Missions to Movements

We’ve officially entered what I’m calling the retention era. Recurring GivingTuesday gifts are growing year over year, and nonprofit benchmarks are showing 80%+ retention rates for monthly donors.In this solo episode, I’m breaking down three powerful signals that are shaping monthly giving RIGHT NOW across the subscription economy and in the nonprofit sector.I’m covering Recurly’s 2025 State of Subscriptions analysis of 67 million subscribers, including what brands are doing to combat slow acquisition and churn, and the GivingTuesday trends emerging around mobile-first, recurring signups.This conversation sets the foundation for the next few episodes, where I’ll share my 2026 monthly giving predictions.Resources & LinksCheck out Recurly’s 2025 State of Subscriptions report.Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

In this special year-end recap episode, I’m revisiting seven of the most inspiring, quotable, “steal this idea” stories from 2025. You’ll hear the real numbers, tested strategies, and leadership insights you can carry straight into 2026.Here’s who you’ll hear from:Courtney Johnson from Culinary Care, who generated $300,000 across 20 corporate eventsChad Nelsen from Surfrider Foundation, who invested in recurring giving technology to reach 91% retention on auto-renew donorsLiz Bohannon, a keynote speaker & author, who talks about “pluck ups” and how to reframe failure as courage-in-actionHeather Sager, a speaking coach, who shares a powerful mindset shift to help you build confidence in public speaking Ashlyn Jones from Houston Food Bank, on growing their monthly giving program to 5,200 sustainers with human-centered storytellingTrovon C. Williams from NAACP, about why leading with solutions can create stronger donor empowermentMaddie Ward from End Overdose, about how they scaled from a single campus to 70+ cities nationwideResources & LinksHear the full episodes with each of today’s featured guests:How 20 Cook-Offs Raised $300k from Corporate PartnershipsHow Surfrider Foundation’s CEO Amplifies Impact Through Thought LeadershipCelebrating Failures: A New Approach to “Pluck-Ups”How to Craft a Signature Talk to Amplify Your MissionHow Houston Food Bank Grew 5,200 Monthly Donors - The Importance of a Sustainer RoleNAACP’s Bold Shift Toward Sustained ImpactFrom UCLA to 70+ Cities: End Overdose Sparked a College Campus Movement Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

This year held some of my highest highs and lowest lows, and much of it happened faster than I expected. In this solo episode, I’m reflecting honestly about what 2025 looked like for me, both personally and professionally. You’ll hear what surprised me most, the growth of the Monthly Giving Summit, what it was like working 1:1 with 14 organizations through VIP intensives, the unexpected speaking gigs (including international!), and the journaling questions I’m sitting with.Of course, I couldn’t leave out the data, and we also dig into insights from this year’s M+R Benchmarks Report, including the stat that monthly giving now accounts for 31% of all online revenue. If you’ve been waiting for permission to prioritize sustainable, recurring giving, this is your sign!My hope is that this episode helps you reflect on where you spent your energy this year as you build, prioritize, and prepare for the year ahead.Resources & LinksBloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

When a former classroom educator becomes the one writing the checks, EVERYTHING about grantmaking shifts. Dr. Maggie Sullivan Marcus of the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation brings a rare, dual perspective shaped by years in the classroom and years in philanthropy. Her on-the-ground experience supporting multilingual learner programs is rooted in empathy, deep respect for educators, and a commitment to equity.We get into how small but strategic investments can spark outsized impact, like, DC Public Schools’ $2,500 micro-grants. Maggie also shares what it takes to build a multilingual educator pipeline and why meaningful change can’t be squeezed into a 12-month grant cycle.Her candor around trust-based philanthropy, power dynamics, and multi-year funding models offers a blueprint for nonprofits eager to move the needle on bolder, more sustainable partnerships.Resources & LinksConnect with Dr. Maggie Sullivan Marcus on LinkedIn and learn more about the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation on their website. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

How can a 10X mindset replace incremental goals with focused, brave action that scales monthly giving and clarifies what to stop doing?• 10X mindset versus incremental growth• letting go of low-leverage work • applying bold goals to monthly giving growth  • risk reframed as focus and resource questions Resources Mentioned:Join the Sustainer Slack Group — completely free. The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind + Retreat "10x Is Easier Than 2X" - By Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin HardyMessage me on LinkedIn (Dana Snyder) or Instagram (@positivequation) to learn more.Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

If you've ever wrestled with the tension between being donor-centered and community-centered in your fundraising, today's episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. The incredible Tammy Zonker, founder of Fundraising Transformed, has helped raise more than $1 billion over her career, including facilitating a single $27 million dollar gift!We dive into Tammy’s hands-on case study from the Children’s Center in Detroit, where her team tripled philanthropy in three years and doubled it again before her departure. You’ll hear what it actually looked like on the ground: auditing revenue channels, analyzing cost-per-dollar raised and ROI across events, grants, and direct response, strengthening monthly and planned giving, and expanding donor engagement.This episode also explores why many nonprofits thrive with younger generations, offers in-the-trenches advice for leaders navigating busy giving seasons, and how to thoughtfully affirm everyone who contributes their time, talent, and resources.Resources & LinksConnect with Tammy on LinkedIn and learn more about her book, Calling All Heroes.  Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

After an electrifying GivingTuesday, I’m here to share three BIG behind the scenes announcements that will directly support your recurring revenue goals and monthly giving programs in 2026:First, I’m thrilled to announce that my Sustainers Slack community is now 100% free! It has become one of the most generous, collaborative, and energizing spaces on the internet, and if you join, you’ll get monthly office hours, expert Q&As, and coworking huddles.We’re also going to talk about what’s in store for the 2026 Monthly Giving Summit, happening February 25-26th, including the why behind the theme, and all about our keynote speaker, Adriana Carrig of Little Words Project.Finally, I’m unveiling two mastermind tracks next year! A high-touch 4-month Monthly Giving Mastermind, and a new Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind that offers a full year of strategic support, AND an in-person retreat in Atlanta.I love getting to do this work and can’t wait to support you.Resources & LinksBloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

After GivingTuesday, a crucial moment arises when donors are still emotionally connected to their gifts. A simple, text-only email can dramatically enhance relationships by uncovering what inspired each donation. Responses not only reveal motivations but also provide valuable stories for future campaigns. Practical tips for sending this email include using plain text and personalizing the sender. Discover how to harness this unique opportunity to engage and learn from supporters to fuel ongoing efforts.

Fewer than five of charity: water’s donors wrote a check during a 75,000-piece direct mail test, yet direct mail STILL lifted revenue by 1.5-2%!Behavioral science expert and DonorVoice founder Kevin Schulman is here to talk about why traditional direct mail metrics fall short, why your “non-check-writers” may be your biggest missed opportunity, and how personality-based messaging can transform donor engagement.You’ll hear the inside story of a charity: water experiment that tested postcards vs. full letters, QR codes on the outer envelope, and personality trait targeting based on the Big Five framework. Kevin and I also dig into measuring donor commitment, what predicts retention, and how some nonprofits are increasing their first-year monthly donor retention by 6-9 percentage points simply by adjusting their communication volume. If you’re rethinking how direct mail fits into your world, this episode will reshape how you design, segment, and evaluate your campaigns.Resources & LinksConnect with Kevin on LinkedIn and learn more about DonorVoice on their website.Check out the book I’m currently reading, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...

When your mission depends on people not just caring, but acting, the right data and technology infrastructure is so important. I am thrilled to welcome Emma Bloomberg, Founder and CEO of Murmuration, a nonprofit civic tech organization equipping grassroots groups with the tools to engage communities more efficiently, track progress, and build lasting civic power. Emma shares how organizations on the ground can use voter files, civic data, and tailored analytics to understand who they’re reaching, measure what’s moving the needle, and mobilize supporters in ways that feel personal.You’ll also hear one of Murmuration’s most compelling case studies: Memphis Lift, a parent-led group that began with stacks of yellow legal pads that funneled into thousands of engaged community members showing up for local education issues.And with tools like Civic Pulse, which polls 500 people every day using open-ended questions, Emma highlights how nonprofits can gain deeper insight into what their communities are thinking in real time.Resources & LinksLearn more about Murmuration and request a demo on their website. You can also subscribe to their newsletter, Insights by Murmuration, on Substack. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Bloomerang is the trusted, all-in-one giving platform that connects your data, streamlines your systems, and helps your mission go further. Learn more at bloomerang.com.If you’re building a movement, join Bloomerang’s GiveCon in St. Louis May 15-17 to learn what’s working in donor retention, AI, major gifts, recurring revenue, and community-driven campaigns. Register now and use code M2M to save $200!The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or ...