Andrea is a Managing Partner at BDO which releases an annual State of Nonprofits report. Join us as we discuss trends from 2020-2021 and opportunities and risks for 2022. Will individual and foundation giving trends persist? What risks should leaders be aware of and how can we mitigate them? What is the role of technology in the future of nonprofits. For more about Andrea, connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-espinola-wilson-74a1507/ To read the report: https://www.bdo.com/insights/indust...
May 09, 2022•32 min
Join me and my friends as we tackle the big questions: what does "disrupting" fundraising really mean in theoretical and practical terms? How do we develop our own theories of change and operation beyond the frameworks of "donor-centric" versus "community-centric" fundraising? This trio is a masterclass in asking important questions, practicing fundraising as justice and daring to dream of a just future for all. I am blown away by my guests and their thoughtful approaches to fundraising for a mo...
May 02, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Join me and my long-time friend Gabe Scheck to talk about how to successfully open, cultivate and solicit gifts from foundations. Gabe has raised money for Teach for America and New Leaders among others and shares his top tips for raising major money. He shares some early lessons learned, his guidance for how to network in order to get a warm intro and how to get the lead funder in. Gabe is a fount of knowledge and a whole lot of fun. To connect with Gabe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-scheck...
Apr 25, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Join me and my friend Darren Isom as we discuss the case for endowing Black-led nonprofits. Darren published a thought-provoking piece in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on this topic and we do a deep dive on how we can shift the conversations from the myths and unhelpful narratives that keep Black-led nonprofits from growing endowments. In this conversation, Darren offers up helpful tips on how we think about funding partners, shifting the conversation and elevating the conversations to t...
Apr 18, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Join me and adventurer, writer, environmentalist and former Patagonia executive Rick Ridgeway as talk about his many adventures and his experience in building Patagonia's famous corporate culture. We talk about the hows and whys of his decades at Patagonia and how his adventures have informed his leadership. This is a really fun conversation and I hope it inspires you to go outside and have fun in nature. For more about Rick, visit: https://rickridgeway.com/
Apr 11, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Did you know that 5% of your supporters and responsible for 100% of your word-of-mouth referrals? Do you know how to engage and activate your best supporters? What is the role of a CRM system in engaging your supporters? Join me and Hilary Doe of Nationbuilder to talk about how to start, nurture and leverage networks on behalf of your nonprofit. We discuss common misconceptions about worrying too much about your brand and the fine balance between structure and freedom to take your network to the...
Apr 04, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 179
#realtalk: I never pursued government funding for my nonprofit because I was always so deterred by the administration. It all seemed so complicated and bureaucratic that I never invested the time and energy to pursue it. Enter Patrice Davis. Patrice is a government grants expert who demystifies the process and has valuable information about new money through the America Rescue Plan Act that presents an UNPRECEDENTED amount of money to qualified nonprofits. You literally cannot afford NOT to list...
Mar 28, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 178
I've turned the keys over to my designated driver Patrick Kirby. Patrick and I talk about my new book Get That Money, Honey. We talk about my origin story, why I wrote the book and what to expect when you read it. Patrick is a ton of fun and we have a blast shooting the sh*t about book-writing, fundraising and being in this sector. To buy the book, visit: Get That Money, Honey! To learn more about Patrick: https://www.dogoodbetterconsulting.com/
Mar 21, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Do you freak out when people unsubscribe to your newsletters? Are you overwhelmed with marketing on different platforms: Facebook, email, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, oh my? If so, this episode is for you. Christina, email marketing maven, walks us through some actionable tips on how to clean up your lists, increase your opens and conquer email for conversions to donations. Get Christina's free email clean-up tips: https://www.splendidcourses.com/emailguide?r_done=1 To connect with Christina: htt...
Mar 14, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 176
I've met my Canadian sister from another mister! Expert fundraiser Cindy Wagman and I talk about brain science and how it trips us up in fundraising. By unpacking the ways in which the brain works, we can unlock the power for good. We talk about heuristics, how your fear keeps you from living your best life and why we're so messed up about money. This is a good one for the reluctant fundraiser. To connect with Cindy: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/ Some of the resources we mention: Atomic Ha...
Mar 07, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 175
My new BFF Oly and I have a blast answering all of your questions about boards. Listen to our take on hot topics like board fundraising, changing your board culture and loving board members right out the door. This is a fun, high-energy interview about a not-always-fun topic. To learn more about Oly, visit: www.theolympiacollective.com/ To download my training about sourcing board members and donors via LinkedIn, visit: https://mailchi.mp/rheawong/6-ways-to-use-linkedin-for-fundraising...
Feb 28, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Friends--this episode is a veritable smorgasbord of insights. Greg, a master marketer, and Dr. Russell James, an academic, break down the data and practices of major gift fundraising. If you're looking to make bigger, transformational asks, this episode is for you. We break down the framework and power of story, the ways to add value before an ask and how to overcome the chasm of distrust. This is a must-listen. To get FREE copies of Dr. James's books, visit: https://imarketsmart.com/donorstory/...
Feb 21, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 173
In this episode, Derrick Coleman and I discuss some of the top myths about Black board members. Some of the top myths: they're not out there, we can't have diversity AND financial capacity, we don't know how to find them...etc. Derrick and I talk about concrete ways to find, attract and retain Black board members for your nonprofit. This is a highly actionable and straightforward conversation that anyone looking to diversify their board should listen to ASAP. For more about AABLI: https://www.aa...
Feb 14, 2022•36 min
What are some of the biggest mistakes that people make on their homepages? Are you guilty of it? Join me and my friend Boris as we discuss fundamentals of good marketing, how to use storytelling as a tool and how to take your homepage from snoozefest to sizzle. Boris, a former coder turned actor turned nonprofit marketing strategist, shares helpful insights into how to make your marketing efforts more effective. He also offers a number of free resources on his site. To check them out, visit: htt...
Feb 07, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Otis Rolley, Senior Vice President at the Rockefeller Foundation, discusses his career in government and philanthropy. We talk about how the Rockefeller Foundation has implemented DEI through its practices, how Otis has been at the forefront of equity at the foundation and his views on the trends in philanthropy. This is a thoughtful and insightful conversation from a philanthropy insider. To connect with Otis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/otis-rolley-he-him-4832587/
Jan 31, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Sometimes, we're overwhelmed with the enormity of solving problems in the world that we forget small actions can make a difference. Join me and Masami Sato who is the founder of the global Buy One Give One business model that helps businesses big and small make impacts on nonprofits. It's a reminder that we can all do something. To learn more about Buy One Give One, visit: https://b1g1.com/ For nonprofits, visit: https://www.b1g1.org/
Jan 24, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 169
When we're in the role of fundraisers, there is so much that is unsaid and lurking just below the surface. Join me and my dear friend Christine Lai to talk about how to approach philanthropic partners from a place of strength ("Who deserves to fund you?"). This is a wide-ranging and energizing conversation about creating culture, the value of white space and how to Christine designs her life. She's a sage among us. For more about Christine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinelai21/...
Jan 17, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Let's face it: PR and marketing are the first to get cut in a budget. And yet, you're still the best kept secret in your city? What gives? Rebekah walks us through actionable strategies and tips for small nonprofits on a tight budget and even tighter labor market. You can't afford NOT to let the media know about your work, and Rebekah shows us how to do it ourselves. For more about Rebekah, visit: www.fifteen-media.com/
Jan 10, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 167
Happy 2022 y'all. This pod is here to help you start off the new year right by getting money through the door. Join me and my dear friend Chitra Ayar as we talk about how to get money back from the IRS for all those payroll taxes you paid during the pandemic. If you're like me and the word taxes creates a twinge of anxiety, listen up to this podcast where Chitra explains all. You could be eligible for up to $26K per employee thanks to these tax credits. For more info and to get in touch with Chi...
Jan 03, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 166
This is a rebroadcast of one of the most popular episodes of 2021 and one of my personal faves. Happy new year, friends! Podcast fans, if you listen to only one episode of NPL, this should be the one. Join me and Expert on The Ask Laura Fredricks to talk all about the ask. She breaks down her five-step formula for an ask, how the getting the ask out of your mouth IS the win and how we can support our boards to ask. Laura's advice is smart, effective and actionable. She's raised hundreds of milli...
Dec 27, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 145
This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes! Happy holidays fam! Happy 2021 to the Nonprofit Lowdown family! Let's get this 2021 party started off right. Join today's conversation with expert fundraising consultant and board whisperer Jay Frost to activate our boards to bring resources to the table. We discuss juicy topics like defining a give/get for board members, whether "access" counts as a contribution (spoiler: it doesn't) and how NOT to recruit board members. This conversati...
Dec 20, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 116
As my guest Esther points out, vilifying and stereotyping wealthy people is the last acceptable prejudice. Join me and Esther Choy as she discusses her research on first-generation wealth creators and how they might be different than your assumptions. For example, did you know that most wealthy people in the US are self-made and don't come from money? By challenging our assumptions about wealthy individuals, we can learn how to be better fundraisers. After all, you know what they say about when ...
Dec 13, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 165
This interview is a goldmine, y'all. I interviewed my friend, Rob Lapidus, who should rightly be considered a major donor by most measures. He's also incredibly forthright and I ask him all the questions that fundraisers wonder about all the time. He gives a no BS, no holds barred interview about the worst fundraisers he's ever encountered, how he and his wife make philanthropic decisions and the secret to success ("We're all in sales--don't take it so personally.") This interview will shed ligh...
Dec 06, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 164
This is a solo show where I'm spilling all the tea on how to get started with your major gift program. It's not rocket science and it's not magic. Tune in for actionable tips and tricks for how to identify the 20% of donors who will support 80% of your operations. My two favorite words in the English language: unrestricted gifts! Tune in to this episode to help you build your major gift program for the future. For more information about my Accelerator: https://www.rheawong.com/join-accelerator/...
Nov 29, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Ah, Giving Tuesday for fundraisers: it's like Christmas, Tax Day and Lunar New Year all rolled into one. Love or hate it, my friend Asha Curran (CEO of Giving Tuesday) shares her perspective on it. She offers some best practices, advice on what to avoid, surprising stats and how to inspire generosity year-round. This is a really important and full-hearted interview for any (read: all) fundraisers who are thinking about participating in Giving Tuesday and joining the global generosity movement. T...
Nov 22, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 162
Y'all: the time has come to consider a crypto strategy for fundraising. Join me and co-founder of the Giving Block, Pat Duffy, to discuss some of the misconceptions and benefits of accepting crypto for your nonprofit. We discuss how to deal with volatility, some of the common misunderstandings and misgivings about crypto and some of the mistakes (i.e. don't put all your eggs into a crypto basket). This is a really insightful and interesting episode for those looking for bigger donations and to e...
Nov 15, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 161
It's Q4, y'all! How many times can I say it? You gotta get in the game! Today's interview is with Suhailah Waheed who walks us through the top five tips she has for how to launch a successful digital fundraising campaign. This includes warming up your audience, ignoring your vanity metrics and realistic goals (i.e. you're probably not going to go viral). This is a must-listen for all the EDs and fundraisers trying to make the most of year-end giving. For more about Suhailah, visit: https://www.g...
Nov 08, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 160
Join me and communications expert Adora Drake as we talk about some of the do's and don'ts of nurturing your email list. We talk about content strategies, how to move your audience from social media to your newsletter and how to do it without overwhelm. As we head into year-end, Adora talks about how to plan for the new year. Adora also has a freebie for Nonprofit Lowdown listeners available below. To get your freebie, visit: www.adoradrakemarketing.com/nonprofitlowdown/...
Nov 01, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Join me and Jess Campbell to talk about how to end your Q4 with a "W". I always say that Q4 is the Superbowl of Fundraising and Jess walks us through how to make the most of it. Jess talks about how to avoid the most common mistakes, how to embrace progress over perfection and ways to do year-end without making you crazy. We also talk about "magic" words and why direct mail trumps all. This is a must-listen unless you hate money. To reference Jen Shang's work: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/...
Oct 25, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Join me and my dear friend Shanthi to talk about social media. Shanthi is a social media strategist and communications expert who walks us through the nuts and bolts of social media. More than just a "necessary evil," Shanthi tells us about where social media should fit into our fundraising strategy, how to connect with your audience and realistic ways to do social media without a dedicated team or burning out. To connect with Shanthi, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smblanchardjr/...
Oct 18, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 157
