Using the Whole Whale - A Nonprofit Podcast

168: Catching Momentum in a Time of Coronavirus -

We interview  Mike Berland, the founder & CEO of research, data, and analytics firm Decode M who is an expert how people think and behave as consumers, voters, and decision-makers. We talk about His upcoming book "MAXIMUM MOMENTUM: How to Get It, How to Keep It" in the context of the Coronavirus news storm. Mike shares stories and tactics of how we should think about Momentum as both the mass and velocity of a message as it rises in the social consciousness. 

167: Fundraising in a Time of Uncertainty - Martin Leifeld

Interview with Martin Leifeld, Martin Leifeld is an author, consultant, coach and public speaker.  

During his 24 years of professional fundraising, Martin and his teams raised a staggering $500 million dollars. In 2018 Martin was named Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the Association of Fundraising Professional St. Louis Regional Chapter. 

We discuss how to deal with the discomfort of fundraising that especially shows up in times of uncertainty. Martin talks through some of the main themes from his book, "Five Minutes for Fundraising" 

• Overcome anxieties and your fear of failing

• Learn easy and effective ways to ask for money

• Generate significant new funds for your non-profit

• Bridge the gap between your fear of asking and people’s natural desire to give

 

 

166: The Best Way to Contact Congress - advice from Quorum

We interview Alex Wirth, the co-founder of Quorum.us a leading legislative tracking tool. Alex shares what works in getting the valuable attention of elected officials. Should you use phone calls, mail, social? Should you send your messages all at once or overtime? 

Not all mediums are equal in gaining the attention of representatives and their staff, but they are listening. 

165: Fixing Flaky Volunteers - Allen Kramer

Looking to grow your volunteer base? Allen Kramer, president of Mobilize, on why data and tech are so important to the success of volunteer recruitment and retention. Mobilize is the events management and volunteer recruitment platform that connects mission-driven organizations and their supporters. Mobilize has been used by over 1,000 organizations and 1.3M volunteers, in just the last 2 years.

Tune in as Allen explains how tracking volunteers through their entire journey can eliminate unnecessary dropoff at nearly every stage of engagement. Greater volunteers, greater impact!

 

To read more about volunteer impact, visit:

 

• How To Measure Volunteer Impact
• 11 Best Volunteer Management Tools
• Where to Post Volunteer Opportunities

 

164: Is Personalized Video Worth the Lift?

When it comes to advertising and marketing, it's common knowledge that the more personalized the message, the better. But are personalized videos too heavy a lift? Oli Bridge, Head of Marketing at Bonjoro, says no. Rather, personalized video is the best way to double your fundraising efforts. 

This week, we sit with Oli Bridge as he walks us through the pros and cons of personalized video. Bonjoro is used to sending personalized videos to engage and delight customers and donors, and has seen massive results. Listen to find out more!

Find more about Oli Bridge and his work below:

Bonjoro: https://www.bonjoro.com/

Video Funnel Playbook: https://www.bonjoro.com/videofunnelplaybook

163: How to use the Impact Method - Sarah Olivieri

We interview Sarah Olivieri about the Impact Method and how to apply it to your nonprofit. 

https://pivotground.com/

 

Sarah Olivieri is a nonprofit business strategist, #1 International Best Selling author, and former Executive Director. She has been featured on over 30 podcasts and is the creator of the Impact Method™ - a framework that helps nonprofits simplify their operations, build aligned teams, and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out.

Sarah received her BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and holds a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Sarah has over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience. She was the co-founder of the Open Center for Autism, the Executive Director of the Helping of War Foundation, and co-author of Lesson Plan a la Carte: Integrated Planning for Students with Special Needs.

As the founder and heart behind PivotGround, Sarah helps nonprofits make a big impact with relative ease.

162: The Power of Pillar Pages - Rachel Clemens

We talk with Rachel Clemens about the importance of pillar pages to organize and optimize your content. This fundamental SEO strategy is one of the most effective at building traffic around a larger keyword topic.

Tune in as Rachel breaks down content arrangement and the pillar page planning process.

 

To read more about nonprofit SEO, check out:

Best SEO Tips for Nonprofits

How to Start Learning SEO 

Website Optimization

161: Don't Worry, Individual Giving is Down - Sherry Quam Taylor

Sherry Quam Taylor works with small to medium-sized nonprofits to jump-start their fundraising, aiding the transition from small individual donations to large foundational gifts. Tune in as we investigate the current paradox in giving trends, the importance of data-backed figures, and how to really run your nonprofit like a business.  

 

Individual giving in 2018 declined 1.1% (adjusted inflation 3.4%) according to the annual Giving USA Trends report. 

 

Spoiler alert: the sky is not falling. 

 

 

Sherry Quam Taylor teaches nonprofit leaders how to pivot from small-dollar donations to securing larger, investment-level donations so they can finally fund their missions. The leaders she works with are experts in their field, but when it comes to individual donor fundraising, they’ve simply never been trained on how to do it, so it feels uncomfortable and frustrating. She helps them learn the exact steps to launch a mid- and major level gift program that feels comfortable, involves less dread, and fully funds their mission for the long-haul. She does this nationally through her private coaching and her 90-day LET’S GROW fundraising accelerator.

 

Website: www.QuamTaylor.com

Sherry's 90-Day LET'S GROW Fundraising Accelerator: www.QuamTaylor.com/letsgrow 

160: From Nonprofit to Elected Office? - Samra Brouk

Do nonprofits and politics have anything in common? For Samra Brouk, success in both has gone hand in hand. Tune in as we speak with Samra about her nonprofit background and her Democratic Senate race in the 55th District of NY State. We discuss the importance of fundraising, marketing, and remembering that all those data points are people.

159: How to Survive in the Nonprofit Software Business - CauseVox

We interview Rob Wu the Founder and CEO of CauseVox.com a nonprofit focused fundraising solution https://www.causevox.com/. CauseVox has been around for over a decade in the SAS business world and has learned a lot over the years. Learn the value of capitalizing on your tailwind and growing an audience one post at a time. 

This is a must-listen episode for anyone building a product for the nonprofit industry.