We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

Latest Episodes:

421. How to Build Organizational Capacity in a Season of Evolution - Karen Cochran May 10, 2023

Show notes

Meet Karen. She’s often heard saying fundraising isn’t about the dollars, but rather what the dollars can do. After leading and mentoring teams that raised more than $1 billion during her three-decade career, she launched Philanthropy Innovators to help organizations reimagine what’s possible in fundraising and advancement. We’re exploring everything from building organizational capacity to taking care of our teams. Karen is full of wisdom and we can’t wait to share her perspectives with the community 🤗
💡Learn

Evolving the sector’s mindsets, strategies and practices
The power of building organizational capacity
Overview of the MOST Philanthropy Model

Today's Guest
Karen Cochran, Founder + Chief Philanthropic Innovator, Philanthropy Innovators

Episode Highlights

Karen’s story and journey to where she is today (4:30)
Evolving the sector’s mindsets, strategies and practices (7:15)
The power of building organizational capacity (13:20)
Lessons learned from nonprofits incorporating innovation (16:25)
MOST Model (21:00)
The power of homegrown talent and sustainability (25:30)
Case Study: How University of Central Florida flexed a gift from MacKenzie Scott for an even greater and more sustainable community impact (29:25)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Karen's life (32:30)
Karen's One Good Thing: The only thing you control is how you react to the situation. (36:05)
How to connect with Karen and Philanthropy Innovators (36:35)

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/421.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.

Learn more and save your free spot today.

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Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

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420. Developing the Right Mindset to Unlock Innovation and Creativity - Virginia Almendarez May 08, 2023

Show notes

Meet Virgina. We feel like we are getting a treat today as we spend time with one of our favorite leadership coaches of all time. She’s in her 20th year in the nonprofit sector and has worked with incredible organizations like The Apollo Theater, the Puerto Rican Conservation Trust, New York University, and the City University of New York. Her love of coaching and empowering others is expansive and she’s the founder of Founder of Fund Strategy, a fundraising strategy and coaching consultancy. She’s bringing her expertise on how to stop shrinking ourselves and our capacity. Tune in to get into the right mindset to unlock innovation and creativity 🧠

💡Learn

How to develop mindsets that unlock innovation + creativity
The hidden beliefs in fundraising that are holding us back
Survival tactics vs thriving tactics

Today's Special Guest
Virginia Almendarez, Founder, Fund Strategy

Episode Highlights

Virginia’s story and journey to where she is today (4:00)
Developing the Right Mindset to Unlock Innovation and Creativity (12:00)
Aligning personal values and personal mission with your work (18:00)
Hidden Beliefs in Fundraising (23:00)
Survival tactics vs thriving tactics (24:00)
What is often the cause of (in)ability to bring innovation and creativity to our work (28:00)
Keeping balance with day-to-day work and keeping up with innovation (34:00)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Virginia’s life (41:00)
Virginia’s One Good Thing: You are perfect, whole, and complete. (44:00)
How people can connect with Virginia (45:00)

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/420.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

419. LIVE from New Orleans: Put the Good Back Into Marketing - Noah Barnett May 05, 2023

Show notes

While at AFP ICON, Jon and Becky were thrilled to sit down with some of our favorite people (live and in person!) including Noah Barnett, VP of Marketing at Feathr. Tune in for key findings from Feathr’s recently released State of Nonprofit Marketing Report. This report is 24 pages full of statistics and insights built directly off responses from over 400 marketers, fundraisers, leaders, and experts in the nonprofit and association sectors. One big discovery? Nonprofits who began by investing in understanding their community are having the greatest returns as they understand the power of discovery. Remember: Discovery first, strategy second. Tune in for more incredible insights👏

💡Learn

An overview of The State of Nonprofit Marketing Report
How to fight against scarcity mindsets
The importance of identifying what’s working at your org

*This special 3-part knowledge sharing Friday series is bringing you the top insights gleaned the sector’s largest international conference, AFP Icon. Why? Because we believe professional development should be accessible to everyone - not just those with the means to travel✈️

Today's Special Guest
Noah Barnett, VP of Marketing, Feathr
For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/419.

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418. Building Effective Email Marketing (spoiler: small nonprofits are killing it!) - Tim Sarrantonio May 03, 2023

Show notes

Meet Tim. Not only is he Director of Corporate Brand at Neon One, but he’s also the Vice Chair of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, which helps nonprofit organizations increase giving at a faster pace by providing them with tools for tracking and evaluating their annual growth in giving. He’s bringing his expertise and insights from recent fundraising reports and sharing the role email marketing plays in successful fundraising strategies right now. If you tuned in for episode 317, you might be asking yourself, “Two email convos in one week?” Yup! It’s really that important. Don’t miss it!

💡Learn

Overview of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project
Key findings from recent industry reports and other benchmarks
5️⃣Tips for creating effective emails
Case studies that serve as blueprints for building an effective email program

Today's Guest
Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Corporate Brand, Neon One + Vice Chair, Fundraising Effectiveness Project
For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/418.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

417. Your Email Marketing Masterclass - Katelyn Baughan May 01, 2023

Show notes

Meet Katelyn. After working with leading nonprofits and managing multi-million dollar digital fundraising campaigns, she fell in love with email marketing and its power to raise funds and increase ROI. She’s walking us through a mini email marketing masterclass and how to stand out in overflowing email accounts. Tune in as we dive into the marketing channel that has the highest return on investment 📧

💡Learn

The importance of email marketing + key KPIs
How to start your email list + create value to grow it
Case studies of orgs doing email well

Today's Guest
Katelyn Baughan, Founder, KB Digital
Episode Highlights

Katelyn’s story and journey to where she is today (2:20)
Tips for starting, analyzing and growing your email list (9:30)
Cutting through the noise in crowded inboxes (20:00)
Case studies (23:00)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Katelyn’s life (25:00)
Katelyn’s One Good Thing: Take a break and rest. (27:00)

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/417.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

416. The Funder’s Mindset: Building Authentic Relationships + Investing in Wellness - Liz Aybar Conti Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

It’s time to reimagine the funder/nonprofit relationship. We’re putting a flag in the ground to talk about how to evolve relationships and processes and make the grantee/funder relationship as symbiotic, empowering (and simple!) for all. This third conversation is examining authentic relationships and the role funders play in supporting wellness. Today’s guest Liz Aybar Conti is the CEO of Margulf Foundation and gets the most joy and energy from engaging with grantees and learning more about the communities they serve.
The Margulf Foundation is committed to expanding and improving learning opportunities for all youth in Colorado and beyond by partnering with leaders who are reimagining education with youth, families, and communities to move toward a more just and equitable future. Tune in to hear from a funder's perspective on creating collaborative spaces of belonging, where all people feel cared for and accepted🙌

💡Learn

The importance of wellness and collaboration
How to build authentic partnerships
New mindsets funders can utilize

Today’s Guest
Liz Aybar Conti, CEO, Margulf Foundation
For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/416.

About our Sponsor Bloomerang
Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit empowering kids and teens through the game of golf. Learn more today at bloomerang.com/weareforgood.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

415. From $275k to $51M: How to Become a High Growth Nonprofit - Matt Scott Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

Meet Matt. This fundraiser, author and CEO, once helped take an org from $275,000 raised to $51 million in seven years🤯 He’s now the CEO and Co-Founder of CauseMic, a consultancy that helps nonprofits grow their organizations using the best for-profit methods. In his new 🆓book, The High-Growth Nonprofit, he shares the lessons learned from more than a decade spent helping nonprofit leaders fully fund their missions, including numerous stints inside the walls of high-growth nonprofits. He’s diving into the insights he covers in the book with the We Are For Good Community. Tune in and grab your notepad because this is an episode to apply to your org today📝

💡Learn

The importance of shifting your mindset
Strategic planning + building the right systems for high-growth
How to activate + grow your revenue using these concepts

Today's Guest
Matt Scott, CEO and Co-founder, CauseMic

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/415.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

414. Meet the Mission: Cameras For Girls: Lifting Women's Voices Through Photography - Amina Mohamed Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Meet Amina. This founder is on a mission to fuel women’s empowerment and gender equity in Africa using photography as the catalyst. Amina came to Canada in 1972 as a refugee from Uganda and grew up connected to two vastly different countries and cultures. Her love of photography led her to spend 15 years in the film in TV industry until she founded Cameras for Girls. Through this nonprofit, participants receive a camera to keep and take part in a 4-phase photography and business-skills program to support their career goals. Tune in to hear about this incredible org that has successfully trained 47 girls in Uganda and created pathways for 65% of them to have full-time paid work in photography-related careers📸

💡Learn

Amina’s story and journey as a founder
Overview + Impact of Cameras for Girls
Ethical storytelling through the lens of photography

Today’s Guest
Amina Mohamed, Founder + Lead Photographer, Cameras For Girls

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/414.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

413. The Funder’s Mindset: Funding Beyond Checks: Enriching Partnerships to Fuel an Uprising - Sean Couch Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

It’s time to reimagine the funder/nonprofit relationship. We’re putting a flag in the ground to talk about how to evolve relationships and processes to make the grantee/funder relationship symbiotic, empowering (and simple!) for all. This second conversation is exploring creative funding and threading story in your ask with Sean Couch. As the President and Co-Trustee of the J.W. Couch Foundation, he believes funders can/should be doing more than simply writing a check.
Over the last five years, Sean has led his family's private foundation to donate nearly $10 million in grants to various nonprofit organizations across the country. They’ve participated in direct charitable activities to help nonprofit organizations raise greater awareness with high-production video assets and provided technical assistance to numerous boards. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at what really happens within foundations and how they want to partner with you on a deeper level👀

For more information + episode details visit: weareforgood.com/episode/413.

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

Learn more and save your free spot today.

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

412. How Cornell Reimagined Donor Engagement at Massive Scale - Ashley Budd Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

Meet Ashley. Ya’ll. We gotta talk about the jaw-dropping + disruptive + groundbreaking way Cornell reimagined its team structure to unleash radical engagement. Reorganizing teams can be anxiety-inducing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Cornell’s restructure led to a paradigm-shifting ripple in engagement - like moving from raising $600M to nearly $1B in less than three years🤯 This is a brilliant case study in how to radically unlock the potential of the bottom of your donor pyramid to yield big gains not just financially, but in engagement, story, awareness, event attendance, and loyalty🤝

Learn