We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits 421. How to Build Organizational Capacity in a Season of Evolution - Karen Cochran
Meet Karen. She’s often heard saying fundraising isn’t about the dollars, but rather what the dollars can do. After leading and mentoring teams that raised more than $1 billion during her three-decade career, she launched Philanthropy Innovators to help organizations reimagine what’s possible in fundraising and advancement. We’re exploring everything from building organizational capacity to taking care of our teams. Karen is full of wisdom and we can’t wait to share her perspectives with the community 🤗
💡Learn
- Evolving the sector’s mindsets, strategies and practices
- The power of building organizational capacity
- Overview of the MOST Philanthropy Model
Today's Guest
Karen Cochran, Founder + Chief Philanthropic Innovator, Philanthropy Innovators
Episode Highlights
- Karen’s story and journey to where she is today (4:30)
- Evolving the sector’s mindsets, strategies and practices (7:15)
- The power of building organizational capacity (13:20)
- Lessons learned from nonprofits incorporating innovation (16:25)
- MOST Model (21:00)
- The power of homegrown talent and sustainability (25:30)
- Case Study: How University of Central Florida flexed a gift from MacKenzie Scott for an even greater and more sustainable community impact (29:25)
- A powerful moment of philanthropy in Karen's life (32:30)
- Karen's One Good Thing: The only thing you control is how you react to the situation. (36:05)
- How to connect with Karen and Philanthropy Innovators (36:35)
For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/421.
📅 Don't Miss These Free Upcoming Events! 👇
APRIL 29: Working Session Live: Forecast Your Monthly Giving Growth in 2026 with Dana Snyder (and the pathways to get you there!)
MAY 14: ImpactUp: Story This quarter, we're going deep on your most powerful (and underused) tool - Story. Local meetups happening worldwide. Find one near you.
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