Responsive Lab Podcast

Griff Bohm, cofounder of Momentum and AI-for-fundraising pioneer, explains how to apply AI to real problems rather than chase tech. He discusses automating daily friction to free time for relationship work. Griff explores why major gifts are growing, donor expectations for personalized impact communication, and practical AI tools that amplify human connection.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Carly Plate and Dominika McLean from the University of South Florida to talk about building a consecutive giving recognition program that celebrates loyalty over gift size.Their core belief? The donor who gives $25 every year for 30 years deserves just as much recognition as someone who writes one large check.You'll hear about:Why USF created Loyalty Herd to close the gap between major giving programs and unrecognized lower-level consecutive donorsHow the program defines eligibility: any dollar amount, three or more consecutive fiscal yearsHow USF scaled stewardship across 20,000 donors using milestone touch points, in-house design, and creative campus partnershipsWhy they chose not to offer a buyback option, and how that decision strengthened the program's intentHow to approach data, communications, and development teams before launching a program like thisThe real ROI of recognizing giving behavior over giving amountPractical advice for teams with small budgets who want to start something meaningful nowLinks from the episode:Connect with Carly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-plate-a8373b2b/Connect with Dominika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikamclean/Learn more about the USF Foundation: https://giving.usf.edu/about/about-usf-foundationLooking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

Dean Axelrod, VP of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Direct Relief with a background in business, law, and finance. He explains redefining who counts as a major donor and why gratitude should drive stewardship. He discusses scaling personalization with tech, hiring for culture fit, and building relationships that make confident, respectful asks.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing and Development Officer at Joni and Friends. Donna spent decades in consumer products marketing at brands like Adidas, K-Swiss, and Dickies before making the jump to the nonprofit world. Her core belief? Planting comes before the harvest. Brand awareness has to come before the fundraising ask. You'll hear about: Why being "the best-kept secret" is actually a failure How Donna convinced her CFO to spend 60% of the budget on brand awareness The first steps to take once leadership says yes to brand investment How Joni and Friends used Instagram to cultivate an audience for two years before asking for anything Why internal alignment matters before you launch anything externally How to measure brand impact in ways leadership can understand and trust Donna also shares how the team achieved a 12% increase in fundraising revenue the first year after their rebrand and why momentum became the proof that kept the strategy moving forward. Links from the episode: Connect with Donna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamlucas/ Learn more about Joni and Friends: https://joniandfriends.org/

92% of nonprofits are using AI. Only 7% say it's actually making a strategic impact. So what's going wrong? In this episode, Carly and Scott sit down with Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and co-founder of Fundraising.ai, to unpack the findings of the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report. Nathan breaks down why more AI tools don't equal better results, what happens when organizations use AI to speed up broken practices, and what the 7% are doing differently. You'll hear about: -The AI adoption paradox and why high usage doesn't mean high impact-Why an AI governance policy is the most important first step-How to break through the efficiency plateau-What predictive and generative AI look like in action for fundraisers-Why the habits you build in 2026 will compound for years  Download the full report: https://virtuous.org/resource/the-2026-nonprofit-ai-adoption-report-download/ Learn more about Virtuous Momentum: https://www.givemomentum.com/  

Meg George, Co-Founder and President of George Philanthropy Group who advises nonprofits on major gifts and campaign strategy. She reframes capital drives as comprehensive campaigns and explains what thorough preparation looks like. She discusses designing feedback loops during feasibility studies, how AI can help without replacing relationships, and why qualifying donors and sharpening conversational skills matter most.

T. Clay Buck, founder of Next River Fundraising Strategies with ~30 years in fundraising and database leadership. He contrasts AI with past tech shifts and stresses data quality over hype. He discusses data governance and board-level oversight. He highlights practical AI uses for efficiency and the need to preserve human relationship work, ending with a call to bring joy back to fundraising.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Sonja Schappert Howden, Chief Impact Officer at Seed Impact, to unpack what meaningful impact really looks like and how fundraisers can communicate it in ways donors understand and trust. Drawing from more than two decades of experience in faith-based nonprofits, Sonja explains why outputs are only the starting point, how outcomes reveal personal change, and why true impact often happens outside your organization’s walls. She introduces the SEED Competency Ladders, a framework grounded in being, doing, and relating, and shows how this approach helps fundraisers tell more human, donor-centered impact stories. You’ll also hear why impact is not linear, why collaborative measurement matters more than ever, and how removing jargon can help donors connect emotionally before they ever engage intellectually. Links from the episode: • Learn more about Seed Impact at https://www.seedimpact.org/    • Email Sonja at sonja@seedimpact.org   Free impact report reviews available for a limited time here: https://www.seedimpact.org/impact-report-review/January-26th-Impact-Report-Review-p801608951 

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Marc Stein, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Jews for Jesus, to unpack what it really looks like to put donor relationships first without sacrificing growth. Marc brings a rare perspective shaped by decades as an entrepreneur, donor, board member, and now nonprofit executive. He shares how his team redefined success by shifting away from revenue-first metrics and toward meaningful partner engagement… and why that shift led to stronger retention, healthier teams, and sustained major gift growth. You’ll hear how Jews for Jesus reduced portfolio sizes, rethought performance measurement, embraced transparency during missteps, and used both technology and volunteers to extend personal care at scale. Marc also tackles one of the hardest challenges in major gifts… how to ensure donors stay connected to the organization even when fundraisers move on. Links from the episode: Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcstein/ Learn more about Jews for Jesus: https://jewsforjesus.org/ Learn more about Virtuous at  virtuous.org/learnmore  and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at  virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Matt Lombardi, Founder of Share, to unpack what real digital engagement looks like when it’s done well and why it actually leads people to take action. Matt brings a practitioner’s perspective from working alongside nonprofits of all sizes, sharing what separates organizations that grow sustainably from those stuck on the acquisition hamster wheel. From donor personas and retention strategies to recurring giving programs that actually work, you’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately. You’ll hear about: Why focus matters more than doing “all the channels” How smart digital engagement builds trust and drives generosity Creative ways to strengthen donor retention without always asking for money What recurring giving programs need to succeed long-term How technology decisions today shape fundraising outcomes tomorrow Matt also shares where nonprofits get stuck internally and how teams can build momentum even when bureaucracy, bandwidth, or fear of change slows things down. Links from the episode: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-lombardi-717547111/ Learn more about Share Talent: https://sharetalent.co/ Learn more about Share Services: https://www.shareservices.co/ Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist.