The Build Good Fundraising Podcast

Send a textIn this episode we sit down with Mike Todd from Transform Philanthropy to demystify Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). While often misunderstood or overlooked, DAFs are the fastest-growing giving vehicle and can serve as a recession-resistant revenue stream for your organization. Because DAF money is "pre-funded" by donors who have already received their tax receipts, asking for a grant shifts the conversation entirely from "parting with money" to simply aligning with your mission.Mike Todd breaks down exactly how DAFs work for donors at all wealth levels and explains why donors who switch to DAF giving tend to increase both their grant sizes and retention rates. You will also learn a straightforward, practical strategy to tap into this revenue source, starting with crucial CRM coding practices—specifically the difference between hard and soft credits—and essential communication rules between your finance and fundraising teams. Finally, we get into how a simple, free update to the forgotten copy on your website's "ways to give" page can make your charity instantly "DAF attractive," helping you uncover $50,000 donors currently hiding in your $50 mass-market file.---⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textIn this episode we sit down with Scott Billows, founder and CEO of Belmar, to walk through a practical, step-by-step framework for evaluating and implementing a new CRM.You’re going to learn how to build a priority "this is what I need" list, gain internal alignment, and navigate vendor selection—including why you might want to skip the traditional RFP process in favor of working with an "architect" to map out your requirements. Scott also shares expert advice for ensuring a smooth implementation, such as building a 20% buffer into your budget and securing strong executive alignment. Finally, we explore why your technology should be treated as a living, evolving asset requiring continuous care to prevent technical and cultural debt.—⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textThe donor pyramid is collapsing. Individual giving is shrinking. And yet, total philanthropic revenue is still growing—just from fewer and fewer people.In this episode, we sit down with Anton Lipkanou, President of Delve Deeper, to unpack what’s really happening beneath the surface of donor data, and how fundraisers can respond.Together we explore:Why donor files are aging faster than time itselfHow the “Eiffel Tower” of giving reveals a dangerous imbalanceWhat “Jobs to Be Done” means for understanding donor motivationHow to listen to donors through data, not just surveysThe new role of AI in personalizing donor journeys at scaleYou’ll leave this episode with practical ideas to start listening like a major gifts officer — even when you’re talking to tens of thousands of donors.Quotes:“Donors are hiring your organization to do a job for them. It’s not about you — it’s what they can do through you.” — Anton Lipkanou“If giving is a story of self, then our job as fundraisers is to listen for the story donors are trying to tell.” — Mike Duerksen—⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textGiving Tuesday isn’t just one day on the calendar— it’s a chance to build a core pillar of a larger year-end campaign.  In this episode, we sit down with Rapinder Dhinsa from Make-A-Wish Canada to learn how she turned Giving Tuesday into a powerful, multi-year growth engine.Rapinder shares how her team built a campaign that got stronger every year — layering in new channels, integrating matched gifts, and weaving Giving Tuesday into the broader year-end strategy to maximize results. You’ll hear how they aligned email, social, direct mail, and paid ads to create a unified donor experience, plus the lessons they learned about timing, storytelling, and making every donor feel like an important part of the team.If you want to make your Giving Tuesday campaign more than a one-day event — and turn it into a launchpad for your whole year-end fundraising — you won’t want to miss this conversation.—⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textImagine building a huge organization on the back of “$5.38 buys a meal for a neighbour experiencing homelessness”, when a meal is just the doorway, not the destination.It’s a situation many nonprofits find themselves in. Their programming has changed and evolved, but their core value proposition and fundraising offers haven’t—because they are tried, trued, tested and proven.In today’s episode, The Mustard Seed’s Philip Calvert sits down with Mike to pull back the curtain on what happens when an inner city ministry grows into a multi-city, $73m engine for life change—housing, mental health supports, job training and more—while many donors still picture soup lines at Christmas. With 38,000 active donors and a strong brand, Phil and his team are facing a choice: keep raising money on meals… or reframe the offer around real outcomes. Last year alone, 1,300 people graduated from their shelter to affordable housing—effectively exiting homelessness. That’s the story. Now how do you scale it?In this episode you’ll learn:Why meal-based offers work—and when they start to trap your brand.How to test new impact messages (like shelter-to-housing “graduations”) without tanking revenue.Ways to align fundraising, programs, and ops so donors fund what actually drives change.A simple 3-step path to review metrics, pilot new offers, and roll out a refreshed public story.—⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Michael Mitchell, Director of Advancement at Feed the Children and a seasoned fundraising coach, breaks down the art of asking for donations without fear. He discusses common fears fundraisers face, using the iceberg metaphor to highlight underlying beliefs. Michael introduces the XYZ method for crafting clear and effective asks and emphasizes the importance of staying silent after making a request. He encourages listeners to view asking as a joyful invitation and helps them tackle their personal 'money baggage,' revealing that courage in asking can lead to greater generosity.

Send a textFundraising appeals are packed with bad habits that refuse to die—bolded words, underlined sentences, multiple hard asks, and financial symbols littered throughout. The data is clear: none of this is actually helping.So what does?This practical, no-fluff session recorded live at the Build Good Summit will strip away ineffective tactics and replace them with a proven, behavioral science-backed approach to crafting appeals that work. This session isn’t theory—it’s specific, actionable, and counterintuitive. You’ll walk away with clear do’s and don’ts for writing stronger, more effective appeals—without gimmicks, without pressure, and without the bad habits fundraisers keep passing down.–⛰️ 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! ---- #Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textMonthly giving has been the buzzword of the nonprofit industry for the past few years. But most conversations about recurring giving lack substantial data and evidence about what really works to increase recurring revenue. While it can be inspiring to see examples from complex organizations that are seemingly "doing it right", growing your recurring giving program often isn’t as complicated as some would have you think.In this workshop session, you’ll take a hands-on look at your current fundraising efforts to identify tested, proven, and practical opportunities to grow your recurring revenue by acquiring more monthly donors.Throughout the session, we’ll cover tactics and strategies that have been proven to increase results through real-world a/b testing covering key areas including: Converting recurring donors within the one-time donation processUpgrading one-time donors after they’ve made their first giftLaunching a dedicated recurring giving acquisition campaign using a proven frameworkWhether you have a monthly giving program up and running today, or you’re looking to launch one in the future—this session will equip you with proven insights that you can apply to your program right away to start growing your recurring revenue.––⛰️ 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!––#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Send a textWhen emergencies happen, donors respond. But too often, that generosity fades just as quickly as it arrives. While acquiring new donors is important, how can we better cultivate and steward those who have already given? How do we bridge the gap between crisis-driven giving and long-term donor commitment? And how do we engage supporters in a way that reflects the evolving expectations of Canadian donors?This session recorded live at the Build Good Summit explores what’s changing in fundraising today – how donors are engaging across multiple channels, why traditional storytelling approaches no longer resonate, and what organizations need to do to build deeper, lasting relationships. Shairoze Walji shares her full-circle story about how her family arrived in Canada as refugees and how, years later, she now works to support displaced people through UNHCR. Our personal connections to our work matter, and when we tap into those connections in the right way, we build trust, community and donor relationships that extend far beyond a single moment of crisis.—⛰️ 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! ––#Fundraising #Nonprofit #Philanthropy #Marketing Interested in  working with a fundraising agency to grow your nonprofit?BuildGood is a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors. Let our team of experts create your fundraising appeals, emails and newsletters for you, and reclaim the time to do the thing only YOU can do: build genuine, human, personal relationships with your donors. You’ll add proven expertise to your team. You’ll benefit from tested and proven strategies that will make you more money. And you’ll have peace of mind that you’re putting your best foot forward with your fundraising. ➡️For more information, go here: www.buildgood.com

Victoria Mix Higginson, a key player at UNICEF Canada, shares her journey in creating Paddington's Postcards, an innovative monthly giving program designed for families. She discusses how the initiative blends philanthropy with fun, sending postcards around the globe to young supporters. The conversation delves into strategies for engagement, channel diversification, and optimizing donor connections using seasonal marketing. Victoria also highlights lessons learned from pilot challenges, showcasing how adaptability fueled the program's impressive growth.