People in Fundraising: A Nonprofit Podcast by Tim Wilson
Each week, ”People in Fundraising” founder and host Tim Wilson features an insightful conversation with philanthropy leaders, whether in frontline development, prospect management & research, donor relations & stewardship, donor/alumni engagement, and beyond. There are countless intriguing stories about people’s paths to fundraising. Our ”People in Fundraising” website and podcast profile nonprofit leaders across the philanthropic world, bringing you the human interest side of people in fundraising. This podcast spotlight people representing a diverse range of institutions, causes, geographies, and backgrounds. Each guest reflects on and shares their joys about working in a career that so many of us adore, love, and envision how it can improve.
Episodes
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
It's my great pleasure to feature today's "People in Fundraising" guest, Jill Meister! She is the 99th guest on this program, two years into its run. Jill and I currently co-chair Apra International's Executive Leadership Cohort (ELC), a day-long program for senior prospect development pros at the annual Apra PD conference next month, in Seattle. We are so excited for ELC! ELC is part of Apra's Education and Professional Development committee, chaired by the awesome Dina Zelleke.
In our conversation, Jill - who received NEDRA's Ann Castle Award in 2017 for outstanding achievement in prospect development - discusses:
* Her beginnings in higher education prospect research at UMass-Amherst, which is my alma mater (Jill and I were on-campus at the same time for a few years but didn't know each other then).
* Her longtime senior volunteer leadership roles as president of both NEDRA (New England Development Research Assoc) (the largest Apra International chapter) in the mid-2000s and, one decade later, of Apra International.
* Before we started recording, the great mentorship and generosity of another prospect development professional, Elizabeth Crabtree.
* How the prospect development industry has changed over Jill's nearly three decades in this profession - and what stories most resonate with her as she reflects on this tenure.
Thank you Jill for such an enjoyable and enlightening conversation! I am excited to see you in-person again next month in Seattle!
Monday Jul 08, 2024
Monday Jul 08, 2024
"Good can be generative and can just keep going!" That is the spirit of We Are For Good and its co-founders, today's People in Fundraising guests Becky Endicott, CFRE and Jon McCoy, CFRE. They were dream guests, both from Oklahoma (first time the Sooner State has been repped), and I loved our conversation, with Jon joining from his family vacation in an Airstream!
Key content from Becky and Jon:
* Please join #ImpactUp by registering for We Are For Good's ImpactUp (link in comments) this Thursday, July 11th. It is a day-long gathering for social impact leaders, and you can join virtually or in-person at one of several sites around the globe!
* The origins of the We Are For Good movement and media company, and their vision to “democratize and activate generosity, kindness, and justice in the world.” It connects nonprofit leaders to media and tech companies in order to get social impact messaging out faster and have a larger positive impact on society.
Founded 3 ½ years ago, We Are For Good consistently has one of the highest-ranked social impact podcasts, part of a larger We Are For Good ecosystem for all nonprofit professionals to participate in this movement. It aims to impact 1,000,000 people by 2025, and Becky and Jon are well on their way to that goal!
* Becky's and Jon's goals with “Impact Uprising” – to heal the world, cause-by-cause and community-by-community, to encourage everyone to see themselves as philanthropists, and to connect with the approximately 90% of the U.S. workforce outside of the nonprofit space that is also full of people who want to do good. ImpactUp features a stellar lineup of speakers who represent this diversity of expertise and backgrounds.
* “The world needs our rumbling right now. The thing that harms your staff in a nonprofit will eventually trickle down to harm your nonprofit’s mission. And we have to talk about both of those. And it starts with talking about our own stories, our own narratives. We are compassionate disruptors!”
Thank you Becky and Jon for an amazing and generous conversation! Your positivity, warmth, and passion for shifting the social impact sector for good are empowering. So excited for Thursday's #ImpactUp!
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Happy Canada Day to nonprofiteers in or from Canada! To celebrate this national holiday, Crystal Leochko Johnston, MA joined the People in Fundraising podcast a few weeks ago. She is my first guest from the Canadian province of Manitoba, and I am glad to welcome her to this program!
In our conversation, Crystal discusses:
* Her motivation to launch Eclipse Research Group to support fundraising clients with prospect identification and wealth analysis, after just a few years working in the nonprofit world
* Her wide-ranging civic involvement, including with the Rossdale Ukrainian Dance School as its fundraising coordinator (Crystal was a Ukrainian dancer when she was growing up) and with the Tetra Society of North America, which supplies devices to people who have physical disability
* The helpful impact of prospect research and overall nonprofit leaders like Jennifer Filla, Helen E. Brown, Tracey Church, MLIS, and Jennifer Walton, CFRE, who Crystal cites as her mentor.
* Her involvement with Apra Canada, including co-chairing this chapter's conference and serving as a mentor; and being involved with AFP Manitoba as a board member and co-chair of its National Philanthropy Awards ceremony, among other assignments.
Thank you Crystal for a really enjoyable interview, spotlighting your passion for nonprofit work as a professional and a longtime volunteer!
Monday Jun 24, 2024
Monday Jun 24, 2024
When someone like Steffanie Brown is a longtime, enthusiastic supporter of my "People in Fundraising" content, it's an honor to connect with Steffanie as a guest herself! Steffanie and I have both worked in prospect development/ prospect management and research for ~25 years.
And any chance for me to cite one of my favorite songs, the Grateful Dead's "Ripple," is an opportunity to spread goodness. Thankfully, Steffanie gives me that moment by talking about another Dead song that inspired her recent LinkedIn post: "What a long, strange trip it's been," from "Truckin.'"
Steffanie also shares these anecdotes, related to trying to help "what little corner of the world I can":
* her records of longevity at prior shops, including one where "there was no one left in the building who had been there longer than me" when Steffanie left. She saw "a lot of changes to the org chart!"
* how she marked her 25th anniversary in the field by leaving her last job :-) after considering what Steffanie wants the next chapter of her career to look like, and taking a really interesting and re-charging sabbatical
* the critical soft skills that Steffanie had, and enhanced, through her work at faith-oriented shops and in church choirs, and how she brought those with her to more secular shops in time.
Thank you Steffanie for a wonderful interview! I wish you continued success and fulfillment, now in your new role at Blackbaud!
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
For the first time in “People in Fundraising’s” two-year broadcast history, I interviewed a guest who was a day ahead of me time-zone wise! Austin Tomlinson joins the program from Singapore, where he has been the Chief Advancement Officer for the Singapore American School for about 10 months. We enjoyed naming people we both know – future PIF guests Nida Januskis and Julie Anne McNary; season 3 guest Paola Horvath; and the awesome Janet Cahill!
Speaking of people, Austin mentions mentors Bob Pallone, Joanne Shoveller, and Tom Boasberg as being instrumental in his career to-date.
Austin also discusses:
*His educational background, including how being a Rotary Exchange Student at age 16 set his trajectory in international education
*Living and studying in Switzerland, Bolivia, and Hungary; being fluent in Hungarian, Italian, and Spanish, and how this fluency helps to connect across multiple cultures with donors and constituents
*Living in Singapore for the last 9+ years, after nearly a decade in development at institutions in Switzerland (Franklin University Switzerland) and at INSEAD
*How education in much of the world, outside of the U.S., is state- and government-funded; lot of work to be done to educate constituents about how private education is funded “and the role that philanthropy plays in shaping these organizations."
Thank you Austin for a very interesting conversation! I learned a good deal about international advancement work and connecting across cultures with donors and constituents.
Monday Jun 10, 2024
Monday Jun 10, 2024
Jessica Muñoz-Sainz had just returned from her first development trip to London, before our “People in Fundraising” interview! She talks enthusiastically about this weeklong series of fundraising events, and that excitement carries over to our entire conversation.
Jessica and I got connected through “People in Fundraising” season 1 guest Jessica McNeill. Thank you Jessica!
In our conversation, Jessica covers:
*Being one of 10 children in a first-generation family, and the first in her family to attend college
*How her academic background in criminal justice, bioarcheology, and anthropology honed her research skills, enhanced her ability to connect with people, and give expression to Jessica’s innate curiosity
*How getting an internship through CASE, and being placed at Johns Hopkins, began her career in fundraising. This opportunity led to Jessica being a mentor to many students with similar family and economic backgrounds as herself.
*Starting at the 20-minute mark, how Jessica as a young fundraising professional looks at development processes with a fresher perspective
*Socio-economic and cultural differences in how people think about philanthropy (e.g., some communities feeling like a phone-a-thon call is intrusion; being surprised that people would give money to a cause)
*Hiring for a more inclusive workplace – what can institutions and hiring managers do better? What policies and unconscious biases are at play in less-inclusive workplaces?
Thank you for a very thoughtful and interesting conversation, Jessica! I am excited to see your career in fundraising continue!
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Stacey MacDonnell is my first guest to represent New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, in "People in Fundraising!" Stacey and I worked together on the New England Development Research Association's (NEDRA's) board of directors, and I loved reconnecting with her. In her nonprofit career to date, Stacey has worked in New England, New Orleans, and now, in keeping with the "New" theme, New Mexico.
In our conversation, Stacey shares:
* Her current role as the Assistant Vice President of Advancement Services at New Mexico State University Foundation, and how this role came about after her prior roles focusing on prospect development. At the time of our interview, Stacey had been in this AVP role for two months, with oversight of stewardship, data, corporations & foundations, and prospect research.
* the impact of mentors and people like David Eberly, Stacey's supervisor at Boston Children's Hospital Trust, on her career. She particularly credited David for advising her "you have to know when to stop" researching a donor, and focus on being concise and accurate to help frontline fundraising colleagues.
* Her reflections on one of my favorite quotes, from Henry Ford: "If you need a machine and don't buy it, you will ultimately find that you have paid for it - and don't have it."
* What brought her professionally and personally to New Mexico, and what she has learned about herself from living in a variety of U.S. states. Stacey also describes what is captivating about NMSU's mission to support first-generation students, and how she feels very connected to this mission.
Thank you for a wonderful conversation, Stacey! It was great to have you as a guest and I appreciate you sharing your career story with me and our audience.
Monday May 27, 2024
Monday May 27, 2024
Karrie Swanson is my first "People in Fundraising" guest from Arizona, and the first guest to talk specifically about branding and marketing. For those reasons, as well as the fact that Karrie recruited my friend and former Intermountain Health manager Jason Befort, I was excited to talk with her and now to share her fantastic interview!
Among other topics, Karrie discusses:
* How through mergers and related job relocations, Karrie "became a remote worker before remote work was a thing," and how she added prospect research to her graphic design portfolio. "I am a self-taught prospect researcher!" she excitedly adds. She is also the sole Brand Specialist for CommonSpirit Health!
* The variety of graphic design, branding, social media, and communications work that Karrie handles for CommonSpirit Health, which with 65 foundations and 80+ hospitals is the largest nonprofit healthcare system in the U.S.
* The turnaround time Karrie needs for her projects, such as gift proposals and events, with graphics, elevator signs, charts, and other visual guides for co-workers and donors.
* Being in charge of CommonSpirit Health's social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram), and using Google Chat to communicate with colleagues across the country to plan out projects of all sizes, paying special attention to the demographics of populations and the topography in the specific health facilities. Karrie has over 65 million branded images to choose from as she develops content!
* Serving as Vice President of SWARO, the Apra prospect development chapter that covers Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada - and how prospect research brings her a lot of enjoyment.
* Reflections on psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of "flow," and a quote from Talking Heads co-founder and lead singer David Byrne, who recently said (with the re-release of the band's 1984 documentary "Stop Making Sense"), "I think you can develop a willingness to try new things, but curiosity is kind of self-motivated." Karrie replied, "His first sentence is my life in a nutshell!"
Thank you Karrie for a phenomenal conversation! I learned so much about your work, and I am sure others in our profession will enjoy and benefit from the insights you shared. It was a delight to have you as a guest!
Monday May 20, 2024
Monday May 20, 2024
Talking with Carrick Davis, the immediate past president of Apra International, was such a treat, we almost went a full hour! I loved hearing how Carrick deliberately chose to enter the nonprofit/social impact sector, whereas many people in fundraising have a more circuitous route to this profession. Or as the Crosby, Stills, & Nash song "Delta," referenced in our conversation, goes: "of fast-running rivers of choice and chance."
In our super enjoyable conversation, Carrick:
* describes the goals, achievements, and lessons learned from being President of Apra International from 2022 through 2023; the importance of being involved as a volunteer in our profession; and enhancing Apra's perception among members
* shares his reflections from a 2017 interview with Joan Ogwumike, MPA Ogwumike (season 3 guest) that “the thread that I can string through all my positions [in my career] is a focus and commitment to promote social good.” Where does this originate in Carrick's life?
* offers thoughts on this quote from theologian, philosopher, and civil rights activist Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive!” What makes Carrick come alive?
* describes has learned about himself from living in various parts of our country personally and professionally. "Geography is deeply important to me. Place, whether the built or nature environment, has a really profound affect on us as social creatures - how culture and space have influence over a person. I have been almost a different person in each of the places where I've lived."
* "the generational opportunity" he had at his current employer, the University of California-Davis, and how this allows him to allocate "professional energy into changing lives through public education." Carrick oversees a team of 14.
* shares how "the fast-running river of chance" at work led Carrick to meet his future wife, his future best man, and some fantastic friends all at work.
Thank you Carrick for an awesome, wide-ranging, and totally fun interview! Looking forward to meeting you at Apra PD in Seattle this summer.
Monday May 13, 2024
Monday May 13, 2024
Laurie Hochman joins "People in Fundraising" from Florida to enthusiastically discuss her career history prior to and since joining the nonprofit world. Thank you to Merryn McKeough of Lexus Marketing for connecting me and Laurie! She is currently the Director of Business Growth & Strategy at Auctria, which runs all types of online and in-person auction and event fundraisers. This specific area of the fundraising landscape was really new for me to learn about, and Laurie does an incredible and fun job of explaining it well for me and our audience!
Laurie also discusses:
* the skills that translated well from Laurie's earlier extensive career in sales and client services to the social impact sector.
* the skills she felt needed additional building in her nonprofit-specific roles.
* at about the 15-minute mark, Laurie's advice for other people looking to transition from corporate roles to fundraising.
* Auctria is headquartered in Ontario, with 80% of its business coming from the U.S.; 10% from Canada; and the remainder from other countries in North America, as well as Australia, the U.K., and elsewhere. At the 20-minute mark, Laurie excitedly talks about the stunning breadth of nonprofits that she is acquainted with around the world.
This was a gem of a conversation with Laurie! Not only did I learn a great deal from her about auction and event fundraising, but Laurie you brought a lot of sincerity and kindness to our interview. Thank you for your time!
Your Title
This is the description area. You can write an introduction or add anything you want to tell your audience. This can help potential listeners better understand and become interested in your podcast. Think about what will motivate them to hit the play button. What is your podcast about? What makes it unique? This is your chance to introduce your podcast and grab their attention.