Real Talk for Real Fundraisers

If you’ve shied away from bringing up planned giving in your donor conversations… you’re not alone! Whether you’re a major gift officer, mid-level officer, executive director of your organization – many people feel some hesitation about bringing up a topic that touches on the donor’s death. On this podcast episode, Jeff and Richard interview Robert Shafis, our Director of Planned Giving Services, to put some of those fears to rest and give you some tools and strategies to help you feel more confident about discussing planned giving. Remember, at its core, planned giving is an incredible way for your donors to leave a legacy that will support your organization into the future. And it truly is accessible to anyone. Listen in to learn how you can start to have these conversations so you can make a bigger difference for your organization while providing your donors with the opportunity to leave something behind that’s meaningful to them. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… How to overcome the obstacles that are stopping you from bringing up planned giving with your donors What it looks like when fundraisers are speaking confidently about planned giving (and when they’re not) How to incorporate planned giving into your broader fundraising strategy What indicators to look for and how to begin a conversation with a donor about making a planned gift

Are your board members actively engaged in fundraising for your non-profit? And if not – how can you encourage them to get involved? In this episode, Jeff Schreifels and Karen Kendrick are joined by Renita Tyson for a conversation about how non-profits can build a better partnership with their boards. Renita is a Client Experience Leader at Veritus Group with a background in numerous sectors, from Fortune 500 companies to small industrial manufacturers. She’s held positions in sales, marketing, development, and senior management, and she also brings her own experience as a board member herself. Whether you’re seeking out new board members, or you’d like to see more participation from an existing board, this episode will give you some new perspective on how to support your board members so they can do more for your mission. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… The role of board members in fundraising How to shift the way your board thinks about fundraising and engage them in your mission The resources your board needs in order to do an effective job Recommendations for organizations seeking to diversify their board

Imagine this scenario: you’re a leader of a non-profit, and you run into a major donor at an event. They ask how things are going at the organization. How do you respond? A: “Things are great! We’re on track to meet our revenue goals by the end of the year.” B: “Right now, we’re focused on growing our XYZ Program so we can provide more services for families in need. We’ve seen some incredible results through this program already; can I share a little about what we hope to do in the year ahead?” It’s pretty clearly B, right? And yet, a lot of fundraisers are so focused on the money that they struggle to talk about their mission in a way that connects with donors. For this podcast episode, we’ve invited a special guest to help us discover what it means to speak in terms of your mission. Luke Wilson, CEO of A Rocha Canada, will share how focusing on his organization’s mission has transformed his conversations with donors. As you’re listening in, think about your own elevator pitch and whether it’s working to engage donors with your mission in a meaningful way. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… Why so many fundraisers and non-profit leaders struggle to talk about their mission What gets in the way of having more meaningful donor conversations The difference between a money-focused conversation and a mission-focused one

Sometimes fundraisers are so self-sacrificing in their work that they lose themselves. They give 110%, until they can’t do it anymore. These are the ones who are at risk of burning out and leaving the profession entirely. That’s why we’re devoting this episode to a conversation about self-love and setting boundaries to give yourself room for renewal. When you practice self-love and self-care, you’ll be able to bring more to your role as a fundraiser and create deeper relationships with donors from a place of self-awareness and respect. This special episode features Karen Kendrick, Senior Director of Learning at Veritus, along with special guest, Nneka Allen, Founder of The Empathy Agency. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn… The obstacles to self-love, particularly in the fundraising profession How setting boundaries shapes your capacity for self-love and your relationships with others Where to begin your journey to self-love, so that you can show up more authentically with your donors and be the bridge between their passion and your organizational mission

If you're over-investing in donor acquisition and cultivation, but not investing enough in the upper end of the pipeline, then the donors that you've acquired can't be properly cultivated into mid-level, major gifts, or planned gifts. And the reverse is a problem too, when non-profit leaders insist on discovering new major donors outside of their existing donor pools, because they’re not investing enough in donor cultivation. How do you find the right balance? In this episode, Richard and Jeff discuss the components of the donor pipeline and how to invest across each stage of the donor journey. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn… The different stages of the donor pipeline including acquisition, cultivation, mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving How these stages relate to one another and where to invest across the donor pipeline so you’re seeing maximum ROI How to use our Diversification Analysis worksheet to evaluate the balance of your investments across the pipeline

Successful fundraising programs depend on great managers who can provide fundraisers with feedback, accountability, and encouragement. It’s a full-time job, and it requires a certain set of skills. Yet many non-profit managers are expected to continue to manage their own caseloads in addition to their team’s. They may have been moved into their role without training or support. And on top of that, the skills that make someone a successful fundraiser don’t necessarily translate to being an excellent manager. This is where a co-management solution comes in. In this podcast episode, Richard and Jeff explain what we mean by “co-management.” They share how Veritus partners with non-profit organizations to provide this service and how it compares to in-house management of frontline fundraisers. Show Highlights: In this episode, you'll learn... What “co-management” means and how it works for non-profit organizations How co-management solutions compare to in-house management Benefits of co-management and how to overcome obstacles

When you get back to the office or start up your computer again after a holiday, it always takes a while to get re-oriented. If you do a little prep now, you’ll thank yourself when you come back with a clear game plan to follow! We hope you have a peaceful and relaxing holiday season, with some time off that helps you to recharge. And when you get back to work, you can feel confident that you’re starting the year off right with these areas as your top priorities during your first week back. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn… Where to focus your time and effort during your first week back after the holidays The value of doing a “year in review” session with your team or manager How to prepare for a caseload refresh so you have all the info you need in advance The importance of saving time for self-care and setting the tone for the new year Veritus Group is passionate about partnering with you and your organization throughout your fundraising journey. We believe that the key to transformative fundraising is a disciplined system and structure, trusted accountability, persistence, and a bit of fun. We specialize in mid-level fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving, helping our clients to develop compelling donor offers and to focus on strategic leadership and organizational development. You can learn more about how we can partner with you at www.VeritusGroup.com. Additional Resources: [Blog] Five Things You Must Do in Caseload Management at the Beginning of This Year [Podcast] New Year’s Resolutions: Part One [Blog] Here’s What MGOs Should Do in January

There’s a temptation to send out more communication at the end of the year. And it’s understandable; there’s a lot to share during this season, and you want to keep your donors informed. But communicating more frequently doesn’t make it more effective. In fact, if you send emails and letters about every event, fundraising campaign, organizational report, and holiday greeting, your donors may start to tune out. In this podcast episode, we’re sharing our tips to help you create engaging and relevant communications that will stand out to your donors during the year-end season. This episode features Jeff Schreifels, Principal, and Drew Coursin, one of our Client Experience Leaders. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversation. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn… Ideas to engage your donor with meaningful touch points at year-end The risk of over-communicating during this busy time of year How to take a holistic view of all the content that your organization is sending out to donors so that your communications are relevant and valuable Veritus Group is passionate about partnering with you and your organization throughout your fundraising journey. We believe that the key to transformative fundraising is a disciplined system and structure, trusted accountability, persistence, and a bit of fun. We specialize in mid-level fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving, helping our clients to develop compelling donor offers and to focus on strategic leadership and organizational development. You can learn more about how we can partner with you at www.VeritusGroup.com. Additional Resources: [Blog] The Balancing Act of Year-End Outreach in Major Gifts [Podcast] 5 Things Fundraisers Need to Do in the Last Week of the Year [Blog] From the Frontlines: Fundraising Tips to End the Year Strong

It’s the most intimidating part of fundraising: asking someone for a gift. But that’s not the only thing that fundraisers need to ask for. They’re also requesting meetings, inviting people to give their time at events, and asking donors to share the personal driver that inspires their giving. So, whatever your ask is for – how do you do it in a way that honors the donor as a partner in your mission? We developed our Permission-Based Asking™model as a framework for more authentic dialogue. No more guessing what your donor is thinking or making assumptions about what’s going on for them. When you align with the donor throughout the conversation, you’re getting their buy-in before moving forward with an ask, so they’ll never be caught off guard. Donors can and will give more, but they want to be asked. And they want to be asked in a way that’s honoring to them and acknowledges their personal desire to make a difference in the world. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… How Permission-Based Asking™ works to build collaborative dialogue Strategies to practice and develop your asking skills in any context Results from Veritus clients who’ve used Permission-Based Asking with their donors Veritus Group is passionate about partnering with you and your organization throughout your fundraising journey. We believe that the key to transformative fundraising is a disciplined system and structure, trusted accountability, persistence, and a bit of fun. We specialize in mid-level fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving, helping our clients to develop compelling donor offers and to focus on strategic leadership and organizational development. You can learn more about how we can partner with you at www.VeritusGroup.com. Additional Resources: [Course] Making Effective Donor Asks [Blog] Permission-Based Asking: An Introduction [White Paper] How to Use Permission-Based Asking™ with Donors

Does your organization encourage you to bring your authentic self to your work in the non-profit space? Or do you feel pressure to self-censor certain parts of your identity? Many non-profit employees say that their workplace culture has created an environment where they’re not comfortable or do not feel safe bringing their authentic selves to work. And this is particularly damaging in fundraising, where you need to bring a certain amount of vulnerability because of the deeply personal nature of your work with donors. To help promote authenticity in non-profit organizations, we’ve invited two special guests, Paul Towne and Rachel Wyley, to guide us along this journey toward authenticity. Paul Towne is an Executive Search Consultant at Cooper Coleman. Paul has devoted his 20-year career to advancing social good, splitting his time between raising funds for some of the world’s most impactful organizations and championing technology that promotes charitable giving and organizational effectiveness. Rachel Wyley is the CEO and Founder of Culture Kinesis, an agency which focuses on cultural reimagination and supporting organizations and individuals to do the foundational work that’s needed before starting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – the mindset work, the unlearning work, and the community building work that supports you in creating an inclusive culture. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… What’s going on in the non-profit world that makes people feel like they need to self-censor at work The cost to non-profits and individuals when authenticity is not embraced Resources for how to have these conversations and shift your organizational culture Veritus Group is passionate about partnering with you and your organization throughout your fundraising journey. We believe that the key to transformative fundraising is a disciplined system and structure, trusted accountability, persistence, and a bit of fun. We specialize in mid-level fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving, helping our clients to develop compelling donor offers and to focus on strategic leadership and organizational development. You can learn more about how we can partner with you at www.VeritusGroup.com. Additional Resources: [BLOG] In Fundraising, Vulnerability Is Your Greatest Strength [PODCAST] The Confidence to Have Tough Conversations [BLOG] Why Every Non-Profit Leader Needs to Join in the Journey for Racial Justice