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Nonprofit Lowdown: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Rhea Wong
This is Nonprofit Lowdown where I review and recommend the best ideas, resources, tools, tricks and tips to run your nonprofit like a pro!
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- 2 days ago41 min
#398 - The Old Way Doesn't work
In this episode, I'm calling out the thing nobody says out loud: your major gift program isn't really a program. The gifts come in, but you can't predict them. Your board member lands a home run, then goes quiet. Your ED holds all the relationships in their head, and when they leave, the revenue leaves with them. I've lived this, and I know you have too.I start by naming what I call the invisible revenue gap: the difference between what your list should be raising and what it actually raises. It's costing mid-sized nonprofits hundreds of thousands a year while the financials look perfectly fine on the surface, and it's the thing that wakes EDs up at 4 AM in a cold sweat.Then I get into the diagnosis. You're not bad at fundraising. You're not lazy or unsophisticated. You're un-infrastructured. You know what to do, you just don't have a system to do it consistently, in the right order, every time. I break down why the old five-stage model we all inherited runs on fragile relationships and hope, and why it falls apart with today's busier, more skeptical donors.From there, I walk through what an actual system looks like: the six stages of the Engagement Fundraising Operating System, the real role of your board as door openers (12 board members, one intro each per quarter, that's 48 new prospects a year, the math maths), and the qualification conversation that stops you from chasing people who were never going to give. I also share results from a $6M client who went from 15 prospects to 47 and doubled her close rate. Not by finding richer donors. By building infrastructure.If every quarter feels like crossing your fingers, this one's for you.Important Links:My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-programMy Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honeyMy Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/
- 1 weeks ago37 min
#397 - Your Next Million-Dollar Donor Gives $10 a Year
The biggest gift your organization will ever receive might come from a donor who's been quietly giving you $10 a year for two decades. And most of you are ignoring them.Planned giving evangelist Tony Martinetti, retired attorney and author of the upcoming Planned Giving Accelerated, is back to bust the six nasty myths keeping small and mid-size nonprofits out of the game. It's not too complicated, it's not just for the big guys, and you're not having a "death conversation", you're talking about the life and longevity of your mission.The launch is simple: query your database for loyalty and longevity (gift size doesn't matter), pick your top 3-6 prospects, start conversations. Ten hours a month, no splashy website required. Plus: what to say when you make the ask, and the research showing 75% of donors who put you in their will increase their other giving.If planned giving has been on your someday list, this episode moves it to Monday.Important Links:Connect with Tony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymartignetti/Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio : https://tonymartignetti.com/My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-programMy Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honeyMy Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/
- 2 weeks ago28 min
#396 - How a Teacher-Turned-CEO Landed Her First Six-Figure Gift
I love a good transformation story, and Lucy Madden's is one of my favorites.Lucy was a middle school science teacher who ran a snail mail pen pal program in her classroom, pairing her students with STEM professionals around the world. She watched her kids start imagining bigger futures for themselves, so she turned it into an organization: Letters to a Pre-Scientist. Now she's the CEO, and she's fundraising for it as a team of basically one.When we started working together, Lucy had 10 to 15 donors giving $1,000 or more, and those gifts felt random. In this episode, she walks through what changed: stepping away from grants, getting her board on board, and shedding the ick she felt about asking individuals for real money.The moment that stuck with me: Lucy called a donor just to say thank you for a $10,000 gift. On that call, the donor did the math on Lucy's growth plan herself and said, "You need $140,000. I think we can do that." It became a multi-year six-figure stock gift, the first stock gift her organization has ever received, on a budget of $500K.We also talk about why snail mail is her secret weapon (in programs and in fundraising), why she stopped throwing spaghetti at the wall, and what shifted internally that let her show up to donor conversations with actual confidence.If you've ever told yourself you're not a fundraiser, this conversation is for you.Important Links:Connect with Lucy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-madden/Letters to a Pre-Scientist: https://prescientist.org/My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-programMy Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honeyMy Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/
- 3 weeks ago17 min
#395 - Why Your Major Gift Program Can't Wait
This episode is a little different. It's a bit of a public service announcement.I recently read new nonprofit sector data, and honestly, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The numbers tell a pretty clear story: organizations that rely heavily on grants and government funding are feeling more pressure than ever, while nonprofits with strong individual giving and major gift programs are weathering the storm much more successfully.If your organization has been putting off building a major gift strategy or if your current program just isn't producing the results you need. I hope this conversation gives you permission to rethink where you're investing your time.In this episode, I share why major gifts are becoming more important than ever, the biggest mistakes I see nonprofits make when trying to build a program, and a few practical steps you can take today to start creating more sustainable fundraising.If you're feeling overwhelmed by fundraising right now, know this: you don't have to keep doing things the way they've always been done. Sometimes the smallest shift in focus can make the biggest difference.
- Jun 22, 202637 min
#394- What Pricing Strategy Can Teach Us About Major Gifts with Claire Wang
One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation with Claire Wang is that fundraising and pricing have more in common than you might think. At their core, both are about understanding people their values, motivations, and the stories they tell themselves about who they are.Claire shares how great pricing isn't just about numbers; it's about listening deeply, understanding what someone truly values, and creating an experience that feels meaningful. We also explore how these same principles apply to major gifts, donor relationships, and building trust over time.If you've ever wondered how to better understand your donors, ask for larger gifts with confidence, or create a more thoughtful donor experience, this episode is full of insights you'll want to take with you.Important Links:Connect with Claire: https://www.claire-wang.com/My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-programMy Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honeyMy Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/
- Jun 15, 202638 min
#393- Burnout, Budget Cuts, and the Future of Fundraising with Glennda Testone
I sat down with my friend Glennda Testone, CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, to talk about what we're both seeing across the sector right now: burnout, funding uncertainty, increasing demand for services, and nonprofit leaders trying to do more with less.It's easy to get caught up in the anxiety of the moment, but one thing became crystal clear in our conversation: the organizations that will weather this season best are the ones investing in relationships.We talked about why individual donors matter more than ever, the risks of relying too heavily on grants and government funding, and why fundraising is ultimately about human connection not transactions.We also got into some hot takes on galas, donor behavior, AI, and what nonprofit leaders should be focusing on when everything feels uncertain.If you've been wondering how to navigate the current fundraising landscape, I think you'll find this conversation both grounding and encouraging.Important Links:Nonprofit Leadership Lab: https://nonprofitleadershiplab.com/?wickedsource=google&wickedid=Cj0KCQjw0JnRBhDJARIsALobnXYMR6sg7UyNnriy98C0t1QkwFu8XqFOpgP5qXL4hJB-Ly5wREp22jYaAlXLEALw_wcB&w_adid=733701107251&w_campaignid=22263756844&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22263756844&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22263756844&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0JnRBhDJARIsALobnXYMR6sg7UyNnriy98C0t1QkwFu8XqFOpgP5qXL4hJB-Ly5wREp22jYaAlXLEALw_wcB My Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/My Quiz: https://bit.ly/4vDEBjl
- Jun 8, 202628 min
#392- Fundraising Without Fear: Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability with Andrew Murphy
One of my favorite parts of this work is watching nonprofit leaders grow into fundraisers not because they become slick salespeople, but because they discover that fundraising is really about relationships.That's exactly what happened with my guest this week, Andrew Murphy.When Andrew stepped into the Executive Director role at the Wisconsin Inmate Education Association, he inherited an incredible mission and a passionate community of supporters. What he didn't inherit was a fundraising system. Like so many nonprofit leaders, he found himself staring at a donor list, sending emails, making phone calls, and wondering what he was supposed to do next.Over the last two years, I've had the privilege of working alongside Andrew as he built a fundraising program from the ground up. In this conversation, he shares what changed when he stopped thinking about fundraising as asking people for money and started thinking about it as inviting people into a meaningful partnership.We talk about the donor survey strategy that became the foundation of his work, how prison tours helped supporters connect directly with the mission, and why building genuine relationships created more sustainable results than any fundraising tactic ever could.What I love most about Andrew's story is that it isn't about a magic formula. It's about having a system, staying consistent, and leading with authenticity.And the results speak for themselves. WIEA has nearly doubled its individual giving, created a stronger pipeline of supporters, and moved from worrying about making budget to dreaming about what's possible next.If you've ever felt like you're making fundraising up as you go, if you've inherited a donor program without a roadmap, or if you're tired of operating from a place of scarcity and uncertainty, I think you're going to find a lot of encouragement in this conversation.Enjoy my conversation with Andrew Murphy.Important Links:Connect with Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-murphy-6b960bb8/My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-programMy Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/
- Jun 1, 202621 min
#391- What Happens When You Stop Fundraising on Hope with Amy Lester
Ever feel like your major gifts program is held together by spreadsheets, good intentions, and crossed fingers?This week, I'm joined by my client and friend Amy Lester, Major Gifts Officer at Polar Bears International, for a candid behind-the-scenes look at how she transformed her fundraising program in just over a year.When Amy started, she inherited a portfolio, a giant spreadsheet of prospects, and what she lovingly calls a "hope strategy." Fast forward 15 months, and she's exceeded her fundraising goal by more than $400,000, doubled major donor gifts, increased her conversion rate from 40% to 84%, and brought in 19 new major donors.My favorite takeaway? Amy's shift from feeling overwhelmed and reactive to confident and strategic. That's the magic of having a system.If you're sitting on a portfolio full of potential and wondering how to turn donor relationships into real revenue growth, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply immediately.Important Links:Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-lester-cfre-40166b49/ My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program My Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey My Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/ My Quiz: https://bit.ly/4vDEBjl
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