Explore every episode of the podcast Let's Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising

This week on "Let's Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising," join Ed, Ken, and Lisa as they discuss the rise of AI in the fundraising sector and the many drawbacks and shortcomings of replacing human labour with this technology.

Later in the episode, Ken and Ed discuss significant mentors they've had in their careers, and the group addresses a recent hot-button topic: influencers. 

Welcome to Let's Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising! Join hosts Ed Sluga, Ken Ramsay, and Lisa MacDonald as they engage in an honest and intentional discussion of the many issues and conflicts currently facing the fundraising industry. Listen to this episode for the first of many candid conversations, and be ready to "get real."

In this episode of Let's Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising, Ed and Lisa are joined by Marla Smith, CFRE, the Director of Foundation & Communication at Pathstone Foundation.

Marla brings her perspective to discuss the rise of mediocrity and why people seem so willing to accept it. Additionally, Ed, Lisa, and Marla discuss fundraising metrics and how success is perceived in the industry, as well as the concept of "giving to get even."

Welcome to season two of Let’s Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising! To start the season off, Ed, Ken, and Lisa are joined by Lois Graveline, the Founder and CEO of Harmonia Philanthropy. Lois brings her experience working with small charities to discuss the challenges these organizations often face, and what donors and fundraisers can do to help them succeed. 

Elsewhere in the episode, Ken emphasizes the importance of correctly following a gift agreement to avoid potential complications, even if that means sometimes ignoring the wishes of the donor. And Ed raises the idea of fundraisers making a spot for themselves “at the table” if they want to maintain relevance.

Thanks to our guest this episode, Lois Graveline. You can check out some of her work at the links below.

Harmonia Philanthropy: https://harmoniaphilanthropy.ca/

Project Launchpad: https://www.projectlaunchpad.ca/index.html

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial.

In the final episode of Let’s Get Real’s first season, Ed, Ken, and Lisa summarize some wins and losses from 2025 in the fundraising sector. Everything from political instability to shifting economic trends have had an effect on this hugely important industry. 

In addition to looking back, the hosts also look forward to offer their thoughts on what 2026 will have in store for fundraising in Canada. Make sure to tune in for the last episode of the year, you won’t want to miss it!

To learn more about PGgrowth, you can find our website here: https://pggrowth.com/

Connect with us on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pg-growth/posts/?feedView=all 

Have you ever considered that fundraising could be a spiritual experience? On this week’s episode of Let’s Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising, Ed, Ken, and Lisa dive into that very topic.

Elsewhere in the episode, Ed discusses irregular management styles in the fundraising industry and the negative consequences this type of leadership can have. Finally, the hosts discuss what anxieties are keeping fundraising professionals up at night.

To learn more about PGgrowth, you can find our website here: https://pggrowth.com/

Connect with us on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pg-growth/posts/?feedView=all 

This week on Let’s Get Real: Perspectives on Canadian Fundraising, Ed, Ken, and Lisa discuss gift agreements and how to deal with common complications they cause (here’s a hint: always get legal advice!)

Later in the episode, the hosts debate whether returning to the office is the right move for fundraising professionals, and point out crucial issues with today’s hiring process that prioritizes previous skills over future potential.

With National Philanthropy Day approaching on November 15, Ed, Ken, and Lisa use this episode of Let's Get Real to discuss whether the day has a significant impact on the charitable sector.

Also in this week’s episode, the hosts emphasize the importance of using proper language when discussing fundraising and consider ways to help maintain consistent terminology across the industry. Finally, Ken poses an important question: Is fundraising a noble profession?

This week on Let’s Get Real, Ed and Lisa are joined by Kerri LaJeunesse from Harvey MacKinnon Associates. Kerri brings her expertise to discuss the “metric vital signs” that every charity should be monitoring in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses and grow accordingly.

Elsewhere in the episode, Ed brings up staffing in the fundraising sector, and the potential future difficulties that will arise if leaders can’t hire young people today. And Lisa shares her recent experience volunteering for a fundraising event, and the new perspective that gave her going into this week’s episode.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial.

What makes a good leader? That's the question Peggy Killeen, Senior Consultant at PGgrowth, poses today. Peggy joins Ed and Lisa to discuss the qualities that boards should look for when hiring leadership, and the foundational skills that may be overlooked in favour of more traditional business experience.

Later in the episode Lisa discusses the staggering amount of money that GoFundMe raises for Canadian causes each year, and how use of the platform may cause traditional charities to be forgotten. And Ed stresses the importance of having solid gift acceptance policies in order to avoid unwanted influence from certain wealthy donors. 

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial.

This week on Let’s Get Real, Ed and Lisa are joined by Sandra Baker, the Director of Advancement and Admissions at Hamilton District Christian High School. Sandra starts off the episode with a discussion about the importance of thanking donors and how it can benefit your organization.

Later in the episode, Ed discusses why specific fundraising designations are important steps in becoming a fundraising professional, and the role that academic programs have in cultivating the knowledge of key fundraising ideas.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial.

On this week’s episode of Let’s Get Real, Ed and Lisa welcome back Peggy Killeen to discuss more pressing topics in Canadian fundraising! Peggy kicks off the episode by discussing how administrative work can often drain an organization’s capacity to fundraise.

Later on, Lisa focuses on current challenges in leadership, and how changes in office setup and social norms leave leaders feeling like they can’t win. And do you want to know how credit cards are affecting fundraising? Ed dives into that very topic.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

Ed and Lisa are fortunate enough to be joined by Rowena Veylan for this episode! Rowena is the Founder and Lead Instructor at The New School of Fundraising. Along with Ed and Lisa, she discusses the cuts to fundraising programs in recent years, and the new methods of education and teaching that have emerged as a result.

Elsewhere in the episode, Lisa raises the topic of burnout amongst leaders, and mentions 5 signs to watch for so you can tell if it’s serious burnout or just everyday fatigue. And Ed brings the conversation back around to AI, this time to discuss its use in hiring practices.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

This week on Let’s Get Real, Ed and Lisa are thrilled to welcome back Marla Smith, CFRE, from the Pathstone Foundation! Marla brings her perspective to a discussion about the gap between publicly and privately funded research in the philanthropic sector. 

Later in the episode, the conversation about research continues as the hosts discuss data. How are we capturing data? And are these methods able to keep up with the recent shifts in how people engage with charities? This episode dives into those questions and more.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

This week on Let’s Get Real, Lisa and Ed dedicate an entire episode to the topic on everyone’s minds right now: AI. How is AI going to affect the fundraising sector? Should we be embracing this new technology fully? Or are there aspects we should be wary of? If you’ve been looking for a deep dive into AI and fundraising, you won’t want to miss this.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

For the last episode of our Summer Series, Ed and Lisa are joined once again by Peggy Killeen. The three of them dive into the topic of donating online, and recent reports that indicate online giving is increasing. Ed breaks down why that might be, and the pros and cons of online donations vs mail donations. Later in the episode, Ed, Lisa, and Peggy discuss different types of advisors that fundraisers work with, and the role they play in the world of planned giving.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

What will people remember about you after you die? This is the title of a BBC article from this past May, and also the topic of this week’s Let’s Get Real. Peggy Killeen joins Ed and Lisa on the pod as they break down this article, and discuss the idea of “legacy” in relation to planned giving. This bite-sized episode is perfect to enjoy in between your Summer plans! And keep an eye out in the next few weeks for Part 2 of our episode with Peggy.

You can read the BBC article here: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260522-why-do-we-want-to-be-remembered-after-we-die 

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.

Welcome to the first episode of the Let’s Get Real Summer Series! We have some slightly shorter episodes that you can listen to in between your Summer plans. First up, we have an episode with Leigh Sandison, the Managing Director of Real Path. 

Leigh joins Ed and Lisa to discuss the difference between data and conversation, and how treating donors as more than a single data point can further your organization. The hosts also relate this to the idea of pro-social behaviour, and how connection makes people more likely to give.

Interested in learning more about planned giving? PGgrowth's new membership space, PGcommons, is the place for you. Go to pggrowth.com/podcasts and click on the PGcommons button to access your 30-day free trial, or sign up for our free membership.