The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

Where did last year's lessons go?The donor who told you why she stopped giving.The appeal that worked and nobody knew why.For most of us, those lessons went nowhere. They got buried under the next appeal, the next event, the next "Where are we against goal?"A development director I'll call Marcus canceled his year-end debrief every December. There was always a reason.Last year, he held the line. Two hours. Three questions on a whiteboard.What worked? What didn't? What changed around us?Halfway through, a gift officer said, "Wait a minute."Nearly every donor who made a stretch gift had been personally thanked within 48 hours of their previous gift.They made it a rule. This fall, their renewal rate was the highest Marcus had seen in his time there.That's the story behind this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser: "What 2026 Taught Us About Major Gifts."We talk about:Why 2026 deserves a closer look than most yearsThree reflection lenses: results, relationships, and systemsHow data and AI can surface patterns you'd otherwise missThe one sentence that turns reflection into strategySo let me ask you.If you don't make time to learn from this year, what makes you think next year will be different?🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a fundraiser who's deep in the year-end rush.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater ImpactFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingBook Tammy to Keynote Your Next EventReserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policiesMentioned in this episode:Practivated LaunchpadYou just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

A salary is certain. A gift is a gamble. That's what one CFO told his development director.She left his office sure she'd lost.Her program director was worried a big donor would hijack the mission.A board member said, "Our donors just don't give like that."Three skeptics. Three different fears.So she stopped pushing and started asking one question:"What would need to be true for you to feel good about this?"The answers led to a 90-day pilot. No new hire. Twenty donor visits. The program director came along on a few. The CFO helped decide how to measure success.Three gifts over $25,000. One multi-year pledge.And the CFO asked, "What would it take to do this full-time?"That's the story behind this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser: "Overcoming Internal Barriers to Major Gifts."We talk about:Why internal resistance makes sense, especially in 2026The Resistance Map for leadership, programs, finance, and boardHow to design a pilot that turns doubters into championsOne challenge to try with a skeptic this weekSo let me ask you.What if your biggest skeptic is one good conversation away from becoming your biggest champion?🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a fundraiser who keeps hitting the same internal wall.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater ImpactFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingBook Tammy to Keynote Your Next EventReserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Practivated: Fundraising is challenging, but practicing doesn’t have to be. Sign up for a demo.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policiesMentioned in this episode:Practivated LaunchpadYou just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

Ever sat in your car after a donor visit just to catch your breath?Me too. And I think we need to talk about it.Raising big gifts is emotional work.In one week, you might hold a donor's grief, a board member's impatience, and your ED's worries about cash flow. Then you walk into the next meeting and show up warm and curious anyway.A major gift officer I'll call Alisha did that for months. Then she stopped calling her top donors. Every call felt like it needed more than she had left.She didn't need a new strategy. She needed a way to stay whole.Two minutes in the car before every visit. A kinder sentence after hard meetings. A Friday call with a peer.That spring, she closed the largest gift in her organization's history.That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is about: "Staying Whole While Raising Big Gifts."We talk about:The pressures fundraisers are carrying in 2026, named honestlyMindset and self-compassion tools that help you stay courageousSimple practices that protect your energy before and after big meetingsA 30-day resilience challengeSo let me ask you.What would change in your donor conversations if you walked in at full battery instead of twelve percent?🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a fundraiser you know who's carrying a lot right now.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater ImpactFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingBook Tammy to Keynote Your Next EventReserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policiesMentioned in this episode:Practivated LaunchpadYou just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

A donor rode a city bus at 6:15 a.m. He hadn't been on one since college.The woman next to him had lived in that neighborhood for forty years. She was about to change his $250,000 gift.They were riding the route families take to the local food pantry.One hour and ten minutes. One transfer. And when they arrived, the doors didn't open until ten.He looked at his watch and said, "Nobody who works a morning shift can do this."She smiled. "That's what we've been trying to tell you."He and his wife had offered a gift to expand the warehouse. Instead of saying yes on the spot, the executive director invited them to sit at a table with other donors and five paid neighborhood residents to decide together.The table chose a mobile market along bus routes and evening hours.The donors? They turned their gift into a multi-year commitment.That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser is about: "Human-Centered Major Gifts."We talk about:Why the human-centered model is rising in 2026Four practical ways to share power in major gifts, plus my Power DialHow to frame this with donors, communities, and your board🎧 Listen to this episode, then share it with a colleague, an ED, or a board member who's ready to fundraise with, not for.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater ImpactFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingBook Tammy to Keynote Your Next EventReserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policiesMentioned in this episode:Practivated LaunchpadYou just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.

A 6:45 a.m. call from London. A donor wanted to give $1.5 million to the children's hospital that saved her little brother.Her gift officer was thrilled. Thirty seconds later, she was terrified.Because the donor was a US citizen living in London. Her husband was British. The money was in pounds. Their business had accounts in two countries.Who gets the tax benefit? Which account does the money come from? What if the exchange rate moves?Here's what I love. She didn't pretend to have the answers. She said, "I want to get this right for you. Can I ask a few questions, then bring in our finance team and your advisors?"Two months later, the gift was structured in a way that worked for everyone. Every payment arrived on time.That's what this week's episode of The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast is all about: "Thinking Global: Cross-Border Major Gifts."I talk about:Why global giving is showing up at organizations of every sizeThe core questions to ask early, and the pitfalls to avoidHow to build the right support team so you're never figuring it out aloneListen at or wherever you get your podcasts, and share it with a colleague or board member who should hear it too.More from Tammy ZonkerAuthor of Calling All Heroes: Combining the Best of Donor-Centered and Community-Centered Fundraising for Greater ImpactFounder of Fundraising TransformedPresident of Modern Institute for Charitable GivingBook Tammy to Keynote Your Next EventReserve your spot at the upcoming Excellence in Major Gift Fundraising SeminarSubscribe to the Scaling Major Gifts newsletterConnect with Tammy Zonker on LinkedInResources: Show notes, links, and resources mentioned in this episode.Review my show: Please review my show. After you click the link, scroll to the bottom, first tap to rate with five stars, and then tap “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you liked most about this particular episode or how you find my podcast helpful, valuable, insightful, or inspiring in some way.Privacy Policy: See Privacy Policy at https://www.fundraisingtransformed.com/policiesMentioned in this episode:Practivated LaunchpadYou just hired a fundraiser. The search took months. Now comes the hard part: getting them ready to sit across from donors. That's why our partners at Practivated built Launchpad, a 30-day onboarding program built on your organization's own mission, case for support and campaign messaging. Your new hire learns your story, gets coaching from Coach Tivy, and takes reps in realistic donor conversations made for their role. And you see their progress from the manager view. The result? New hires ready in four weeks instead of twelve. At the University of Central Florida, five of six new hires who went through Launchpad were promoted in their first year. Get your next hire to full stride faster. Book a demo at practivated.com/launchpad.