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Driven’s Fundraising Superheroes podcast celebrating the nonprofit industry and all the people who are working to make the world a better place. We talk with the industry’s top leaders, consultants, founders and more to discuss the top industry trends and lessons learned throughout their careers. Access more nonprofit resources and sign up for our mailing list at trustdriven.com.
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One of the best ways to learn how to fundraise is through experience! Norman Gildin is an experienced fundraiser guided by principles of strategic planning that have been the hallmarks of his success. His background encompasses the four major types of fundraising – annual campaigns, building fund and capital campaigns planned giving and endowment f…
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Today’s episode is a deep dive into auctioneering with the incredible Dean Crownover! Dean Crownover, My Benefit Auctioneer, is a Profit Consultant and author with a track record of raising millions of fundraising dollars for his nonprofit clients. He is the author of Paddles Up! My Benefit Auctioneer Reveals Post-2020 Gala Fundraiser Secrets. He s…
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Now is the time to get creative with your events! More organizations are moving away from the sit-down gala and finding exciting ways to engage donors at events. There are so many clever ways to show your attendees the impact you make and leave them feeling even closer to your organization. Lissa Zanville has more than 30 years of experience in the…
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It's easy to get caught in the cycle of burnout but hard to get out. Many nonprofit employees are dealing with high-stress environments regularly, which paired with the already demanding work of a charitable organization, can create the perfect opportunity for burnout to creep in. Hannah Austin is a highly sought-after corporate leader and manageme…
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How has COVID shaped the way organizations approach leadership? Now that we have officially made it through the worst of the pandemic, we are taking the time to recenter themselves and figure out what they value most in our careers. Now more than ever, there is an emphasis on creating change and that all begins with good leadership. For 21 years, D…
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If you have no idea where to start with your data analytics look no further! This week’s episode is all about how you can transform your nonprofit using data analytics without feeling overwhelmed. Alexandra Mannerings is the founder of Merakinos, a data consultancy striving to help nonprofits better understand their data. As a self-proclaimed “Huma…
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Are you an introverted fundraiser struggling to fit into an extroverted world? Don’t worry because Emma Lewzey has your back! Introverts have an observant nature, which allows them to be excellent listeners who have the ability to thrive in the right environment. These skills enable introverts to connect deeply with donors to undercover their passi…
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Content marketing is an excellent way to build trust with your audience. Nonprofits like yours can use content to increase brand visibility, drive revenue and boost engagement across your platforms. You'll increase donations and build a loyal group of followers by communicating a need and driving your audience to take action. Nonprofit marketing ex…
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A lapsed donor is not a lost donor! Having a strategy that connects with your inactive donors through thoughtful communication and detailed segments can be the key to winning back a cold donor. Driven’s Director of Partnerships, Farrah Rooney, has worked with nonprofits for over 15 years as a consultant, strategist and events manager. She works clo…
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Implementing new software can be nerve-wracking. It’s a long process that requires a lot of time, communication and trust with your vendor or data-migration consultant to ensure everything is running smoothly and on time. So how can you prepare for your next implementation and what should you look out for when getting started? Dave Saraiva is the H…
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Hybrid events combine both an in-person and online experience to create something spectacular. When planning a hybrid event, you have to create an experience that engages your online attendees just as much as your in-person guests. Anca Trifan is the founder, creator, and CEO of Tree-Fan Events – a boutique event planning and production agency that…
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Many organizations are returning to a hybrid working model but how can you implement a hybrid model into your volunteer programs? Learn how your organization can recruit, manage and engage volunteers both on and offline with Driven and Lori Gotlieb. Listen and subscribe to Fundraising Superheroes: https://pod.co/fundraising-superheroes Connect with…
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Nonprofits and for-profit organizations have a unique opportunity to partner together and become allies for each other's work. When done right, you can do more than just raise funds for a campaign by building stronger relationships within your community and reach a whole new audience with your work. Kyle Jones is the Founder and COO of ICRYO and be…
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To grow your nonprofit, you need to know what resources you have available to you and understand the best way to activate your staff. In our interview, Kaitlin Cashwell explains how nonprofits can use resource maps and logic models to grow their organizations and become better leaders. Kaitlin has nearly 15 years of experience in project business a…
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Community-centred fundraising is all about putting the people you serve first. It is rooted in equity, collaboration and social justice to strengthen our communities. It’s changing how organizations approach fundraising and encourages the industry to raise critical questions about our work. Sherry is a St. Louis based fundraising and communications…
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This is a replay of a live version of the Fundraising Superheroes podcast. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arQVQbIxLFU Everyone is talking about TikTok, but is it the right platform to promote your organization? Julia Campbell shares her tips on navigating the platform and how to decide if your organization should be on TikTok…
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Earned income is growing in popularity amongst nonprofits. Why? It allows organizations to expand their funding sources while meeting their growing needs and creating more sustainable programs. If you're interested in learning how to generate an earned income that aligns with your mission, Bill is here to help. Bill Woolsey is the President and Fou…
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How can you build programs that reflect the international communities you hope to serve? It all starts with creating a process that centers around the needs and voices of that community. Ryan Boyette is the founder of To Move Mountains, an organization providing education to children and communities in areas of conflict to be equipped with the know…
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Grants can take up a lot of time and resources from your organization. If you don’t have a dedicated team or staff writer for grant management it can become difficult to keep track of applications, especially for a smaller nonprofit. Ansley Fender is the Founder and CEO of Atlas Solutions. Atlas’ software is the first industry-agnostic platform for…
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Fundraising can seem like a daunting task for some of us. Fear, panic, nervousness take over and you feel like fundraising just isn’t for you, but the truth is you do have the potential to be an excellent fundraiser. Cindy Wagman is the President and Founder of The Good Partnership, a values-driven, social-justice informed consultancy that is worki…
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Leadership is no longer about leading a team to success but finding ways to connect and serve your community. An influential leader practices empathy and does what they can to show their donors, staff and supporters that they understand where they are coming from. Kristen Tippit is a dynamic thought leader who co-founded Logic Baby, a nonprofit org…
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If you want to stand out with your grant applications, you have to tell a good story. Catherine Ashton is the founder of Giant Squid Group, helping start-up and small nonprofits in Austin, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, to land donors, win grants and fund their works. With her coaching and support her clients, raise millions of dollars each year and…
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Is your nonprofit ready for the holidays? Tis the season to give back which means a huge influx of people ready to volunteer for their favourite nonprofits. Now is the time to get your volunteer program ready for the holidays while thinking of new and creative ways of engaging your volunteers. Lori Gotlieb is one of the contributors of Volunteer Su…
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Year-end is a stressful time in the nonprofit industry. You are focused on fundraising for the holidays, getting ready for Giving Tuesday and still working on your organization's day-to-day. Things can get hectic, and you may feel overwhelmed, but luckily, there are things you can do to help. Emma Lewzey is the founder of Blue Sky philanthropy and …
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Can leadership be taught or is it a skill we are born with? We all have the potential to become great leaders if we seek to actively develop that skill. But it’s more than just looking inside yourself, it’s being able to engage your staff, community and board members with your cause. Patton McDowell has a 30-year career in nonprofit leadership, str…
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Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you are a fraud. It makes you doubt yourself, your abilities and makes you feel like any success you have is because you got lucky. These feelings are incredibly isolating and can make it challenging to feel confident in your work, but luckily there are things you can do to break free from this mindset. Maria B…
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We all know how important segmentation is, but how can you use donor segments to create more meaningful communication with our supporters? Sybil Ackerman-Munson is a philanthropy professional with over two decades of experience working with donors to establish the best fundraising practices that will help them to avoid costly mistakes. She helps th…
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If you want to get your donor’s attention, you have to get creative! The most effective way to communicate with your supporters is to find new ways to share your mission that demonstrates your impact while encompassing your organization’s personality. Constanza Roeder is the founder of Hearts Need Art, a nonprofit helping caregivers and patients he…
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Data-driven decision-making doesn’t mean you take the emotion out of your decision-making. Instead, it challenges you to look at your decision and ask yourself if the numbers reflect your goals and values? Alexandra Mannerings founded Merakenos to help nonprofits better understand their data and analytics to make more informed decisions. She discus…
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If you want to build a successful volunteer program you have to be able to pivot, learn and move forward. We can’t return to how things were before the pandemic. Going digital has completely changed the way people approach volunteering and we now have an opportunity to use that to grow our programs and try new things. Lori Gotlieb is one of the con…
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How can we connect with our donors? People donate to people and if you want to find donors online you have to focus on creating value and building relationships with them first. Tim Kachuriak is the founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter and uses their research to answer the question on everyone's minds: What motivates …
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Even the most experienced of fundraisers feel butterflies when major gift fundraising. Finding major gift prospects is a daunting task, especially since you are dealing with multi-figure gifts. But it’s important to remember nerves are normal and that donors are people. So instead of putting the focus on your organization’s benefit, take the time t…
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When you think about philanthropy, what image comes to mind? White men with deep pockets opening up their chequebook, writing big donations that barely make a dent in their wallets. August is black philanthropy month, a time to question their image of philanthropy and offer a space to amplify black voices in the industry. To create a real call for …
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Your association management system has the power to amplify your impact and simplify your operations which gives you more time to focus on building relationships and furthering your mission. Kenjie, The AMS Guy, is an Associations Management System (AMS) guru with over 13 years of dynamic experience selecting, building, managing, enhancing, and inc…
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A monthly giving program is a sustainable way to fundraise while building a community of loyal supporters. If you have large to mid-size donors passionate about your work, it may be worth looking into turning them into recurring donors. Stephen King has used the strategy to raise over $20 million and increase growth in his organization by over 300%…
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You put a lot of work into finding donors, but what about your donation page? Just because a donor has made it to your donation page doesn’t mean you have their donation. There are still things you can do to improve your page and increase donation rates. The design, images and text copy are all important factors that affect your donor’s decision. D…
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Just because you are raising awareness, doesn’t necessarily mean you are reaching new donors. In order to find donors, you have to build a relationship by creating an emotional connection to your cause and more importantly, your organization. Jenni Hargrove is a consultant and host of the Nonprofit Jenni show, she understands this all too well and …
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How can your nonprofit help communities outside of your own while also embracing their beliefs, norms and values? Angel Ribo found the answer to this question when he founded his organization Wisdom for Kids. Alongside two of his colleagues, was able to create a program centred around children living in poverty across Latin America. They discovered…
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Shopping for nonprofit software can be a long and daunting process. There are so many options out there and if you don't know what to look for it can be hard to find the right solution for your organization, David Saraiva is the Head of Product here at Driven and is an expert in nonprofit software. He shares his insider tips on what to prioritize w…
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Ubuntu comes from the Zulu language meaning "I am because you are". It shares the idea that we are all responsible for each other and should give selflessly, not only in abundance because at the end of the day we are all responsible for one another. African philanthropy is all about giving back and is centred on community. Mide Akerewusi is a fundr…
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There is no replacement for the first-person narrative. The best lessons are the ones that connect with audiences on a personal level. As fundraisers, it’s important to make these connections and relate with your supporters from a personal level. Nneka Allan considers herself a Griot, an African term for historian and storyteller. She has made it h…
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Learn about social media and donor retention in today's episode with Nonprofit Social Media Expert Claire Kerr! Social media is more than a lead generator. It's about building a community of long-term supporters. Focusing on that relationship will create a group of people who are willing to donate and advocate for your work. Claire is a Director at…
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Fundraising at its essence is storytelling. Michael Kass is an expert storyteller here to help you connect with your audience using the power of narrative. When it comes to Nonprofit Storytelling it's all about finding what makes you unique and steering clear of the cookie-cutter formulas that many nonprofits fall into. He shares The questions you …
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Alex Leonard has travelled the world and created some amazing content along the way. His work in Sri Lanka inspired him to create his documentary Humans and Elephants, where he discusses the effects of eco-tourism on the environment. In our interview, he shares how the documentary came to be and how creative content helps connect audiences to the e…
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Learn how to keep your donors happy and engaged with Driven's very own Farrah Rooney! Farrah is our Director of Partnerships and has worked as a fundraiser and consultant for nonprofits across Canada. We discuss How crucial donor retention is for a sustainable organization The importance of trying and testing new ideas The role your donor's data pl…
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Social distancing feels anything but social and has made it hard for a lot of businesses and nonprofits to connect with their staff. Makalah is the Marketing Specialist and coordinator for their retreat and found that with some love, time and the help of Zoom she could make it work even better than expected. Makalah shares how A virtual retreat imp…
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Bianca Crocker is a nonprofit consultant who has been in the industry for over 15 years. She is the founder of the small nonprofit Alliance and the host of the Small but Mighty podcast. Passionate about helping nonprofits with their fundraising efforts, Bianca joins the show to discuss How the pandemic has affected the way small nonprofits fundrais…
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How can we think outside the box to connect with our community? Justin Rule has worked as a nonprofit leader and is the Co-Founder of Sparrow Designs. After running a nonprofit for 10 years, Justin learned that his greatest achievements came from looking outside the box and having fun with his organization. He shares how he began thinking of new wa…
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Mark Buzan joins Sabrina on Donor Engine's fundraising superheroes podcast to discuss effective board leadership and building a good relationship between your nonprofit and its board. We Discuss How involved should your Executive Director be in your Board's activities? Mark's advice on building trust with your board How do nonprofit leaders keep th…
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How can nonprofits build stronger, more beneficial partnerships? Mile Cole created Choose Your Reader as a way to connect people through storytelling. He has worked with nonprofits his whole career and is now hoping to partner with organizations through Choose Your Reader. We discuss ways both businesses and nonprofits can partner to create better …
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