Responsive Lab Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 43: Turning Event Attendees into Long-Term Donors with Sam Staley [Ask a Responsive Fundraiser] Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Ask a Responsive Fundraiser, Sam Staley, Founder and CEO of Event.Gives, joins us to challenge traditional metrics of event success. From the power of personalized thank-you messages to the concept of “dollars in the room,” Sam shares actionable strategies nonprofits can use to grow giving long after the event ends.

This episode is packed with real-world insights on how fundraisers can:

Rethink event ROI with a lifetime donor lens
Use integrated CRMs and event tools for faster, smarter follow-up
Create automated drip campaigns that boost attendance and giving
Identify and recover missed revenue through post-event data
Build lasting donor relationships through continued engagement

You can learn more about Event.Gives here.

EP 42: Navigating Budget Cuts, Donor Shifts, and Uncertainty with Barbara O’Reilly Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

What do you do when your nonprofit loses 75% of its budget overnight?

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, fundraising veteran Barbara O’Reilly of Windmill Hill Consulting joins co-hosts Scott Holthaus and Carly Berna for a deeply practical and human conversation about leading through financial turbulence.

From donor shifts and budget cuts to internal turmoil and board conversations, Barbara offers honest, tactical advice for nonprofit leaders facing hard realities including how to communicate transparently without overwhelming your supporters, how to prioritize donor retention over acquisition, and how to forecast when the future feels fuzzy.

Whether you’re navigating today’s headwinds or preparing for tomorrow’s, this episode will leave you with practical tools and encouraging perspective.

Connect with Barbara at https://whillconsulting.com/ and on LinkedIn.

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

EP 41: Designing & Scaling a Donor Retention Strategy In 2025 with Christine Robertson and John Mark Vanderpool Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus bring you a featured session from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Join Christine Robertson from NPact and John Mark Vanderpool from Social Impact Solutions as they sit down with Virtuous DBA-in-residence, Kayla Schneider, to tackle one of the biggest challenges in nonprofit fundraising: donor retention.

This episode dives deep into practical strategies for increasing donor loyalty by using better data, smarter segmentation, and personalized multi-channel outreach. From reducing duplicates and calculating your churn rate to aligning your entire team around shared goals, Christine and John offer tactical advice grounded in real nonprofit experience.

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

EP 40: Creating Memorable Experiences for Modern Donors with Brand Building with Brady Josephson Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Brady Josephson, VP of Marketing and Growth at charity:water.

Brady makes the case for long-term brand marketing in a nonprofit world obsessed with short-term returns. He unpacks how charity:water’s latest initiatives — including their immersive Experience Lab and viral “Work from Bed” campaign — are using creativity and real-world touchpoints to increase future donor demand and loyalty.

From the difference between performance and brand marketing to tangible ways nonprofits can create their own pattern interruptions, this episode is a practical and inspiring masterclass in modern donor engagement.

🔗 Follow Brady on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradyjosephson

🔗 Learn more about charity:water: charitywater.org

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

EP 39: Scaling Relational Giving Through Giving Circles with Emily Rasmussen [Ask a Responsive Fundraiser] Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Ask a Responsive Fundraiser, we’re joined by Emily Rasmussen, founder of Grapevine, the platform behind the growing Giving Circle movement.

Emily brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, impact finance, and community organizing. She shares how responsive fundraisers can shift from transactional giving to relational belonging.

You’ll hear:

• What it actually means to build a donor community

• Why collaborative giving is on the rise (and what’s driving it)

• How to recognize the real competition for donor attention

• Why peer connections often build more trust than staff alone

• How to scale relationship-building without scaling headcount

The average across the nonprofit industry is that only 2% of new donations are set up to recur. On Grapevine, more than 50% of new donations are set up to recur.

By inviting donors into genuine community (not just another appeal cycle) nonprofits can unlock generosity, deepen trust, and increase lifetime value.

Connect with Emily & More Resources:

• How to start a Giving Circle for your Nonprofit - it's a very fast and easy process to get started

• Harnessing Collaborative Impact: How Giving Circles Elevate Nonprofits

• Connect with Grapevine

EP 38: Beyond the Ask: Why Donor Lifetime Value Should Shape Your Strategy with John Mark Vanderpool Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

In this data-packed episode of The Responsive Lab, Scott Holthaus and Carly Berna sit down with John Mark Vanderpool, co-founder of Social Impact Solutions, to talk all things Donor Lifetime Value (LTV).

John Mark brings a unique perspective — combining nonprofit experience, impact evaluation, and business acumen — to help leaders rethink their fundraising strategy. In the episode, you’ll explore how understanding and leveraging donor LTV can completely shift your acquisition strategy, communications, and ultimately, your impact.

John Mark shares:

Why LTV isn’t just for startups anymore
Balancing acquisition cost and donor value
The case for quality over quantity in donor portfolios
How to calculate and apply long-term net metrics
Real examples of using social impact data to engage ideal donors

Plus, you’ll hear a powerful story of a nonprofit that drove 7-figure revenue through clever acquisition strategy without spending a dime on fundraising.

📌 Explore more from Social Impact Solutions at https://www.socialimpactsolutions.com/

📌 Take the free fundraising quiz at https://www.fundraisingquiz.org/

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

EP 37: Leading Change with Empathy: The PAUSE Framework for Nonprofits with Heather Hiscox Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Heather Hiscox, social impact strategist and author of No More Status Quo, to unpack how nonprofits can lead organizational change with empathy, inclusion, and clarity. Heather shares the story behind her innovative PAUSE Framework — a practical, five-step method to navigate uncertainty and build sustainable change.

From challenging the myths of startup culture to redefining change management through a lens of love, care, and equity, Heather reveals the tools nonprofit leaders need to stop defaulting to consultants or technology as a silver bullet — and start empowering their teams through behavioral change and continuous learning.

💡 Learn how to:

Redesign your change processes with intentional empathy
Shift from assumptions to co-designed solutions
Use stakeholder interviews to fuel real transformation
Apply behavioral testing before full-scale implementation

📚 Explore more of Heather’s work:

The PAUSE Framework: https://www.pauseforchange.com/
Her book “No More Status Quo”: https://letherspeakusa.org/no-more-status-quo/
Online conversation series: https://www.possibilityproject.org/

Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity.

Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers.

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

EP 36: From Story to Strategy: Marketing That Drives Donor Action with Aidan Augustin Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Aidan Augustin, Co-founder and CRO at Feathr, to unpack how to turn your story into a strategy that actually drives donor action.

Nonprofits are facing real headwinds — from declining trust to loud public skepticism. But Aidan makes the case that now is the time for nonprofit leaders to get louder, not quieter. With humor, clarity, and tactical advice, Aidan explains how digital marketing can fuel fundraising success and help change the narrative around nonprofit impact.

You’ll learn how to:

Use storytelling to counter negative press and drive action
Map your donor journey with a marketing funnel mindset
Start with bottom-of-funnel wins like retargeting and work your way up
Integrate marketing and fundraising for better results
Measure ROI on marketing and prove its value to your board

🔗 Learn more about Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/

🔗 Connect with Aidan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanaugustin/

Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers.

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

EP 35: The Mid-Level Multiplier Effect: How to Transform Your Major Gift Pipeline with Jeff Schreifels Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Mid-level donors are often overlooked. But in this episode of The Responsive Lab, Jeff Schreifels joins co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus to explain why that’s a costly mistake.

As Principal at the Veritus Group and a recognized authority in major gifts, Jeff shares the pivotal role mid-level giving plays in a healthy donor pipeline. He breaks down the common roadblocks nonprofits unintentionally put in front of givers and offers practical guidance for teams ready to take their mid-level programs seriously.

💡 Learn more about Jeff and Veritus Group at veritusgroup.com

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

EP 34: How AI is Transforming Fundraising and Donor Relationships with Gabe Cooper and Nathan Chappell Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, we’re exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and human empathy with two visionary leaders at Virtuous: Gabe Cooper, CEO and Founder, and Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer.

They unpack the myths, ethics, and incredible potential of AI to help nonprofits grow generosity at scale, without sacrificing what makes fundraising meaningful. From automating repetitive work to enabling truly personal donor experiences, this conversation reframes the future of fundraising not as human or machine, but human plus machine.

Listen in as they explore:

What ethical AI really means in a nonprofit context
How AI can free up fundraisers to focus on what matters most
Real-world examples of AI driving donor engagement
Why the future belongs to responsive, data-driven fundraising teams

Listen and learn how AI, when built for good, can help you do more of the right things for more of the right people.

The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous. Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers.

Get a copy of Gabe's book: https://virtuous.org/resource/responsive-fundraising-by-gabe-cooper/

Get Nathan's books: https://nathanchappell.com/books/

Explore Nathan's blog: https://nathanchappell.com/resources/

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

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