Fundraising is Funny – Details, episodes & analysis

Have you ever based a fundraising decision off of a single article or statistic presented in a study? Data is all around us, and statistics are often presented as "best practice" or "latest trends", but are they, really? 👊 Punchline: Be careful when you read headlines. Ask questions, know the source, check for bias, and verify the statistics being presented before you act. Bingo Card Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  Kindsight Kindsight is the combination of iWave, UC Innovation, and NonprofitOS delivers what has never been possible before: Fundraising Intelligence that empowers nonprofit and advancement professionals to have the right conversation, with the right donor, at the right time—every time. This solution combines big data, AI, and automation to power modern fundraising. Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience. Givebutter Taking a quick moment to share more about our sponsor: Givebutter, the all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform that’s empowering millions of changemakers like you to raise more, pay less, and give better. Nonprofits use Givebutter to bring together multiple tools, including donation forms, fundraising campaigns, events, auctions, CRM, email marketing, text messaging, and more—all for free, thanks to their 100% transparent tip-or-fee model.  As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.  If you're a nonprofit, school, team, or any kind of group looking to raise money, sign up for your free Givebutter account to get started in minutes. Head to givebutter.com to claim your free account today.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Many nonprofits look at what other organizations are doing and try to replicate their success, expecting the same results. But you are not them, and your donors are not their donors. 👊 The punchline: There is no easy button for improvement. The only competition you have is who you were yesterday. Use your resources to make incremental changes and strive to be the best version of yourself. Bingo Card Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  Kindsight Kindsight is the combination of iWave, UC Innovation, and NonprofitOS delivers what has never been possible before: Fundraising Intelligence that empowers nonprofit and advancement professionals to have the right conversation, with the right donor, at the right time—every time. This solution combines big data, AI, and automation to power modern fundraising. Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience. MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.

Ahhh technology. It's taken the nonprofit world by storm, and has provided some amusing tech fails along the way. In an industry full of shiny new tools, many nonprofits adopt new tech with hopes it will revolutionize their fundraising. The truth is, the tools can only do so much. We have to think critically and invest in training in order to avoid some rather amusing pitfalls. 👊 Punchline: We have to think critically about what tech can do for us and remember that it is a tool, not a magic wand! Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  Kindsight Kindsight is the combination of iWave, UC Innovation, and NonprofitOS delivers what has never been possible before: Fundraising Intelligence that empowers nonprofit and advancement professionals to have the right conversation, with the right donor, at the right time—every time. This solution combines big data, AI, and automation to power modern fundraising. Givebutter Taking a quick moment to share more about our sponsor: Givebutter, the all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform that’s empowering millions of changemakers like you to raise more, pay less, and give better. Nonprofits use Givebutter to bring together multiple tools, including donation forms, fundraising campaigns, events, auctions, CRM, email marketing, text messaging, and more—all for free, thanks to their 100% transparent tip-or-fee model.  As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.  If you're a nonprofit, school, team, or any kind of group looking to raise money, sign up for your free Givebutter account to get started in minutes. Head to givebutter.com to claim your free account today.  Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience.

LYBUNTS, SYBUNTS, and first-time donors — what does it all mean? Our nonprofit jargon is often perplexing, especially in the wild world of data segmentation. Get ready to unravel the comedic tapestry woven by the intricacies of our everyday lingo! 👊 Punchline: Our everyday jargon can be difficult to interpret. Establish common definitions and be open to answering questions about them. Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  iWave iWave is the leading provider of award-winning fundraising intelligence for nonprofits. With iWave’s powerful solutions, you’re not just getting incredible wealth screening and analytics that help you learn more about your donors with pinpoint accuracy, you can identify new donors through prospecting, find out more about your corporate and foundation donors, and gain tremendous insight into the most effective cultivation and engagement approaches – all powered by the industry’s largest philanthropic giving database. Visit iwave.com to learn more! Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience.  MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.

Have you ever felt like you're on a secret mission, but the only secret is what you're actually supposed to be doing? Collaboration is challenging, and the key is effective communication—on all sides of the coin. 👊 Punchline: Clear communication isn't just kind, it's your lifeline in the workplace. Don't just nod and smile – ask questions, get expectations straight, and remember, a little bit of grace goes a long way. Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  iWave iWave is the leading provider of award-winning fundraising intelligence for nonprofits. With iWave’s powerful solutions, you’re not just getting incredible wealth screening and analytics that help you learn more about your donors with pinpoint accuracy, you can identify new donors through prospecting, find out more about your corporate and foundation donors, and gain tremendous insight into the most effective cultivation and engagement approaches – all powered by the industry’s largest philanthropic giving database. Visit iwave.com to learn more! Givebutter Taking a quick moment to share more about our sponsor: Givebutter, the all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform that’s empowering millions of changemakers like you to raise more, pay less, and give better. Nonprofits use Givebutter to bring together multiple tools, including donation forms, fundraising campaigns, events, auctions, CRM, email marketing, text messaging, and more—all for free, thanks to their 100% transparent tip-or-fee model.  As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.  If you're a nonprofit, school, team, or any kind of group looking to raise money, sign up for your free Givebutter account to get started in minutes. Head to givebutter.com to claim your free account today.  Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience. 

The power and influence of women in generosity is on the rise, and so is their desire to be recognized differently. There are so many problems with formal salutations in fundraising, so why are we still using them? 👊 Punchline: Move away from default gendered salutations and provide options for how donors wish to be addressed. Listen to donors and respect their preferences. Resources: DRG Greetings and Salutations Guide Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” Click here to listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron. DonorPerfect DonorPerfect is an all-in-one fundraising software solution that helps you manage and track relationships with donors, raise money on and offline, and automate administrative tasks – all with a single nonprofit CRM. DonorPerfect has been serving the nonprofit community for over 30 years. Clients love them, board members trust them, and industry experts (like us!) recommend them. Right now, we recommend you check out their monthly giving success kit, a free guide to creating and growing your own recurring giving program.  iWave iWave is the leading provider of award-winning fundraising intelligence for nonprofits. With iWave’s powerful solutions, you’re not just getting incredible wealth screening and analytics that help you learn more about your donors with pinpoint accuracy, you can identify new donors through prospecting, find out more about your corporate and foundation donors, and gain tremendous insight into the most effective cultivation and engagement approaches – all powered by the industry’s largest philanthropic giving database. Visit iwave.com to learn more! MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.  Wired Production Group With more than 30 years of experience, Wired Production Group is the leading provider of full-service event solutions. They are award-winning event professionals who create unforgettable live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. They do more than just provide event and video production services - they create an experience that their clients will never forget. Their team stages creative projects across a broad range of markets and delivers a strategic process built to enhance, engage, and entertain your audience. 

We're gearing up for Season 2 of Fundraising is Funny—but before we laugh together, we're getting brutally honest about the absurd challenges we face every day in the nonprofit industry. Inspired by the iconic Barbie monologue, Lynne and Clay share why it's literally impossible to be a fundraiser.

There may be some legitimate reasons to uninvite someone to an event, but in this episode we dive into what NOT to do. This story has us asking serious questions about the fundraising profession + how we treat those who leave our organizations but still have a passion for our mission.  👊 Punchline: Be kind and generous no matter what situation presents itself.  Resources Mentioned: Jen Chang and Dr. Adrian Sargeant at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” To listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron visit bloomerang.com/funny.  MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.  Keela This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by Keela. Keela is the complete software solution for nonprofits looking to grow revenue, centralize and manage data, accurately track performance and deepen donor engagement. Learn more at www.keela.co

How to know if a nonprofit is a healthy place to work? Go to the nonprofit in person! A happy office is a good office 🥳 👊 Punchline: What are we spending our time on? What are we prioritizing? How do we think about the other people we work with? The office culture is everyone's responsibility. Resources Mentioned: Jen Chang and Dr. Adrian Sargeant at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” To listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron visit bloomerang.com/funny.  MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.  Keela This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by Keela. Keela is the complete software solution for nonprofits looking to grow revenue, centralize and manage data, accurately track performance and deepen donor engagement. Learn more at www.keela.co

Branding guidelines don't stop the world from spinning. Fundraising is funny because sometimes we hold more tightly to organizational standards than we do to serving those who are fueling our mission. 👊 Punchline: Don't mistake your priorities. Question the things you cling to if they're creating a negative experience for those you serve.  Connect with Fundraising is Funny Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Lynne + DRG Group Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Connect with Clay + TCB Fundraising Website | LinkedIn  Our Amazing Sponsors Bloomerang This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.  After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” To listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron visit bloomerang.com/funny.  MSP Cultivate This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.  Keela This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by Keela. Keela is the complete software solution for nonprofits looking to grow revenue, centralize and manage data, accurately track performance and deepen donor engagement. Learn more at www.keela.co