Sexual harassment within the nonprofit sector, often perpetrated by donors, is an uncomfortable yet very real experience for fundraisers. But researchers and fundraising leaders are bringing light to this darkness – and they’ve joined us for this important episode. This disquieting truth is supported by data. An article written by episode guest Dr. Erynn Beaton and her co-author Megan LePere-Schloop states that about 76% of fundraisers have experienced some type of work-based sexual harassment in their careers. People of color and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience harassment and ..read more

For years now, most of us have been swept under social media’s spell. In spite of the fair criticisms it receives, we can't deny its importance as a tool for engagement. Now there's a new kid on the block when it comes to nonprofit messaging: TikTok. And as a result of its frenetic short-form videos, artificial intelligence, and relative ease of video creation and amplification, it is changing the way organizations relate to their audiences. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Kimberly Wiley, Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership and Community Sciences at the University of Florida, who led a ..read more

Can you prepare your nonprofit for a future that looks wildly different from the present? It's a future with a blockchain's worth of new words, definitions, and approaches to understanding futurist donors who have deep passion and pockets for new, disintermediated technologies. When focusing your fundraising efforts toward the future, there are many things to consider, from cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens to Web3 and decentralized autonomous organizations. In this episode, Anna explores these concepts, the ways they can influence your fundraising behaviors, and how trust-based philanthr ..read more

With the increasing use of Donor-Advised Funds in the modern philanthropic landscape, understanding how people give is becoming just as important as understanding why people give. However, the relative newness of this giving vehicle can cause anxiety among even the most seasoned of fundraisers. And like many nascent subjects, research on its function and the qualities of those who use it is relatively limited. That’s starting to change, thanks to podcast guest Dr. Dan Heist and his work with the Donor-Advised Fund Research Collaborative, which has set out to create a robust, anonymized databas ..read more

Some are calling it The Great Resignation. Others, including the guests on this episode, see it as “The Great Opportunity.” No matter how it is viewed, nonprofit boards and executives must work together to navigate transitions seamlessly, which often includes hiring and onboarding new nonprofit leaders. Research shows that board leadership is crucial, especially during an executive transition. During this time, what does a supportive, engaged board look like? What do board members most need as they stretch their capacity to assess the needs of the organization and identify and onboard a new le ..read more

What causes are women paying attention to and how does their support manifest? How are girls and young women today building philanthropy into their whole-self development? How are women particularly fulfilled by their philanthropic activity, and motivated to create change? And most of all, how can they best be served by the organizations they wish to support? In this episode, we’re joined by women’s philanthropy researcher Dr. Elizabeth Gillespie, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration at the University of Memphis; and Megan Murphy, Global Executive Direct ..read more

In Make Mission, we examine how large-scale societal shifts like the pandemic and the Great Resignation impact philanthropy; how emerging technologies like cryptocurrency, Donor-Advised Funds, and the influencer economy should change how nonprofits fundraise; the efforts nonprofits are taking to become a more inclusive workplace, and how development professionals can unpack the giving mechanisms and motivations that chart the course toward a meaningful philanthropic future. The first six episodes of this podcast will take advantage of this unique time in history, the start of 2022, to examine ..read more