Let's Talk Fundraising

Your Development Office Should Lead the AI Policy Conversation

Register for the AI Policy Development webinar.  AI is already inside your fundraising work, whether your organization has admitted it or not. You can see it in the draf

The Knock on the Window: What Memorial Gifts Are Really Telling You

I recorded this episode on the Sunday before Memorial Day, thinking about an event called Celebration of Life that I helped build on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Lante

What I Actually Learned at AFP ICON (And What the AI Vendors Won't Tell You)

Keith just got back from AFP ICON in San Diego, and this episode is his honest debrief. From a late-night reunion dinner with his AFP Leadership Institute cohort (includi

If You Wait Until You Feel Ready, You'll Never Start

This is the episode where we stop painting the picture and start talking about what happens next. If you've been listening to this series for a few weeks and someth

3 Things to Define Before Every Major Gift Donor Meeting

You've had the donor meeting. It went fine. The conversation flowed, the donor was warm, you covered a lot of ground. And now you're sitting in the parking lot

Think AI Won’t Work for You? Let’s Talk About That.

If you’ve been listening to this series and thinking… “This sounds interesting… but I’m not sure it would actually work for me…” This episode is for you. Because that

The Moment I Knew My Fundraising Was Actually Working

For months, I was doing everything I thought I was supposed to do as a major gift officer. I was reaching out. I was having meetings. I was putting in the work. But not

Why Your Fundraising Outreach Isn’t Working Like It Used To

There’s a moment in fundraising where you start to feel it. You’re doing the work. You’re following up. You’re being thoughtful in your outreach. And still… things just

The Cost of Waiting Until You Feel Ready (Major Gift Fundraising)

There’s a moment most fundraisers don’t talk about. The one where you know what needs to happen next… but you’re still trying to get everything lined up before you move.

Where AI Fits in the Major Gift Cycle

Fundraising moves when relationships move. And relationships move when the friction falls away. In this episode, we explore how AI can quietly support every stage of the

What If Major Gift Fundraisers Had More Time for Donors?

Most of us came into this work to build relationships. But too often our days get buried under contact reports, prospect research, and messy systems that keep us tied to

Quiet Power Revisited: Why Introverts Thrive in Fundraising

Fundraising doesn’t belong only to the boldest voice in a crowded gala. It thrives in the quiet moments where a donor feels understood, a tense call cools with care, and

Stop Looking for Unicorns. Start Training Your Fundraisers.

Looking for a unicorn hire who “just gets it” on day one? We’ve all been there—and it rarely works. To celebrate fifty episodes, we pull back the curtain on what truly dr

Your Donors Don’t Feel Your Effort, They Feel Your Attention

Every Valentine’s Day, nonprofit inboxes fill up with warm subject lines and messages that say, “We love our donors.” The intention is real, but the impact often falls fl

The Pivot: What I’m Stepping Away From—and What I’m Stepping Into

This Groundhog Day episode is a personal announcement and a fundraiser’s roadmap for change. After fifteen years in nonprofit leadership, I’m stepping away from a role I

How Fundraisers Get Interviews: Resumes That Speak the Right Language

🎁 Enter the contest to get a signed copy of Scott Vedder's book, Signs of a Great Resume. Seven seconds. That’s often all you get before a recruiter decides “no” or

When Competence Becomes Common, Taste Becomes Strategy

Remember when donor newsletters read like dissertations and first-time givers needed a decoder ring? We take a clear-eyed look at how AI has quietly raised the baseline f

Stop Making AI Slop, and Actually Leverage What It's Good For

Download the Big Goals Worksheet The problem with so much “polished” AI content isn’t grammar, it’s judgment. We unpack why clean sentences can still feel hollow, and ho

A More Supportive Goal Strategy

Free Gift 🎁 Big Goals Worksheet If goal setting feels like a test you’re always failing, this conversation offers a calmer path. We pull apart the myths that keep fundra

From Survival Mode to Steady Fundraising: How AI Brings Calm to Year-End

Year-end fundraising doesn’t have to feel like survival mode. If you’ve ever spent December scrambling — rushing appeals, juggling Finance deadlines, and showing up exha