First Day Podcast

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Angela Seaworth, Ph.D., MBA, ACFRE, Instructional Associate Professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University, to explore how fundraisers can move beyond annual and major gifts toward transformational giving. Seaworth explains that a transformational gift is not defined by a particular dollar amount. While headlines may focus on gifts of $20 million, $50 million, or more; a $250,000 gift, or even a much smaller investment, can be transformational if it changes an organization’s trajectory, expands its capacity, or makes exponential impact possible. The key is for each nonprofit to define transformational giving in the context of its own mission, scale, and ambitions. Seaworth emphasizes that transformational gifts begin with transformational ideas. Fundraisers and nonprofit leaders can sometimes limit themselves by worrying that an idea is too ambitious or an ask is too large, but donors capable of significant giving may be more inspired by bold possibilities than incremental improvements. Developing those opportunities requires an organizational culture that encourages innovation, visioning, and big-picture thinking across departments. Rather than expecting the development team to generate the next great idea alone, nonprofits can invite frontline staff, program leaders, executives, and fundraisers to imagine what greater impact could look like. Generating many ideas, including some that ultimately will not move forward, can help organizations identify the few opportunities with the greatest potential to advance the mission. Bill and Angela also discuss the importance of trust and co-creation in developing transformational gifts. Strong donor relationships involve communication, investment, and what Seaworth describes as “mutual influence,” giving donors an opportunity to share ideas and participate meaningfully in shaping possibilities without allowing the organization to become donor-directed. One practical approach is the longstanding fundraising principle, “If you want money, ask for advice.” Instead of arriving with a finished proposal, fundraisers can bring donors into conversations about an ambitious idea, ask what excites them, and listen for connections to their experiences, passions, and hopes for the organization. Seaworth notes that donors capable of making extraordinary gifts may be seeking something they cannot simply purchase for themselves: the opportunity to advance a cause they deeply value, contribute to meaningful change, and create a lasting legacy. The central takeaway is that transformational fundraising requires nonprofits to think bigger while remaining firmly grounded in mission, strategy, and relationships. One sign that a donor may be ready for a transformational conversation is the presence of multiple relationships across the organization, such as connections with fundraisers, program leaders, executives, or board members, which can deepen trust and demonstrate sustained engagement. Seaworth illustrates the point with an early-career example in which funding for something as unglamorous as a parking lot became transformational because it addressed a critical need and aligned with a donor’s passion for organizational sustainability. By cultivating innovative ideas, inviting donors into authentic conversations, and defining transformation according to what will genuinely move the mission forward, fundraisers can turn long-term relationships into opportunities for extraordinary impact.

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Jeff Grandy, Vice President of Client Development at Catapult Fundraising, to discuss why every nonprofit should be thinking seriously about legacy giving, and why the best planned gift prospects may already be hiding in plain sight. Grandy explains that while surprise million-dollar bequests make headlines, they are not the typical story. More often, legacy donors are ordinary, deeply committed supporters whose long-term loyalty to an organization matters far more than the size of their annual gifts. Grandy shares that loyalty is one of the strongest indicators of a potential legacy donor. At Catapult Fundraising, his team has found that donors with roughly 11 years of consecutive giving or 14 years of non-consecutive giving can be especially strong prospects, though organizations should adapt those benchmarks to their own donor base. A supporter giving $25 a year for more than a decade may be every bit as worthy of a legacy conversation as a major donor. The key is to look beyond wealth indicators and pay attention to sustained engagement, including donors, volunteers, alumni, grateful patients, and others who have maintained a meaningful connection to the mission. Bill and Jeff also explore how fundraisers can begin those conversations without making planned giving feel uncomfortable or overly complicated. The starting point is curiosity, not a discussion about wills, death, or tax law. Fundraisers can simply ask longtime supporters why they continue to give, what they value about the organization, and what impact they hope to see continue in the future. Grandy emphasizes the importance of listening for those values, sharing appropriate donor stories, and allowing the relationship to develop over time. In his experience, legacy conversations may unfold across several interactions over six to 18 months, although some donors are already waiting to be asked; Catapult has found that about 25 percent of donors contacted during outreach say they have already included the organization in their plans. The central takeaway is that legacy giving should be treated as part of a nonprofit’s overall fundraising strategy, not as a separate activity reserved for wealthy donors or large development teams. Strong annual giving systems, thoughtful donor stewardship, and long-term relationship building can all support a healthy legacy pipeline. By recognizing loyalty, approaching donors with authentic curiosity, and advocating for long-term sustainability alongside immediate fundraising needs, organizations can help supporters extend their values far into the future, and create transformational impact in the process. Stay Connected with The Fund Raising School 🔗 Explore courses and resources: https://bit.ly/3QKSAEn 🤝 Join the The Fund Raising School – Changemakers Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/21740024/ 📱 Follow us for more fundraising insights: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefundraisingschool/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingschool/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFundRaisingSchool

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Lisa Chmiola, MS, CFRE, CSPG, Director of Legacy and Gift Planning for Children’s Medical Center Foundation in Dallas, to discuss how fundraisers can make planned giving less intimidating and build support for it across an entire nonprofit organization. Chmiola shares her own path into gift planning, which began in event-based fundraising before moving into individual giving. Her experience offers reassurance for fundraisers who may feel overwhelmed by planned giving: you do not need to become an expert in every type of charitable gift at once. Instead, she recommends starting with common approaches such as bequests, beneficiary designations, appreciated securities, qualified charitable distributions, and donor-advised fund grants. More complex gifts can be handled with support from attorneys, community foundations, financial professionals, and other experts. Bill and Lisa also explore why planned giving should not be treated as a separate fundraising function. A strong gift planning program can strengthen long-term sustainability while supporting current fundraising goals. Loyal annual fund donors, even those giving modest amounts each year, may eventually become significant legacy donors. Conversations about non-cash assets can also reveal resources donors may never have considered using philanthropically. With less than 3 percent of wealth in the United States held in cash, fundraisers should recognize that a donor’s capacity to give often extends far beyond a checking account or paycheck. Those conversations require fundraisers to listen carefully and feel comfortable suggesting possibilities. A donor may mention securities, retirement assets, real estate, or other property without realizing those assets could be used for charitable giving. Chmiola emphasizes that fundraisers do not need to provide legal or financial advice themselves. Their role is to recognize opportunities, remain in relationship with the donor, and connect them with the appropriate professionals when needed. Organizations also need to be prepared for complex and non-cash gifts. Chmiola recommends that every nonprofit understand its gift acceptance policy, or create one if none exists. A strong policy defines which gifts the organization will accept, which require additional review, and which could create more cost or liability than benefit. A racehorse, for example, may appear valuable until boarding, feeding, veterinary care, and other expenses consume the proceeds from its sale. Real estate can bring its own requirements, including title reviews, inspections, and environmental assessments. That ability to say no is part of responsible stewardship. Fundraisers are not obligated to accept every asset simply because it is offered with charitable intent. Instead, gift planning should begin with the donor’s “why”: why they care, what impact they want to make, and only then how the gift should be structured. If one asset is not a good fit, the fundraiser can help identify another path. The central takeaway is that planned giving works best when it is integrated into the organization’s broader fundraising strategy. By building internal confidence, understanding common giving vehicles, adopting thoughtful gift acceptance policies, and keeping the donor’s goals at the center of the conversation, organizations can create meaningful opportunities for supporters to give both today and in the future.

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Adrian Sargeant, Ph.D., co-director of the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy and a pioneering researcher in donor relationships, stewardship, and fundraising, to explore what it really means when fundraisers say that fundraising is “all about relationships.” Drawing on decades of research, Sargeant explains how his own thinking about fundraising has evolved. Rather than viewing fundraising simply as raising money for a good cause, he now describes the profession as being responsible for “stewarding the human capacity to love.” That shift changes how fundraisers think about donor relationships, moving beyond traditional measures such as satisfaction, trust, and commitment toward three deeper dimensions: identity, well-being, and love. Sargeant begins with donor identity and the importance of understanding not merely why donors give, but who they believe themselves to be when they give. Simple surveys asking supporters for five words that describe themselves, and five words describing themselves as supporters of the organization, can reveal language that fundraisers can incorporate into communications. Instead of simply thanking someone for a “kind donation,” for example, an organization might thank the donor “for your kindness,” reinforcing the donor’s sense of identity and creating a warmer, more personal experience. Bill and Adrian also explore three elements of donor well-being: connection, autonomy, and competence. Donors may want to feel connected to beneficiaries, a particular community, an organization’s mission, a faith tradition, or even a beloved institutional brand. They also benefit from feeling that they exercised meaningful choice and personally helped make something happen. Finally, donors want to feel competent in expressing their care for others. Fundraising communications that intentionally reinforce these experiences can strengthen relationships while also producing measurable financial results. Those results can be substantial. Sargeant says that experiments incorporating identity and well-being into fundraising communications have often doubled campaign income after several rounds of testing. Even relatively simple changes in the language used to describe donors have produced increases in giving of more than 20 percent. The goal, however, is not manipulation. It is to communicate in ways that more accurately reflect who donors are, what they value, and how they want their philanthropy to feel. For organizations with limited staff and resources, Sargeant recommends starting with simple, practical steps. A short donor survey can become part of the stewardship process while generating valuable information about identity and preferred connections. Organizations can then use those insights to improve communications and segmentation: learning which beneficiaries, causes, or aspects of the mission individual donors most want to feel connected to. The approach does not require an enormous donor relations department, but it does require curiosity, intentionality, and support from organizational leadership. The central takeaway is that effective donor relationships begin with seeing donors as people rather than transactions. Philanthropy itself is rooted in the idea of “love for humankind,” and Sargeant’s research offers fundraisers practical, evidence-based ways to bring that idea into everyday stewardship. By understanding donor identity, strengthening well-being, and creating warmer, more personal communications, fundraisers can help supporters experience greater joy in giving while building the kind of relationships that lead to sustainable, lifelong philanthropy.

In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Vicki Pugh, CFRE, CAP, CEO of Advancement Experts and longtime faculty member with The Fund Raising School, to explore how fundraisers can begin using artificial intelligence with confidence, curiosity, and a healthy dose of caution. Drawing on decades of fundraising experience, Pugh describes her own entry into AI as a self-described “low tech girl living in a high-tech world.” Formal training helped her move beyond simply experimenting with large language models to understanding how better prompts could produce useful results. She explains that AI can accelerate tasks such as writing, summarizing, donor research, and data analysis, while giving fundraisers more time to focus on strategy and relationships. Bill and Vicki also emphasize an essential rule for using AI responsibly: verify the results. AI tools can hallucinate, produce inaccurate information, or present incomplete findings with confidence. Fundraisers should compare outputs across tools and continue using trusted sources such as donor research platforms, public records, organizational databases, and other established resources. AI can dramatically speed up the research process, but it should support professional judgment rather than replace it. Pugh shares several examples of how AI-assisted data analysis can translate into practical fundraising strategy. For one organization, analyzing giving patterns revealed unusually strong retention at a longstanding $350 giving level. That insight led to a strategy for encouraging donors to move toward $500 gifts, contributing to an additional $30,000 in fundraising. In another case, AI-supported analysis helped a nonprofit respond to a board request to increase annual fundraising from $2 million to $3 million by using historical growth rates to establish more realistic goals and identify the staffing and investment that additional growth would require. These examples demonstrate that AI is not only for large universities, hospitals, or nonprofits with sophisticated technology teams. Smaller organizations and one-person fundraising shops can use the same tools to examine retention, donor upgrades, acquisition opportunities, giving ranges, campaign goals, and other patterns that might otherwise require hours of manual analysis. Used effectively, AI can become an equalizer by helping organizations with limited staff access information and insights more quickly. At the same time, Pugh stresses that the “human element” remains indispensable. AI can identify where donor numbers, dollars, or retention rates are improving or declining, but fundraisers must decide what those patterns mean and how to respond. The technology may generate possibilities, but people still develop the personal outreach, communications, stewardship, renewal, and upgrade strategies that turn information into stronger donor relationships. As Bill notes, one of AI’s most valuable roles may be idea generation rather than simply producing answers. The central takeaway is simple: fundraisers do not need to become technology experts overnight, but they do need to remain curious and continue learning. Pugh encourages professionals to take courses, learn from colleagues who understand AI, experiment with multiple platforms, and gradually build their skills. AI adoption is a journey, not a competition. By combining new technology with fundraising experience, verification, and human judgment, fundraisers can save time, gain better information, and make stronger strategic decisions.