What the Fundraising

Do you see financial resources as a zero-sum game? If another fundraiser gets more, does it mean your nonprofit receives less? Check that mindset! My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is here to offer a completely different – far more generous – lens on wealth. Angela Matthews, the founder of the Happy Investor Method, shares an approach fueled by her vision of bounty in both business and in life.

“Long gone are the days...

Ever had that sensation of running, running, running, and not even really knowing where you’re running to? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is asking us to pause and consider: Might there be something we’re unconsciously running away from? Goli Kalkhoran, Coach and Host of Lessons From A Quitter, is all about stripping away the layers of identity and self-limiting beliefs that drive so much of our lives. It’s so com...

Why is it so hard for women to bring all of ourselves, imperfections included, to the table? For starters, we’ve inherited deeply ingrained narratives — stories that shame us and drive our truest natures into hiding. That’s why we all need the support of someone like Ruthie Lindsey, my remarkable guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. She is an author, coach, speaker, and extraordinary healer whose rare wisdom provides a be...

It’s dizzying to look back on this past season of What the Fundraising and try to encapsulate all the brilliant advice, life lessons, and wisdom that my guests have shared – which is why I was fortunate to have my good friend Dana Snyder, CEO of Positive Equation, on deck to help out! Together we’re deconstructing some of the big themes impacting nonprofits today as well as the many innovative new ways organizations are approaching...

Want to remember exactly who you are – and be unafraid to claim it? Then you’ll want to tap into the infectious positivity and purpose my guest shares on this episode of What the Fundraising. Ande Lyons is a Startup Champion coach who, as the founder of four successful entrepreneurial ventures, knows intimately the ups downs, joys, and losses associated with taking big risks in pursuit of a passionate vision. 

While for-profit and n...

It was a thrill to spend time recently with Cimeran Kapur, the Founder, and CEO of Potion, cancer survivor, advocate for healing, and – most of all – seeker of truth. In this episode of What the Fundraising, we’re discussing the effects of coming into alignment with ourselves. It starts with sifting through and looking at who we are to uncover who we’re meant to become.

Cimeran was living at breakneck speed, becoming a physician and...

Megan Seamans is a Certified Life & Energy Coach and Human Design Guide. Megan supports women to tap into their magic and confidently lead their life; without people-pleasing or having fear or doubt stand in the way. After navigating the loss of her brother in 2018 and facing burnout on the thing she was the most passionate about, she changed the way she looked at purpose. Now she supports people everywhere to express their sou...

The brittleness, burnout, and even breakdown that so many of us in the nonprofit world experience isn’t just an occupational hazard. It’s symptomatic of a much more far-reaching cultural framework, which is why my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is all about disruption. Rebekah Giacomantonio, a facilitator and community healer, took a necessary pause from her career in restorative justice to restore herself. And she’s...

It was such a pleasure to welcome Julie Solomon, an amazing brand and pitch expert, on the day of her first book’s publication. In this episode of What the Fundraising she is walking us through the very internal process undergone by the successful entrepreneurs, entertainers, and other public figures with whom she has worked over the years. But the real work? It started with Julie herself. She gets vulnerable in sharing her own ori...

Do you ever feel that you’re spinning your wheels or being penny-wise and pound-foolish? My guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is here with some straight talk about managing operations efficiently and effectively. A consultant who helps small businesses scale, Jhana Li is a systems thinker with a gift for optimizing organizations from both the 30,000-foot and three-foot levels. This conversation offers a framework to aud...

Tania Bhattacharyya, Founder of Lumos Marketing, has built her practice around empowering female leaders and their brands. She highlights the many ways that we have it within us to confront and transform the historic and systemic structures that hold us back by owning and telling our story differently. 

As Tania learned through her years of work at a nonprofit supporting women and families impacted by substance abuse, our stories ar...

When an online community goes from 10k to 500k members seemingly overnight, there’s definitely some secret sauce involved. In this episode of What the Fundraising we learn from Diandra Marizet Esparza, the co-founder and Executive Director of Intersectional Environmentalist (IE), about why the platform has resonated so profoundly. It starts with understanding the way that cultural identities shape nature and nature shapes cultural ...

When we garden we are caring for more than a plot of land. It can also be seen as an expression of hope, curiosity, and of interconnectivity. This is the message my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising has evangelized to great success through her books, blog and fierce commitment to greening our planet together. Emily Murphy is here to share with us the inspiration behind her latest work, "Grow Now: How We Can Save Our...

What does it look like to use our power and privilege for good? In some cases it involves us speaking out, in others it involves us getting quiet and listening. How do you know what to do when?

Maggie Doyne and I explore all of this and more in this week’s episode of What the Fundraising. Maggie has been hailed as CNN Hero of the Year and criticized for perpetuating the white savior narrative, and she has something to say about both...

Stepping from a nonprofit career trajectory into a for-profit consulting practice required some adjustment on the part of my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising. Trudi Lebron had to recalibrate in some unexpected and liberating ways, changing outmoded practices that are now helping her change our world.

Today Trudi Lebron Impact Coaching serves a wide variety of leaders looking to get beyond old, harmful power structures a...

Nearly a half-million people and counting have chosen to help Ukrainians by booking Airbnb rentals in that war-torn country. Why? On this episode of the What the Fundraising podcast, my guest Lynne Wester and I untangle some of the factors behind this impulse to give 1:1 rather than through traditional nonprofit organizations. The founder of Donor Relations Guru, her team partners closely with nonprofits large and small to develop ...

If you’re sidestepping cryptocurrency because it seems too abstract or risky, you won’t want to miss this episode of What the Fundraising. It features Veronica Hash, program manager of Belonging at Coinbase, a secure online platform for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency. Coinbase – among the largest crypto exchange platforms in the world – built a philanthropic mission into the heart of its business plan: ...

If change is hard, massive and meaningful change can seem impossible. But my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is up to the task. As head of Community Impact and Partnerships for Patagonia, Whitney Clapper is innovating strategies designed to accelerate a paradigm shift in the way we live together and treat the planet. In this episode, much of our discussion focuses on the partnership dynamic between nonprofits and Pata...

This episode dives right into the importance of strong relationships between donors and nonprofits. As someone who has been on both sides, but now works primarily with funders, our guest is keenly aware of what foundations are looking for in their partnerships. 

In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast…

Sybil Ackerman-Munson and I discuss what nonprofits can do to level up their pitch when asking foundation funders for money. ...