The Nonprofit Lab
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Challenge the status quo. Welcome to The Nonprofit Lab, a podcast dedicated to the ongoing discovery of how we can all be a part of bigger social change through the lens of the nonprofit sector. Join us as we work to uncover and challenge the status quo in the world of nonprofits.
90 Episodes
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What if you could raise money for a nonprofit by listening to Spotify, going for a walk, or even playing Fortnite? In today's episode, we delve into some really cutting-edge technology in the world of social impact with our guests Mario and Maurizio Hernandez, brothers and founders of Knobl.
My guest today is Lucia Kanter St. Amour is the VP for UN Women USA, attorney of 25 years, international negotiation superhero, and bestselling author of For the Forces of Good: The Superpower of Everyday Negotiation.In this episode we go to a lot of places. We’ll learn about Lucia’s journey into the nonprofit sector as a founder, explore the inspiration and lessons learned in her grassroots nonprofit, successes and challenges of building impactful programming as a small nonprofit, similarities, differences, and connections in her leadership roles outside of the nonprofit sector.
Dino Verrelli, founder and CEO of Project Purple, shares how his father’s battle with pancreatic cancer became the catalyst for building an organization dedicated to funding research, supporting patients, and helping families facing one of the most devastating diseases in the world. He talks about turning personal loss into purpose, what it took to grow Project Purple from the ground up, why trust and transparency matter so much in fundraising, and how a disciplined, business-minded approach can help nonprofits build lasting impact.
Giving is growing, but the gap between nonprofits is widening.Drawing on data from over 7,500 nonprofits in Blackbaud Institute’s 2025 Trends in Giving report, alongside insights from their Risk Readiness research, Lori Poer and Kate Averett Anderson break down what’s actually driving growth across the sector, and why some organizations are pulling ahead while others fall behind, and most importantly, what to do about it.
Doug Paul, Managing Partner at Catapult, shares how nonprofits can turn vision into action through co-created strategy, cultural alignment, and practical experimentation. With insights from supporting over 1,300 organizations, Doug outlines how to move beyond dusty strategic plans to build nimble, people-powered roadmaps that actually drive impact.
Are you growing your nonprofit fundraising, or quietly leaking donors? Salvatore Salpietro, Chief Growth Officer at Dataro and former Chief Community Officer at Fundraise Up, unpacks how digital friction, outdated segmentation, and hidden retention loss are costing nonprofits revenue. Discover how AI-driven predictive modeling and smarter signals can reduce churn, improve targeting, and strengthen fundraising performance.
Donor value attrition is one of the most overlooked threats to nonprofit sustainability. Jeff Schreifels of Veritus Group breaks down why growth can hide retention problems and how disciplined relationship-building protects long-term impact.
Dr. Maryna Baydyuk from United Help Ukraine shares what it means to lead a humanitarian nonprofit through an active war. From her upbringing in Ukraine to organizing aid under constant uncertainty, she reflects on trust, listening to people on the ground, and making life-and-death decisions when there are no perfect options. This conversation explores leadership under pressure, donor fatigue, and how nonprofits can stay human, credible, and effective when the crisis doesn’t end.
Attention doesn’t always equal impact, especially in nonprofit fundraising. In this episode, Whole Whale founder George Weiner about how nonprofits can turn donor attention into real commitment, why fundraising funnels break down, and what recent platform controversies reveal about power, consent, and trust in nonprofit tech.
LinkedIn is the most overlooked fundraising engine in the sector. Mario Hernandez at Impact Circle returns to share how he raised $1M organically, built a 55,000+ person community, and developed a repeatable system nonprofits can use to build trust, land corporate partners, and grow revenue -- all without ads, gimmicks, or pitch-slaps
Armine Afeyan, CEO of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, to shares how “gratitude in action” can reshape modern humanitarianism. We explore Aurora’s unique approach to uplifting grassroots humanitarians, the power of storytelling to inspire empathy, and how individual acts of courage ripple into global impact. It’s a reminder that generosity is contagious—and that every person has the capacity to change someone’s world.
Trish Davis, Vice President of Major Gifts & Planned Giving at Susan G. Komen, shares how true stewardship goes beyond fundraising—it’s about listening, gratitude, and connection. From her service in the Air Force to leading national philanthropy strategy, Trish reveals how to build donor trust at scale, keep relationships personal in a digital age, and turn gratitude into lasting impact.
How can nonprofits turn data into deeper donor relationships?In this episode, Brian Gawor from Johnson, Grossnickle & Associates (JGA) shares how to move from wealth-based fundraising to engagement-first philanthropy, where every click, call, and connection becomes a clue to generosity.
Erik Tomalis, Chief Revenue Officer at Avid, shares how nonprofits can move from data overload to clear direction. We explore how Avid’s fundraising operating system unifies disconnected tools, surfaces real insights, and helps teams focus on what truly drives generosity, trust, clarity, and human connection.
Change CEO Sonia Nigam joins The Nonprofit Lab to unpack the hidden rails behind online giving. From compliance pitfalls and paper checks to donor-advised funds and API-first solutions, Sonia shares how Change is simplifying fundraising infrastructure and unlocking more dollars for nonprofits.
Donor-advised funds now hold over $255 billion in charitable assets, but most nonprofits struggle to access them. In this episode, Elon Packin, Head of Partnerships at Chariot explains how their DAFpay technology makes giving from donor-advised funds seamless, and why unlocking these dollars can transform fundraising. Learn more at givechariot.com.
Samantha Swaim of Swaim Strategies shares how to design fundraising events that move people: from storytelling that doubles giving, to match strategies that multiply impact, to follow-ups that turn donors into lifelong supporters.
Nonprofit finance doesn’t have to be confusing or scarcity-driven. Karen Houghton, CEO of Infinite Giving, shares how nonprofits of every size can move idle cash into growth, accept stock and crypto with confidence, and build reserves and endowments that open doors to major gifts. A practical roadmap for shifting from survival mode to sustainable impact.
What if the key to unlocking billions in medical debt relief was hiding in plain sight? Jared Walker, founder of Dollar For, joins The Nonprofit Lab to share how one viral TikTok exposed hospital charity care, and sparked a movement that’s erased over $90M in medical bills.
Fundraising isn’t just about sending messages, it’s about making people feel seen. Bart Lillie from Synergy joins to share how nonprofits can build real donor connection through intentional, multichannel engagement that centers trust, listening, and humanity.
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