The Nonprofit Science Podcast

How do you know your program is working? You know it works and you see it every day. But translating that into evidence that satisfies stakeholders? That's where things get complicated. In this episode, we dig into peer-reviewed research to understand why impact measurement is so challenging and what works. We explore the five factors that make measurement credible, why starting with purpose beats starting with methods, and how learning-oriented cultures turn data into real decisions. Plus, we use the SIGNALS framework: a seven-step approach for tackling measurement challenges systematically. Whether you're struggling with funder requirements, drowning in data that doesn't get used, or just looking for a smarter approach, this episode offers research-backed strategies you can apply immediately.

"Collaboration" has become one of the most diluted words in the nonprofit sector. Funders push for it, grant applications require it, and yet most partnerships are coordination at best, administrative burden at worst. Dr. Priyanka Brunese and Pallavi Gupta of Saath Partners have spent years researching why some cross-sector partnerships create genuine value while others stall out. In this episode, they break down the spectrum from cooperation to true partnership, explain why most nonprofit collaborations get stuck in transactional mode, and introduce the concept of collaborative advantage. We dig into real examples, including how one homeless shelter built a network of shared-value partnerships that expanded services without expanding budgets. We also get honest about what goes wrong: operational misalignment, power dynamics, and partnership fatigue. If collaboration has felt like more trouble than it's worth, this episode offers a different path forward.

We talk a lot about best practices in this sector, but what if the better question is: how do we keep getting better? In this episode, I sit down with Leah Kral— author of Innovation for Social Change: How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results—to explore how nonprofit organizations can embrace experimentation without big budgets or safety nets. Leah shares her journey from the for-profit world to the Peace Corps in Jamaica to two decades of helping nonprofit teams think more strategically. We dig into the relationship between scientific thinking and an innovation mindset, why running small experiments beats betting big on a single idea, and how to know when something isn't working. We also tackle a provocative question: Is innovation actually an ethical obligation for nonprofits? Leah makes the case that staying curious and questioning our assumptions isn't risky. It's due diligence. In fact, as she says, "every nonprofit is a hypothesis." Whether you're leading an organization or working on the front lines, this conversation will challenge how you think about trying new things.

What does it really mean for a nonprofit to succeed? How do you build trust with funders, and does celebrating wins help as much as we think? In this year-end reflection, I share five research articles that genuinely changed how I think about nonprofit work. We'll explore why impact is only one piece of organizational health, what transparency does for donor relationships (spoiler: it's not what you'd expect), why radical innovation requires totally different conditions than incremental change, what makes AI in fundraising work, and how identity shapes giving in ways our models often miss. Whether you're an executive director, development professional, board member, or just someone who cares about making this sector stronger, these insights offer fresh perspective heading into the new year.

As the year winds down and your finance team fields last-minute reports, board meeting materials, and budget questions, it's worth asking: is your organization's relationship with money working? In this episode, I sit down with Sean Hale, founder of Nonprofit CFOs, to talk about what healthy financial management really looks like. We dig into why year-end is a particularly tough time for nonprofit administrative teams, why sharing bad financial news builds more trust than hiding it, and how visual dashboards can transform a disengaged board into strategic partners. Sean also challenges some conventional wisdom that caught me off guard- like why a fifth-grade math teacher might make a better treasurer than a CPA, and when running a deficit is actually a sign of smart leadership. Whether you're prepping for year-end board meetings or rethinking how your team engages with finances heading into the new year, this conversation is full of practical shifts you can make right now.

You send thank-you letters. Your acknowledgements go out like clockwork. But are those thank-yous actually working? In this episode, we dive deep into the research on donor appreciation- and what we find may surprise you. Thank-you notes are just one tool in your gratitude toolbox, and their effectiveness depends on how you use them. Studies reveal that acknowledgements have the greatest impact on certain donors, that physical letters outperform emails, and that the pathway to repeat giving runs primarily through one pathway. We explore the four dimensions of stewardship, why some donors prefer private recognition over public acknowledgement, and how to segment your appreciation strategies for maximum impact. Plus, practical implementation tips you can put into action tomorrow.

Is Giving Tuesday worth it, or will your appeal just get lost in the noise? It may feel like you're competing against thousands of other organizations for a fixed pool of charitable dollars on Giving Tuesday- there's a reason people refer to it as the "nonprofit hunger games." But what if this assumption is wrong? In this episode, we dive into research that suggests giving days like Giving Tuesday don't simply raise a lot of money- they actually expand the total pool of charitable dollars for all nonprofits. We break down the psychology behind why donors actually give more during crowded giving days, how to leverage the power of coordinated giving to run a successful Giving Tuesday campaign, and what the research means for your year-end strategy.

You know GivingTuesday as this massive global day of generosity. But, alongside leading this movement, GivingTuesday’s research team has been building a powerful data resource for the entire nonprofit sector. On this episode, we are joined by Samir Khan, Director of Research at GivingTuesday. He shares how their Data Commons is making critical fundraising analysis available for nonprofits of all sizes and, perhaps more importantly, how you can think about using this information in your own nonprofit. Learn why community-based campaigns may outperform solo efforts, how social media engagement might be just as valuable as immediate donations, and what the data reveals about the true state of generosity in our communities.

What if your donors' most valuable contributions aren't their checks? Research reveals that nonprofits tracking only financial donations could have a blind spot. Other forms of capital- such as social capital, relational capital, and network effects- might actually predict long-term sustainability more than immediate financial donations do. In this episode, we explore why a donor's social connections might be worth more than their annual gift, how relationship depth drives giving across five distinct tiers, and why organizations investing in social capital are more resilient. You'll discover how to identify and cultivate multiple forms of capital and practical frameworks for measuring the invisible assets that traditional fundraising metrics can’t measure. Whether you're a development director, nonprofit executive, or board member, you'll gain evidence-based strategies for building sustainable funding ecosystems that go far beyond traditional fundraising.

Donor-advised funds represent a $250 billion opportunity that's transforming modern philanthropy- and new research shows how nonprofits can prepare to be perfectly positioned to benefit. Drawing from studies including interviews with 48 DAF users and 46 professional fundraisers, this episode offers fundraisers insight into practical strategies you can implement today. Discover why DAF donors increase their giving during recessions, learn to identify the four types of DAF donors, and explore evidence-based approaches that successful organizations are using to build deeper, more resilient donor relationships.

In this data-packed episode, we dive deep into the psychology of default donations and behavioral nudging, revealing how seemingly tiny changes like a checkbox here or a specific word there can swing your revenue by 30%. Drawing on research from Stanford, University of Chicago, and other leading institutions, we unpack the mathematical models behind optimal ask strings, explore the ethical boundaries of nudging techniques, and share the surprising finding that donors who select default options actually feel more autonomous than those who don't. You'll learn how to space your default menu, how to personalize ask strings for different donor segments, and why low defaults might actually raise more money. Plus, we tackle the elephant in the room: when does nudging become manipulation?

Why do people really donate to nonprofits? It turns out, it's not just about generous donors but about the complex relationships between donors, beneficiaries, and the organizations that connect them. In this episode, Dr. Cassandra Chapman explains her Charitable Triad Theory and shares surprising insights into donor behavior. If you've ever wondered why some appeals work while others flop, or struggled with the tension between effective fundraising and ethical representation, this conversation offers a new framework for understanding donor psychology. Perfect for fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, and anyone curious about the hidden forces that drive charitable giving.

Should your year-end appeal lean into heartbreak or hope? Make donors feel guilty or grateful? For decades, nonprofits have debated positive versus negative emotional appeals. But new research reveals we've been asking the wrong questions entirely. Comprehensive studies show the real power lies in sophisticated emotional combinations that mirror how people actually experience feelings. For instance, sadness paired with dignity outperforms pure sympathy appeals. The research reveals surprising patterns: guilt appeals work better when paired with self-benefit messaging. Anger drives donations when channeled toward justice rather than just problem-solving. And the most effective campaigns create "emotional sandwiches"—strategically layering different feelings to guide donors from concern through empathy to empowerment. Learn how to build a science-backed emotional journey for your year-end campaign that respects both donor and beneficiary dignity while maximizing impact.

Every day, nonprofits face an impossible choice: show genuine hardship to motivate giving or preserve dignity and risk raising less. New research reveals this isn't a personal failure- it's built into how our charitable system works. We explore groundbreaking studies showing fundraisers serve "three masters" whose needs fundamentally conflict, why poverty porn actually backfires with donors, and how one organization found a radical alternative. Their "narrative resilience" framework doesn't eliminate these tensions but offers a completely different way to navigate them. You'll discover evidence-based strategies for handling donor preferences that conflict with community needs, redistributing power in your storytelling, and building frameworks that acknowledge rather than hide these ethical tensions. Plus, learn why the emotional toll of "ethical whiplash" contributes to nonprofit burnout and what you can do about it. If you've ever felt trapped between doing what's right and keeping the lights on, this episode offers the science-backed navigation tools you need.

In this episode, we dive deep into the neuroscience and evolutionary biology that makes storytelling your nonprofit's most powerful tool. We explore groundbreaking research showing how stories literally synchronize brain activity across your audience, why our ancestors' campfire tales programmed us to respond to narrative, and how to strategically craft stories that drive action. From understanding the four key character perspectives to mastering narrative transportation techniques, you'll learn the exact framework top nonprofits use to turn everyday program activities into compelling donor communications. Plus, get five immediate actions you can implement today to systematically capture, organize, and deploy stories across your campaigns. Stop wondering if your stories work- understand exactly why and how they do.

Your most heart-wrenching fundraising appeal just flopped. But before you blame donor fatigue or economic uncertainty, consider this: neuroscience reveals that donors' brains process giving decisions in fundamentally different ways. Some donors need to feel your beneficiaries' struggles, while others need to understand their perspective. Some respond to your big-picture vision, while others need concrete details about exactly how their donation helps. In this episode, we dive into groundbreaking research showing how fMRI brain scans are revolutionizing donor segmentation. Forget demographics- age and income tell you almost nothing about why someone gives. Instead, we explore how to identify science-backed donor segments and most importantly, how to craft messages that resonate with each type. You'll learn a practical, step by step testing framework to discover your donors' true motivational triggers and dramatically improve your response rates, retention, and average gift size.

Every year, nonprofits watch more than half their peer-to-peer fundraisers raise exactly zero dollars. Meanwhile, a tiny fraction bring in thousands but the donors they attract rarely stick around. Sound familiar? New research reveals why P2P success has felt so unpredictable. The findings highlights something we've known- people give to people. P2p donors give because they care about their friend running the marathon, not necessarily because they've researched your organization. But understanding the "Champion Effect" is just the beginning. Researchers have decoded the network dynamics that predict success, discovered why mid-level social media users outraise influencers, and identified the four-month window that determines whether peer donors become long-term supporters. P2P fundraising has come a long way, but there is still an element of guesswork involved. Here's what the science says works.

Between 2018 and 2021, the equivalent of 48 million full-time volunteers vanished from the global workforce - not a typo, a crisis most nonprofits are experiencing in real-time. But here's what the research reveals: we're not actually losing volunteers, we're witnessing a fundamental shift from duty-based volunteering to what researchers call "reflexive volunteering." Think of it like the difference between your grandmother who volunteered at the same church for 40 years versus today's professional who juggles three different causes based on personal motivations and schedule flexibility. We unpack why demographics don't predict retention (spoiler: it's about job design, not age), what actually keeps volunteers coming back, and how to build an "engageability ecosystem" that works. Whether you're hemorrhaging volunteers or just starting a program, you'll leave with evidence-based strategies that challenge conventional volunteer management wisdom.

Your nonprofit posts consistently. You've built a decent following. Your content gets engagement. But deep down, you know your social media should be doing more for your mission than generating likes and comments. Here's the problem: for nearly two decades, nonprofits have been treating social media like a digital donation box. But research reveals a stunning truth—multiple studies show no significant relationship between social media use and fundraising success. So what are the organizations that ARE advancing their missions through social media doing differently? Host Sheela Mahajan examines research from a handful of studies to uncover what actually works. You'll discover why your audience consists of two completely different groups requiring totally different strategies, the three levels of social media sophistication (and how to reach Level 3), and how successful nonprofits use "co-creation" to transform followers into active mission partners. We also explore dialogic communication—the approach that separates organizations building genuine communities from those just broadcasting into the void. This isn't about posting more content or joining more platforms. It's about using evidence-based strategies that measurably advance your mission through authentic community engagement.

Every June, nonprofit leaders wait for the Giving USA report, but most miss the real value: understanding what the data reveals about donor behavior and strategic applications. Host Sheela Mahajan talks with Wendy McGrady, President and COO of The Curtis Group and chair of The Giving USA Foundation, about the 2024 findings. They explore why giving grew 6.3%, the continued "dollars up, donors down" trend, and why corporate giving remains low despite economic growth. Key insights include how donors are shifting to foundations and DAFs, why 42.9% donor retention undermines pipelines, which economic indicators predict giving success, and upcoming tax policy changes. This isn't just data analysis—it's a roadmap for evidence-based fundraising decisions.