Responsive Lab Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 63: What It Really Takes to Run a Multi-Year Fundraising Campaign with Will Smallwood Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

Launching a capital campaign is one thing. Raising over $200 million and outgrowing your original goals is another. In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Dr. Will Smallwood, Vice President for Advancement at Cedarville University, to unpack the story behind the wildly successful “One Thousand Days Transformed” campaign.

Dr. Smallwood shares the campaign’s roots in mission-first storytelling, how strategic planning turned into campus-wide buy-in, and what it really takes to build momentum, from data-informed planning to real-time transparency with donors. You’ll hear the lessons Cedarville learned while expanding a campaign goal from $125M to $175M, and ultimately raising over $205M. Plus, Will reflects on what he’d do differently, including that time they switched CRMs mid-campaign.

Links from the episode:

Connect with Will
Learn more about Cedarville University and the “One Thousand Days Transformed” campaign

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 62: How to Keep Donors Engaged When the Economy Tightens with Aarika Riddle Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus are joined by Aarika Riddle, Executive Director of Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, for a conversation about leading through uncertainty, stewarding well in challenging moments, and grounding your work in mission when fatigue sets in.

Aarika shares lessons from navigating multiple economic downturns in her fundraising career, including the 2008 recession and recent years of uncertainty. She gets tactical about the basics that still work (thank-you notes, stewardship, donor storytelling), how to personalize at scale using simple tools, and why leadership energy makes or breaks team morale.

Links from the episode:

Connect with Aarika
Learn more about Always Dream
Follow Always Dream on Instagram

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 61: Energized Fundraising: Happiness Habits for Long-Haul Success with Amy Eisenstein Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with capital campaign expert Amy Eisenstein of Capital Campaign Pro to demystify one of the most ambitious and often misunderstood fundraising tools in a nonprofit’s playbook: the capital campaign.

Amy shares her journey from development director to co-founder of a firm that has guided hundreds of organizations through campaigns ranging from $3M to $150M. You’ll learn the key elements of a successful campaign, including when to launch, who should consider one, how to engage donors, and why feasibility studies aren’t about saying “no,” they’re about choosing the right path forward.

This episode includes practical advice, like:

Why your internal team shouldn’t carry a campaign alone
How feasibility studies help you plan, not pause
What stewardship looks like during a multi-year fundraising effort
How technology can reduce burnout and elevate donor engagement
Why donor joy and fundraisers’ happiness habits matter in long campaigns

Links from the episode:

Listen to the All About Capital Campaigns podcast
Learn more about Capital Campaign Pro

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 60: The charity: water Experience Lab: Our Bet on In-Person, Immersive Storytelling with Viktoria Harrison Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott bring you the closing keynote from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Victoria Harrison, co-founder of Charity: Water, shares how they created an in-person, immersive storytelling experience that could deepen donor connection and spark transformative generosity.

From VR headsets and interactive water walks to science labs and kinetic sandboxes, the Experience Lab is unlike anything else in the nonprofit space. And it’s already raised $2 million in just a few months.

In this episode, Victoria shares:

Why small towns like Franklin can rival major cities for donor community-building
The importance of leading with a “hook” before sharing your mission
How immersive, tech-driven experiences can reignite giving in a post-COVID world
What it means to “zag when others zig” in nonprofit marketing

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 59: Calling All Heroes: Bridging the Divide in Modern Fundraising with Tammy Zonker Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraising powerhouse Tammy Zonker to talk about her new book, Calling All Heroes. Tammy brings 25+ years of experience and over $1B raised to the conversation. She shares why our sector needs a third way: human-centered fundraising.

From the hidden pitfalls of both donor and community-centered approaches to the practical steps organizations can take to adopt a more holistic model, this episode is filled with a whole lot of wisdom and inspiration. Plus, Tammy drops strategies for mid-level giving, donor acquisition, and how AI can actually free fundraisers up for the relational work that matters.

Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn
Learn more about Fundraising Transformed
Pre-order Calling All Heros

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 58: Top 3 Digital Marketing Mistakes You’re Probably Making and How to Fix Them with Chris Barlow, Brady Josephson, and Matt Scott Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Brady Josephson (Charity:Water), Chris Barlow (Beeline Marketing), and Matt Scott (CauseMic) tackle the three most common mistakes nonprofits make in marketing and engagement and how to avoid them.

From trying to do everything at once, to neglecting brand investment, to overcomplicating donor segmentation, this discussion is packed with tactical insights you can apply right away.

You’ll hear:

Why identifying your organization’s true “engine of growth” is critical
How to balance brand-building with direct response
The role of donor motivations in shaping meaningful segmentation
Practical ways to future-proof your nonprofit’s marketing

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 57: Multiplication Mindset: How Responsive Fundraisers Build Movements with Becky Endicott & Jonathan McCoy Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, John and Becky, co-founders of We Are For Good, talk movement-building from the stage at the Responsive Nonprofit Summit 2025.

John and Becky share their deeply practical framework for moving from donor acquisition to donor multiplication by centering believers, fueling joy, and letting go of control. Through stories from Komen, charity:water, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and their own early experiences in healthcare philanthropy, they make the case that responsive fundraising isn’t just a strategy, it’s a belief system.

You’ll walk away with:

The 8 steps to multiply your mission through community
A shift from passive donors to active builders
Practical ways to foster shared ownership and belonging
A reminder that joy is a powerful multiplier

🔗 Learn more at https://www.weareforgood.com/

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 56: Starting a Planned Giving Program That Lasts with Russell James Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Russell James, a leading voice in planned giving strategy, psychology, and research. Russell brings his unique background as a lawyer, fundraiser, college president, and now professor at Texas Tech, to unpack the practical steps any nonprofit can take to start (or strengthen) a planned giving program.

From the “magic age” for engagement to the psychology behind why donors give at end-of-life, this episode is packed with insights, phrases, and donor stories you can start using today.

You’ll also learn:

Why the biggest mistake fundraisers make is going radio silent on aging donors
How to use donor stories to create a powerful social norm
Which phrases work (and which don’t) when talking about estate gifts
How to motivate legacy giving without triggering death-avoidance
The secret to turning one legacy gift into two—starting now

Get your copy of The Socratic Fundraiser: https://www.encouragegenerosity.com/TheSocraticFundraiser.pdf

Get Russell’s other free resources here: https://encouragegenerosity.com/

Follow Encourage Generosity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/encouragegenerosity/

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 55: How to Manage your Mid-Major/Major Donor Portfolios for Real Results with Gail Perry, Missy Gale, and Andrew Olsen Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, fundraising experts Missy Gale (M. Gale & Associates), Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group), and Andrew Olsen (DickersonBakker) discuss how to balance long-term relationship building with the realities of fiscal year deadlines, limited capacity, and changing donor behaviors.

You’ll learn practical strategies for portfolio segmentation, leveraging donor signals, stewarding mid-level donors, and moving beyond “spray and pray” tactics.

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

EP 54: Breaking Down the 2025 Nonprofit Peer Report: Strategy, Systems, and Storytelling with Javan Van Gronigen Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Javan Van Gronigen, founder and creative director of Fifty & Fifty and Donately, to unpack the insights behind the 2025 Nonprofit Peer Report.

Javan shares surveying over 160 nonprofit leaders identified the top challenges nonprofit teams are facing today: misalignment, siloed data, brand confusion, and the inability to confidently execute digital strategies.

From the power of donor-centric messaging to the rise of personalized, AI-powered donor journeys, this conversation dives deep into the core disconnects that hinder generosity, and how organizations can close the gap.

👉 Download the full 2025 Nonprofit Peer Report here.

📥 Connect with Javan: Donately | Fifty & Fifty | LinkedIn

🎧 Explore Javan’s podcast: Good with Pixels

👉 Check out the blog “Do Nonprofits Need an AI Policy?”

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist