In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., speaks with Christopher Beck, CAP, Principal Gift Advisor for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, about practical strategies to diversify donor databases and foster inclusivity in philanthropy. Christopher shares insights into the current push for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in nonprofit work, emphasizing the importance of making potential donors feel represented and valued. He advocates for orga...
Nov 17, 2024•16 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Howard Husock of the American Enterprise Institute and E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy to discuss the impact of the 2017 federal tax reforms on charitable giving. They explore how the doubling of the standard deduction reduced the number of taxpayers who itemize, significantly diminishing the tax incentives for charitable contributions. While overall charitable giving has increased in nominal ...
Nov 11, 2024•28 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. welcomes Alyssia Coates, Ph.D., Senior Director of Development Inclusive Philanthropic Engagement at Brown University, to discuss the concept of "inclusive philanthropic engagement." Dr. Coates shares her role in expanding Brown’s donor base by focusing on inclusion and diversity, not only as a moral imperative but also as a path to more effective fundraising. Inclusive philanthropy, she explains, aims to authentically wel...
Nov 01, 2024•20 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. welcomes Danny Gatling, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations at Guilford College, to discuss strategies for fundraising with limited resources. With many nonprofits operating on tight budgets, Danny shares insights on how organizations can creatively maximize their impact by leveraging technology and adopting innovative fundraising techniques. He emphasizes that being resourceful is essential, especially for...
Oct 27, 2024•23 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. sits down with Genevieve Shaker, Ph.D., professor of philanthropic studies and Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, about the role of celebrities in fundraising. Dr. Shaker shares insights from her research into how celebrities influence nonprofit fundraising efforts. While it's common to see celebrities endorsing products in the private sector, t...
Oct 20, 2024•21 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. sits down with Ann Fitzgerald, founder of AC Fitzgerald, to talk about the critical role of donor stewardship in nonprofit success. Fitzgerald emphasizes that nonprofits often struggle with donor retention, noting a staggering 70% of new donors never make a second gift. She explains that effective stewardship—building relationships with donors after their initial gift—is the key to improving retention and increasing donor ...
Oct 13, 2024•17 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. sits down with Miguel Lopez, CFRE, Senior Manager of Development at the San Diego Foundation, to discuss the organization’s innovative El Camino Fund. Miguel shares his personal motivation for launching the fund, rooted in his experience as a first-generation Mexican American in San Diego. He highlights the Foundation's mission to address the wealth gap within the Latino community, which makes up 1.1 million residents of S...
Oct 07, 2024•19 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. sits down with Hava Goldberg, Director of Corporate and Major Giving for Habitat for Humanity Canada, and discusses what motivates fundraisers to stay with nonprofit organizations. Goldberg, who recently celebrated her seven-year anniversary at Habitat, shares her reflections on retention and what organizations can do to foster long-term commitment among their fundraisers. She emphasizes that while passion for the cause is...
Sep 30, 2024•15 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. chats with Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer for GivingTuesday, about the "Giving Pulse" tool—a data-driven approach to tracking generosity trends in the U.S. Woodrow explains that Giving Pulse provides weekly insights into American giving behaviors, helping nonprofits understand how and why people give. This tool surveys a representative sample of U.S. adults and reports quarterly on these trends, offering a real-time...
Sep 22, 2024•16 min
In this episode of "The First Day from the Fund Raising School," host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. discusses the key findings of the 2024 Giving USA report with Josh Birkholz, CEO of BWF and Board Chair of the Giving USA Foundation. The conversation kicks off with the staggering headline figure—$557 billion in charitable donations, the highest ever. Adjusted for inflation, however, most donation sources show a decline, except for bequests. Birkholz clarifies that, unlike the stock market, these do...
Sep 15, 2024•23 min
In this celebratory episode of "The First Day from the Fund Raising School," host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. welcomes Lilya Wagner, Ed.D., CFRE, a pioneer in the world of professional fundraising, as they commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fund Raising School. Lilya reflects on her early days in the profession, particularly when she transitioned from teaching to become Vice President for Advancement. She shares anecdotes from her first courses in the 1980s, taught by industry leader Hank Ro...
Sep 08, 2024•19 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Chad Gobel, MBA, a renowned fundraising consultant, about a novel approach to identifying major gift donors, particularly within healthcare organizations. Gobel, who has over 30 years of experience in philanthropy, discusses the importance of shifting the focus from traditional wealth-based identification methods to a more nuanced approach that combines wealth with gratitude. He emphasizes that while wealth mi...
Sep 01, 2024•13 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Sara Konrath, Ph.D., a social psychology expert recognized for her research on empathy and its connection to philanthropic behavior. The conversation centers on recent findings from a study tracking empathy trends among Gen Z and Millennials. Initially, research from 1979 to 2009 revealed a concerning decline in empathy among young Americans, which was coupled with an increase in narcissism. However, new data ...
Aug 25, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Fund Raising School with a special guest, Tim Seiler, Ph.D., who led the School for 20 years. Together, they take a nostalgic trip through the evolution of fundraising, sharing key insights from the school's history and the enduring principles that have shaped the field. Dr. Seiler fondly recalls the teachings of the School's founder, Dr. Henry Rosso, emphasizing the timeless mantra: ...
Aug 18, 2024•20 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. looks at the uncertain economic climate of mid-2024 and its potential impact on fundraising efforts. The big question on everyone’s mind: are we on the brink of a recession, or is it just a distant possibility? With conflicting signals from various economic indicators—like the rise in unemployment to 4.3%, fluctuations in the stock market, and a mixed performance in sectors like construction and manufacturing—Stanczykiewic...
Aug 11, 2024•12 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Abby Jarvis, Head of Content for Neon One. They discuss Neon One's new Recurring Giving Report, revealing significant trends and insights into the world of repeat donations. Abby breaks down the concept of recurring giving, explaining it as donations set to repeat at regular intervals, typically monthly. Surprisingly, the report shows a 127% increase in recurring donors between 2018 and 2022, suggesting that m...
Aug 04, 2024•17 min
In this special 50th-anniversary episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. welcomes Amir Pasic, Ph.D., Dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The discussion begins by reflecting on the Fundraising School’s impactful journey over the past half-century. Dr. Pasic emphasizes the importance of this milestone, noting the School’s significant contributions to the field and the global reach of its alumni, who consistently report increased fundraising...
Jul 28, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Julia Campbell, a fundraising consultant specializing in digital communications and storytelling for nonprofits. They discuss the art of storytelling to enhance fundraising efforts, emphasizing its power in connecting with donors on a human level. Julia underscores that stories are fundamental to human communication and processing complex information, which is why they are so effective in fundraising. Julia ad...
Jul 21, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. emphasizes the critical role of a strategic plan as the foundation for successful fundraising efforts. He begins by likening the strategic plan to a "Big Bang" moment for nonprofits, stressing its pivotal role akin to the genesis of relationships or partnerships. Bill highlights a surprising statistic from his extensive nonprofit experience: many organizations lack a formal, written strategic plan, hindering their ability ...
Jul 14, 2024•9 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Dr. Gene Tempel, the founder of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Dr. Tempel shares the history and evolution of the Fund Raising School, which was established by Henry and Dottie Rosso in 1974 and later donated to Indiana University in 1988. He highlights how the School has transformed the field of fundraising by training nonprofit professionals to develop permanent fundraising infra...
Jul 07, 2024•21 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Anna Pruitt, Managing Editor for Giving USA and Adjunct Faculty Member from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. They discuss the 2023 findings from the Giving USA report. The total charitable giving in the United States reached a record high of $557 billion in current dollars, showcasing a 2% increase from the previous year. However, when adjusted for inflation, there was a slight decli...
Jul 01, 2024•20 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Angelica Suarez-Trujillo, a seasoned advisor at Resilia specializing in nonprofit capacity building. The discussion centers on the crucial practice of relationship-based fundraising in higher education and beyond. Angelica defines this approach as shifting from transactional to transformational relationships, where nonprofits and donors collaborate to create lasting impact. She emphasizes the importance of gen...
Jun 23, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Karen Boyd, Ph.D., Economist and Director of Research at the Policy and Innovation Center, and discuss the evolving intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and fundraising. She highlights the rapid advancements in AI technologies, emphasizing their potential to augment rather than replace human fundraisers. Addressing concerns around AI's capabilities and limitations, Boyd stresses the importance of under...
Jun 17, 2024•22 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. discusses the complexities of household charitable giving, aiming to dispel concerns regarding its purported decline. Stanczykiewicz begins by dissecting the oft-cited statistic that only 50% of households make charitable donations, suggesting that this figure may not accurately reflect the willingness of individuals to give. He challenges fundraisers to adopt a more inclusive approach, emphasizing the importance of reachi...
Jun 09, 2024•12 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Patrick Rooney, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Economics and Philanthropy at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, to discuss the impact of presidential elections and other world events on charitable giving. Dr. Rooney shares insights from decades of research, revealing that presidential campaign contributions have a negligible effect on overall philanthropic donations. Despite record amoun...
Jun 02, 2024•19 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Jessica Browning, MBA, Principal and Executive Vice President at the Winkler Group. They discuss the complexities surrounding major and mega gifts in fundraising. Jessica acknowledges the significant contributions of major donors like McKenzie Scott while also highlighting the pitfalls of over-reliance on such gifts. She underscores the danger of neglecting mid-level and smaller donors, emphasizing the importa...
May 26, 2024•16 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., sheds light on the evolving landscape of donor demographics, particularly focusing on Millennials. Contrary to common misconceptions, recent economic data suggests that Millennials are not only financially stable but thriving. They are emerging as significant donors, surpassing Generation X in charitable giving per household. One key indicator of Millennials' growing influence is their increasing homeownership rates, sign...
May 19, 2024•11 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Diane Kaplan, Senior Fellow at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In a revealing discussion on the nuances of nonprofit collaboration, Diane shares her insights from her extensive experience with the Rasmuson Foundation. She illustrates the power of strategic partnerships in leveraging the foundation’s impact far beyond its initial financial capabilities. Starting from its roots as a small...
May 12, 2024•19 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE and Steven Shattuck of Capital Campaign Pro, a unique platform designed to revolutionize traditional fundraising campaign consulting. Capital Campaign Pro assists nonprofit leaders in running their capital campaigns by offering a robust support system that includes an online toolkit, expert advisory, and peer group coaching. Their innovative approach is centered around training leaders to...
May 05, 2024•15 min
In this episode of the First Day Podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. is joined by Danielle Vance-McMullen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at DePaul University and Dan Heist, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University shared key findings from their extensive research on Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). Conducted in collaboration with the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative, their study included data from over 50,000 accounts and partnerships with 110 DAF sponsors. They uncovered tha...
Apr 28, 2024•17 min
