#105: Live from Summit: Why journey mapping is the last, sustainable differentiator in a competitive fundraising marketplace, and how you can master it, with Michael Johnston

12 snips

Jul 16, 2025

Michael Johnston, an expert in Japanese Imperial Navy and an omnivorous fundraiser, shares insights from a live workshop on journey mapping. He emphasizes how this strategy cultivates strong donor relationships and fosters a supporter-centric organization. Listeners discover practical techniques for engaging multi-generational donors, leveraging behavioral science, DEI, and AI. Johnston uses real-world examples, including a case study of the Australian Red Cross, to demonstrate how understanding emotional needs can enhance fundraising outcomes and drive donor retention.

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ADVICE

Create Vivid Donor Personas

Create vivid, empirically driven personas to better understand and empathize with donors.
Use personas to stand in donors' shoes and optimize their journey.

ANECDOTE

St. Louis Hospital Event Donor Mapping

St. Louis Children's Hospital mapped event attendee journeys revealing emotional highs and frustrating gift processes.
They implemented technology and stewardship improvements, leading to better donor experience and engagement.

ANECDOTE

Simplifying Fundraising Boosts Revenue

Diabetes Association simplified their fundraising signup and form after journey mapping discovered complexity barriers.
This change increased fundraising revenue by $500,000 after years of flat growth.

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This fast-paced excerpt from a workshop at the Build Good Summit dives into journey mapping as a powerful strategy to cultivate donor relationships and build a supporter-centric organization.

Designed for forward-thinking leaders in social impact, the session offers hands-on insights into using journey mapping to create a seamless, tech-enabled approach to engaging donors, advocates, and supporters.

Participants will explore the essentials of 21st-century journey mapping, incorporating behavioral science, DEI, and AI. Through collaborative activities, you’ll learn practical mapping techniques for engaging multi-generational donors (Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, Matures) and leave with actionable steps for fostering a supporter-centric culture.

Participants will get to the walls and work in groups to learn how to use the Stanford Design school approach to mapping.

It’s a fun session with post it notes, stickies, and more!

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⛰️ Don’t miss out on the next BuildGood Summit! Sign up to be the first to know about the dates, location and super early bird discounted tickets at www.buildgoodsummit.com

🤔 What else would you like to know about improving your fundraising and becoming an effective nonprofit marketer? Connect with Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksen/

🔔 Follow the Build Good Fundraising Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and never miss a new episode: https://buildgood.com/category/podcast/

❤️ And if you haven't yet, subscribe to our Youtube channel for more fundraising videos and actionable strategies that will help you grow your revenue and impact: https://www.youtube.com/@buildgood?sub_confirmation=1

Thanks for listening!

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#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing

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