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In this episode we sit down with Scott Billows, founder and CEO of Belmar, to walk through a practical, step-by-step framework for evaluating and implementing a new CRM.

You’re going to learn how to build a priority "this is what I need" list, gain internal alignment, and navigate vendor selection—including why you might want to skip the traditional RFP process in favor of working with an "architect" to map out your requirements. 

Scott also shares expert advice for ensuring a smooth implementation, such as building a 20% buffer into your budget and securing strong executive alignment. 

Finally, we explore why your technology should be treated as a living, evolving asset requiring continuous care to prevent technical and cultural debt.

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

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The donor pyramid is collapsing. Individual giving is shrinking. And yet, total philanthropic revenue is still growing—just from fewer and fewer people.

In this episode, we sit down with Anton Lipkanou, President of Delve Deeper, to unpack what’s really happening beneath the surface of donor data, and how fundraisers can respond.

Together we explore:

• Why donor files are aging faster than time itself
• How the “Eiffel Tower” of giving reveals a dangerous imbalance
• What “Jobs to Be Done” means for understanding donor motivation
• How to listen to donors through data, not just surveys
• The new role of AI in personalizing donor journeys at scale

You’ll leave this episode with practical ideas to start listening like a major gifts officer — even when you’re talking to tens of thousands of donors.

Quotes:

“Donors are hiring your organization to do a job for them. It’s not about you — it’s what they can do through you.” — Anton Lipkanou

“If giving is a story of self, then our job as fundraisers is to listen for the story donors are trying to tell.” — Mike Duerksen

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

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This fast-paced excerpt from a workshop at the Build Good Summit dives into journey mapping as a powerful strategy to cultivate donor relationships and build a supporter-centric organization. 

Designed for forward-thinking leaders in social impact, the session offers hands-on insights into using journey mapping to create a seamless, tech-enabled approach to engaging donors, advocates, and supporters. 

Participants will explore the essentials of 21st-century journey mapping, incorporating behavioral science, DEI, and AI. Through collaborative activities, you’ll learn practical mapping techniques for engaging multi-generational donors (Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, Matures) and leave with actionable steps for fostering a supporter-centric culture.

Participants will get to the walls and work in groups to learn how to use the Stanford Design school approach to mapping. 

It’s a fun session with post it notes, stickies, and more! 

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

You didn't see COVID coming. Nobody did. But now that the initial shock to the system is over, it's time to get back to business. 

While others might wait for "normal" to return, it's time for you to embrace "the now" by creating a concrete, simple, and clear strategy that will help you survive the next 12 months — and come out of the pandemic positioned for growth. 

On today's podcast, we talk about 5 mini plans your nonprofit should create right now to guide your fundraising so you can achieve predictable income during a recession, and avoid volatility from future downturns and crises.

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COVID-19 is testing the systems and processes of nonprofits like never before. And many organizations are finding that their lack of data practices and data quality are hampering their fundraising efforts.

Strong, direct relationships with donors are crucial to withstanding times of uncertainty and crisis. And fundraising success is always a result of strong systems that manage data well, allowing you to maintain a close relationship with your donors.

So what can you do to improve the way you manage donor data to help you build deeper connections with donors?

On today's episode, we hear from T. Clay Buck, founder of Tactical Fundraising Solutions. Clay is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) who was recently named among the top 20 charity influencers online. He has been a member of the advisory board for Rogare, and co-authored the United States Critical Fundraising Report. 

He is a frequent speaker and trainer, and teaches Fundraising and Nonprofit Management  at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

You'll learn why focusing on data quality should be one of your highest priorities right now, and how to create processes and systems to manage your data most effectively.

Plus, you'll learn who person is in your organization who can have the greatest impact on your fundraising - and it’s not who you think!

You can find more information about Clay and Tactical Fundraising Solutions at Tcbfundraising.com. You can also connect with Clay on twitter (@tclaybuck), Linkedin, or by email at clay@tcbfundraising.com.

Today we’ll cover:

• [5:27] - What lessons should smart fundraisers be learning and paying attention to in our current cultural climate?
• [13:58] - Why we shouldn’t underestimate the power of smaller dollar donors 
• [16:26] - What are the current trends around data and system management?
• [22:16] - What is ‘data quality’ and why does it matter? 
• [27:55] - What are some basic systems and processes that every organization should have? 
• [31:14] - The importance of having a designated person who oversees and cares for donor data
• [32:56] - How can we make sure our systems are showing us the right information to connect with and care for our donors? 
• [37:26] - The importance of valuing those who are charged with data entry at your organization

Join in our mission to help others build good in the world by rating and sharing this podcast on all major platforms. You can do that by clicking here.

Check out our free resource on improving your donor communications at https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/

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Finding and stewarding donors is the foundation of any successful nonprofit. But during uncertain times, it's easy to shrink back and set donor acquisition aside, leaving yourself vulnerable in the future
 
In this episode we hear from Tim Kersten, the CEO of the RKD Group, a fundraising and marketing agency with over 280 nonprofit clients across North America. Tim has 43 years of experience consulting with nonprofits to meet their fundraising goals. He is passionate about empowering and enabling individuals to have their voice heard in their society so they can make a difference, improve lives and correct injustice.

2020 has been wildly unpredictable, and it can be tempting to walk away from donor acquisition while the pandemic is ongoing and the future of the economy is unknown.

Tim shares why now is not the time to take your focus off this area. You'll learn why nonprofits should stay in the market and how nonprofits should go about new donor acquisition with all the changes going on around us.

You'll learn:

• [7:51] - The state of nonprofits and the astonishing increase in giving, even with a tumultuous 2020.
  
  
• [13:24] - Why are those who stay in the donor market thriving?
  
  
• [16:01] - The importance of having a strong digital strategy.
  
  
• [17:18] - How to prepare for a possible recession.
  
  
• [22:16] - How to move forward with donor acquisition, even during the COVID-19 pandemic
  
  
• [27:39] - What are the long term ramifications of ignoring donor acquisition?
  
  
• [30:58] - How to balance donor retention with donor acquisition.
  
  
• [35:53] - Given how 2020 has gone so far, what are some tactical changes we should make to donor acquisition?
  
  
•  [39:05] - Face to face donor acquisition is highly effective but COVID-19 has changed our ability to do this. What are some other ways we can reach potential donors? 

 You can find more information about Tim and the RKD Group at https://rkdgroup.com/, or on twitter @RKDgroup.

Join in our mission to help others build good in the world by rating and sharing this podcast on all major platforms. You can do that by clicking here.

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If you've ever struggled to find the right words to say when confronted with a tough question from a donor, team member or journalist, this episode is for you.

On today's show we hear from Brad Phillips, the CEO of Throughline Group, a public speaking and media training company. Brad has trained thousands of media spokespersons and public speakers including a presidential candidate, members of Congress, Olympic athletes, top CEOs, directors of nonprofit organizations and heads of government agencies. 

In this episode you’ll get a crash course in fielding challenging questions and answering them with authenticity.  Brad will help you understand how tough or even antagonistic questions can create opportunities for you to share your values with the world and build trust in times of crisis. 

If you’re looking for the skills to represent your organization well, even in the hardest circumstances, you'll learn a lot from our conversation with Brad.

You’ll learn:

•  [7:48] - Why authenticity is the only currency that matters right now
• [9:49] - The consequences of not communicating in a way that shows genuine care
• [12:23] - Being put on the spot can be uncomfortable and can expose our insecurities which leads to defensiveness. How can we counteract fear that causes us to be defensive?
• [16:00] - Authenticity in the age of COVID; how Andrew Cuomo has handled the media during the crisis
• [19:45] - Three practical ways we can prepare for hard conversations: Purpose, Process and Commitment.
• [24:30] - What is “bridging”? and why it may be the most indispensable tool you have right now
• [30:15] - How to apply the bridging technique with a practical example
• [36:09] - How we communicate can be more important than the exact words we use.
• [37:43] - What to do when you wish you had answered a question differently

You can find more information about Brad and the Throughline Group at https://www.throughlinegroup.com/  

or on Twitter:

@MrMediaTraining, @throughliners
 
Join in our mission to help others build good in the world by rating and sharing this podcast on all major platforms. You can do that by clicking here. 

https://www.buildgood.org/

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What is the secret of organizations raising record levels of money during the coronavirus pandemic?

Many of the nonprofits thriving right now have one thing in common: donor-centric fundraising and stewardship.

While it seems counter-intuitive, in hard times many donors actually increase their giving. They want to be part of the solution and help.

But the key is, they only give to organizations they care about — and organizations that care about them. Organizations that share their values. That have done a good job at thanking them, making them feel valued and connecting them to the cause.

Donors move mountains for charities that value them, celebrate their generosity, use their gift effectively and report back to them on the difference they've made.

So if your nonprofit was already focused on donor-centric fundraising, you have a huge advantage right now. And if you weren't, the good news is you can start today.

If you want proven tactics that keep donors coming back again and again, this podcast is for you. Julie Cooper will share how to thank donors so they feel connected to your cause...and want to keep giving — even after the pandemic is over.

NOTES

• Learn more about Julie and get the FREE resources mentioned in the podcast by visiting her website

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One of the things the coronavirus crisis made clear is the importance of good leadership. 

Specifically, the importance of leaders who communicate openly and honestly and with enough vulnerability to admit what they don’t know.

We sometimes think of leadership as only being important at the board and CEO level, but if you’re listening to this show and you work in the nonprofit and social impact sector, chances are people are relying on you. 

They’re relying on you to be a good teammate, a good friend, a good boss, a good fundraiser. Maybe your family and your kids are relying on you to lead them through this crazy time.

The truth is, we all have a responsibility to lead right now. 

So today on the show we're talking to Jamie McIntosh, the executive director of partner relations at Compassion Canada — an international development NGO that helps children living in poverty across the world.

Jamie has held senior leadership positions in organizations like World Vision, International Justice Mission and Mercy Ships. 

His work has taken him the world over, and he has experienced what it’s like for organizations and leaders to endure an extended crisis. 

Jamie is going to share with us three principles that can help all of us lead in a time of uncertainty, including:

1.    Why being present is more important than having it all figured out.

2.    How admitting our own fears as leaders might the best most fearless thing we can do right now.

3.    And how finding a little bit of perspective can make the difference between making it as a leader or breaking down.

One of the things I appreciate most about Jamie is his hopeful and redemptive perspective on life, and I think you’ll be encouraged listening to this interview.  

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Are you having a hard time staying positive and balanced and sane during these crazy times?

The coronavirus pandemic brings a rare combination of a scary health emergency, human isolation and an economic crisis at all once. 

And I worry about you.

I am not worried if you're going to survive this crisis, or if your nonprofit will survive the storm. I am worried about what the crisis is doing to you, and the toll it’s taking on you as a leader and parent and friend and spouse and all the other roles you play. 

I know a lot of people are relying on you. 

Maybe your boss or your board is relying on you to bring in the funds, to produce a lot more work or communications pieces, to call every donor, or to produce a new campaign in a hurry…and so much more.

There's a lot on your shoulders.

And the only way we are going to get through this is by acknowledging how hard it is and taking care of ourselves. 

So today on the show I’m talking to Amanda Rocheleau, a registered social worker and certified compassion-fatigue therapist. 

Amanda works specifically with people who are in the business of helping others, so she understands how quickly burnout and anxiety and work-life balance issues can creep up and completely derail us.

Amanda is going to walk through 5 things you can do to manage your anxiety, reduce your stress and take better care of your mental health, including:

• How you can manage the stress of juggling so many things at once. 
• How you can balance your news intake with things that give you hope.
• How you can be realistic about your own limitations and communicate them to your team and family. 
• How you can create healthy habits even when your routine is all out of whack. 

Plus, we’ll get into how leaders can best support the mental health of their teams who are working remotely, and how those of us who are talking to donors all day can deal with feeling drained at the end of the day. 

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If you’re like many nonprofit leaders, you’ve spent the last two weeks going back to the drawing board on what your fundraising and communications will look like now that everything is different. 

And make no mistake: everything is different.  

And that means all the careful planning and strategies, all the campaign rollouts and scheduled posts, and all the thank you letters and mailouts need to be reviewed and rebuilt to take into the account the impact of the Coronavirus. 

And I want to make sure that, though this podcast, we can support you in that. 

So for the next few weeks, we’re switching our focus to helping you fundraise and communicate in a crisis. 

I know many of you are in a tough position right now. But you’re not alone.

And today’s guest will show you how leaders and marketers and fundraisers like you have lived and worked through emergencies before. 

History is full of fundraisers who have inspired and motivated people to come together to overcome terrible problems. And the gifts they raised generated the funds that were crucial to keeping the most vulnerable in society protected. 

Today's guest — Mark Phillips — will help you learn from some of them today.

Mark is founder of Bluefrog Fundraising in the UK, a fundraising agency focused on meeting donor needs. 

Mark keeps an online archive of the history of fundraising — it’s a pinterest board full of ads and campaigns from the world’s most successful charities like The Red Cross, Save the Children, Oxfam, and the YMCA.

Recently Mark pulled up three ads from different crises throughout history that we’re going to walk through today. Make sure to check them out on Mark's blog here: https://queerideas.co.uk/2020/03/crisis-fundraising-what-you-can-learn-from-the-past.html

Each of these three ads has something to teach us today about how to fundraise in a crisis. And I think you’ll come always with at least three ideas that will make your fundraising stronger today.

LINKS 

• Mark's blog on all things fundraising
• Mark's online archive of old charity ads
• Bluefrog Fundraising

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If you put yourself in your donors' shoes for a minute, you'll know they are likely sitting at home. Like you, they are watching the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe. And they might wonder what it all means for them and their loved ones. 

So you might be tempted to leave them alone. Give them some space. Let them cope. 

But what if your donors are longing to hear from you? And what if it's your duty of care to reach out to them right now with care and compassion? And what if they want to help make the world a tad bit better? 

Chances are your donors have many questions right now. And they are waiting for you to have the courage to be vulnerable with them. 

On today's podcast, we walk through five things your donors need to hear from you right now: 

• They need to know you care
• They need to know your beneficiaries are ok
• They need to know you have a plan
• They need to know they are still needed
• And they need to know they will be part of the solution

I know things are scary right now. But you were made for these times. And now, more than ever,  people are looking to you to lead them through these uncertain times.

I want you to know and remember when this is all over, your donors will remember the kind of person you were long after they remember what sort of decisions you made about staffing, finances, programs, etc. 

So go easy on yourself. Rise to the challenge. And start reaching out to your donors with as much humanity and vulnerability as you can muster today.

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If it hasn't already, COVID-19 will impact your cause and your fundraising. Maybe you’re wondering if you’re about to face the biggest revenue crash of your career.

And that's a real possibility.

As panic and fear about the virus spread across the globe, many nonprofit organizations are about to make some choices that could seriously wreck their fundraising for years to come.

The decisions nonprofit leaders will make out of fear might erode the value of their donor file and jeopardize their ability to sustain their mission in the future.

So to make sure you’re not one of them, I called up Sean Triner of Moceanic for a quick chat about how your nonprofit can not only survive, but also thrive, during this uncertain time. 

Sean is a lifetime professional fundraiser who has lived and fundraised through recessions and times of crisis. He’s the co-founder of the Pareto Fundraising businesses in Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

These days he runs Moceanic, an online training company focused on best practices for fundraisers like you.

In our conversation you’re going to learn:

• Why you shouldn’t cancel your fundraising right now – and in fact, should increase your fundraising budget.
• How you can approach your major donors who might be looking at their losses in the stock market and evaluating their charitable giving.
• What you can do to replace the fundraising events and face to face meetings you rely on to bring in revenue.

We’ll also get into some common questions we’ve seen from fundraisers online, and Sean shares a letter from a CEO you can learn from if you have to create a campaign for urgently needed funds.

And just a note: since this is a last-minute podcast we’re not using our usual recording setup today – so the audio quality isn’t as good as it usually is. 

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Most fundraisers ask: Who do I send this appeal to?  But the better question is, What appeal do I send to this person?

We all recognize people are different—yet fundraising relies on a one-size-fits-all approach. Traditional segmentation—internal labels, past giving, or vague attitudinal groupings—fails to capture what truly drives a donor to give.

And it’s not as simple as testing Issue A vs. Issue B to see which one "wins." That’s still a one-size-fits-all approach in disguise.

Donors don’t give because of an issue or a program—they give because something captures their attention, aligns with how they see the world, and resonates with their core motivators. The missing piece in most appeals? A message that speaks directly to a donor’s innate psychological drivers.

This session will unlock the missing link: moving beyond segmentation to delivering the right message for the right person. It will benefit beginner and seasoned fundraisers alike.

--

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

You’ve likely heard that combining your fundraising with data analytics is the most efficient way to grow your revenue and engage the right donors at the right time.

It’s true: donors speak to us through data.

Data is simply a measure of our donor’s actions. And most of the time those actions speak louder than words. So we need to listen carefully to what our donors are saying.

But…maybe you’re not sure where to start? Maybe you don’t know what metrics you should measure? And what do they mean anyway…and how can they help you?  

Well today on the show, you are going to learn 5 key metrics you should be measuring that will help you raise more money from more donors more effectively. 

We’re talking to Sam Laprade, a seasoned fundraiser who has raised money for important charities such as the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Human Society and the Ottawa Mission. 

She’s a fundraising consultant and director at Gryphon Fundraising where she helps organizations make sense of their donor data and improve database analytics. 

You’re going to learn…

1.    What donor data analytics you should measure – and how to measure them

2.    How you can interpret those results 

3.    And practical ways of using those results to make a difference in your fundraising  

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What do you think when you hear the words strategic planning?

If you're like most nonprofit leaders today, you know strategy is important. You know a good strategy has the power to completely transform your organization's fundraising and development performance. 

It can energize your staff, volunteers and donors. It can give you the clarify and focus needed to take on the world's most pressing problems. 

And for small and mid-sized organizations who are working under all kinds of constraints, a good strategy helps you decide where to allocate all of your time and energy and money and staff to make the most difference. 

But I know what you might be thinking...because unfortunately for many of us, our experience with strategic planning is often just a big binder full of good intentions that ends up sitting on a shelf collecting dust. And that seems like a waste of time and money.

Today's guest is on a mission to change that. And he's going to walk us through an easy framework anyone can use to create a clear and compelling strategy for their organization. 

We're talking to Chris Bosch, former head of strategy for World Vision Canada where he led a major process involving staff at all levels and external stakeholders to re-imagine the future of the $450m NGO. 

Chris now runs Chisel Consulting, a company that helps organizations get clear about their own mission and purpose so they know what to focus on.

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Today on the show, we’re talking about a massive opportunity for your nonprofit to add revenue to your bottom line for years to come. 

We’re talking about the largest gift your donor may ever give to your organization. We’re talking about legacy marketing. 

Did you know charitable bequests are now worth literally hundreds of billions of dollars in Canada? So if you’re not already giving your donors a chance to leave behind a gift for generations to come that honours their values and beliefs…today is the day to start. 

And if you already have a legacy marketing program in place, you’re likely looking for effective ways to improve your messaging and strategy.

Well today’s guest is going to show you 3 common mistakes nonprofits make when asking donors to leave a gift in their will…and 3 easy solutions you can implement today.

We’re talking to David Kravinchuk, seasoned fundraiser and the also the founder and convener of the Western Canada Fundraising Conference. 

You’re going to learn from David:

• Why you shouldn’t educate your donor on how to leave a gift in their will
• Why you may need to ignore some of your brand standards to effectively communicate with your donors 
• And why you shouldn’t mention most planned gift options 

And as a gift for you, David is going to share one of the biggest blunders of his career…and help you avoid making the same mistake.

LINKS 

• Attend the Day of Good
• Attends the Western Canada Fundraising Conference 

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If you've worked in fundraising for some time, you'll know that direct mail still enjoys some of the best response rates of any communications channel. 

But because we're living in a digital world, it's easy to think of direct mail as outdated with nothing new to offer.  

You and I hear that all the time.

If you still rely on the mailbox to connect with your donors and to grow your revenue, you know that's not the case. You know it's still where most donations come in. You know it leads to higher donor retention. You know it's useful in acquiring large gift donors.

And you also know that digital tools actually make direct mail work better now than ever before.

Today we're talking to Dan Sonners about 4 different ways you can boost your direct mail response by adding digital channels to your fundraising campaigns. 

Dan is the Director of Non-Profit Marketing at Conrad Direct, a family owned direct marketing firm which has specialized in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. As a list broker he’s written direct mail and digital media plans which have helped nonprofits acquire nearly a million donors for organizations in wide range of markets and sizes. 

He also hosts and Dynamic Nonprofits podcast, which is dedicated to advocating for an unsiloed approach to fundraising and spurring innovation in the nonprofit sector. 

LINKS 

• Connect with Dan on LinkedIn 
• Listen to the Dynamic Nonprofits with Dan Podcast
• Email Dan 

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Are you having a hard time finding and retaining a good Director of Development?

If that sounds like you, you're not alone.

Studies show the average tenure for a Director of Development is between 16-18 months — among the highest in any profession. And while it's true for organizations of all sizes, it's especially true in smaller organizations where more than 50% of Development Directors say they anticipate leaving their jobs in 2 years or less.

Today on the podcast, we talk with John Janzen, Director of Development at Inner City Youth Alive in Winnipeg, Canada. John is a first-time DoD who's just finishing his first year on the job.

We're going to hear from John on what he's learned in his first year, how he has learned to tell his organization's story, and what every prospective small-shop DoD should know about going into the job.

Make sure to stick around, because the end of our conversation John plays a song from a musical he wrote to engage the community in issues of poverty.

LINKS

• Inner City Youth Alive 

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Fundraising is at a crossroads. Donor trust is eroding, retention rates are plummeting, and yet, charities continue to rely on the same high-volume, bottom-of-the-funnel tactics—more asks, more urgency, more chasing. But what if the solution isn’t asking more, but becoming something donors want to say yes to?

On today’s episode, we listen in to a recorded session from the Build Good Summit where we explored why trust is the most valuable (and perhaps only) asset fundraisers have left. We’ll introduce the fundraising flywheel, a model designed to build momentum by prioritizing donor autonomy, competence, and connection. Unlike the funnel, which treats giving as a linear transaction, the flywheel fosters long-term engagement and sustainable growth.

Through case studies and practical examples, you’ll learn how to move beyond relentless solicitation and toward a trust-based approach that treats donors like an important part of the team, with a meaningful role to play. Because fundraising isn’t about forcing generosity—it’s about earning it.

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

The way we’ve been doing fundraising events might be all wrong. 

We often focus so much on what happens at the event that we miss the bigger picture: what happens before and after matters just as much—if not more. In this episode, we explore how to use the fundraising flywheel to make your events work harder for you and leave less money (and momentum) on the table.

We get into:

• Why your event shouldn’t be a one-night stand (for your fundraising strategy).
• How to think about your event as a living, breathing version of your mission.
• A practical framework to make your next event more successful—from pre-event planning to post-event follow-up.
• How to activate your donors and sponsors before the event ever happens.
• What a great “Ask” sounds like during and after your event.

And as a bonus, you’ll also get to listen to an exclusive coaching call within The Fundraising Academy with Lauren Isbell from Nevus Outreach. 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

After longing for the kind of event we wanted to attend, we decided to create it ourselves.

Today, Hannah and Mike walk through why we’re launching The Build Good Summit, an in-person fundraising summit in downtown Toronto happening May 22-23, 2025. 

The lack of world-class fundraising conferences in Canada has left fundraisers with two choices: spend thousands of dollars to attend conferences elsewhere, or miss out altogether.

We’re putting an end to that.

When you attend the BuildGood Summit, you’re joining our mission to bring Canada’s most ambitious nonprofits together, for good. By coming together and sharing methods that are working on our home turf—along with those working internationally—we'll all walk away with practical tips we can implement right now.

In today’s show we talk about how we’re crafting the experience, how we use the flywheel approach ourselves to plan the conference, and how we chose the speakers.

And if you stick around to the end of the podcast—listeners of the podcast get a special discount code to join us at the Summit. 

Don’t miss your chance to secure one of the 350 available seats. 

Claim your spot now at www.buildgoodsummit.com 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Today we're celebrating our 100th episode! Come sit down for a fireside chat (complete with Diet Coke) to share the honest story of how this podcast started, where it's headed, and what that means for BuildGood—and for you.

Mike gets real about why the original podcast strategy was completely wrong—and why that might’ve been the best thing that could’ve happened. 

In today’s chat you’ll also hear how BuildGood has grown from a solo consultant to a team of 15 passionate fundraisers. Plus, you’ll learn some of the exciting results we’re seeing with clients—including one digital campaign that's generating returns that seem almost too good to be true.

If you’ve loved the podcast so far you’ll love this peek behind the curtain at what's coming next—including some changes that listeners have been asking for.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

Send us Fan Mail

Today we’re launching the Build Good Summit, and introducing the first speaker—Nathan Hill from NextAfter.

Nathan and the NextAfter team recently analyzed how the fundraising of 211 nonprofits impacts donor retention.

And in today’s chat, he’s sharing 3 key things you can do to retain more donors—backed by research and actual donor data.

If you want to get fresh ideas to grow your revenue—and get together with other fundraisers who are doing interesting and innovative things to draw donors closer in to the mission—join ust at the Build Good Summit on May 22-23, 2025 in Toronto.

You’ll hear from fundraising innovators who’ll focus on practical examples to grow your fundraising—stuff that’s actually working right now to help some of the most innovative nonprofits grow.

You can get your tickets now at www.buildgoodsummit.com 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Today, BuildGood’s resident fundraising copywriter delivers a masterclass in how to craft fundraising copy that leads people toward greater generosity. 

Hannah Vermeer gets into simple, easy and effective ways you can change the words you use in your fundraising—and changing the words you use is free. It costs you nothing.  

Whether it’s making your donor feel like they have an important and meaningful role to play, or crafting copy that’s easy to read and emotionally resonant, you’ll walk away with actionable insights to improve your copy immediately.

If you want to create compelling, heartfelt, and effective fundraising copy, this episode is for you.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

If you’re tired of riding the revenue rollercoaster—where your nonprofit’s cash flow is always dependent on a few key fundraising campaigns during the year— your big opportunity is building a strong monthly giving program

Growing recurring giving not only smoothes out your cash flow year round, it also increases the lifetime giving of your donors. And it’s a direct pipeline to mid-level, major and legacy gifts.

But building a strong monthly giving program requires some thought and care. 

You can’t just build it and expect people to come.

That’s why we’re talking to Dave Raley from Imago Consulting on the podcast today. He’s been building monthly giving programs for almost two decades. And he’s writing the book on it. 

On today’s chat, Dave goes through 8 crucial steps to building a monthly giving program that will actually become a valuable asset for your organization.

In our chat, we get into:

• The 3 kinds of monthly giving programs
• The problem most nonprofits face when designing a monthly giving program
• Everything you need to take into consideration before launching a program
• How to name your program
• How to structure the offer and value proposition 
• How to recruit donors to join the monthly giving program 

To learn more about Dave and his work, you can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

“Always be testing”. That’s popular fundraising advice. 

After all, the only way to get new insights to grow your fundraising is to try new stuff, test, iterate and optimize.  

But how do you decide what to test? How do you set up a proper A/B test?  And how do you make sure you learn something meaningful from it? 

That’s what we get into in today's chat with Ronen Tal, the Director of Integrated Marketing and Fundraising at Nature Conservancy of Canada. He stewards a donor file of 40,000 donors contributing more than $10m in revenue each year. And he’s always testing new approaches to grow generosity. 

In our chat we get into:

• How to decide what to test 
• Why you need a testing hypothesis—and how to create one 
• The difference between trying new stuff and A/B testing
• How to run successful A/B tests
• How to interpret results to find actual insights 

To learn more about Ronen and his work, you can connect with him on LinkedIn.


—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to build a fundraising flywheel that can 2x your revenue—without hiring more fundraisers or changing your tech and tools https://flywheel.buildgood.com 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Giving Tuesday isn’t just one day on the calendar— it’s a chance to build a core pillar of a larger year-end campaign.  

In this episode, we sit down with Rapinder Dhinsa from Make-A-Wish Canada to learn how she turned Giving Tuesday into a powerful, multi-year growth engine.

Rapinder shares how her team built a campaign that got stronger every year — layering in new channels, integrating matched gifts, and weaving Giving Tuesday into the broader year-end strategy to maximize results. 
You’ll hear how they aligned email, social, direct mail, and paid ads to create a unified donor experience, plus the lessons they learned about timing, storytelling, and making every donor feel like an important part of the team.

If you want to make your Giving Tuesday campaign more than a one-day event — and turn it into a launchpad for your whole year-end fundraising — you won’t want to miss this conversation.

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Social media isn’t working for most nonprofits.

If you’re watching your engagement drop while spending hours on content creation, you're likely about ready to give up on social media for good.

And no one would blame you.

That’s why we’re continuing our series on new donor acquisition by talking about these challenges head-on.

We’re talking to Brynne Krispin from Cause Fokus about how to tap into the power of empathy to actually find supporters online through social media.

In our chat, we get into: 

• The challenges of using social media for fundraising
• Realistic (and unrealistic) expectations from organic content
• Incorporating empathy into your fundraising campaigns

Brynne is a social media strategist for nonprofits and purpose-driven executives. Working with NGOs, thought leaders, and policymakers in DC for the last decade, she specializes in getting people to care about complex issues that might otherwise get ignored. 

Her team at Cause Fokus uses empathy-based marketing to turn passive audiences into loyal advocates

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

In our ongoing series on new donor acquisition, we’re talking to one of Canada’s most sought after advertising specialists about how to use Google ads to boost your fundraising. 

Kevin Harwood manages more than $10m in ad spend for nonprofits across North America, and is at the forefront of what is working…and isn’t. 

On today’s show, we get into: 

• How to think about online advertising (hint: it’s not about an immediate return on your investment) 
• What options your nonprofit has when it comes to Google ads (search, display, video)
• How to choose which advertising format makes the most sense for you
• What you can do with a small budget

Kevin runs his own consultancy where he works with some of the biggest nonprofit brands to create advertising that builds trust and long-term donor value.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

We’re continuing our series on new donor acquisition—and today we’re getting into the basics of how you can use the Google Ad Grant to attract potential donors through digital content offers.

The truth is, most nonprofits aren’t taking full advantage of the Google Ad Grant because they don’t know it works, or because they don’t have a clear strategy on how to use it. 

In today’s chat, Chris Barlow gets into everything you need to know to get started with the grant—and he also shares a simple strategy to attract new donors using digital content.  

We get into the 3 key steps for a digital donor growth campaign:

1. Creating a valuable resource for a community that aligns with your mission
2. Getting the resource into donors’ hands using the Google Ad Grant
3. Converting these new relationships into lasting support

Chris is the founder and Customer Happiness Director at Beeeline, a consultancy that specializes in helping nonprofits grow their mission and donor base through digital marketing.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever used paid Facebook and Instagram ads to support your fundraising? 

Ads can supercharge your donor acquisition strategy, but they can also be a little scary if you’re just starting out—and if you’re new to digital marketing.

To continue our series on new donor acquisition, we’re chatting with Dana Snyder from Positive Equation, host of the Missions To Movements podcast and Creator of the Monthly Giving Mastermind. 

Her mission is to equip nonprofits with the knowledge of how to use social media ads to attract potential supporters to their cause and create sustainable giving models by building monthly giving programs for everyone to become a philanthropist.

In our chat, we get into:

• Myths vs. Facts when it comes to paid ads
• How to think about the lifetime value of a donor acquire through ads
• The right way to set up a lead generation campaign using Facebook Ads Manager
• A step-by-step breakdown of how to automate email list growth using an ad strategy

If you’ve never run ads before, or if you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll find useful and valuable advice here.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

So you want to find new donors online?

Then this is a foundational podcast episode for you to listen to.

We’re beginning our series on online new donor acquisition with a master of digital fundraising: Jeff Giddens from NextAfter.

In our chat, we get into: 

• Why sending prospective donors to a donation page might not be effective if you want to actually get a first gift from someone 
• Why trying to understand donors is a better strategy than trying to get them to understand your cause 
• How to think about your new donor acquisition strategy using content offers
• How to find, create and develop content offers prospective donors might actually want to download 
• How to build an effective acquisition funnel 
• How to drive traffic to your funnel using paid ads
• The key metrics you should keep an eye on to begin testing and optimizing your acquisition funnel

Along the way, we also get into how direct mail—and even door to door fundraising!—can influence the way you think about new donor acquisition online.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

You need to retain donors if you want to grow sustainably—but you also need to find new donors. 

It seems simple enough, but we all want to skip to the “growing revenue” part without investing in both acquisition and retention. It doesn’t work. I’ve tried. You need to work on both, consistently and reliably. 

If you’re a listener of this show, you already know that listening to donors, engaging them, asking, celebrating and reporting is the best way to keep more of your donors connected, and giving. 

But how do you acquire those donors in the first place? 

On today’s podcast, we get into the core 4 ways you can use to find new donors. They are 

1. cold outreach
2. warm outreach
3. content and media
4. advertising

None of them are a magic solution that will grow your donor file. Each of them takes work, time, focus, and yes—money. And all of them work together to make your organization known, and to help you earn the trust of prospective donors. 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Many nonprofits want to see 10-20% growth (or more!) year over year—and are tasking their fundraising team to make it happen without a clear-eyed view of what it takes. 

It’s not that sustained growth is unrealistic, but it becomes harder to raise more money year after year without investing resources (read: money and time!) in the right things to support that growth.

On today’s podcast, we’re going to do a bit of easy math together to see if you’re prepared to meet your growth goals. 

Don’t worry—we’ll walk you through it, step by step! If you want to follow along, you may want to grab: 

• Your income/expense statement from your last fiscal year
• Your overall donor retention rate 
• This worksheet you can download here 

By the end of the episode, you’ll have a good idea of just what it will take to meet your growth goals for 2024—and if your goals are realistic in the first place. 

Download: Growth Goal Worksheet 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, we dive into the 5 key elements of crafting a winning and simple fundraising plan using the pre-loaded year methodology.

It’s the same method we teach in the Fundraising Academy—and the same method we use with clients in our agency work.

A lot of organizations struggle to create simple and actionable plans they can execute on. That’s because for most small-to-mid sized nonprofits, complicated plans are…well, too complex to actually want to take action on.

But without a plan, nonprofits risk falling short on their financial goals. And they become overwhelmed by the tyranny of the urgent. 

Enter the pre-loaded year methodology—an innovative approach that simplifies the fundraising planning process by creating a One Page Fundraising plan. 

The kind of plan you can pin to the wall next to your computer screen. The kind of plan that isn’t overwhelming. 

In this episode, we explore the step-by-step guide to implementing this strategy, ensuring that your organization not only meets but exceeds its fundraising objectives.

BONUS: We walk you through a short exercise called The New Year Reset. Download your copy of the New Year Reset right here.

—

Download the New Year Reset worksheet to help you guide you fundraising planning: https://buildgood.ck.page/newyearreset

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Do you feel like you have a focused fundraising strategy? 

Or does it feel like you’re being asked to do something else every few months?

Have you—or your leadership—been so derailed by that shiny, new opportunity (looking at you, TikTok) that you lose sight of what's important?

A strategic plan might help—if you approach it the right way.

Now, let’s be honest, you might already have a plan in place. 

It might be sitting on a shelf. Gathering dust. It might just be a long list of lofty goals you want to achieve. It might not even have a strategy at all! 

That’s why how you approach creating a plan is just as important as creating it in the first place. 

So in today’s chat, we get into the power of strategic planning and how it can be a tool to keep your team and your leadership focused on raising more revenue and cultivating your donors.

We’re talking with Kim Bersin, founder of Donor Speak Consulting.  She works with organizations around the globe and has helped raise millions across charitable sectors.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Today’s show is a special episode—a bit of a global journey of fundraising and discovery with one of Canada’s well known fundraisers.  

Fresh off a trip to Europe—including stops in Romania, Slovakia and Holland—Michael Johnston joins us to have a chat about what the social impact sector outside of North America looks like. And what we can learn from it. 

Michael was trained as a NATO analyst but ended up a direct mail fundraiser in 1987. Many books and clients later, he now works in over 30 countries through his agency HJC New Media.

In our chat, we touch on F2F fundraising, mid-level giving, monthly giving and legacy giving through the lens of other countries and cultures. 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Imagine building a huge organization on the back of “$5.38 buys a meal for a neighbour experiencing homelessness”, when a meal is just the doorway, not the destination.

It’s a situation many nonprofits find themselves in. Their programming has changed and evolved, but their core value proposition and fundraising offers haven’t—because they are tried, trued, tested and proven.

In today’s episode, The Mustard Seed’s Philip Calvert sits down with Mike to pull back the curtain on what happens when an inner city ministry grows into a multi-city, $73m engine for life change—housing, mental health supports, job training and more—while many donors still picture soup lines at Christmas. 

With 38,000 active donors and a strong brand, Phil and his team are facing a choice: keep raising money on meals… or reframe the offer around real outcomes. Last year alone, 1,300 people graduated from their shelter to affordable housing—effectively exiting homelessness. That’s the story. Now how do you scale it?

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why meal-based offers work—and when they start to trap your brand.
  
  
• How to test new impact messages (like shelter-to-housing “graduations”) without tanking revenue.
  
  
• Ways to align fundraising, programs, and ops so donors fund what actually drives change.
  
  
• A simple 3-step path to review metrics, pilot new offers, and roll out a refreshed public story.

—

⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

What if you could create content for your ads, emails and social media that reached more people than organizations that have 10X your budget? 

In our part 2 with Cameron Bartlett, we’ll into the formulas he’s used to reach over 125,000,000 people for social good. 

And the best part? These frameworks work to build an engaged following, whether you have a team of 20—or it's just you. 

Cameron has helped hundreds of charities like yours fundraise way more, by creating journeys that guide donors from your first interaction to becoming lifelong advocates that grow your cause for you. 

He’s led award-winning digital marketing campaigns for orgs like New Story, IJM, Compassion, World Vision and Cure. 

And he is currently building the food tech nonprofit Future Food.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

More people would give to your organization, if they could only find you.

We know ads, emails, and organic social are great ways to reach new potential donors. 

But some of the scrappiest, most creative nonprofits use SEO to attract new supporters to grow their cause. 

How? 

On this week’s BuildGood Live, we’re revealing the playbook you can use to optimize your nonprofit’s online content so you can start attracting new donors. 

Cameron Bartlett has helped hundreds of charities like yours fundraise way more, by creating journeys that guide donors from your first interaction to becoming lifelong advocates that grow your cause for you. 

He’s led award-winning digital marketing campaigns for orgs like New Story, IJM, Compassion, World Vision and Cure. 

And he is currently building the food tech nonprofit Future Food.

In our chat, we’ll get into: 

• Why is SEO important for your nonprofit
• How does SEO for nonprofits even work
• How you can begin optimizing your online content so more people find you
• How you can identify relevant keywords for your charity 
• How long does it take to see results from your nonprofit’s SEO efforts
• What tools can a nonprofit use for SEO
• How can you track and measure your progress on your SEO efforts

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

We live in the golden age of digital fundraising—the most efficient ecosystem in which to test, learn and refine. 

Digital has immense power to drive strategies that scale and connect deeply with our donors. AND it plays nicely with so many other channels, including direct mail.

Yet most organizations use it backwards.

Instead of leading with digital, they’re bolting on digital strategies on the back end of other efforts, hoping to get a boost.

So how can we learn to lead with digital?

On today’s podcast, we chat with Erik Rubadeau. He’s the CEO of Yeeboo Digital, a data driven, full service online fundraising and technology agency. 


His expertise on digitally led fundraising and tech innovation and adoption has helped hundreds of nonprofits launch new initiatives and grow their revenue.

In our chat, we’ll get into: 

• What “leading with digital” means?
• How to use digital to test new ideas with little risk or investment.
• How to make the switch from digital as a “bolt on” to digital-first fundraising.
• Some core tools and strategies nonprofits of all sizes can use to lead with digital.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

Send us Fan Mail

Can the way you lead internally make your fundraising more effective? 

On today’s podcast, we chat with Evan Wildstein about 10 core behaviours of servant leaders—and how they might just improve the way you fundraise.

Behaviours like listening, empathy, healing, building community, and much more. We’ll also get into some super practical ways to activate servant-leadership in your own shop to boost philanthropy.

For 20 years, Evan has been a nonprofiteer, raising funds and developing inspiring programs for organizations like The Juilliard School, Rice University, and Asia Society. 

He recently published his first book, The Nonprofiteer's Fundraising Field Guide. It’s a realistic and inspiring roadmap for anyone who wants to engage with donors, grow revenue and improve philanthropy. It has 30 practical applications you can implement today. And it’s also full of heart-felt stories from nonprofit leaders.

Get the book here or connect with Evan on LinkedIn.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

You’ve likely heard that the donor should be the hero in your fundraising messaging. 

The phrase had a noble intent. 

It was meant to encourage us to shift our perspective away from meeting revenue targets, and toward finding alignment with our ideal donors’ goals and values. 

But over time, it became misunderstood. Misconstrued. And misapplied.

The “donor as hero” metaphor turned into “the donor is always right”—causing some organizations to do real harm. 

So is it time to think about a better way to express the way we approach our fundraising?

In this freewheeling chat, we get into:

1. The storytelling triad
2. The phases of fundraising that led to donor-centric fundraising 
3. What do people mean when they say the donor is the hero 
4. Why can that philosophy—if misunderstood and misapplied—become harmful 
5. The difference between donor-led and donor-centric fundraising
6. What’s a better way of thinking about “donor as hero” 

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

If you’ve ever tried running Facebook and Instagram ads to attract new donors, you may have realized it isn’t all that easy.

Truth is, an effective paid ads strategy for nonprofits trying to attract new donors is a lot different than running ads for for-profits that are selling products. Yet most of the information you’ll find on running online ads is geared toward for-profits.

On today’s BG Live, we’re getting into how you can start to acquire new donors with Meta ads—without wasting a ton of money.

Ben Stewart from Louder gets into how you can use lookalike audiences for Facebook & Instagram Ads to help you attract new leads, new event attendees and new donors. It’s an easy place to start, because it allows you to use what you know about your current donors to help you find your future supporters.

Ben is on a mission to help nonprofit organizations apply digital marketing best practices so they can raise more funds and do more good. With experience in live event production, vocational ministry, and digital marketing, he helps purposeful brands improve their messaging, marketing, and websites so they can increase their impact on the world.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Email remains one of the most effective digital fundraising channels—but how do you know you’re doing it right? 

How do you balance asking for money, showing gratitude, reporting back on impact and surveying your donors? 

How much email is too much…or too little? 

On this week’s BG Live, we’re helping you audit your email marketing strategy—and give you some surefire ways to increase donor engagement.

We’re talking with Katelyn Baughan, the owner of KB Digital – a nonprofit email marketing agency. 

Katelyn has helped some of the most well-known nonprofits with their email marketing strategies and execution, and while she has experience with all marketing verticals, she has a true passion for using email to make a difference.

—

➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

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#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

How do you evaluate your email campaigns?  

If you’re a nonprofit—especially one that doesn’t raise tens of millions every year—you may have a hard time finding benchmarks from organizations like yours. 

Most of the data on benchmarks and proven practices comes from either very large organizations or from for-profit companies. 

Until now. 

On this week’s BuildGood Live, we’re talking to Tim Sarrantonio from Neon ONE about the new Nonprofit Email Report. 

Tim and his team analyzed key email performance metrics from 1,495 nonprofit

organizations of all sizes and missions. 

They evaluated 37,472 email campaigns (that’s 157,048,634 individual emails) that were sent during 2022, then broke down important benchmarks by list size. 

In our chat, we’ll get into: 

• The 5 common traits of highly effective emails
• The anatomy of an email that raises more money 
• Words to include (and avoid) in subject lines
• Benchmarks for open rates, unsubscribe rates and fundraising performance

Whether you’re a large nonprofit with thousands of email subscribers or a smaller org with an audience in the hundreds, you’re bound to learn how to up your email game a little bit. 

Download The Nonprofit Email Report here

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➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register 

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

As passionate fundraisers, we’re all pretty good at thinking about how to talk to donors.
 
But sometimes, we're not the best listeners.
 
On this week’s BG Live, we’re joined by Just McCord from RKD about a brand new donor study that listened to donors across a variety of causes.
 
Turns out, donors need us to listen more.

In our chat, we’ll talk about:
 
1. What donors say makes for strong relationships.
2. What donors say they want from their favourite causes.
3. Two key emotions that stand out above the rest in the research.
4. How donor expectations have changed.
5. How relationships affect both what—and where—donors give.
 
And we’ll also get into how to transition your fundraising practice to listen first.
Justin is the SVP Marketing & Communications at RKD, where he oversees the brand and leads the firm's research efforts.

And he’s a nerd for soccer, professional wrestling and dad jokes.

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➡️ Join our FREE training on how to create compelling fundraising messaging that leads donors to action and raises more money, from more people, more often—simply by changing the words you use: https://www.5minutefundraisingfix.com/register

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1

Thanks for listening!

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#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing
Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?
BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail

Think asking for money is scary? Michael Mitchell has been there, done that, and sweated through enough awkward asks to keep the deodorant industry in business for a lifetime. 

After two decades of nervously asking for everything from $90 to $9 million, he's discovered something unexpected: asking can actually be kind of amazing.

Yes, asking someone for money feels about as natural as dancing at a board meeting. Even seasoned fundraising professionals get tongue-tied. But what if you could learn to ask with confidence, courage, and conviction?

In this highly practical session recorded live at the Build Good Summit, Michael (who still gets a little nervous every time he asks) will share a proven, permission-based framework to help you overcome the mental and emotional barriers that make asking so intimidating. From how to craft the perfect ask to navigating moments of uncertainty, you'll discover how to approach giving conversations as authentic invitations to create real change.

Perfect for leaders who understand that great fundraising doesn't require being fearless -- just the courage to ask anyway.

Don't let fear keep you from fueling your mission. Discover the joy of asking without fear as you learn to invite generosity in ways that feel natural and authentic.

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⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com  

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/ 

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/ 

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1 

Thanks for listening! 

---- 

#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing 

Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?

BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. 

You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. 

➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com