The ENGAGE Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 224: Women’s Rights: Remaining Obstacles and the Path Ahead Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

International Women’s Day is on March 8th, 2022, and it’s a good time to think about the state of women and girls worldwide, how current events may make violence and abuse even worse than they were, and how to move forward by empowering each other.

Today’s guest is Vesna Jaric, the Interim Chief of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. Listen to the episode to learn about Vesna’s role at the Trust Fund and how current events affect the state of women and girls around the world.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Vesna’s role at the UN Trust Fund to end Violence Against Women
The state of women and girls around the world
How the pandemic has exacerbated violence against women
The universality of violence against women
How the organizations the UN Trust Fund is supporting has stepped in for women and girls
The lagging of representation and resources for organizations that address violence against women
How to increase resources for organizations that help women and girls
How listeners can follow the research that Vesna is involved in

Resources:

Vesna Jaric

Learning from Practice: The Impact of COVID-19 on Violence Against Women and Girls

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women

SHINE

UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women on Twitter

UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women on Instagram

Quotes:

“So far, the fund has supported more than 600 organizations in 140 countries and territories across the world.”

“I would argue that violence against women and girls is probably the oldest and most persistent problem the world is dealing with.”

“Women’s rights organizations have been the first responders.”

Episode 223: Setting Yourself (and Your Candidates) Up for Success in the Hiring Process Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Many organizations are struggling to hire right now. Is there a way you can set yourself and your candidate up for success?

We are highlighting an excerpt from the Skills UP Webinar Series where Deb Taft, CEO of Lindauer Global, will be talking about the dynamics of hiring and how you can achieve success in effective retention. Listen to what she has to say about the Great Resignation, the rise of freelancers and gig workers, and the remote/in-person hybrid.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Why talent is more complex than ever
The Great Resignation
Lack of loyalty
Freelancers and gig workers making up more of the workforce
2020-21 Employee PTSD
Reevaluation of life and work, work/life balance
The remote/in-person hybrid recalibration
Multiple interviews.
Staying in communication with candidates
Tax laws and wages for remote workers
Pre-COVID norms have been profoundly changed
Expect disruptions and plan interventions

Resources:

Deb Taft

Skills Up FREE Webinar Series for nonprofit managers

The Future of Executive Search

To Attract Talented Fundraisers of Color, Get Your House in Order

CASE xChange Podcast; President and CEO Sue Cunningham interviews Lindauer CEO Deb Taft

4 Keys for Attracting, Hiring and Retaining a Successful Major Gift Team

Quotes:

“I think one of the dynamics to think about is that there is very little loyalty.”

“So, hiring is on steroids, and if you are struggling to retain and hire, you are not alone.”

“I just need people to understand, that employees will choose you, talent will choose you, or not, depending on what’s possible.”

Episode 222: U.S. Public Policy: Look Ahead for 2022 Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Public policy impacts decisions made around charitable giving. These policies can influence how people give, when they give, and how much they give. So what are the likely effects for 2022?

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Brian Flahaven to learn how policies have impacted giving over the past few years and what’s ahead for the coming year. Listen in to hear what Brian has to say about his role in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and what they do, what current legislation is on the table, and whether Brian believes it will gain traction this year.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

What CASE does
How charitable giving has been impacted by change over the past couple of years
How current legislation can encourage donation
Whether Brian expects legislation that positively impacts giving to gain traction by the end of the year
Trends that CASE is seeing in giving to education
Call to action for listeners

Resources:

Brian Flahaven

Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report

Quotes:

“Having an incentive there, sending that signal, will encourage more Americans hopefully to give even more to charitable organizations during these difficult times.”

“In the tax world, it’s pretty much been a partisan game over the past few years.”

“A lot of institutions are actually creating their own giving days.”

Episode 221: Why You Need a Mentor Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Do you need a mentor? Do you know what kind of mentor you need, or what you’re looking to gain from a mentoring relationship? In today’s episode, Tiffany Crumpton, Vice President of Renewals and Retention at Blackbaud and active member of Blackbaud's Senior Women's Community, joins the podcast to discuss mentorship. Listen in to learn about what mentorship means and how it differs from sponsorship, the different kinds of mentors out there, and how to get the most out of a mentor.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

How Tiffany defines mentoring and what it means to her
What sponsorship means
The different kinds of mentors
What to think about identifying a mentor
How to get the most out of a mentor
The importance of checking back in
One of Tiffany’s experiences with a mentor relationship

Resources:

Tiffany Crumpton

Quotes:

“When you’re identifying a mentor, be really upfront with them about why you’re asking them, why you thought of that person.”

“I also believe that the best mentors are always mentees themselves.”

“Look for the type of sponsor you want, the gender doesn’t matter.”

Episode 220: Embrace Innovation for Launching Donation Opportunities Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Giving doesn’t stay static. As things change and more innovations become available, giving changes with it, and that’s true for the upcoming year too. Today, you’ll be hearing about some of the changes and giving and how social good organizations and donors are affected.

Sonia Nigam, Co-founder and CEO of Change, and Amar Shah, Co-founder and President of Change, discuss changes in online shopping, how social good organizations are adjusting to cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and what’s going to happen going forward in 2022

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

How the online giving landscape is changing
How the online shopping experience is changing
What is crypto is and how it’s used
The number of nonprofits accepting cryptocurrency
How many donors are interested in giving via cryptocurrency
What NFTs are and how it could be used in giving
How NFTs can become a bigger part of online strategies
What’s going to happen in giving in 2022
Advice for social good organizations
Convincing leaders and staffers to be willing to experiment
How listeners can learn more about what’s happening at Change

Resources:

Sonia Nigam

Amar Shah

Change Blog

Quotes:

“I feel like one of the most interesting evolutions around giving today is how it’s becoming more experience-based.” –Sonia Nigam

“Social good’s really at the foundation of this ecosystem.” –Sonia Nigam

“I think one of the biggest things that’s going to continue is the increase in online giving, either via e-commerce or even via cryptocurrency.” –Amir Shah

Episode 219: Cybersecurity 101 Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

What do you know about cybersecurity? You’re probably aware that it’s a threat, but if you don’t know what cybersecurity threats entail or how to increase your own security, how can you really protect yourself or your organization? Listen in to this BBCon excerpt to learn about some of the basics of cybersecurity, including what the risks and threats are, steps you can take to protect yourself, and how to implement policies at the workplace that protect your company.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

What cybersecurity is and what it’s for
The cybersecurity threat landscape
Understanding what you’re up against
Types of cyber threats
Remote work threats
Password security measures
Multifactor identification
Secure wifi
Protecting your company
Implementing security policies

Resources:

Cybersecurity Tip Sheet

Cybersecurity Industry Standards

Security at Blackbaud Overview

Quotes:

“Additionally, 85% of the breaches that happen involve some sort of human element.”

“Bottom line, social engineering takes advantage of someone going about their usual day.”

“If you receive an email, phone call, or voicemail that feels odd, it probably is.”

Episode 218: Recurring Giving and Donor Retention Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

Trends in giving and donor retention are an important topic in the fundraising landscape, and at this time of year, it’s a good idea to take a look at what’s been happening in the fundraising world. Looking closely at giving and donor retention now with help you get a handle on end-of-the-year giving and some clarity about what will be coming in the new year. Listen in to this episode to hear from Erica Wassdorp about current fundraising trends, how online giving has developed in different kinds of organizations, and how to handle benefits for recurring donors.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Standout trends in the overall fundraising landscape
How picking up new donors, even at lower amounts, creates opportunities for recurring giving
Where the focus on recurring giving has come from
The history of recurring giving in certain kinds of organizations
The proliferation of online giving
Which groups to start with when it comes to moving to recurring gifting
The benefits of recurring giving for donors
Why you should keep monthly donation benefits simple
Finding a driver for your goal

Resources:

Erica Waasdorp

Blackbaud Institute Retention Toolkit

Quotes:

“We have to tell them that they can make a difference even when it’s with a smaller recurring gift.”

“I think the other piece that has really helped with that, of course, is the whole digital, online opportunities.”

“The only promise you want to make to your new monthly donor is that they’re going to get updates from you.”

Episode 217: Business Problem to Solve? Find out the Why Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

Are you dealing with problems in your organizations and wondering why you can’t solve them, or why you can’t solve them in a lasting way? Listen in to this excerpt from bbcon 2021 Virtual, where Sarah Beauregard, Senior Process Engineer at Blackbaud, discusses root cause analysis.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Why some solutions to business problems don’t work
The kinds of business problems your organization needs to solve
Root cause analysis technique
Definition of root cause
Looking at the cause-and-effect chain
Problem solving collaboratively
Three steps to perform root cause analysis
- Describe
- Identify the Whys
- Action
Who can use this method

Resources:

Sarah Beauregard

Root Cause analysis document

Quotes:

“If we pull up the weed by the root, it won’t come back.”

“Also as a part of this step, we identify who those subject matter experts are that could help determine why this problem might be happening.”

“The real value here comes from engaging those subject matter experts on a guided conversation to get to that root cause.”

Episode 216: What You Need to Know about Corporate Philanthropy Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

What do social good organizations need to know about corporate philanthropy? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Julia Beltran, partnership specialist from Double the Donation, to learn more about corporate giving programs and how to promote them. Listen to the episode to hear what Julia has to say about common types of corporate philanthropy, data points on matching gift programs, and how to boost a companies’ matching gift percentage.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

Who Julia is and what her role is at Double the Donation
Common types of corporate philanthropy
How companies enable their employees to do good things in the world
Employee voices in who companies support
How consumers can engage with products
Data points on matching gift programs
How people are engaging in matching gift programs
How companies can boost their matching gift percentage
Guidance about promoting matching gift programs
Resources to learn more about matching gifts

Resources:

Julia Beltran

Double The Donation

Quotes:

“Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs, so quite a lot.”

“I think that people do engage in matching gift programs, but they don’t nearly engage as much as they could.”

“Engaging donors during the giving process, or like right when they’re about to give, is a great way to encourage people to submit matching gift requests.”

Episode 215: Embracing New Volunteer Trends in a Virtual World Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Volunteering is changing. Many volunteer opportunities went virtual because of the pandemic, and like other types of work, it may never look exactly like it did in a pre-pandemic world. So what does volunteering look like now? What resources are there for professionals in this space who want to learn more about how volunteering has changed and how to rise to those changes? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Ben Sampson of WeHero. Listen to the conversation to learn more about what WeHero does, the latest trends and changes in the volunteering space, and how to provide new and different volunteer opportunities.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

About WeHero
What trends and changes Ben is seeing in volunteering
How the global landscape is shifting
Volunteering as education
Making sure there are new and different volunteer opportunities
Resources for CSR professionals

Resources:

Ben Sampson

WeHero

Quotes:

“Workers are going to come out of this really wanting agency in how and where they work, but also that ability to really connect meaningfully with people.”

“One of the big pros that we noticed is we saw people from different countries, different cultures, connecting over a common cause and volunteering.”

“Adobe does a really good job of building a portfolio of numerous different kinds of volunteer opportunities.”

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