Around with Randall

Episode 296: Getting Naming Opportunities Correct

Naming opportunities can be one of the most valuable and most easily mishandled tools in philanthropy. But, before putting a donor's name on a building, you need a proces

Episode 295: The Need for Internal Collaboration with Donor Strategy

Gift officers can easily become isolated in the very work that requires the most strategic thinking. Moves management meetings often become reporting sessions instead of

Episode 294: Fighting the Familiarity Paradigm to Lead Change

Great leaders are often hired to create change but organizations want transformation without the discomfort that comes with it. In this episode, Randall explores the “fam

Episode 293: Do we realize that women are the key to the next 25-50 years of philanthropy?

The next great shift in philanthropy may not be about younger donors. It may be about who makes the decisions. Women increasingly influence financial decisions and are po

Episode 292: Are We Giving Donors All the Options, Vehicles, to Give?

The difference between a good gift and a transformative one is not a donor’s generosity, it is the way we help them see what is possible. This episode explores how a fund

Episode 291: Taking Over A GO’s Portfolio: Easier Than You Might Think

What happens when a trusted gift officer leaves and someone new inherits the portfolio? Too often, new fundraisers worry they're replacing a beloved relationship when, in

Episode 290: When Absolutely Necessary – The Why and How of Changing the Nonprofit Mission

There is a tension many nonprofit leaders feel but rarely name: when a mission statement remains sacred, even after the organization’s work has evolved. Mission change sh

Episode 289: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Relationship to Philanthropy

What do the Seven Deadly Sins have to do with fundraising? More than you might think. Pride, greed, envy, wrath, sloth, and the others quietly find their way into nonprof

Episode 288: The Donor Wants to Give: Why Aren't We Asking?

Most fundraising challenges don't stem from a lack of generous donors. They stem from never extending the right invitation. Organizations stay trapped in endless cultivat

Episode 287: Happy Birthday America: Celebrating Freedom Around the World and with Philanthropy

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, it's worth reflecting on something even bigger than our nation's history: the enduring value of freedom. In this special episode

Episode 286: The Use of Data and Removing Bias - Known and Unknown

Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are transforming fundraising, but better technology does not automatically create better decisions. Let’s look at how bia

Episode 285: Mapping Donor Networks: Influencer Dynamics

Many fundraising conversations focus on the donor sitting across the table, but rarely are major philanthropic decisions made by one person alone. Spouses, children, atto

Episode 284: The Donor Waltz Three Conversation Sequencing that Builds Momentum

Fundraising is relationship building, but too many donor conversations feel disconnected, repetitive, and transactional. Enter the “Donor Waltz”. A three-step sequence of

Special 19: The Great Philanthropists - Andrew Carnegie: The Starting Point of Modern Philanthropy

Andrew Carnegie did not believe philanthropy was simply about relieving immediate need. He believed it was about creating opportunities that could create generational cha

Episode 283: Qualification Calls – Meetings: Getting to the Point and Not Wasting Time or Resources

Fundraisers often spend enormous amounts of time pursuing prospects who will never make a gift. Not because they lack capacity, but because nobody properly qualified thei

Episode 282: A Physical Stewardship Matrix: Creating, Having, and Using One

Most nonprofits talk about stewardship, but few can actually show you a structured plan for how it happens. In this episode, we explore the idea of a donor stewardship ma

Episode 281: Podcast 300 - Fighting a Failure of Imagination

A tragedy in the Apollo program revealed a powerful truth: the greatest failures aren’t always technical; they’re failures of imagination. In this milestone 300th episode

Episode 280: Truly Fighting the Term Overhead in our Nonprofit Work

Nonprofits don’t have an overhead problem, they have a narrative problem. When organizations obsess over keeping costs low, they often starve the very investments that dr

Episode 279: Succession Planning at All Levels: How to Not Get Caught in Bad Transition

Succession planning isn’t just a CEO issue. It’s a frontline necessity in a nonprofit sector where turnover is constant and stability is fragile. When organizations fail

Episode 278: Fractional Work: How to Make It Work

Fractional employees are quickly becoming a practical solution for nonprofits facing talent shortages and budget constraints, but they’re not a simple fix. This episode e