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The Philanthropy212 Podcast

Business & Economics Podcasts

Tune in each week as host Penny Cowden talks with thought leaders in the realm of not-for-profit organizations, and learn how they take their philanthropy to the next level.

Location:

United States

Description:

Tune in each week as host Penny Cowden talks with thought leaders in the realm of not-for-profit organizations, and learn how they take their philanthropy to the next level.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Helping Donors Give with Sybil Ackerman-Munson, President at Do Your Good LLC

9/30/2021
Sybil Ackerman-Munson is the President at Do Your Good LLC. They offer online courses, podcasts, and resources to help donors make a difference with their donations. With over two decades of experience, she knows how to establish best funding practices and help donors make a tangible difference in the world. Sybil has helped give away over $45 million in large and small donations throughout her career. She's worked with almost every type of charitable funder and has a thriving career working with philanthropists. In this episode… To help your donors give in an impactful way, you need to understand who they are and what they’re interested in. According to Sybil Ackerman-Munson—a consultant who helps donors make a difference with their donations to charities and worthy causes—there are three common types of donors: sustainer, campaigner, and launcher donors. The sustainer donor cares about your organization, the work you’re doing and wants to continue to support that work. On the flip side, there’s the campaigner donor who cares deeply about a cause and is primarily looking for collaborators for partnerships. What about the launcher donor? How do you identify the different types of donor, and most importantly, how do you get in front of them? Listen to this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden featuring Sybil Ackerman-Munson, the President of Do Your Good LLC. She shares insight into donor trends, the different types of donors, and how to identify and connect with them. They also go into the top three things to consider when working with all three types of donors. Stay tuned to find out more!

Duration:00:29:33

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Failure Is What It's All About with Steven D. Lavine, Former President of California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

6/24/2021
Steven D. Lavine is the longest-serving president of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). The institute was born out of Walt Disney's vision for an art school over 50 years ago. CalArts had become embroiled in crisis until Steven became president, leading it to financial prosperity and international acclaim. When Steven took over the school, their debt was at 1.8 million out of a 16 million dollars budget. Steven served as its president from 1988 until 2017. During this time, CalArts became a pacesetter in domestic diversity, community engagement, international linkage, and cutting-edge production and presentation. Today, CalArts is the cradle of many Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize winners as well as Mellon and Guggenheim fellows, becoming a hotspot for American creativity. Steven's nearly 30-year tenure is the longest, not only in the history of CalArts but also one of the longest-serving college presidents in the United States. In this episode… Steven D. Lavine began his journey at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), almost certain to fail. He was faced with a 10% debt to budget ratio. A big supporter had become tired of giving more to the institution. He swam in a sea of ideas from everyone’s opinions on how to proceed. These were but a few of the many failures the CalArts presidency faced. What then would a first-time college president do to provide lasting change? Steven takes us on a journey through these many challenges from 1988 until 2017 and how he pushed through them all. Find out how Steven wrought the $150 million dollar fundraising miracle for CalArts, whose previous highest raise was $2 million. In short, there’s a lesson for every philanthropy professional in this episode. Listen to this installment of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden featuring Steven D Lavine, the longest-serving President of CalArts. They discuss the travails of CalArts at the time Steven became president and how he led them out of the woods. Steven shares his leadership style throughout his time there, why it worked, and what he did when rebuilding CalArts after the 1994 earthquake. Stay tuned for these inspiring stories and more.

Duration:00:41:25

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What Makes People Give? Digital Fundraising with Tim Kachuriak of NextAfter

6/10/2021
Tim Kachuriak is the Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter. NextAfter is a fundraising research lab and consultancy. They work with cause-driven businesses and nonprofit organizations to help them better understand their customers and inspire their donors to give generously. Tim is renowned as a nonprofit thought leader. He is the author of the book Optimize Your Fundraising, lead researcher, and co-author of Online Fundraising Scorecard, Why Should I Give to You? (The Nonprofit Value Proposition Index Study), and The Mid-Level Donor Crisis. He has trained organizations in fundraising optimization worldwide and is a frequent speaker at international nonprofit conferences. In this episode… Philanthropy is entirely built on the generosity of other people. But the question that’s always on the fundraisers’ mind is, “What makes people give?” While there is no one answer, this question is crucial for the success of philanthropies. In trying to solve the giving puzzle, Tim Kachuriak created NextAfter. The business has started running experiments to determine what makes people give. They found that giving is irrational behavior, but people rationalize it with different reasons. Sadly, many fundraisers do not understand these different motivations, so they struggle to connect donors to the right opportunities at the right time. But what are these triggers that move people to give? Listen to this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden. She discusses research on what drives giving with Tim Kachuriak, Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter. They talk about human behavior and giving, the different motivations for giving, how to generate more responses, and online giving. Stay tuned to find out about all these and more!

Duration:00:29:43

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Building and Retaining High Performing Teams with Wendy Wilsker, Managing Partner at Boyden

5/27/2021
Wendy Wilsker is the Managing Partner at Boyden, a global leader in executive search and talent advisory services with more than 70 offices in over 40 countries. Wendy has nearly 30 years of experience as a frontline fundraiser, not-for-profit manager, and executive recruiter. Through her, Boyden is expanding its Boston office to have a significant footprint in the social impact sector across the U.S. The company is looking to focus on advancement and C-suite roles for not-for-profit organizations. These include universities, hospitals, and medical centers as well as cultural, religious, and social services. In this episode… Not-for-profit organizations struggle to find candidates that fit their culture and mission. Even when they recruit, they find it twice as hard to retain their high-performing teams, ultimately impacting their donor relationships. What should organizations do to recruit and retain their best employees that fit their culture and mission? According to Wendy Wilsker, your organization's reputation and mission are critical parts of the recruiting process. And when you do recruit, it's vital to give your team access to senior leadership, opportunities to take on new projects, and expressing appreciation. What else can you do? Listen to this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden where she discusses building and retaining high-performing teams with Wendy Wilsker, Managing Partner of Boyden. They talk about recruiting for culture, what you can do to engage employees, and how to reduce turnover. Stay tuned to find out all this and more!

Duration:00:33:31

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Optimize Your Donor’s Giving with Katherine O’Donnell of OP Creative Communications

4/29/2021
Katherine O'Donnell is the Co-founder & CEO of OP Creative Communications (OPCC), a communications agency that helps non-profit organizations and high-net-worth individuals optimize their social impact. OPCC also partners with data scientists to assess organizations and create individualized data dashboards that ensure transparency. When Katherine isn’t in the office, she enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, creating art, traveling, and studying a wide variety of topics. Some of these include cultural anthropology, human behavior, AI, and more. In this episode… Does your not-for-profit organization struggle with high-quality communication with its donors? Or, are you struggling to identify and present the key elements of your organization’s mission and vision? If your answer to either of these questions is an emphatic “yes,” then this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast is for you! Let’s face it: Your non-profit needs fundraising in order to survive and achieve its mission. However, the process of working with donors isn’t always easy, and sometimes the most difficult part of this process is communication. That’s why Katherine O’Donnell created OP Creative Communications (OPCC): to help organizations like yours communicate well with its donors and, consequently, optimize its giving. Want to learn more? In this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast, Penny Cowden sits down with Katherine O'Donnell, the Co-founder & CEO of OP Creative Communications (OPCC), to discuss the relationship between clear communication and generous giving. Listen in as Katherine talks about why she founded OPCC, how OPCC’s Optimize Giving program helps both donors and non-profits, and the top communication tips that every organization needs to hear. Stay tuned!

Duration:00:23:29

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Leveraging Philanthropy for Social Change with Jay and Shira Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation

4/8/2021
Jay Ruderman is the President at the Ruderman Family Foundation. He has focused his life's work on seeking social justice by advocating for people with disabilities worldwide. As President, Jay takes an ambitious approach to leading the foundation. Since then, it has become a national and international leader in inclusion and disability rights advocacy. Jay's emphasis on philanthropy has been instrumental in creating programs worldwide, raising awareness on social media, and making the foundation's most cited white paper. He has never shied away from controversy, consistently challenging Hollywood and those in power to push issues forward. Jay has previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Shira Ruderman is the Executive Director of the Ruderman Family Foundation. She's a professional philanthropist and a social activist. She serves as a Board Member of various organizations and associations in Israel and the United States and is currently serving as Chairwoman of the Fulbright Foundation. Shira works to generate momentum for an approach to philanthropy that believes in strategic giving involvement and social entrepreneurship. In this episode… Philanthropy is at the front and center of creating social change. But sometimes, change may seem distant despite your best efforts as a philanthropy professional. The pain point isn’t that philanthropy can’t make the impact you expect, but that you’re leaving out a crucial part of the process - the business change model. Today’s guests, Jay and Shira Ruderman, approach philanthropy using a combination of business and social change models. This approach has helped them articulate what change is and what it should look like. Through this process, Jay and Shira have been at the forefront of creating opportunities for people with disabilities across different sectors, including Hollywood. Find out how you too can leverage philanthropy for social change on this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast hosted by Penny Cowden. Penny talks with Jay and Shira Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation to share their process of using philanthropy and advocacy to increase inclusion and create opportunities for people with disabilities. Tune in to get all the details.

Duration:00:40:32

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The Transformative Potential of Philanthropy with Jeremy Cramer, CEO of Exponential Philanthropy

4/1/2021
Jeremy Cramer is the CEO of Exponential Philanthropy, a fundraising consulting and philanthropic advisory firm. He spent his career supporting and leading not-for-profit organizations to focus on systematic change in healthcare and education. Jeremy started his career by working in the development office at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He then led significant gifts fundraising at the world's first not-for-profit biotechnology company, working to find a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease. Later on, he served as the Deputy Director of External Affairs at City Year Miami before moving to Vice President of Major Gifts nationally. In this capacity, he led the organization to a successful $150,000,000 campaign to scale City Year's impact and challenge America's graduation status quo. In this episode… Philanthropy can be an extension and reflection of a person's or family's values. It changes donors by making them more empathetic and empowers them to do good in the world. Interestingly, social sector leaders are not left out of the change philanthropy can create. Today's guest Jeremy Cramer, the CEO of Exponential Philanthropy, believes fundraising professionals are not doing enough to leverage philanthropy's transformative potential. As a result, they find it hard to provide extraordinary experiences for donors. Are you struggling to manage relationships with the highest value donors and create these unique experiences? Learn more about this transformative potential on this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with host Penny Cowden and her guest, Jeremy Cramer, the CEO of Exponential Philanthropy. They discuss how philanthropy transforms social impact, relationships as the bedrock of philanthropy and how to manage them, and the top three things a fundraiser needs to succeed.

Duration:00:27:58

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The Power of Coaching in Philanthropy with Kerry Watterson, the CEO of Fundraising Well

3/25/2021
Kerry Watterson is the Chief Executive Officer of Fundraising Well. This firm is on a mission to help not-for-profit organizations and philanthropists develop specific strategies to maximize their collective impact on their targeted causes. He teaches fundraising models and resource development with the University of California Irvine. He also serves on the board of directors for AFP and the US Political Action Committee. His time is spent leading lobbying and advocacy efforts throughout the United States. He is also leading the male ally program and curriculum for AFP's Women's Impact Initiative. In this episode… The not-for-profit sector is behind the times when it comes to coaching, and there are many reasons why. One is the misunderstanding of the roles of a sponsor, mentor, and coach. Your sponsor advocates and helps you move up throughout your career by opening doors. On the other hand, your mentor is there as a resource person to guide you every step of the way. Now you may be thinking, if I have a sponsor and mentor within my organization, why do I need a coach? Most times, sponsors and mentors are too busy trying to get through the work to have time for everyone individually. That is why having a fundraising coach is crucial for getting the proper support, learning what you need, and working in the most effective way. Want to learn more? Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Show with Penny Cowden to hear from Kerry Watterson, the CEO of Fundraising Well. They talk about the lack of development for professionals, how fundraising coaching is helping to change that, tips for finding the right coach, how to get ready for coaching, and much more.

Duration:00:39:13

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Using Data to Improve Fundraising

3/18/2021
Jay Finney is the Vice President and Senior Consultant, Fundraising Management at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, LLC. For over 20 years, Jay has worked with a wide variety of not-for-profit organizations, helping them attract, engage, and retain more donors. He has partnered with colleges, prep schools, hospitals, PBS stations, food banks, museums, zoos, military groups, and more. Jay has helped clients move from a single channel, spray and pray approach to fundraising to more efficient and effective annual fundraising programs. In this episode… There's a smarter way to raise funds. It has nothing to do with reaching out to as many people as you can in the hopes that they'll give. That spray and pray approach often fails because not everybody is willing to or can even afford to give. A more innovative approach uses data for targeted fundraising, reaching the right folks with the right ask at the right time. It begins by reaching out to people through their preferred communication channel and gathering specific data for each donor. Want to know how to go about it? Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Podcast with host Penny Cowden. She interviews Jay Finney, Vice President and Senior Consultant, Fundraising Management at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, LLC. Together, they discuss building multiple communications channels, gathering donor data, and using it to make the right ask at the right time.

Duration:00:32:08

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Changing How Employee’s Give with Marilyn Parker and Jami Wald, the CFRE and Senior Development Director of Benefis Health System Foundation

3/11/2021
Marilyn Parker, CFRE, is the Chief Operating Officer at Benefis Health System Foundation, while Jami Wald is the Senior Development Director. Since 1998 the Benefis Health System Foundation has served as the only not-for-profit charitable organization working with donors to drive revolutionary support for Benefis Health System. It exists to ensure that generosity transforms the lives of their patients and families throughout north-central Montana. To that end, 100% of the foundation's money goes directly toward the projects and programs that implement change to improve healthcare. In this episode… It’s common to see many nonprofits go the United Way route with their employee giving campaign and later choose some other nonprofit to give to. However, Benefis Health System Foundation is taking employee giving to another level by creating the opportunity for employees to give to any not-for-profit in their state. What’s different about their employee giving campaign, and how do they keep it donor-centric? Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden as she discusses employee giving with Marilyn Parker, CFRE, and Jami Wald, both from the Benefis Health System Foundation. They talk about how and why their employee giving campaign is successful, how the campaign works, getting leadership buy-in, keeping employees’ giving momentum going, and more.

Duration:00:32:10

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Collaboration and Innovation in the Not-For-Profit Sector with Alex Davison, the Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation for Louisiana

3/4/2021
Alex Davison is the Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation for Louisiana. Alex has a master's degree in public administration from the University of New Orleans, where he serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. He was raised in South Lake Tahoe, California, and graduated from Cal State San Marcos before moving to New Orleans. He lives with his wife Ashley, his son Cooper, and two rescue pups: Abby and Bernie. In this episode… A lot of collaboration is going on in the private and public sectors, but we have yet to see not-for-profits collaborate enough to leverage scarce resources. Not-for-profit organizations aren’t doing enough to see how they complement one another’s programs rather than duplicate. As a result, they frustrate many donors who want to see a high level of collaboration for maximum impact. How do not-for-profit organizations collaborate effectively, not just in applying for grants from funding foundations but also in working with donors in the community? How do these organizations change their methods and communications for the better? Listen to this episode of Penny Cowden’s Philanthropy212 Show featuring Alex Davison, who works as the Arthritis Foundation Executive Director for Louisiana. They discuss how not-for-profits should collaborate for fundraising to achieve their missions, how fundraising has changed since COVID-19, innovating and not getting stuck in a silo, and more.

Duration:00:26:20

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Investing in the Next Generation with Shelley Davis, President and Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation

2/25/2021
Shelley Davis is the President and Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation. Shelley has over 25 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector and has moved from frontline crisis intervention counselor to policy advocate and foundation grantmaker. The Forest Preserve Foundation’s aim is to invest in Chicago's climate and next generation. In this episode… Climate change is upon us, bringing less snow and more storms without enough trees to absorb the water. Undoubtedly, we need ecological restoration, but there’s little the older generation can do other than invest in the next to take up this mission. How do we get young people to be interested in ecological restoration and preserve our forests? Listen to this episode of Penny Cowden’s Philanthropy212 Podcast featuring Shelley Davis, President and Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation. They discuss what the Forest Preserve Foundation is about, the areas they cover, how they invest in young people to be a part of ecological restoration, fostering excellent family time, and more.

Duration:00:22:55

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Digital Strategy for Not-For-Profits with Steven Aguiar, Founder of Good Goes Further

2/18/2021
Steven Aguiar is an experienced Full-Stack Digital Marketer. He is the Founder of Good Goes Further, where he helps not-for-profit organizations create and execute a plan for digital growth. Steven is also the Founder of BlueWing, a marketing agency that has helped dozens of clients grow and activate a digital audience. After graduating from Brown University, Steven oversaw digital marketing transformation at MTV, The Fader, and The Players’ Tribune. In 2016, he launched BlueWing, which has since been certified by Facebook, Google, and HubSpot. With Good Goes Further, Steven plans to bring the growth marketing expertise he's honed while serving for-profit clients to the world of not-for-profit. In this episode… Digital platforms are almost exclusively pay-to-play for traction. As a result, not-for-profit organizations have a hard time competing with their for-profit counterparts. How can not-for-profit organizations reach their relevant audience in the most cost-effective and results-driven way? Today’s guest, Steven Aguiar, the Founder of Good Goes Further, says it is through a paid digital strategy for brand awareness, email acquisition, and fundraising. Not only does it cost a fraction of what is needed to hire a full-time employee to grow organically, but it also delivers results fast. So how do they create or improve the digital strategy for not-for-profit organizations? Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden and her guest, Steven Aguiar of Good Goes Further. They discuss why not-for-profit organizations should have a paid media strategy, what paid campaigns look like for not-for-profits, and how to kickstart or improve digital strategy.

Duration:00:32:17

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Unlocking the Public Longing to Give with Gina Bria, Founder and Executive Director of the Hydration Foundation

2/11/2021
Gina Bria is the Founder and Executive Director of the Hydration Foundation. She’s an anthropologist and was named Real World Scholar with the World Evolved Lecture Series. She has opened a new conversation on what hydration is beyond just liquid consumption. Some of her greatest work has been documenting the process of hydration in desert communities. Seeing how desert communities were using water locked inside plants, she was led to breakthrough water science, opening a new phase of more concentrated water that hydrates more profoundly. The Hydration Foundation provides public education for better hydrating people, plants, animals, and soils. In this episode… There's a public longing to give, but most donors want to experience the impact of their gifts and be counted among a community of people changing the world. These types of donors constitute a new class of donors that many fundraising professionals often ignore. The reason is that fundraisers don't know how to activate that public longing and make them feel triumphant. Gina Bria, the Founder and Executive Director of the Hydration Foundation, has found a way to solve that problem. According to her, it is the single-action donation approach: giving people a specific enough ask that they feel like they've accomplished something together. Want to know more about how Gina uses the single-donation strategy to help rollback the world's ecological crisis? Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden as she discusses unlocking the public longing to give with Gina Bria, Founder and Executive Director of the Hydration Foundation. They highlight how Gina is getting the public to donate and help farmers get the best form of water into their farms to address the global ecological crisis and more.

Duration:00:28:38

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Life Balance for Not-for-Profit Leaders with Cynthia Gregory, Executive Coach

2/4/2021
Cynthia Gregory is an author, life strategist, executive coach, and Certified Co-Active Coach. She’s the Communication Director for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the International Coaching Federation, a Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter, and the California Writers Club. Cynthia is a not-for-profit leader with more than two decades in the field. She knows all too well that no one works harder and deserves more validation than not-for-profit fundraisers, executives, and cultural changemakers. Through her coaching practice, Cynthia supports not-for-profit leaders with individual and team coaching as well as not-for-profit leadership mastermind group facilitation. Cynthia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Gonzaga University and her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Mills College. Cynthia is widely published, recently authoring the book, Journaling as Sacred Practice: An Act of Extreme Bravery. In this episode… According to a survey by Chronicle of Philanthropy, 51% of not-for-profit fundraisers plan to change jobs within the next two years—and 30% have either left or plan to leave the not-for-profit field altogether. These staggering stats paint a clear picture of burnout among leaders in the not-for-profit sector, where leaders don't have anyone to turn to. As a leader, your colleagues see you as a competitor and your staff looks to you for all the answers. So you work harder, do more, and end up maiming your work-life balance. Sometimes you even struggle with compassion fatigue. Listen to the episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden as she chats with executive coach Cynthia Gregory about work-life balance for not-for-profit leaders. They discuss why not-for-profit leaders are experiencing burnout, the lack of support for leadership in the nonprofit sector, areas where these leaders need help, and how coaching can help.

Duration:00:35:34

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Hyper Philanthropy with Russ Hodge, CEO of The Hodge Group

1/28/2021
Russ Hodge is the CEO of The Hodge Group, one of the fastest-growing fundraising consulting firms in the nation. Russ has over 35 years of fundraising experience, using a hands-on management style and innovative fundraising techniques that have helped The Hodge Group raise more than half a billion dollars. Russ is often sought out as a key speaker at fundraising conferences locally and nationally and previously presented at Candid on how board culture leads to hyper philanthropy. Russ is a member of both the Giving Institute and the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has a CFRE designation. He is the past recipient of the AFP Fundraiser of the Year for Central Ohio and is an AFP Master Trainer. In this episode… Hyper philanthropy is about accelerating the philanthropic process without sacrificing meaningful relationships. One effective way to accelerate philanthropy is to help board members buy into the organization’s mission and take shared ownership of the philanthropy process. However, many executive directors and development officers are never satisfied with their board’s performance for different reasons. But what the philanthropy professionals may not know is that three things impact their board’s performance. What are these three things—and how can development professionals build a culture of hyper philanthropy? Listen to this episode of Philanthropy212 with Penny Cowden to hear from Russ Hodge, CEO of The Hodge Group, as they talk about hyper philanthropy. He discusses the origins of hyper philanthropy, the roles of the development professional and the board in driving it, and how to engage the community.

Duration:00:28:38

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The Art of the Introductory Email with David Williams, Chief Development Officer for the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University

1/21/2021
David Williams is the Chief Development Officer for the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University. For over 15 years, David has been responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive advancement program for ten academic units that comprise the College of Liberal Arts. In this episode… Something fundraising officers find most difficult, but crucial, is setting up the donor visit. How do you schedule successful donor visits? Some opt for phone calls, but run the risk of donors not answering the phone. Conversely, when they do talk on the phone, a face-to-face meeting becomes unnecessary. How, then, do you set up the all-important face-to-face donor visits effectively? David Williams, Chief Development Officer for the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University’s Purdue Research Foundation, has found success using the art of the introductory email—and is here to share his playbook. Listen to this episode of Philanthropy212, as host Penny Cowden chats with David Williams, Chief Development Officer for the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University’s Purdue Research Foundation, about the art of the introductory email. David shares why the email is more effective than phone calls and letters, how to structure the email, what to do during and after the donor visit, and more.

Duration:00:27:14

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Digital Impact for Not-for-profits and Social Impact Organizations with Eric Ressler of Design by Cosmic, Inc

1/14/2021
Eric Ressler is the Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic Inc., a social impact creative agency. Cosmic empowers social impact organizations to catalyze real-world change by helping them nail their impact story, brand awareness, and inspire action. Eric got his start in design from a young age. He left a design program in San Diego early to pursue freelance work. He organically built a strong roster of clients and soon discovered a passion for the social impact and philanthropic space from working with numerous organizations across that sector. Eric found that the social impact and philanthropic industry often have strong missions and visions, but ineffective communications, philosophies, and practices can hinder their efforts. Now, Eric and Cosmic are on a mission to help social impact organizations worldwide navigate a rapidly changing world. In this episode… Is your nonprofit organization struggling to find, grow, and maintain funding? If your answer is yes, then your organization is dipping into a starvation cycle where you're under-resourced and your donor engagement, marketing, and communications are almost non-existent. And according to Eric Ressler, the Founder and Creative Director of Design by Cosmic Inc., says the problem will only get worse. Why? Because many nonprofits and social impact organizations are yet to build the digital-first culture required to win the attention economy, reach new donors, and spread their ideas more fully. Listen to this episode of The Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden as she hosts Eric Ressler, the Founder and Creative Director of Design by Cosmic, to talk about how nonprofit and social impact organizations can get out of the starvation cycle and how they can find, grow, and maintain new funding. They also discuss why nonprofits are struggling in a highly-digital environment, how a digital-first culture would help fix that, how they can begin to adopt this culture, and more.

Duration:00:29:17

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All-in-One Virtuous CRM Automates Your Marketing with Gabe Cooper, Founder and CEO of Virtuous

1/7/2021
Gabe Cooper is the Founder and CEO of the all-in-one nonprofit growth platform, Virtuous. Virtuous is a responsive fundraising platform designed to help nonprofit organizations build lasting relationships with all their donors. After serving in a leadership role at a large nonprofit in the early 2000s, Gabe went on to help build a series of successful products in the nonprofit and profit-focused sectors, including multiple Apple award-winning mobile apps. Gabe’s drive stems from a passion for creating market-defining software, helping charities reimagine generosity, and increase their impact. In this episode… Have you heard? There’s a donor retention crisis in nonprofit organizations. As many as 76% of donors who give a single gift to your organization will never give you a gift again. That’s a massive problem—and as nonprofit professionals, how should we respond? How do we treat every donor like a major donor? How do we build personal relationships with donors at scale? Gabe Cooper says it starts by putting systems in place to help listen to donors better and respond to them quicker—all in a personalized way. Whether it’s done through marketing automation or suggesting the right gift at the right time, Gabe says nonprofits that implement these strategies see an average 12% increase in donor retention and a 10% increase in average gift size. Learn more about using automation tools to increase donor retention, boost generosity, and build deeper relationships with donors on this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden and Virtuous Founder and CEO, Gabe Cooper. Together, they discuss how nonprofits can maximize their efforts through automation, responsive fundraising, and why it’s important to build your systems now. Keep listening for more!

Duration:00:28:04

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Principles of Good Governance in Not-For-Profit Organizations with Philip Purcell, Consultant & Adjunct Faculty at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

12/31/2020
Philip Purcell is a Consultant and Adjunct Faculty at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where he teaches nonprofit organization law and planned giving. He is also Adjunct Faculty at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he teaches law and philanthropy, and nonprofit law. Philip is the Editor of Planned Giving Today, and a Senior Consultant in Legacy and Estate Planning at Heaton Smith Group. He is Lead Counsel for the Community Foundation Legal Help Desk, a Member of the American Bar Association, and a Charitable Committee Member of the Internal Revenue Service Tax-Exempt Organization Advisory Committee. In this episode… When it comes to governance, the board has a proven duty of care to manage the nonprofit’s affairs prudently. But that doesn't necessarily mean the board does all the work; instead, it means that good governance is critical to any organization's success. And for this success to be met, there must be core principles at play behind it. What are these core principles of good governance for nonprofit organizations—and how can fundraisers better partner with their boards? Join the conversation on this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast with Penny Cowden and Consultant and Adjunct Faculty at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Philip Purcell. Together, they talk about sound governance principles in not-for-profit organizations, how to work with the board of your organization on best practices, and the importance of continuous education.

Duration:00:35:50