making is essential, and our experts outline the metrics you can use to empower it. We also discuss how to navigate challenges like the paper shortage and supply chain issues as they relate to direct mail appeals. The good news is your spring mailings should be okay if you start now. Our guests also share their insights on donor reactivation. Reaching out to those who are in your database but haven’t given lately (or ever) require very specific messaging. Learning as much as you can about how they ended up in your database and what their preferences are can help you target them with a case for supporting your organization that resonates with their values and passions.

As we approach the final months of 2022, we know many of you will be focusing on your year-end campaigns. And as the threat of a global recession looms large, you may be looking for ways to tighten spending. Stewardship is often one of the programs to be scaled back. In this episode, we’re talking with David Sacchetti, Director of Client Strategy, and Kim Richardson, an Associate Vice President of Client Strategy, about why continuing stewardship is more important than ever. They’re also sharing creative ways you can steward your donors without breaking your budget. For instance, skip your customary holiday mailing in favor of a simple but thoughtful email or text. A video message from your executive director or CEO can feel personalized, even if it’s being sent to your full list. The COVID-19 pandemic led more and more people to embrace technology and adopt social media channels, so don’t shy away from communicating this way. Social media donor spotlights and video thank you messages are just a few ways you can easily reach large groups of people. The best part? These methods come with little-to-no cost. The end of the year is also an ideal time to survey your donors, which will help them feel connected to your organization. In fact, Kim shares an example of one client who raised $40,000 with a straightforward, no-ask survey. Another way to get donor feedback and build a community is to start a Facebook group. We’ll also share some recent donor outreach we’ve personally received to inspire you. But no matter how you choose to thank your supporters, the chief thing to remember is the best stewardship touch is one that makes the donor feel important. And that doesn’t have to cost a thing.

On this episode, we’re talking with Trent Ricker, President and CEO of Pursuant, and Matthew Mielcarek, Senior Vice President of Analytics and Insights Strategy, about the recently released 2022-2023 Pursuant Giving Outlook. Specifically, we’re digging into how the Giving Outlook can help us navigate the challenging economic times we’re all facing. This eBook uses data aggregated from several industry reports plus insights from Pursuant clients to help fundraisers more broadly anticipate the year ahead. You can also read more about the Giving Outlook, download your free copy, or watch this on-demand webinar. In this discussion, Trent and Matthew will also touch on the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q2 22 Report, released by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy

Acquisition can be a thorn in the side of marketers. And as the cost of acquiring donors continues to rise due to paper shortages and increasing digital ad rates, the cost of acquiring attention has gone up, too. In this episode, we’re speaking with Soraya Alexander, President, Classy and COO, GoFundMe. Classy’s tech is well-known in the world of nonprofit fundraising, and its recent acquisition by crowdfunding platform GoFundMe will enable it to better connect communities with the causes they support. Soraya says knowing your donors is key to reaching them in meaningful ways. Taking an omni-channel approach is also essential — it’s not either this or that; rather, it’s how it all comes together. Instead of putting a certain channel like direct mail at the center of your outreach campaign, put the donor at the center. Another tactic Soraya recommends is to segment your donors by commonalities such as age and then talk to them differently. Nonprofits must be especially aware of generational giving. Millennials and Gen Z, for instance, are less trusting of institutions. They’re driven by activism and prefer to donate directly to those who need aid. Nonprofits can take advantage of this activism by giving donors an opportunity to engage through service first. By championing volunteerism, you can build a trusting relationship and show how their dollars are being used. This engenders giving and kicks off an ecosystem of involvement.

Nonprofits are often tasked with doing more with less, leaving fundraisers feeling like they have limited options and resources, which in turn can lead to a lack of innovation and creativity. This is called a scarcity mindset, and it can be detrimental to achieving the results you want to see. In this episode, we talk with Gauri Manglik, CEO and Co-Founder of Instrumentl, a tech solution that helps nonprofits prospect funders and manage grant applications. Gauri’s background is with startups, but she says her work with nonprofits has revealed several parallels between the two. Both startups and nonprofits tend to operate on scarcity mindsets. Like nonprofits, startups often have lean teams that must do more work with fewer resources. However, startup investors seem more comfortable with risks, whereas nonprofit donors want to fund something with a proven track record. Gauri says this difference impacts the way the organizations are run and how leaders feel they can invest their money. Adopt an abundance mindset around fundraising. Gauri says taking an abundance approach to fundraising means realizing you’re creating win-win situations for your prospects. For startups, investors want to fund the next big thing. Similarly, nonprofit donors want to see outcomes in the organizations they’re supporting. She offers advice for approaching a fundraising appeal from a position of strength. When a scarcity mindset can be a good thing. When building Instrumentl, Gauri says her team avoided the fundraising conversation by building a product customers want and will love. She sees an opportunity for nonprofits to do the same by breaking appeals into smaller, more manageable chunks. For instance, focusing on one small program to run or one small way to spotlight impact. The talent at startups and nonprofits. Both startups and nonprofits are full of hard-working employees eager to see their cause or mission succeed. Some leaders with a scarcity mindset may be tempted to take advantage of employees’ willingness to go above and beyond which can lead to burnout and high turnover. Gauri shares a better way that empowers small but mighty teams to grow and thrive.

As political campaigns turn up the heat leading to the mid-term elections, you’ll need to find new and creative ways to get your message heard. In this episode, Nicholas and Leah chat about the trends and topics they’re seeing as 2022 closes in on the busiest time of the year for nonprofit. Here are some of the key takeaways: Create a unified message across channels. To cut through all the noise and draw people’s attention to your cause, focus on your messaging. Specifically, create a unified message to foster a connection between donors and your organization. Share good news. Don’t fall into the negativity trap; try to also share the good things happening within your cause. Donors want to know where their dollars are going and the impact they’re making. Focus on stewardship. Use data to learn as much about your donors and prospects as possible, then put a personal spin on your stewardship efforts. Ensure that all messaging connects your work to what’s relevant and urgent in their minds. Use search ads to acquire new donors. There’s limitless opportunity with digital search and social media ads. You’ll spend less money in these spaces and reach a larger segment of your donors and constituents. Make online giving easy. Donors today appreciate multiple payment options. Ensure your website is optimized to receive payments by credit or debit card, payment vendors like PayPal and Venmo, and even cryptocurrency. Your site should also be easy to use. Let data drive direct mail. Given supply chain issues, direct mail continues to get more expensive. Don’t lean on this form of outreach simply because it’s what you’ve always done; rather, look at data to see your donors’ communication preferences and prioritize mailing those who are most responsive via mail. Reach younger generations. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for Millennials and Gen Z, so segment your donors by age and craft messaging that will resonate. Focus on social media but be authentic.

Have you changed jobs recently in exchange for more flexibility, pay, or upward advancement? If so, you're not alone. The C-19 pandemic sparked a “Great Resignation,” spurring workers to take stock of their priorities and leading many people to leave jobs and demand better work-life balance through options like remote work. On the podcast, we spoke about how nonprofits can navigate this new work climate with Larissa Stoddart. She is the founder of Growth & Co., a Canadian fundraising coaching firm that helps charity fundraisers learn the best ways to raise money and build the infrastructure they need for long-term success.

We recently sat down with our Senior Vice President of Insights, Analytics, and Experience, Matthew Mielcarek, to break down a few of the big ideas and highlights from the 2022 Pursuant Giving Outlook. In our annual Pursuant Giving Outlook, we compiled the best industry knowledge, data, and statistics on things like: -Current market conditions and potential pitfalls -Nonprofit sector trends and industry benchmarks -New opportunities for growing your donor base The economy and giving behaviors are not always predictable—so what reliable data we have is invaluable. And while there are many sources of data on the nonprofit sector available, they can be highly editorialized, limited to a single channel, or might even be out of date. Our goal with the Pursuant Giving Outlook is to provide a primary source that gives a complete picture of the industry landscape. The publication is our best shot at delivering nonprofit professionals a glimpse into an industry “crystal ball,” where they can see the state of things today, what to expect for the future, and most importantly, how to prepare. Download the Giving Outlook https://info.pursuant.com/giving-outlook-ebook-2022

Amid today’s economic uncertainty and rising costs, nonprofits need to focus on strengthening relationships with their existing donors. A key way to do this is to follow your data. In this episode, we talk with Dan Stevens, co-founder and senior vice president of business development at Windfall, and Dawn Galasso, vice president of sales at GivingDNA, about the new partnership between the two organizations and how it’s disrupting traditional wealth screening. Windfall refreshes its entire dataset once a week to ensure it captures the most up-to-date net worth and giving behaviors possible. By integrating this external data with GivingDNA’s data and analysis, fundraisers can build opportunity segments in minutes that can steer giving campaigns. Simply put, you won’t need an analyst or another tool to tell you what to do with your data segments. The insights you generate — age, occupation, net worth, communication preferences, salutation expectations, etc. — will build goodwill with your donors and can even help you re-engage non-donors. It’s all about creating hyper-customized experiences that show you know who your donors are and why they give. The GivingDNA-Windfall partnership is sure to be a game changer for fundraisers. Listen now to see how it can strengthen your strategies. To learn more about this partnership and schedule a time with one of our experts to see the data in action, visit givingdna.com/get-started-wf.

How effective is your monthly giving program? Too often, nonprofits take a “set it and forget it” approach. But by nurturing monthly donors, you can build reliable and consistent revenue for your organization that has the potential to make a million-dollar impact. In this episode, we talk with Abby Trahan, who served as the Annual Giving Coordinator at the Houston Food Bank from May 2020 to March 2022. In this role, she revamped the monthly giving program and used relationship-building tactics to more than double the number of monthly donors and increase the program’s annual impact to $3 million. This success came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the winter storm that crippled Texas in February 2021. So, how did Abby do it? Most notably, she recognized that monthly donors are some of the most important and loyal donors an organization has. By treating this core group as partners who want to know their gift is making a difference, Abby built a solid community of donors with a retention rate you won’t believe. Join us as we explore Abby’s best strategies for acquiring new monthly donors, forging personal connections in innovative ways, and creating meaningful touchpoints that relate to your organization’s mission. You’ll also hear Abby’s best advice for young fundraisers and why having someone dedicated specifically to cultivating monthly donors can make all the difference. Don’t send your most consistent givers another tchotchke. This episode is chock-full of ways to show your monthly donors the full impact of their gift.

Rage giving? Social commerce? Data governance? You can be sure that there’s no shortage of new concepts popping up in today’s nonprofit marketing arena. But if you need a quick lesson on these trending concepts, you’re in the right place. In this episode, we tackle these topics and more with industry insight consultant Nicholas Hedenkamp, who compiles the latest trends, stories, and curiosities in the fundraising and marketing world. Here are the headlines: - Donors everywhere are tightening their purse strings—especially regarding funding operations versus mission-critical work. As the immediate crisis-inspired giving resulting from the global pandemic wanes, is there a way nonprofits can communicate the continued need for support? The answer might be in harnessing the power of storytelling. - One way to ignite the donor spark to give is to tap into the phenomenon of “rage giving.” When people are fired up about something that matters, they take action however they can. Is righteous anger a sustainable motivation in today’s fundraising landscape?  - Next, we talk personalization. Today’s nonprofit constituent craves a personal connection more than ever. Hear how the Houston Food Bank used a simple approach to create a big impact with their monthly donors. - But while prospects desire a more tailor-made experience, they are also worried about their digital privacy. How can organizations find a careful balance between offering a personalized experience and creating confidence in how they handle personal information?  - Finally, we talk about the latest industry dud in social media marketing: social commerce. Learn why big platforms like Meta are pulling the plug on this once-promising strategy that focuses on in-app purchases.  Hear Nicholas’s savvy insights about these timely topics and more in the latest episode of the Go Beyond podcast.

The Nonprofit Alliance recently said, “Consumers are spending more at the gas pump and the grocery store and so they're not increasing their philanthropic spending.” What exactly does this mean for fundraisers? How will this affect donor behavior? What strategies will allow us to fulfill our mission? This week, Nicholas Hedenkamp, an insights consultant at Pursuant, joins us to chat about ways fundraisers and marketers can connect with donors using an omni-channel approach that ensures a compelling constituent experience. Implementing consistent messages across online, phone, in-person, and direct-mail channels creates a seamless experience for your constituents to connect with your story. As inflation looms and prices continue to skyrocket, it’s more important than ever to consider careful communication with your supporters and advocates. Last but not least, we explored the best times to post on social media. The results may not surprise you, but are interesting nonetheless. As an increasingly important channel for brand awareness, reaching your audiences on social media at the optimal time is key.

Is your nonprofit on the fence about accepting crypto? Are you interested in learning what the buzz is all about? Maybe you’re curious about the fundraising benefits for your organization? Then you won’t want to miss this podcast. To answer all your crypto-related questions, we spoke with Pat Duffy, Co-Founder of The Giving Block. In 2018, Pat, and co-founder Alex Wilson, saw an opportunity in the market to facilitate cryptocurrency fundraising specifically for nonprofits. The Giving Block empowers nonprofits to leverage crypto technology to more effectively achieve their mission.  The current market is down, but long-term crypto value has proved profitable and the user base continues to grow. Fortunately, nonprofits interested in crypto fundraising don’t have to ride that volatility. Immediate liquidation and conversion mean nonprofits can actualize investments in their mission immediately. Hear first hand from crypto expert, Pat Duffy as he explains simple steps for your nonprofit to begin fundraising with crypto technology today! Learn more about Pursuant and get free fundraising resources at pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast.

In our latest episode, we sat down with Bryan Kramer to discuss impactful methods of personalizing the donor experience in ways that resonate with your constituents. The big tech companies have developed strategies of personalizing their users' experiences that drive incredible loyalty. Learn how you can do the same for your donors by adapting ways of creating human touchpoints that can deliver the same level of personalization. Collecting data from constituents while simultaneously building trust will build your relationships over time - think onion layers. They will receive the value you offer them, and you will receive their data and trust. Creating these human touchpoints will result in relationships where the donor feels motivated to connect with your organization and support your mission. Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanjkramer/ Book mention: There is no B2B or B2C: It’s Human to Human: H2H https://bryankramer.com/books/#H2H Learn more about Pursuant and get free fundraising resources at pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast.

In this episode, Pursuant's CEO Trent Ricker sat down with Kevin Hagan, President and CEO of PAN Foundation, to talk about the effect of global crises on fundraising. With the current Ukraine crisis, we've seen nontraditional or so-called 'unorganized' giving, as people adopted unique ways to support and donate. In this dialogue, these nonprofit leaders discuss lessons that nonprofits can learn from grassroots efforts like these when it comes to funding specific missions. Learn more about PAN Foundation: https://www.panfoundation.org/ Learn more about Pursuant: www.pursuant.com Connect with Trent: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentricker/ Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhagan/

There’s no doubt that impacting the world for good is hugely motivating -- especially for passionate young people. Nonprofits have the opportunity to form relationships with young donors and constituents now to ensure the future of their mission. Millennials want more transparency and communication with the nonprofits they donate to. They want to know how and why you’re spending their dollars. Delivering your message through social media is how you can communicate your mission goals. Building a robust and effective customer journey is a complicated process. Getting data from these platforms and using that data in your CRM system is no easy task and the sooner nonprofits start solving that for their organizations the better prepared they will be. Gen Z grew up online and spends a disproportionate amount of time there. It’s their preferred community and they are more likely to have started their own nonprofits at a young age. As nonprofits, we need to figure out how to replicate that connection for these future donors. Investing in the infrastructure, technology, and tools that meet the giving preferences of a wide range of donors without alienating any particular group is a fine line to walk. Connect with Maria Clark: linkedin.com/in/mariaiclark2021/ Learn more about Pursuant: www.pursuant.com Learn more about GivingDnA: www.givingdna.com #gobeyondfundraising #nonprofitpodcast #FacebookFundraising

The new Facebook Challenge Fundraisers are helping organizations acquire brand new supporters, raise significant funds, and start personal relationships with everyone who joins the group. With such a cost-efficient way to meet your mission goals, this platform cannot be ignored. Good United works hand-in-hand with Facebook to create and optimize Facebook Challenges for nonprofits. That’s why we were so excited to sit down and chat with Maria Clark, Good United’s EVP of Partnerships & Chief Evangelist, to learn about the evolving impact of peer-to-peer fundraising in social media. Communicating with your donors through social media has never been more crucial. COVID forced nonprofits to make quicker pivots and be more nimble in their decision making & turning to social media & DIY tools to engage participants. While all social media channels offer ways to connect with your constituents, Facebook fundraising has become the most lucrative with 90% of all social media giving coming from that platform. Facebook provides a frictionless and easy way to give without interruption and the added benefit of their Messenger service provides an avenue of communication with constituents resulting in deep relationships. Learn about GoodUnited: goodunited.io Connect with Maira: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaiclark2021/ Learn about GivingDNA: www.givingdna.com #gobeyondfundraising #nonprofitpodcast #FacebookFundraising

Blackbaud’s 2021 Charitable Giving Report dropped recently, and we couldn’t wait to dive in and see what trends from last year will influence (and are already influencing) 2022. We grabbed time with Kristin Priest, Vice President, Client Solutions, and Matthew Mielcarek, Senior Vice President, Analytics & Insights Strategy, to get their take on what fundraisers should pay attention to as we enter the second quarter of 2022. A few of the questions they explore include: - Will 2022 see donors shifting to pre-pandemic giving behaviors? - If so, how will nonprofits position their case for support? - How will the rapid growth in digital shape the ways we connect with donors? Read the full Blackbaud 2021 Giving Report: https://institute.blackbaud.com/charitable-giving-report/ Founded in 2001, Pursuant is the leading full-service fundraising agency, building omnichannel solutions to drive marketing and fundraising results for nonprofit organizations. Grounded in analytics and powered by our GivingDNA technology, we extend an organization’s impact by allowing more people to experience the joy of giving. Experience the difference. Learn more at pursuant.com. GivingDNA tools can help you understand the composition of your donor universe and benefit how you engage with your donors this year and beyond. Learn more at givingnda.com. #givingdna #2021givingreport #2022givingtrends

The Great Resignation has shed light on the timeless reality that effective organizations require empowered people. Good leaders are able to recognize their direct reports' unique talents and passions and harness that potential to grow both the employee AND the organization... but how is this accomplished? In this episode, our Executive Vice President Becca Segovia shares how she grew into the effective leader she is today, as well as some key resources and frameworks you can leverage to become the leader YOU want to be. Some key takeaways: - Learn how to see the gifts in your employees so you can maximize their talents - A framework of questions you can ask to find out how your team members are wired - Cultivate an abundance mentality even when working within limitations - Running lean and achieving your goals simultaneously Book mentions: 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins Measure What Matters by John Doerr Radical Candor by Kim Scott Strengths Finder by Tom Rath See more at pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast

In the 2nd release of this two-part podcast, we continued our conversation with Maureen Wallbeoff, by looking at how technology is bringing us out of a "brick-n-mortar" mindset and into a "cloud" mindset. We’ll examine how the pandemic has transformed the mission of our organizations and how we operate as nonprofits. The results of these experiences are valuable lessons you can deliver to your team as well as communicate them to your donors. Some key takeaways: Meeting the technological demands of your nonprofit How technology supports us and how it will change the future of work A case study look at how higher education is adjusting to the online experience Maureen Wallbeoff is an "accidental techie" who has more than seventeen years working inside nonprofit organizations, and another ten years leading a digital agency for nonprofits. She shares how organizations can create the right technology to meet donor expectations and to operate more effectively. Spending a lot of money on your nonprofit technology…and you’re not sure if it’s helping your organization grow? It’s time to tame your tech! Discover the proven ways to get a return on your Nonprofit Technology Investment! Get Maureen's new book at meetmaureen.com/nonprofit-tech-investment-ebook Want to supercharge your organization's ability to understand, segment, and develop customized experiences for your donors? GivingDNA was built to help time-strapped fundraisers do all that plus more. Visit givingdna.com/demo to learn more. What is GivingDNA? Watch our explainer video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPCi0H3avb8

Like so many things, the pandemic accelerated trends in technology, including the degree to which consumers expected the experience organizations deliver to be highly personal and relevant. Nonprofit organizations are now left wondering if their legacy systems can support their rapidly evolving needs. In this two-part conversation, we spoke with Maureen Wallbeoff, an "accidental techie" who has more than seventeen years working inside nonprofit organizations, and another ten years leading a digital agency for nonprofits. She shares how organizations can create the right technology to meet donor expectations and to operate more effectively. Spending a lot of money on your nonprofit technology…and you’re not sure if it’s helping your organization grow? It’s time to tame your tech! Discover the proven ways to get a return on your Nonprofit Technology Investment! Get Maureen's new book at meetmaureen.com/nonprofit-tech-investment-ebook Want to supercharge your organization's ability to understand, segment, and develop customized experiences for your donors? GivingDNA was built to help time-strapped fundraisers do all that plus more. Visit givingdna.com/demo to learn more. What is GivingDNA? Watch our explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPCi0H3avb8

Given her 20 years of writing direct response copy, we couldn't think of a better person to sit down and interview about matching gifts than Cathe Hoerth. As one of the most popular (and sometimes confusing) methods of direct response fundraising, we figured it was past time to share her wisdom. We explore... - What are the different types of matching gifts? - When is it best to use a matching gift, versus another challenge method? - Risks involved with leveraging a match And more! Learn more about Pursuant's direct response services at pursuant.com. You can also see more information about this episode, download free resources, and submit your ideas for future podcast episodes at Pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast

If you’ve ever found yourself in a place of authority at your organization, at one point or another you’ve probably experienced what our guest Tim Arnold describes as a “leadership tension.” It’s that either/or thinking that causes stress, anxiety, and division within your organization. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this conversation between Tim and our CEO Trent Ricker, we’ll explore how nonprofit leaders can cultivate a both/and mindset that allows them to lead their people forward confidently—despite an uncertain future. Tim's book "Lead with And" is available for purchase on February 15, 2022, at https://leadersforleaders.ca/book. LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tim-arnold1  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_tim_arnold/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/timarnold1  Visit pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast to download free resources and exclusive content.

In the influential book “Leaders Eat Last,” author Simon Sinek opines, “We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it.” Larger-than-life volatility has become a hallmark of our current “normal,” and it’s created challenges for leaders of business and nonprofits. As someone with a unique perspective into both realms, we knew we had to sit down with our CEO and president, Trent Ricker, to get his take on the challenges and opportunities facing our industry as we enter 2022. Ultimately, we have a say in what the future of fundraising looks like, no matter how uncertain the future may seem. Download free industry resources and read the episode transcript at www.pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast.

In this episode, we spoke with Claire Logue, our new director of technology solutions. With over a decade of experience in SaaS technology, data analytics, and technical consulting, she makes an incredible addition to the growing GivingDNA team. Claire is an accomplished leader in the nonprofit industry with experience in major gift fundraising, campaign management, and prospect research. She comes from an extensive working relationship with WealthEngine, Salesforce, and her nonprofit career took her to the American Red Cross National Headquarters, and Pepperdine University. We’ll be spotlighting our team members from time to time on the podcast, as we celebrate their expertise and experience. Learn more about Claire and GivingDNA at givingdna.com. See more episodes and download free fundraising guides at pursuant.com/gobeyondpodcast

The events of 2020 and 2021 changed the way we form our tribes in significant ways. In the nonprofit space, fundraisers and marketers had to think differently about community engagement when it came to their operations, and in how they cultivated their donors. Now that something of a “next normal” has been established, what do our digital and in-person communities look like? How can we reclaim the most powerful elements of our communities from the pre-COVID days, and integrate them with the digital technologies we've since adopted to create more powerful results going forward? Over the next two episodes, we spend time with Trent Ricker, our CEO and president at Pursuant, to get his perspective as an industry leader as we launch into 2022. 211666

Video is one of the fastest ways to stir a donor’s affections for your cause, and also the medium that intimidates so many fundraisers and nonprofit marketers. In this episode, we spoke with Coury Deeb and Ryan Galanaugh of Nadus Films to learn how nonprofits can create powerful video content that reaches hearts and raises more money -- no matter what your budget. To learn more about Nadus Films and access the video course, visit https://www.nadusinstitute.com/. Nadus Films is generously offering a discount for the course to GO BEYOND listeners. Use Gobeyond at checkout to get 15% off your purchase. Connect with Coury: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coury-deeb-216915b/ Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-g-2338a1134/

Is the donor pyramid a dusty model that needs to be swept into the dustbins of history? In this episode, we spoke with fundraising consultant Claire Axelrad to discuss her recent revision of her popular article, RIP Donor Pyramid, in which she proposes a dynamic and exciting way nonprofits can align fundraising, marketing, and technology to create a vibrant culture of philanthropy. Read the full article, "RIP Donor Pyramid?": https://clairification.com/2021/08/23/r-p-donor-pyramid/ Connect with Claire: https://clairification.com/contact/ It's not too late to prepare for GivingTuesday or to fine-tune your strategy for digital fundraising. Get our Year-End Playbook here: https://www.givingdna.com/resources/2021-pursuant-giving-outlook-0-0 Looking for a full-service fundraising partner? Learn the secrets of creating an RFP that will help you find the right fit: https://resources.pursuant.com/rfp/resource Follow Pursuant on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/pursuant https://www.linkedin.com/company/440882 https://twitter.com/Pursuant https://www.instagram.com/pursuantfundraising/ Go Beyond Fundraising, a podcast brought to you by the Pursuant Group, seeks to find the sharpest minds in fundraising, nonprofit marketing, and organizational leadership and create conversations that spark positive change. We exist to help determined nonprofits make an even bigger impact in the world through smart strategy, cutting-edge technology, and actionable data. Learn more at pursuant.com

Cryptocurrency is a hot topic right now among finance enthusiasts, and nonprofit leaders are cautiously curious. But with year-end giving right around the corner, it’s definitely a giving channel to explore given the relatively untapped potential. A recent report from Gemini found that 14% of adults (21 million individuals) in the US own cryptocurrency. A further 66% of the remaining adults surveyed identify as "crypto-curious," and $1 billion+ in cryptocurrency was donated in 2021. If your nonprofit qualifies as "crypto-curious," you're definitely not alone. That's why we enlisted Tina Roh of every.org, a nonprofit technology company that aims to make technology a public good, to explain the world of cryptocurrency, why nonprofits should investigate it, and how to allow donors to give via crypto at year-end. We also brought on Ryan Carpenter to explain how fundraisers can proactively identify people in your donor data who fit the profile of a typical crypto owner. Learn about www.every.org Connect with Tina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaroh/ Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rycarpenter/ Read the Gemini report: https://www.gemini.com/gemini-2021-state-of-crypto-us.pdf See Every.org's stats on giving, including crypto metrics: https://metabase.every.org/public/dashboard/55a7289c-36ce-475e-9733-c376f68bd45b Learn about Pursuant at www.Pursuant.com, and learn about GivingDNA at www.givingdna.com

Since its conception nearly a decade ago, #GivingTuesday has become the kickoff to the year-end giving season. But if fundraisers aren’t prepared to maximize this window of generosity, they could be leaving revenue on the table. A powerful strategy for making the most of the giving season is to develop versioned messages for various donor groups. The good news is advanced donor engagement technology exists to help fundraisers segment to a level of specificity like never before. Our resident donor data expert Ryan Carpenter visited the Pursuant Go Beyond Podcast to share some best practices that you can apply to your year-end campaign. Ryan’s expertise comes from real-time advisement with Pursuant clients using GivingDNA™, which “allows you to understand who your people are—to understand what they care about, the channels they prefer to engage through. And that allows increased engagement. Increased engagement is going to lead to greater giving and more frequent giving.” Equipped with robust donor data from GivingDNA, your nonprofit can apply these insights to reach donors by segment. Ryan offers strategies for six donor segments that are in your file right now. Here’s how you can communicate with each segment for a successful year-end campaign in 2021. Craving more resources around year-end? Check out this year's round-up of #GivingTuesday and year-end giving fundraising expertise at pursuant.com/yearend.

Come October, you start seeing them: postcards and fat envelopes from charities reminding you of those less fortunate and the tough times ahead during the upcoming holiday season — the meals they’ll do without, the gifts they can’t provide their kids, the coats they need to stay warm. You’ll see these appeals begin popping up in your inbox, too, especially if you’ve donated to those organizations in the past. Your social media feeds will probably echo similar requests for aid, particularly during the #GivingTuesday that follows Cyber Monday. Combined with the charitable mindset that the holiday season encourages, these messages find a more receptive audience, which is why year-end fundraising is so important to nonprofits. In this episode, we're talking all about the secret storytelling formula that will win more hearts, minds, and dollars for your organization this year-end. Our expert is Dominique Glanville, a friend of the podcast and a Certified Storybrand Guide. We also brought on Rebecca Gregory Segovia and her decades of expertise serving nonprofit clients to weigh in on how you can apply these principles to your year-end appeals. Dominique has created a special year-end guide for all listeners here: www.yearendchecklist.com We also invite you to learn more about tools that can help you segment your audiences into specific groups for targeted messaging with the GivingDNA Platform. Get a free 7-day trial at givingdna.com/freetrial. Connect with Dominique on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiqueglanville/ and at https://heightsstrategic.com/ Connect with Becca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagregory/

Today we'll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and Associate Vice President of Client Strategy Britney Mathias as they take a look back on the top 5 takeaways from the 2021 ANA nonprofit Conference

We know that storytelling is the most powerful way to reach donors’ hearts and minds... but is there a way to use data to inform WHICH stories are going to get you the results you need? With year-end approaching, you need a strategy that works. 2020 saw historical levels of giving on #GivingTuesday and in December. This year, you may be wondering how many of those gifts and givers will turn up again. In this episode we sat down with Stephen King -- no, not THAT Stephen King -- to discuss how numbers and statistics can be leveraged as powerful storytelling tools at year-end and beyond. Connect with Stephen: https://www.growthforce.com/stephen-king-bio Learn about GivingDNA: www.givingdna.com

A record number of people lined up to support local, national, and international charities in 2020, which has fundraisers wondering if the historic levels of giving will continue or level out in the coming months. While predicting the future is nearly impossible in 2021, economic indicators point to a dynamic environment for giving at year-end and into 2022. We asked our resident fundraising analytics expert Matthew Mielcarek to weigh in on the economic forces currently shaping philanthropy. Along the way, we explore how fundraisers and nonprofit marketers can prepare to respond to opportunities and challenges at hand. You can download the full ebook of the Pursuant Giving Outlook at HTTP://www.pursuant.com/givingoutlook21. We also invite you to learn more about the GivingDNA Platform, giving analytics and donor insights technology that allows you to get a 360-degree view of who your donors are. It also helps you sort and segment those donors into highly targeted groups for personalized outreach. Get a demo at HTTP://www.pursuant.com/demo.

It's hard to believe, but we've now released 100 episodes of the Go Beyond Podcast! To celebrate the occasion, we sat down with our president and CEO, Trent Ricker, to reflect on the changes in the fundraising landscape since the inception of COVID-19. We also explored the evergreen value of positive donor experiences, and how nonprofit leaders can confidently move forward in a world of increasing data privacy. If you’ve been with us since episode 1, thank you for sticking with us all the way to now, our 100th episode. We’re glad you’re here and grateful for you. We're about to release the Pursuant Giving Outlook, our take on the market forces influencing the philanthropic landscape, what the future may hold, and how nonprofits can implement the findings into their fundraising programs. It’s our most popular resource every year. Sign up to get your copy of the 2021 Pursuant Giving Outlook at pursuant.com/givingoutlook21

Today we’ll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and newly announced Vice President of Digital Kacey Crawford as they discuss the ever changing role that digital plays in the nonprofit world.

Does your nonprofit have a monthly giving program, but wonder if there’s more you could be doing to engage those donors? Or maybe you are looking to start one. Regardless of where you are in your journey to a robust pipeline of recurring givers, we know you’ll enjoy this conversation with Erica Waasdorp, who literally wrote the book — and recently published a new one — on the topic of monthly giving programs. Grab Erica's newest book, Monthly Giving Made Easy: https://www.amazon.com/Monthly-Giving-Made-Erica-Waasdorp/dp/098596832X Learn more about how GivingDNA can help you instantly know who in your donor file is most likely to give a monthly gift if asked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGda2ksn4gE

This year we’re seeing many nonprofit conferences take on a hybrid, or virtual-only model. AFP Icon, which is always well attended, went all virtual. For some, this may have been more convenient, but for those who might have missed the sessions, we’ve got you covered. Today we’ll listen to a conversation between Pursuant Vice President, Whitney Norman and Director of Client Strategy David Sacchetti as they take a look back on the top ten takeaways from the 2021 AFP ICON Conference.

What began in 1917 as a group of 12 people, the movement of tens of thousands of volunteers and supporters worldwide has grown into the Lutheran Hour Ministries, which broadcasts now weekly to over 125 million people through its various programs. As a program that is now more than one hundred years old with a wide-ranging goal of spreading the gospel worldwide, Lutheran Hour Ministries needed to change its approach to acquisition. Due to an aging donor population, the organization had to acquire more donors than were lapsing. Through a digital campaign approach, Lutheran Hour Ministries hoped to grow their pool of younger constituents to cultivate into donors, then with whom they could foster long-term relationships. We sat down with Chad Fix, Corporate Communication Manager at Lutheran Hour Ministries, to get the full story. Connect with Chad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadfixstl https://www.lhm.org/ Connect with Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrrichardsonmba/ Learn more about Pursuant Direct Response services at www.pursuant.com Learn more about the GivingDNA at www.givingdna.com

In this episode, Kelley Stewart, Executive Vice President at Pursuant, sits down with Chris Lyons, President and Publisher of Nonprofit Pro to discuss the predictions shared last December in NonProfit PRO's 40 Nonprofit Trends for 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many trends in remote working and learning, and the nonprofit industry was no exception. Matt Hugg, creator of Nonprofit Courses, saw traffic to his curated collection of online nonprofit and fundraising education more than double in 2020 as leaders scrambled to find new ways to resource their causes. We sat down with Matt to learn more about why he started the nonprofit courses, the top questions he sees leaders asking today, and where trends are heading as we stare down the second half of 2021. Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthugg/ Learn more about the nonprofit courses: www.nonprofit.courses Learn more about the GivingDNA platform at www.givingdna.com

In the second installment of a two-part episode, we grabbed some time with Mary Beth McIntyre, Principal at Win-Win Giving, to discuss how nonprofit organizations can get stymied by data and departmental silos. This divide often results in disjointed donor experiences. Mary Beth is a data consolidation expert, so if your organization is experiencing the consequences of disparate data, she has some great insights into how to get your data and teams aligned. Connect with Mary Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-mcintyre-b39b46/ Connect with Becca: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagregory/ Download AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Reports: afpglobal.org/fepreports Get a free 7-day trail of GivingDNA here: info.pursuant.com/givingdna-free-trial

In the first installment of a two-part episode, we grabbed some time with Mary Beth McIntyre, Principal at Win-Win Giving, to get her perspective on the recent numbers around donor retention. AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q4 2020 numbers revealed that retention dropped by 4% between 2019 and 2020, despite new donors and dollars being up. Mary Beth also weighed in six different metrics (including retention rate) that your nonprofit should be regularly checking to make sure your fundraising program is healthy. Connect with Mary Beth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-mcintyre-b39b46/ Connect with Becca: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagregory/ Download AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Reports: afpglobal.org/fepreports Get a free 7-day trail of GivingDNA here: info.pursuant.com/givingdna-free-trial

Does it pay to have a fundraising plan? According to a recent study: Yes. It seems like an obvious statement, but having a strategy for your fundraising has been proven to make a measurable (and lucrative) difference in year-over-year results. In this episode, we grabbed some time with Barbara O’Reilly, CFRE and Principal Consultant at Windmill Hill Consulting, to learn more about her recent partnership with Dr. Adrian Sargeant, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy, on a first-of-its-kind investigation into the impact of development planning. We also unpacked AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q4 2020 numbers showing that retention dropped between 2019 and 2020, despite new donors and dollars being up. Connect with Barbara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boreillywhc/ Connect with Becca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagregory/ Download the new report on Development Plans and Fundraising Performance: https://www.philanthropy-institute.org.uk/reports-sign-up Download AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project Reports: https://afpglobal.org/fepreports Get a free 7-day trail of GivingDNA here: https://info.pursuant.com/givingdna-free-trial

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. In this episode, Debbi Stanley, CFRE, sat down to interview Holly Ferree, Vice President of Philanthropy at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Piedmont in North Carolina. Along the way, they unpacked: - How Big Brothers & Big Sisters shifted to serve their constituents and volunteers in a sudden, virtual-only environment and pivoted their messaging to donors - Ways that their donors engaged deeper to resource the increased challenges the organization was addressing - How Big Brothers & Big Sisters shifted from in-person galas to virtual fundraising events and invested in stewarding their most valuable supporters Connect with Debbi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbistanley/ Connect with Holly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-ferree-1797263/ Pursuant's GivingDNA Platform can empower your organization to make bold, confident, data-driven decisions. Visit http://gdna.pursuant.com to learn more.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. The Center for Development and Learning is a Louisiana-based nonprofit organization that provides practical knowledge and strategies devised and delivered by teachers to assist in those critical classroom moments when teachers are faced with the reality of failing students. In this episode, Daniel Ross, Director, Client Solutions at Pursuant, interviewed Sarah Cortell Vandersypen, CFRE, Vice President of Advancement and Strategy for the Center for Development and Learning. Sarah and Daniel discussed how CDL continued to resource its incredibly vital mission despite the challenges all organizations had to confront last year. Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-w-ross/ Connect with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortellvandersypen/ Pursuant's GivingDNA Platform can empower your organization to make bold, confident, data-driven decisions. Visit gdna.pursuant.com to learn more.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. This episode continues our series in looking back at how fundraisers shifted in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020. Daniel Ross, Director, Technology Solutions at Pursuant, sat down with Amy Sexton, CFRE, Senior Director of Resource Development Clubs, at Boys & Girls Clubs of America to share how her organization leveraged virtual events to raise major gifts, stewarded corporate giving, and more. Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-w-ross/ Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amsexton/ Pursuant's GivingDNA Platform can empower your organization to make bold, confident, data-driven decisions. Visit gdna.pursuant.com to learn more.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nonprofit organizations to act quickly and make bold decisions to face abrupt economic and logistical changes. We're kicking off a series of interviews with fundraising practitioners who navigated the "big pivot" with poise. In this episode, Kim Cogswell, Director, Technology Solutions, sat down with Kayleen Berwick, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Winona State University, to discuss how the institution adapted their giving program to increase philanthropy despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Connect with Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-cogswell-14b03242/ Connect with Kayleen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/k-n-berwick/ Pursuant's GivingDNA Platform can empower your organization to make bold, confident, data-driven decisions. Visit gdna.pursuant.com to learn more.

Is voicemail dead, or actually a secret, powerful engagement tool? When it comes to communication channels that nonprofit marketers and fundraisers use to engage their constituents, chances are you instantly think of direct mail, digital, events, and radio slash telethons. But our guest today has some insights around voicemail, or voice broadcasting, that might change the way you think about your fundraising communications. Jeff Troyer is director of business development of Automatic Response Technologies. We also have with us Debbi Stanley, a CFRE, and one of our resident fundraising technology experts. Visit automaticresponse.com and mention the Pursuant podcast when you schedule a consultation to receive a discount off their voice broadcast services for your nonprofit.

In this episode, Jennifer Bielat, Executive Vice President of Client Strategy, explains how the fundraising results from the end of 2020 are shaping strategy in 2021. We also discuss the emerging economic recovery, including how a "k-shaped" recovery model may affect philanthropy. If you're evaluating your Q2 and Q3 fundraising strategy, you won't want to miss this conversation! Are you asking questions about your fundraising data, but are struggling to find actionable insights? Pursuant’s GivingDNA platform is here to help. We combine your constituent data, donation data, third party information, and tack on augmented intelligence to provide you with insights about who is giving to you, what motivates them to give, and which channels through which they prefer to engage. The Platform also comes with baked in opportunity segments that show you who is most likely to give a large gift, is most likely to lapse, and most likely to give monthly. All this and much more is at the fingertips of fundraisers like you, no IT or data analyst required. Learn more at GivingDNA.com today.

It’s 2021, and doing things virtually from home — whether it’s holiday zooms with family, game nights with friends, or religious services — has become the new normal. Last year, we tapped our friend Reggie Rivers at the gala team to get his insight into how nonprofits can maximize virtual galas. We got Reggie back on the line to learn how this model has evolved in the subsequent months, and what the future might hold for “hybrid events.” We also dug into the question of who on your donor file are the most valuable candidates to reach through this channel. Learn more about Reggie Rivers and the Gala Team by visiting https://www.thegalateam.com/ Are you asking questions about your fundraising data, but are struggling to find actionable insights? Pursuant’s GivingDNA platform is here to help. We combine your constituent data, donation data, third party information, and tack on augmented intelligence to provide you with insights about who is giving to you, what motivates them to give, and which channels through which they prefer to engage. The Platform also comes with baked in opportunity segments that show you who is most likely to give a large gift, is most likely to lapse, and most likely to give monthly. All this and much more is at the fingertips of fundraisers like you, no IT or data analyst required. Learn more at https://www.pursuant.com/givingdna-platform/ today.

Most nonprofits focus on direct metrics to guide them through their budgeting process. Often, they look at figures like the number of emails and mailers sent, how many gifts were received, and gain/loss metrics (like net revenue and cost per dollar raised). This data indicates how a given program is performing. However, it doesn’t explain why you’re getting those results. In this episode, we sat down with one of our resident data gurus, Suchi Otta, to dive into what indirect metrics your nonprofit could be using to more effectively track the success or failure of your fundraising initiatives.

In a year like 2020, it can be difficult to establish a baseline metric for success. Given the importance of major giving to many nonprofit organizations, knowing if you are on track or off couldn't be more crucial. 
 We set out to explore the ins and outs of major giving in 2020 in this episode. Kristin Priest and Doug Cogswell explain: 
 * Why not all major gift prospects should be viewed the same * Major Giving trends we're seeing several months into the COVID-19 pandemic * Key metrics nonprofit leaders should be watching * Defining the right case for support that will move your most valuable donors to engage 
 If you're struggling to know whether or not your major gifts program is on track to succeed, we'd love to introduce you to our Major Giving Maximizer solution. Learn more at pursuant.com/mgm.

In this episode, Leah and Matthew sat down to discuss the latest findings from the donorCentrics Q2 2020 report. Nonprofit leaders are facing a wide arrange of questions as we head into year end giving, including:’ - Did giving increase, remain flat, or decline in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic? - What is on the horizon for year-end giving? - How could the results of the 2020 election possibly impact giving? - What fundraising channels should your nonprofit invest in going into 2021? You can also head over to pursuant.com/givingoutlook to download the 2020 Pursuant Giving Outlook and start planning for 2021.

JDRF is dedicated to finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes, and has a large base of fundraisers who are passionate about their cause. But like many organizations, they experienced a disconnect between departments when it came to making decisions about how to segment their donor database. Sound familiar? That’s why we sat down with Myrna Mulholland, Vice President of Integrated Fundraising at JDRF to discuss how her nonprofit is breaking down organizational silos to communicate more effectively with their donors. Learn more about audience segmentation at our upcoming webinar on October 15 with Children's Medical Center Foundation Dallas: https://info.pursuant.com/segmentation-secrets-webinar

In this episode of Go Beyond, we sat down with Doug Cogswell to get into a conversation on Major Giving Metrics and performance drivers. Doug is a guru when it comes to applying data-driven strategies to the performance of a fundraising team, and he has key recommendations on what to measure, how to measure it and how to drive change management within your organization. In this episode you will hear best practices on how to: - Close more major gifts - Create a culture of data-driven change within your organization - What performance metrics and KPIs to track and why

What’s first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “AI?” If you thought about artificial intelligence or the 2001 Steven Spielberg movie, that’s not what we’re talking about. We recently sat down with our CEO Trent Ricker and EVP of Analytics, Insights, and Experience Hilary Noon to discuss Augmented Intelligence. In a nutshell, augmented intelligence blends human instincts and data to create more personal and relevant — and ultimately human — experiences for your donors. We just released a brand-new ebook on this topic. Download it here: https://info.pursuant.com/augmented-intelligence-for-nonprofits

If you’ve ever had to write a request for proposal for a new fundraising tech stack, you know that evaluating technology for your nonprofit can be a long, drawn out, hand-wringing process. What’s more, once you’ve made your decision and started implementing it, you find there are little quirks and shortcomings that you never even considered asking about during a demo. That’s a feeling that our friends over at RaiseHeck want to help prevent you from feeling. Sally Heaven and Charlotte Kresse are fundraising tech experts, and Taylor and I brought them on the podcast to help you feel confident that you have the right search criteria in your RFP.

In this episode, Gabe Cooper, founder and CEO of Virtuous CRM, explains how nonprofits often lag behind businesses when it comes to deepening relationships with their supporters. The Responsive Fundraising model enables nonprofits to switch from one-to-many messaging to engaging, personalized experiences. Each of your donors gives out of deeply personal convictions, and it's crucial that your interactions with them reflect that. You can grab Gabe's book, Responsive Fundraising, here: tiny.cc/gcooperbook

If you're like many nonprofits that rely on galas and events to engage your most valuable supporters, you're probably wondering how to best move forward in the next "normal." In this episode we've brought back Reggie Rivers, president and founder of the Gala Team, to tell us how his team pivoted to help more than a dozen organizations retool their fundraising efforts to maximize this new channel. We also spoke with Ryan Carpenter to learn how GivingDNA can help you know who to invite, how to follow up with them, and ways to cultivate conversations with donors with the capacity to give... NOW. Get Reggie's Gala At-Home Guide here: https://thegalateam.teachable.com/p/how-to-conduct-a-virtual-gala-at-home Don't miss the Pursuant Giving Outlook Webinar on Tuesday, August 11 at 12 pm central.

We live in a loud, digital world. Capturing the attention of your supporters is more challenging than ever before. In this episode of Go Beyond, Pursuant's Taylor Shanklin sat down with Ryan Quinn, CEO and Founder of Brightguest, a platform focused on creating unique and personal digital experiences. Taylor and Ryan discuss the craft of capturing attention. In this episode you'll learn about: - Some of the latest stats on mobile and mobile attention-getting techniques - How to do some simple segmentation to get the right message to the right person - Capturing attention through "micro-moments"

In today’s climate of tight budgets and unpredictability, it’s more important than ever for nonprofits to maximize available resources. It’s also important to ensure you are using data to inform these key decisions. That’s why we're excited to sit down with Mollie Yoder from the Pocket Testament League to learn more about how they recently leveraged data to streamline a variety of programs and processes. We are also joined by Ryan Carpenter. Ryan serves on Pursuant’s GivingDNA Platform and worked closely with Mollie to help her team leverage the platform to gain these key insights.

Does your nonprofit have a strategy for engaging Donor Advised fund donors? If you don’t, you’re not alone. Many nonprofits overlook this growing sector of givers. That’s why we teamed up with experts at Fidelity Charitable to bring you the third installment of this three-part series on Donor Advised Funds. In this episode, Amy Pirozzolo, head of donor and nonprofit engagement, lays out 6 ways to incorporate donor advised funds into your fundraising program.

After a short hiatus that we took in order to address the fundraising challenges surrounding COVID-19, we're diving back into our series on Donor Advised Funds with Fidelity Charitable! In this second installment, Karen Heald, vice president philanthropic strategist, unpacks how donors who prefer DAFs think, their typical giving behaviors, and how your nonprofit should approach these types of supporters

Editors Note: We originally broadcast this series before the COVID-19 pandemic demanded we shift our podcast episodes to address the unfolding crisis. Now we're proud to re-introduce this 3-part series in partnership with Fidelity Charitable. Donor Advised Funds are an increasingly popular giving method, but many nonprofits struggle to cultivate and steward donors who utilize these funds. We teamed up with Fidelity Charitable to create a three-part series breaking down what Donor Advise Funds are, the types of donors who prefer to give through them, and why your nonprofit should be engaging this subset of supporters. In this first episode, Elaine Martyn breaks down exactly what donor advised funds are, and why they are becoming more common in the giving landscape.

When it comes to the technology your nonprofit uses to raise money, connect with donors, and deliver on your mission, we know that sometimes things can get complex. That’s why we recruited the expertise of Jennifer Thall and Cynthia Coleman from Heller to explain how to get the most out of your systems… especially at a time when the ground beneath us is shifting with the economy and in fundraising. Visit pursuant.com/covid-19 more more resources related to this timely topic.

Amy Pirozzolo from Fidelity Charitable sat down with us to discuss Donor Advised Funds and how they provide stability at an unstable time. As a rapidly growing channel through which donors are choosing to give, this is an area of fundraising that nonprofits need to craft a strategy around — quickly. Visit Pursuant.com/covid-19 for more free resources on this topic.

In this episode, we circled back with our CEO and President Trent Ricker to get his thoughts on how the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated trends that were already developing, and transformed how we approach traditional fundraising disciplines.

In this episode, we sat down with Doug Cogswell, EVP of strategy at Pursuant. We talked about Relationship Mapping. Doug shared his expertise on relationship mapping and highlights the following. There are three things that matter most in finding your best prospects: capacity, attachment (aka engagement or affinity), and interests. In this episode, Doug talks through use cases on relationship mapping which include the likes of: • Who should be my top class agent candidates for the upcoming class of ’92 reunion? • Which prospects should I assign to which class agents? • How can I lever this data to reach a specific top prospect? • We’re organizing an event in Miami in 3 months. Who can I lever to fill it up?

Amidst the climate of uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, you as a nonprofit leader may be wondering how to approach your budget given the major economic shifts we are experiencing. That’s why we enlisted the advice of Sarah Olivieri from Pivot Ground, a budgeting expert and former executive director who helps nonprofits get unstuck when it comes to making financial plans. Download Sarah's free Nonprofit Budget Template here: http://pivotground.com/budget-template

At a time when many of us are experiencing community from the safety of our homes, live streaming has becoming a vital way for fundraisers to connect in real time with donors. Streaming platforms abound, but which one is right for your organization. In this episode, we sought insight from Tina Ly and Matthew Mielcarek on how nonprofits are leveraging real-time video to engage their supporters online. Check out more free COVID-19 focused resources at pursuant.com/covid-19.

Continuing our examination of how fundraisers and nonprofit leaders will have to pivot following the COVID-19 pandemic, in this episode we sat down with some of our favorite data scientists. Suchi Otta and Matthew Mielcarek lend some of their wisdom regarding how to segment your donors and augment your data to mine for the supporters who are most loyal to you and what motivates them to give. Check out other COVID-19 related resources at Pursuant.com/covid-19

The economic impact of the COVID-19 are still developing, but nonetheless the effects will be long lasting. What can we as fundraisers learn from previous economic crises about how to ensure our most loyal major donors still feel seen, cared for, and appreciated during tough times? That's what we sat down with our resident major gifts expert, Kristin Priest, to explore. You can find more COVID-19-centered fundraising resources at pursuant.com/covid-19.

The COVID-19 Outbreak of 2020 is creating new challenges for fundraisers, and Pursuant is here to walk you through the changing landscape. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking with a series of experts from different fundraising practice areas on how to navigate the unique hurdles presented by our new reality. In this episode, Taylor sat down with Colleen Legge and Matthew Mielcarek to discuss how peer-to-peer fundraisers can shift their strategy despite events being cancelled or postponed in this time of social distancing.

With everything happening in the world right now with the global outbreak of the coronavirus, many nonprofits are having to cancel signature events and re-think the way they fundraise. Technology has evolved so much that we are now able to take many of these physical events and turn them into virtual events. I this episode, we sat down with Reggie Rivers, president of The Gala Team, to talk about how his team is helping organizations navigate these rough waters and take their event virtual. Reggie is hosting a two special live broadcasts on Sunday March 29, 2020 at 2pm MST and Monday at 2pm MST. Tun into this Facebook page to see for yourself how to take an event virtual: https://www.facebook.com/TheGalaTeam/ Learn more about the work of the Gala Team here: https://virtualgalateam.com/

Last year Facebook Fundraising raised $1 billion for nonprofits. A total of $2 billion has been raised on the platform since it launched in 2017. And yet, the limited amount of information that nonprofits receive about supporters who fundraise for them via Facebook has caused many organizations to be wary of the platform.  We spoke with our friend Mark Cross from Good United, a software tool that enables nonprofits to communicate with Facebook Fundraisers via Facebook messenger, about his thoughts on where this new revenue channel is taking the nonprofit industry.

We wanted to sit down and have a conversation about the current coronavirus outbreak impacting the world. Jennifer Bielat and Matthew Mielcarek from the Pursuant leadership team joined us to share their thoughts on how nonprofits should approach fundraising at this time of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Donor Advised Funds are an increasingly popular giving method, but many nonprofits struggle to cultivate and steward donors who utilize these funds. We teamed up with Fidelity Charitable to create a three-part series breaking down what Donor Advise Funds are, the types of donors who prefer to give through them, and why your nonprofit should be engaging this subset of supporters. In this first episode, Elaine Martyn breaks down exactly what donor advised funds are, and why they are becoming more common in the giving landscape. Get the free resource discussed in this episode here: https://page.pursuant.com/podcast-resources/

Social media has enabled donors, constituents, and volunteers to share how their favorite nonprofits are making a difference in their lives. These micro-stories, photos, and videos actually have a formal name in the marketing world. It’s called User-Generated Content, and if you don’t have a strategy for using it in your fundraising program, you might be missing an invaluable opportunity. In this episode, we sat down with digital marketing evangelist S. David Ramirez to discuss how to leverage UCG to make a measurable impact in your fundraising. You can find the downloadable resources from this episode here: https://page.pursuant.com/podcast-resources/

Nonprofits talk a lot about the practice of relationship fundraising and creating personalized experiences for their donors. But what if, in a few years, most of your donors were anonymous? How would that change the practice of relationship fundraising? That might sound like a strange proposition, but the recent wave of data privacy laws, social media fundraising, and donor-advised funds mean that nonprofits might soon face a reality where they have to steward donors personally… while not knowing as much about them as they used to. We sat down with our CEO, Trent Ricker, to pick his brain on how nonprofits can act now to anticipate these changes and build a sustainable model for future growth. You can download the resources discussed in this podcast here: https://page.pursuant.com/podcast-resources/

This week we're tackling engagement, board engagement specifically.  We sat down with speaker and author Arlene Cogen, who facilitates Culture of Philanthropy primer programs designed to increase board engagement with FUNdraising. Her goal is to give board members a fresh perspective on philanthropy. The program brings Board members through a participatory exercise where they walk away with an appreciation of and desire to FUN*draise. (*F= Flow of money  U= Unique perspective of your organization and N = Natural process to give.)

In a world where you’re competing against millions of nonprofits for your donor’s dollars, sustained giving programs have become the secret weapon of creating predictable revenue and increasing donor loyalty. If you have a monthly giving program, how do you grow it? How do you identify monthly donors who are ready to be asked to increase their commitment? That’s what we sat down with Erica Waasdorp, President of A Direct Solution, to discuss. Connect with Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-waasdorp-544b74/ The GivingDNA Platform makes it easy to identify candidates who are most likely to become a monthly donor if asked. Get a tour of the GivingDNA Platform today: www.givingdna.com

In this weeks' podcast episode, we sat down with Debbi Stanley, CFRE to talk about how we can set up our donor retention strategies for better success. Taking knowledge and insights from the for-profit customer success models, we can apply retention and engagement strategies to our donors that will build relationships and loyalty. Debbi shares with us the Donor Success Model and how to put it to work for your organization.

In this episode, Matthew Mielcarek explains the most important takeaways fundraisers need to know going into 2020. Spoiler alert: things aren't as dire as you think.

There’s something magic that happens when you’re a one-stop-shop fundraiser. Teams at small nonprofits often have to learn how to be scrappy limited time and resources, and the results are often creative and innovative. Some of that creativity gets lost as fundraising teams scale. Often, additional purse strings come with additional red tape. In this episode, we sit down with fundraiser Sarah Willey to unpack the magic that the small shop approach to fundraising can make when adopted by larger teams.

While there’s been many studies focused on P2P campaign/transactional data, there’s been little insight into the participant's perspective and what they need to succeed. Until Now. We sat down with our friends at OneCause, who surveyed 1,100 Social Fundraisers that participated in peer-to-peer campaigns to understand what motivates them, influences success, and drives engagement. Download the full study here: https://try.onecause.com/ebook/social-fundraiser-research-study/

The Google Algorithm. Removed from its context, that name can sometimes sound like a creature straight out of a high fantasy novel. But if you really think about it, that idea isn’t that far from the truth. Figuring out how the artificial brain of the Google search algorithm works has kept many a marketer up at night charting new SEO battle plans. The good news is, there are some simple things you can do to improve your nonprofit’s rank on Google over time. Those mysterious secrets are what we sat down with SEO expert Scott Spjut to discuss.

There are a lot of misconceptions that Millennials and Gen Z students aren't as generous as alumni from years past. Those myths are what today’s guest set out to debunk. 9 Years ago Cynthia Ware, Director of the Pepperdine Fund at Pepperdine University in Malibu, set out to answer one simple question: What would the financial future of your university look like if you could unleash giving BEFORE students graduate?

In today’s conversation, we sat down with Paul Edwards, who leads the development team at Gordon College, and has more than 40 years of experience in building highly relational major gift programs in the US and abroad. We discuss the characteristics it takes to secure a historic gift for your organization.

There has been a lot of talk lately in the philanthropy world about major giving. Recent trends point to a slowdown in giving at the annual giving, and an increasing reliance on smaller pools of major donors. Is the sky really falling? If you’re seeing these changes in giving behavior at your nonprofit, what are some steps you can take to get ahead of them? That’s what we sat down to discuss with our resident major gifts guru, Kristin Priest.

Matching gift programs are a way for large companies to allocate their philanthropy dollars to causes their employees care about. Despite the popularity of these programs, $4-7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed every year. Could your nonprofit be missing out? We sat down with Adam Weinger, the founder and president of Double the Donation to discuss everything you need to know about matching gift programs. Learn how to get a matching gift program up and running at your organization or accelerate the program you already have.

You may have heard the term 'fundraising intelligence', but you might still be wondering exactly how it applies to your nonprofit and why it's important. That's why in this week's episode we're talking all about Causemo. Causemo is a fundraising intelligence tool that helps nonprofits quickly see opportunities in their constituent data. In just a few clicks, and without involving complicated assistance from an IT team, fundraising professionals can get comprehensive dashboards with insights such as donor growth rate, opportunity segments, demographic trends, and more. At Pursuant, we are excited about how this tool can put information in the hands of everyday fundraisers like you. We also invite you to check out a demo of Causemo this Thursday October 10th. You can RSVP here: https://page.pursuant.com/causemo-demo-registration/ You can see for yourself what Causemo can do with a free 30 day trial here: www.causemo.com/freetrial

Creating a positive and meaningful experience for the individuals you touch is essential to driving donor loyalty. However for many, defining and implementing that experience has become increasingly difficult. In this episode, we sat down with Taylor Shanklin to discuss the ways we’ve historically defined experience and reveal how understanding donor motivation is transforming the future of donor loyalty.

Our friends over at the Fundraising Effectiveness Project just released their latest Quarterly Fundraising Report for 2019— and the results from the first half of 2019 should be a wake-up call for every nonprofit leader. We sat down with Jennifer Bielat and Hilary Noon to interpret the data from the report, identify the most important takeaways, and discuss action steps nonprofits can take to combat declining giving rates. Read the Fundraising Effectiveness report here: http://afpfep.org/reports/

How do you identify alumni who are most likely to give to your university? It's one of the biggest challenges facing advancement programs across the country. The good news is, data analytics has made a wealth of new information available about what truly motivates alumni to engage and give. That's what we sat down with alumni advancement expert (and musician) Jay Le Roux Dillon to discuss. Stick around until the end of the episode for a little bonus content. Connect with Jay here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayldillon/

If you’ve been frustrated by the fundraising RFP process, or you’re simply looking to optimize the time you spend looking for the right partner, this episode is for you. As an agency built by fundraisers for fundraisers, we’ve been a part of hundreds of RFPs over the years — issuing them while working within an organization and responding to them as an agency. So we sat down with Kelley Stewart, Pursuant's Executive Vice President, to get her insights on the fundraising RFP process from an agency perspective. Get Pursuant's comprehensive RFP Kit here: https://page.pursuant.com/rfpkit/

On today's episode Jessica Fewless, VP of Customer Experience at Demandbase, talks to us about the hot new trend on the marketing frontier: Account Based Marketing(ABM). How can it be applied to the fundraising world? How have other organizations been successful with ABM? Tune in to learn more about correlations between the nonprofit marketing world and for-profit marketing practices.

In the world of personality tests, the Enneagram is the hot new kid on the block — albeit it's been around for thousands of years in different forms. What sets the Enneagram apart is how it identifies the root motivations that drive individuals to act. It also uncovers common insecurities and responses to stress. Nonprofit teams that leverage the Enneagram will discover differences in how different members tick, which can help you avoid potential conflicts and collaborate more effectively. In this episode, Taylor and Leah (Enneagram 4) discuss how to use insights from the Enneagram to cultivate more healthy relationships at work. They also discuss how to use insights from emotions to make systems and processes more efficient. Leah's favorite Enneagram assessment tool: https://assessment.yourenneagramcoach.com/ "The Road Back to You," by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Back-You-Enneagram-Self-Discovery/dp/0830846190

Personalization and customized content is everywhere. From recommended products on your Amazon homepage to the local pizza place knowing your order before you call, businesses have figured out how to deliver custom content to their customers. Nonprofits have to catch up. Those who can will see tremendous lift in their giving. The good news is, marketing automation can help you figure out what your donors are interested in, and enable you to deliver personalized content on a massive scale with just a few hours of work. In this episode of the Go Beyond Podcast, we sat down with Gabe Cooper of Virtuous CRM to discuss why it's critical for nonprofits to focus on scaling their ability to deliver personal content to donors across the giving spectrum. More engaged donors = higher lifetime value across the board.  Giving is one of the most personal things you’ll ever do. The causes we care about have affected our lives very directly, but the nonprofit world has lagged behind businesses in tailoring their communication at the individual level. In the episode, Gabe references "Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers," which you can purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123 Download the 2019 Pursuant Giving Outlook here:https://www.pursuant.com/trends/the-2019-pursuant-giving-outlook/ Learn more about Virtuous Nonprofit CRM here: https://www.virtuouscrm.com/

The insights from this year's Giving Outlook are here - but now that you have the latest nonprofit sector trends and benchmarks, how do you put them to use? Pursuant's EVP of Client Strategy, Jennifer Bielat, breaks down opportunities for growth and actionable strategies for your nonprofit using the data from this year's report. Download your free copy of the 2019 Pursuant Giving Outlook here: https://www.pursuant.com/trends/the-2019-pursuant-giving-outlook/

In order to drive growth, organizations must focus on the experience they are delivering for the people who have the greatest potential to support their mission. That's why we're excited to announce the launch of Pursuant Insights, a new business within the Pursuant family dedicated to solving fundraising’s greatest challenges through the advancement of intelligence products and services that accelerate decision making for nonprofit organizations. We sat down with Trent Ricker & Hilary Noon to discuss the unique offering Pursuant Insights brings to the market, and about the "why" behind it.

The fundraising landscape is as complex as ever. As we head into the second half of 2019, nonprofit leaders are looking for strategies that can help them extend the important work they do. We sat down with Matthew Mielcarek, the Vice President of Analytics and Insights Strategy at Pursuant to discuss all the trends and insights from this years report. In this podcast you'll discover: - An overview of current conditions and precautions to keep in mind - Nonprofit sector trends and benchmarks - New opportunities for growing your direct response program - And more! Don't forget to download your copy of the full Pursuant Giving Outlook here: https://www.pursuant.com/trends/the-2019-pursuant-giving-outlook/

You're probably wondering what a children's television show host has to with fundraising. Why Mr. Rogers? That's what we asked relationship fundraising expert Sophie Penney, author of Fundraisers Channeling Fred Rogers. Listen to discover how nonprofits can re-purpose Mr. Roger's unique relationship building strategies into advancing retention rates, donor loyalty, and getting more value out of a small pool of donors.

Studies have shown that the average person only spends about 6 seconds looking at an email. So how can you make the most of that time and capture the attention of your donors? We sat down with Samantha Kollasch, a web developer at Pursuant who specializes in fundraising email campaigns. Together we explore the takeaways about email automation from this year's Digital Summit and examples from successful for-profit email campaigns.

What is the ultimate expression of donor loyalty? What about planned giving? It’s a term we see a lot in the fundraising/nonprofit space – but what exactly ARE “planned gifts”? Our guest today, Claire Meyerhoff, is a subject matter expert on this topic. As the President of the Planned Giving Agency and for ten years, Claire has helped nonprofit fundraisers reach and engage planned giving prospects with creative ideas and practical marketing solutions.

We sat down with OneCause, a leader in mobile fundraising, to learn more about their study of Social Donors. (AKA, those who give through event-based and peer-to-peer fundraising.) Together we explore the unique motivators, giving behaviors, and engagement preferences of this new emerging donor segment.

This week we sat down with Reggie Rivers; former Denver Bronco, radio host, and author to talk about fundraising event optimization. In this episode you will learn... - How to use prioritization models to shape your event follow-up strategy - How to get the right people to your fundraising events - Tracking what gifts can be attributed to your event And much more! Listen to the full episode for a comprehensive look at how data can enhance your fundraising events.

In this week's episode, we sat down with Kishshana Palmer to talk about her definition of "Martyritis" and what does self-care mean when you are a leader? We read a lot and everybody is telling us to do the next five things. As leaders it is easy to often feel like we are not doing enough and need to do more. Kishshana broke down some tips for self-care as a leader. Because, if you don't take care of yourself, burnout is inevitable So how do you combat marytiritis? * Recognizing that "My laptop is my boyfriend" and making changes * Allowing yourself to ask for help And more!

We don't know about you, but some days it feels like marketing technology is evolving on a daily basis. It can be hard to keep up with which digital fundraising trends to jump on, and which ones to pass up. Luckily for you (and us!) our resident digital expert, Tina Ly, has forecasted what should be top of mind for you this year. You'll come away learning: - How to get the most value out of your content marketing - SEO strategies to make sure your content is discovered by the right people - How to design for accessibility in mind - New fundraising tactics that make it easier to predict when and from whom your donations will come through the door Listen, review, and share with your friends today!

How is your nonprofit's brand significant in the lives of your loyal users? That's the question branding expert Cynthia Round asks every organization that works with her. The reason? Studies have shown that building and maintaining an emotional connection with your users is what inspires their loyalty. In this episode, learn how Cynthia has worked with some of the nonprofit industry's most distinguished institutions to ensure they remain relevant in the lives of their most valuable supporters. Along the way, you'll discover: - Successful strategies for discovering what your donors care about beyond surface metrics - Tactics for creating an emotional connection with your audience - Ways to encourage buy-in of a new brand identity across your entire organization This was one of our favorite episodes to record. Please remember to leave us a review so other listeners can find us.

In this special episode, Taylor Shanklin sits down with Trent Ricker, CEO of the Pursuant Group and Doug Cogswell, CEO of Advizor solutions. Ricker and Cogswell share insights of the state of analytics in the nonprofit industry, and the exciting news of Pursuant and Advizor joining forces to continue to innovate in the area of analytics and insights in the nonprofit sector.

As part of our Digital Summit takeaways series, we sat down with Kim Richardson, Director of Client Strategy at Pursuant. Kim attended one of the Digital Summit events this year and had some "aha-moments" to share when it comes to storytelling and breaking through the noise.

It's no secret that fundraising is rewarding but challenging work. Too often, nonprofit professionals rely on the same strategies despite seeing diminishing returns. What breakthroughs could your nonprofit make if strategists were not afraid to challenge business-as-usual thinking? That's what we sat down to explore in this episode. Cherian Koshy, Director of Development at De Moines Performing Arts, has led his organization to invest in new thinking and tactics. Tune in to learn: - Data segmentation strategies that uncover hidden opportunities - Ways to maximize the limited resources you have to find the right supporters - The difference between setting goals and a strategic planning process New approaches can be a lot less scary (and less risky) when you have the right information in your hands. Discover how Des Moines broke through old models of thinking to reach supporters in incredibly relevant and personal ways.

We sat down with account-based marketing expert Sangram Vajre to discuss the "secret sauce" behind donor loyalty. Sangram is the co-Founder of Terminus, and author of "Account-Based Marketing for Dummies." In our discussion, Sangram applies the timeless principles and powerful tactics of account-based marketing to major gift fundraising. You'll learn: -How to create a culture of "donor obsession" at your nonprofit -The difference between personal and corporate brands and how to leverage personality for maximum donor loyalty -Strategies leading brands use to create tribes of raving fans Tune in to grab these insights and more!

In the second half of our conversation with author David Brier, we learn the three questions every brand should be able to answer: 1. Who are your prospective customers? 2. What are their values and priorities? 3. Who are we and how are we an extension of those values? David also tells the story of how he helped a 70+ year-old organization refresh their brand identity and become incredibly relevant to today's generation,

Brand guru David Brier joins us to discuss how nonprofits can drive deeper loyalty with their donors. David is a speaker and the author of "33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have into the Brand You Need." Many nonprofits don't think of themselves as brands -- which David argues is a huge missed opportunity. In this discussion, David shares his thoughts on: - the tactics legacy brands use to keep their fans - how to move beyond a transactional relationship with donors - the biggest brand mistakes and pitfalls that your nonprofit should avoid. This is part one of a two-part series.

Over the last few years it’s become increasingly popular for for-profit brands to make bold, sometimes polarizing statements in their marketing. By doubling down on their core values, brave brands have been able to grow their bottom line and their tribe of raving fans. How can nonprofit marketers benefit by adopting these tactics? It takes the right combination of courage, data-driven decision making, and knowledge of what resonates with your most valuable supporters. Our latest Pursuant Listening Experience unpacks insights gleaned from the 2018 Digital Marketing Summit. Taylor Shanklin, VP of Marketing for Pursuant, and Leah Davenport, Digital Marketing Specialist, discuss what makes these marketing strategies so powerful. A few topics we explore in this conversation include: - How your nonprofit can take a bold stand without alienating valuable donors - Ways to win donor loyalty by leaning into your nonprofit’s core values - How to achieve breakthrough fundraising results through calculated marketing risks Today’s leading brands are abandoning wishy-washy messaging in favor of bold stances that set them apart. Tune in to learn how to apply these principles in your fundraising efforts.

Just how massively important is it to say "thank you" to your donors? Those two short words can have a massive impact. But, just how much...? These are the questions that latest body of research by Dr. Adrian Sargeant and Professor Jen Shang set out to answer. In the recently released study: The Role of Donor Acknowledgements, we learn about the effect of saying thank you and answer questions like: - How long after hearing "thank you" do donors feel good? - Does it matter how you say "thank you"? - What does saying "thank you" mean for our donors' subsequent behavior In this episode of the Go Beyond: Pursuant Listening Experience, Taylor Shanklin sat down with Dr. Adrian Sargeant and Professor Jen Shang of the Philanthropy Centre to unpack the latest body of research and the "aha" moments that the two uncovered from the study. Be sure to download the study on the Philanthropy Centre website here:https://www.philanthropy-centre.org/learning-to-say-thank-you/

In this episode: Brands slam your donors with thousands of marketing messages per day. This means your communication needs to be more focused than ever before. The only way you can speak to the right people at the right time about the right things comes down to your segmentation. Organizations that approach fundraising from a data-driven approach succeed in rising above the noise. Framing messaging within a donor's motivations enables you to engage them more deeply with your cause. In our latest episode, we sat with Matthew Mielcarek, VP of Analytics and Insights Strategy at Pursuant, to talk about what it means to be more strategic with segmentation and how to segment based on donor motivations. What you'll learn: - What motivation-based segmentation means - How clustering can help you identify segments based on motivation - Tips to get started if your data is all over the map

In this episode of the Go Beyond: Pursuant Listening Experience, Taylor sat down with David Sachetti to talk about direct mail. We often hear in the fundraising sector that '"Direct mail is not dead!'" In this episode, Sachetti explains why and talks about the importance of an integrated direct response program that includes both mail and digital channels of communication. Top takeaways from this episode: - People are more likely to give again when giving through the mail - Research shows that 70% of planned gifts come from donors whose first interaction was through the mail - Millennials like receiving mail! It's an interruptor channel for this generation - How to create compelling packaging with your direct mail - how to get the package right

In this episode of the Go Beyond Pursuant Listening Experience, we sat down with Jeff Patrick, CEO of Cohort3. Jeff gives us the ins and outs of livestream fundraising after his research firm just released the Livestream Fundraising report. Per the report: Livestreaming is new, it’s different, and it very likely represents in many ways the future of individual giving for the nonprofit sector. That’s a big statement, of course, and particularly in light of the common refrain from people seeing their first livestream broadcast. “So, people watch other people play video games? For hours?” Some top takeaways from this episode include: - The three things you need to get started in livestream fundraising - The "aha" moments that Jeff had in researching the livestream fundraising phenomenon, like the fact that out of the 2.1B hours of broadcast hours viewed, 1.2B of the livestreams viewed are non-gamer streams. Download the report here: https://www.cohort3.com/livestream

It's no mystery that individuals have high expectations for their digital and online experiences they have when supporting and engaging with your nonprofit organization. We live in "an Amazon world" and this trickles out to the experiences we should strive to create for our donors and supporters. In this episode of the Go Beyond Pursuant Listening Experience, Taylor Shanklin sat down with Suchi Otta, VP of Analytics at Pursuant, to talk about how nonprofits can take a page out of Amazon's book and apply digital optimization practices to create better donor experiences. In the conversation, Suchi shares three things that nonprofits should focus on that are key to successful digital optimization. Suchi says: • Focus on the strategy • Have a measurement plan ready • Focus on your testing strategy

Many organizations have a hard time communicating their "why" and therefore the case for support is often lost. In this episode of Go Beyond: The Pursuant Listening Experience, we sat down with our friend in fundraising, Barbara O'Reilly. We discussed how organizations can better answer the question for their donors: "Why do you need me?" Some of the highlights of the episode include: - Defining your "WHY" as an organization - How can you create the connectivity for ultimate donor loyalty by communicating the WHY - Donors often don't feel valued, heard or seen. The more you can do to personalize the important values for our donors, then you can weave that into the way you talk to them. - How to eliminate the "black hole" status of unrestricted gifts by connecting it to your organization's "WHY"

Tony Martignetti has the most listened-to, longest running podcast specific to the nonprofit sector and he just celebrated his 400th show. Taylor Shanklin at Pursuant had the opportunity to sit down with Tony and get his top three takeaways from all of his experience interviewing nonprofit leaders over an eight-year podcast history of 400 podcast interviews. Top highlights: - Boards have got to be engaged in fundraising - Be relational - You don't know everything

LinkedIn is thriving. In 2017 it hit over 500 million members. Individuals, nonprofit organizations and brands are leveraging the power of the network to drive engagement and build relationships. Have you ever thought about how you could be using LinkedIn for your nonprofit organization? In this episode Taylor got to sit down with Dupe Ajayi to talk about a topic that is very, very near and dear to both of their hearts - LinkedIn and how to effectively network on the social platform and build true professional friendships. In this episode, Dupe shares her tips on LinkedIn tools specific for nonprofits, as well as how to approach connecting with someone that you may not know all that well.

The practice of gratitude is an important part of one's day and important to creating long-lasting relationships with your organization's donors, employees and volunteers. Dave Linn, Psychology professor and COO of the Generosity Series sat down with us to talk about the importance of practicing gratitude, and some tips to adopt gratitude as a regular practice.

How do you measure and track the ROI of your nonprofit organization putting time, money and energy into buiding out great donor experiences? In this episode, Taylor sat down with Hilary Noon, EVP of Analytics, Insights & Experience at Pursuant. Hilary has had experience working in the field at American Cancer Society and now leads the Analytics practice at Pursuant. She shares how to measure and track the effort to build out the best donor experiences, and to get your team on-board with the ROI.

Fundraising events. Just about every nonprofit conducts some sort of fundraising event whether it be a gala, a walk, an endurance event, a golf tournament, etc. Events are a great way to introduce new people to your mission, but all too often the relationship end at the event. So we sat down to talk about how to use events as the first impression and build from that. In this episode of Go Beyond: The Pursuant Listening Experience, Kelly Valasquez-Hague from our friends at OneCause joined Taylor Shanklin to talk about how to create successful fundraising events and use them as a catalyst to a longer-term relationship with your supporters.

What do you do when you are moving your nonprofit technology to a new system? Maybe you are migrating to a new online fundraising technology and you are not sure how and if you should communicate this to your supporters. In this episode, Taylor Shanklin sat down with Maureen Walbeoff to answer this question and talk about the ins and outs of how to communicate (or not) such a shift.

The fundraising landscape is as complex as ever. As we head into the second half of 2018, nonprofit leaders are looking for strategies that can help them extend the important work they do. Back for the third year in a row, the team at Pursuant compiled the latest trends in philanthropy and added in our insights as fundraisers and marketers. This episode is a remix of the webinar we hosted on July 19, to review the trends. We're joined by Matthew Mielcarek and Jennifer Bielat. Matthew and Jennifer discuss the report, the trends and give insight on how nonprofit organizations can apply the trends. Midyear is a great time to plan and evaluate the state of your fundraising and development efforts. To support you, we aggregated data from several industry reports and paired it with our “boots on the ground” perspective on the current and future climate of philanthropy.

In this episode, Taylor Shanklin sits down with Tina Ly, AVP of Digital Solutions at Pursuant. Tina explains what digital media is, why she likes it and shares tips on how to get the most bang for your buck if you are an organization with limited funds to spend on advertising.

In this Pursuant listening experience, Leah Davenport, Product Marketing and Digital Specialist, and Taylor Shanklin, VP, Marketing at Pursuant discuss the Growth mindset and methodology that is shaking up the way that startups market themselves. The two converse about how to apply the mindset and the methods at your nonprofit organization as a way to accelerate growth and break down silos.

In this Pursuant listening experience, Andy Goldsmith, SVP, Creative Director and Taylor Shanklin, VP, Marketing at Pursuant discuss the launch of the new pursuant.com. The two share lessons learned over the course of their careers as creatives and marketers.