Episode Details

Stop doing fundraising that nearly kills you. Seriously.

In this episode, I’m walking through the profitable fundraising swaps I would make every single time after helping clients raise more than $70 million. These are the simpler, more sustainable, higher-return strategies I’d choose over the exhausting nonprofit habits that so many teams normalize.

Some of the most common fundraising strategies are draining your team, eating your time, and producing way less ROI than you think.

If you’re an ED or fundraiser constantly exhausted by events, campaigns, and “doing all the things,” this episode is your permission slip to stop overcomplicating fundraising. There is an easier way to raise serious money without burning yourself out in the process.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• Why house parties build stronger donor relationships than galas
• The hidden cost of fundraising events that small teams rarely account for
• Why major gifts are a better long-term strategy than chasing grants
• How restricted revenue is actually dangerous to the sustainability of your organization
• Why donors don’t need more control in order to trust you
• The problem with relying too heavily on wealth screening tools
• How to build stronger donor relationships without expensive software
• How to save years of loneliness and painful trial and error
• The fundraising strategy shift that creates more predictable revenue
• The free, underused donor connection tool for nonprofits

Fundraising should not feel like a constant recovery cycle. If your strategy leaves your team exhausted, overwhelmed, and scrambling every few months, that’s a systems problem, not a work ethic problem.

If working harder was the answer, you’d be raising $10M a year by now.

Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.

If you’re an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you’re ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I’ll share details.