People in Fundraising: A Nonprofit Podcast by Tim Wilson

People in Fundraising, ep. 124: Ben Mohler, CEO and Principal Consultant, GivingThree

With thanks to Sarah Cortell Vandersypen, who connected me to today's guest - my first interviewee from Kentucky - Ben Mohler, CFRE and ACFRE! A member of the board of AFP Global, Ben is the founder of GivingThree and has worked in fundraising for almost 25 years. Thank you for representing the Bluegrass State!
In our conversation, Ben shares:
* How he navigated from alumni, corporate, and foundation relations in higher education to frontline fundraising, first at his alma mater, Cedarville University.
* What led him to launch GivingThree.
* His reflections on serving in the Texas State Guard's 401st Air Support Group of the 4th Air Wing, during which he honorably served during relief operations for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, both in 2005.
In addition, Ben and I have some things in common: He and his wife, like my wife and I, have four children. We talk about what motivates each of us to take on a deep variety of volunteer and career responsibilities while being a spouse and father - and how these distinct roles often intersect in life.
Thank you Ben for an awesome and informative conversation!

People in Fundraising, ep. 123: Sherifa Krisht, Development, Amman Baccalaureate School

Sherifa Krisht is the first development leader from the Middle East to join "People in Fundraising." I highly enjoyed our conversation! Due to the volatile situation in Lebanon over the last few months, our interview was rightly shuffled a few times so that Sherifa could focus on her family's and her safety. I was, and remain, very relieved that all is well with her.
Born and raised in Nigeria to Lebanese parents, Sherifa discusses:
* The various cultural mindsets that different peoples across the Middle East have about fundraising. For example, many people give to those in need who are in closest proximity to them; donors see an immediate need, and support. Many others also give for religious reasons, either as "zakat" - one of five obligatory pillars of Islam - or as "sadakah," a voluntary additional donation. Sherifa shares how this cultural and religious backdrop impacts fundraising for educational and cultural causes.
* How she started her development career, as a student worker at the American University of Beirut's advancement department. "The office is considered the key fundraising hub in the Middle East," Sherifa adds.
* "That they may have life, and have it more abundantly." Where Sherifa saw this motto, and why it has become her guiding career philosophy.
* The emerging fundraising environment in Jordan, where she works on behalf of specific clients and causes. She has also worked for King's Academy Jordan and for Mentor Arabia, an educational NGO triangulated between Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
* How the different cultures, political stability levels, and economic disparities vary among the countries in which she has worked (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, and Lebanon).
* Her event management company, BLACK LINE, and what led Sherifa to launch this firm.
Thank you Sherifa for a wonderful and highly interesting conversation! I look forward to staying in contact with you.

People in Fundraising, ep. 122: Kaleidoscope Co-Founder and CEO Raul Peralta

With thanks to Bill Cote, who suggested to me at the 2024 Apra prospect development conference that his then-colleague, Kaleidoscope's co-founder and CEO Raul Peralta, would be a great guest! Bill was correct, and I am pleased to share Raul's conversation today - which we recorded in early December '24.
Raul discusses:
* His career in software engineering and development, including at 10K Wizard, a vendor well-known to longtime prospect research and development people for its SEC filings.
* How data extraction has changed in the quarter-century since 10K Wizard - and what else stands out about technological changes in the nonprofit software world.
* What Raul is excited about for future of Kaleidoscope, which turned five years old in 2024.
Thank you Raul for an insightful conversation! I learned a good deal about the impact of nonprofit software development and our audience will also benefit from knowing about this fascinating part of fundraising's evolution.

People in Fundraising, ep. #121: Jenn Klein, "You Are a Philanthropist"

Philanthropy podcaster and fundraising leader Jenn Klein joins "People in Fundraising" to talk about her life's professional work across various platforms. She is the founder of the "You Are a Philanthropist" podcast, on which she kindly welcomed me as a guest in 2023 - the same year that her first book, "Giving is Selfish," was published. 2025 marks 20 years since Jenn entered the fundraising profession.
Jenn talks about:
* What led her to write "Giving is Selfish," and what she hopes readers in the nonprofit development space will take from it - and how Jenn's faith journey was a big reason that she wrote this first book. 
* The origins of her "You Are a Philanthropist" podcast, and the joys she (and I) find, along with the challenges she (and I) encounter as podcast host.
 
* The scientifically-proven benefits of being generous, and for people of religious faith such as Jenn and myself, "We are hard-wired by God to give." And how the word "gratitude" was Jenn's word of 2024. We talk a lot about our respective faiths around the 18-minute mark. Faith of any kind is a topic I'd love to explore more in future episodes.
 
Thank you Jenn for a fascinating and uplifting conversation! 

People in Fundraising ep. 120: Jennifer Moody, Gobel Group

Season 4 of "People in Fundraising" kicks off with a fun and insightful friend: Jennifer Moody! Jennifer is currently the chair of Apra International's Content Development Committee, which creates and delivers educational content for this worldwide association of prospect development professionals.
In our conversation, Jennifer talks about:
* Why due diligence is one of her favorite topics
* What motivates her to be a volunteer leader with Apra, including chairing Apra Fundamentals and serving on its ethics and compliance committee
* Honoring her late co-worker Connie Godre at Greenfield Village, also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where Jennifer once worked
* How Jennifer's care provided by The Henry Ford Health system helped her recover, and how this healthcare experience deepened her understanding of the importance of philanthropic support for health research and treatment.
Thank you Jennifer for a down-to-earth, persuasive, and enlightening conversation!

People in Fundraising, ep. 119: Northeastern University's Julie Anne McNary

For the last "People in Fundraising" episode of 2024, I am overjoyed to present this conversation with someone who saw me on my first day in fundraising - Julie Anne McNary!
She is one of the kindest, smartest, and most generous people I know. As I remark in our into, "Everyone needs a Julie Anne in their corner!" There is so much I wish to write here about our interview, so please tune in to our full conversation. Julie Anne discusses:
* How frontline fundraisers serve, and must balance service orientation between, two masters: the institution they work for, and the donors they are asking to support their employer. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for managers in this duality of service?
* How Julie Anne went from prospect research at Harvard Business School, where we worked together (I got Julie Anne's old office in Teele Hall when she switched careers in 2003!) to frontline fundraising.
* Julie Anne's reaction to this beautiful quote from the late beloved Irish playwright and poet Seamus Heaney: "If you have the words, there's always a chance that you'll find the way."
Thank you very much Julie Anne for an amazing chat, for sharing your professional insights, and for reconnecting with you! Our audience is in for a treat with your interview.

People in Fundraising, ep. 118: Adrian Owen Jones, Partner at Success Labs

Adrian Owen Jones is the first "People in Fundraising" guest to represent Louisiana, and she makes the Bayou State proud! With thanks to our mutual connection, and prior "People in Fundraising" guest, Catherine Flaatten for connecting us. Adrian has had a fascinating career so far, and in our conversation she discusses:* Working in institutional nonprofits, including in prospect development and advancement services roles, at Louisiana State University before shifting to private sector roles.* Her recent new role at Success Labs, which Adrian described to me as bringing "me closer to the work I care about, and gets me back to some fundraising strategy as well." Adrian describes her role and Success Labs in more detail, and it's very cool.* Adrian's deep affection for her adopted hometown, Baton Rouge, and her reflections on this Margaret Wheatley quote: "There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Adrian is a civic leader, volunteer, and organizer of Jeffersonian Dinners (see more in her summer 2024 post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7233829531038429184/)For extra fun, check out Adrian's top book recommendations for 2024: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7269771271784075265/
 

People in Fundraising ep. 117: Dr. Joe Stabb, University of Tennessee

I am delighted to interview and share this "People in Fundraising" conversation with Dr. Joe Stabb of the University of Tennessee! From advertising and public relations to volunteering and prospect development, Joe has led a highly varied and fascinating career in fundraising and fundraising-adjacent roles. He shares the overview of his career and his passion for continued learning with sincerity and great anecdotes.
In our conversation, Joe discusses:* His current role as the Assistant Professor of Practice (the first such hire) at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations, and how this appointment connects to the nonprofit world
* What motivates him as a community volunteer, including his volunteer leadership roles with nonprofit associations like Apra and the Smoky Mountains chapter of AFP (the Association of Fundraising Professionals).
* Joe has also been a longtime volunteer for the American Red Cross, and about one year ago, he was one of the first gay men in the U.S. Southeast to donate blood, after new FDA regulations went into effect. This change was very meaningful for Joe as a person and longtime Red Cross volunteer.
* His reflections on this quote by architect and philosopher Buckminster Fuller: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." As anyone who follows "People in Fundraising" has seen over time, I love finding thought-provoking quotes from societal leaders and asking guests to ponder what the quote means to them.
 
Thank you Joe for a wonderful and very informative conversation! It was awesome to connect with you and share your thoughts in this interview.

People in Fundraising, ep. #116: Eduardo Ayala Fuentes, Columbia University

With gratitude to my friend and season 1 guest Ron Bembry for connecting me with today's terrific guest, I am pleased to share this conversation with Eduardo Ayala Fuentes! Originally from Chile, Eduardo has an extensive career in frontline development fundraising work and recently earned an Executive Master's of Public Administration degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where he works.
In our conversation, Eduardo discusses:
* How he entered the fundraising profession right out of college, as a paid fundraising intern at a nonprofit that he was passionate about, the Council of the Americas. He also shares about his role as a board member at Valley of the Possible, the center for regenerative culture in the Andes Mountains of Chile. 
 
* His fundraising work at a variety of arts and culture and policy institutions, including El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem; the Friends of the Highline (a public park on Manhattan's West Side); and the SoHo-based Leslie-Loman Museum, a leading center for art by LGBTQ+ artists and for works addressing the LGBTQ+ community.
* How "development has opened up so many doors for" Eduardo, including by "engaging my intellect" and being "a career path that has really aligned with my values."
 
* Eduardo's driving curiosity to understand fundraising and organizational strategy, "thinking about their sustainability, how they're operating and making decisions."
* Effecting ethical and sustainable change in organizations, in the nonprofit sector, and in our culture in a time of legislative rollbacks on rights, support for the nonprofit community, etc. 
 
Thank you Eduardo for sharing your very thought-provoking and well-considered perspective on the nonprofit world and your role in it! I look forward to seeing your career continue to progress.  

People in Fundraising, ep. 115: Madeline Zimmer, University of Wyoming

I first met today's down-to-earth guest, Madeline Zimmer, at an Apra Rocky Mountains prospect development conference in June 2022 in Grand Junction, Colorado. Attendees went to dinner after the workshop ended, and Madeline and I hit it off on an array of topics: both of us are East Coast transplants to the Intermountain West; aliens; life after death; human sexuality; David Bowie; and other topics in two hours of enlivening conversation. We have since gratefully become good friends. 
In today's episode, we expand on our first conversation to discuss:
* How Madeline began her nonprofit career, first as a wildlife rehabilitation volunteer at Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary before becoming a full-time employee there for 7 years. This gave Madeline insight into low-resourced, high-demand grassroots nonprofit work. Relocating to Wyoming lead her to join the University of Wyoming Foundation.
* Madeline's presentation on "How to Work Well," which she has presented on several times. It outlines how to develop collaborative, genuine behaviors when working with other people. It dovetails with Madeline's self-developed label of being "an actual human," which is necessary "as we become more comfortable with digital work and become less human."
* Searching for moments of meaning and "preciousness" with people in daily life, such as in the office break-room. "You can't be real with someone without a warm-up lap!" And how going outside, getting sunlight, and connecting with nature are all ways of truly "plugging in."
Thank you Madeline for an incredibly interesting conversation! And thank you to the "People in Fundraising" audience for tuning in, watching, and supporting this content each Monday!