Million Dollar Nonprofit

Most nonprofit burnout isn’t a motivation problem — it’s a focus problem. In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, hosted by Tom Kelly, we break down how the 80/20 rule applies directly to fundraising growth, donor retention, and nonprofit strategy. You’ll discover why a small percentage of donors drive most of your revenue, why a handful of messages create most of your engagement, and why focusing on high-impact activities leads to sustainable growth without exhausting your team. If you’re overwhelmed, juggling campaigns, events, emails, and still feeling stuck, this episode will help you simplify, prioritize, and scale smarter. Because fundraising success isn’t about doing more — it’s about protecting the 20% that actually moves the mission forward.

Most nonprofits are proud of their big annual fundraiser. The gala. The walk. The tournament. The auction night. It feels productive. It brings in revenue. It’s tradition.But what if that once-a-year event is quietly limiting your growth?In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down why depending on one major fundraiser creates compressed revenue, shallow donor relationships, and team burnout. Big events often create the illusion of progress without building long-term momentum.You’ll learn:• Why events concentrate risk instead of building stability• How feast-or-famine fundraising keeps nonprofits stuck• The difference between event donors and mission donors• How to turn your event into a long-term relationship engine• Three simple actions to make your next fundraiser smarter, not biggerEvents aren’t the problem. The way you use them is.If you want predictable revenue, stronger donor retention, and less burnout, this episode will shift how you think about fundraising strategy.

Are you tired of hearing, “I’m not a fundraiser”? In this episode, Tom Kelly sits down with nonprofit strategist Esther Saehyun Lee to reframe what fundraising really means. Esther helps executive directors, board members, and staff see that fundraising isn’t just about the ask—it’s about connection, trust, and sharing your mission in meaningful ways.They dive into:Why so many nonprofit leaders feel like fundraising isn’t their jobThe lightbulb moment when people realize they already are fundraisersHow small and medium nonprofits can engage their teams and boards to share the fundraising loadSimple, high-impact donor stewardship practices you can implement todayThe power of authentic storytelling and avoiding extractive narrativesFree Gifts for ListenersSweet Treat Quiz for Nonprofit Leaders – Take a fun, silly quiz to find out what sweet treat you need and what it says about your leadership archetype. Take the quiz here https://opinionstage.com/page/d95ef3db-f580-4a72-9b57-265e34ad6cc5Limited Troubleshooting Calls – Esther is offering 4 private 30-minute troubleshooting calls to help you tackle your nonprofit’s fundraising challenges. To secure one of the 4 spots, email her directly at esther@elevatephilanthropyconsulting.comIf you want to reimagine fundraising, engage your team, and strengthen your nonprofit’s impact, this episode is packed with actionable insights and encouragement to get started.Want to chat with Esther directly? Find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-saehyun-lee/For more info on Esther, visit her website: https://www.elevatephilanthropyconsulting.com/and for more additional resources from her here: https://candid.org/blogs/hidden-labor-behind-nonprofits-authentic-storytelling/

Most nonprofit campaigns fail to retain donors not because of lack of offers, timing, or frequency — but because the relationship feels disconnected.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down the quiet pattern behind campaigns that actually keep donors coming back: Recognition, Reinforcement, Re-entry.You’ll learn:Why high-retention campaigns feel like relationships, not transactionsHow to make donors feel seen before you ever askWhy reinforcement builds pride and loyaltyHow re-entry invites without pressure or guiltHow AI helps maintain continuity and scale donor engagementHear a real example of a nonprofit stuck at 41% retention. They rebuilt their campaigns around this simple pattern — same donors, same budget — and retention jumped to 62% in a year.This episode shows how high-retention campaigns continue a donor’s story instead of restarting it with every email. Calm, confident, human, and repeatable — that’s the pattern.

Most lapsed donors don’t need another campaign, another offer, or more urgency. They don’t need to be convinced. They need to feel something again.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly explains why donors lapse in the first place — not because they stopped caring, but because the emotional connection faded — and how one carefully written story can reopen that connection without guilt, pressure, or pretending nothing happened.Tom introduces a simple reactivation framework — Memory, Meaning, Momentum — that helps nonprofits reconnect lapsed donors by reminding them why they first cared, showing how their past support mattered, and offering a warm, pressure-free invitation back into the story.You’ll learn:Why “we miss you” emails quietly failHow guilt shuts donors down instead of bringing them backWhy stories outperform urgency for donor reactivationThe 3-part structure behind effective lapsed donor emailsHow AI helps nonprofits personalize reconnection at scaleYou’ll also hear a real example of a nonprofit that sent one story-based email to lapsed donors — no donate button, no countdown — and saw replies, reconnections, and reactivated giving simply because donors felt remembered, not chased.

Most nonprofits believe their biggest growth problem is a lack of donors. More names. More leads. Bigger lists. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most nonprofits don’t have a donor problem — they have a conversation problem.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly flips the traditional growth mindset on its head and shows why the fastest way to raise more money isn’t finding new donors, but having better conversations with the ones you already have.Tom breaks down why donors actually leave, how broadcast-style fundraising quietly destroys relationships, and why asking better questions does more for retention than any campaign ever will.You’ll learn:Why donors don’t leave because you ask too much — they leave because you talk too littleThe difference between broadcasting and real donor conversationsHow listening, reflecting, and guiding replace persuasion and pressureA simple four-email conversation sequence that outperforms most campaignsHow AI helps nonprofits scale real conversations without losing the human touchYou’ll also hear a real example of a nonprofit that stopped chasing list growth and sent one simple email asking donors why they originally connected. The result? More replies, deeper relationships, and a dramatic increase in repeat giving — without adding new donors.

The message that doubled one nonprofit’s repeat donors wasn’t long, clever, or emotional poetry. It wasn’t a campaign or a big strategy shift. It was one short follow-up, sent at the right moment, with the right tone, asking the right thing.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down why most nonprofits lose donors not because donors stopped caring, but because the conversation stopped. Most organizations think follow-up means asking again. Real follow-up is something different entirely — it’s continuing a conversation that most nonprofits never actually start.You’ll learn:Why traditional follow-up fails and silently kills donor retentionThe exact follow-up message that doubled repeat donors (and why it worked)How timing, tone, and curiosity outperform pressure and urgencyWhy asking for perspective builds more loyalty than asking for moneyHow to automate this process using AI without losing the human touchTom walks through a real example where a nonprofit sent a simple follow-up question three to five days after a donation. No links. No buttons. No ask. Just curiosity. The result? Donors replied, shared their motivations, felt seen — and stayed.

Making donors give more isn’t about manipulation, pressure, or guilt — it’s about understanding how humans actually make decisions. Most nonprofits get it backwards: they lead with numbers, budgets, and statistics, and then wonder why giving stalls.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly explains how to use psychology ethically so donors want to give more because it aligns with who they already are. No guilt. No pressure. Just human behavior.You’ll learn seven principles that drive giving:Identity drives giving. People give to express who they believe they are, not just to support a mission.Anchors shape decisions. Frame giving amounts so donors know what’s normal.Specific impact beats vague need. Concrete, visual moments inspire action.Momentum matters. Small steps create generosity.Timing beats persuasion. Ask right after a win, story, or thank-you.Fewer choices = more action. Clear, simple giving options remove hesitation.Belonging multiplies generosity. Language and inclusivity make donors feel part of something bigger.Real results: One nonprofit didn’t change its ask amounts, just applied these psychological principles. Average gift doubled in six months. Same donors. Same cause. Better understanding of people.

Most thank-you letters are polite, well-intentioned, and… completely forgettable. If they worked the way we hope, donor retention wouldn’t be stuck around 45%. Yet people give once and disappear — all the time.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly reveals the real reason your thank-you letters aren’t working and exactly how to fix them using AI and human psychology. Gratitude isn’t a formality — it’s the foundation of donor relationships.You’ll learn the 5 truths most nonprofits get wrong:Letters are for you, not the donor. Donors give to express who they are. Thank the person, not the gift.Letters arrive too late. Gratitude delayed is gratitude diluted — timing matters.Letters are too long. Donors don’t need a report, they need one feeling, one moment, one impact.Letters don’t show impact fast enough. Concrete details stick. “Because of you, a mom didn’t have to choose between groceries and medicine this week.”Letters accidentally end the relationship. Instead, open the door to belonging: “You’re part of this now. I’ll share more with you soon.”Tom walks you through a thank-you formula that works:

Should You Even Start a Nonprofit?Before you file paperwork, pick a name, or ask for donations, there’s one question you have to answer first: should your nonprofit even exist?In this episode of the Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast, Tom sits down with nonprofit governance expert Emily Gaylor to slow things way down and tackle the hard, often uncomfortable truths about starting a nonprofit. This conversation is for anyone who’s thinking about launching an organization, is on the verge of registering one, or is questioning whether starting something new is really the right move.Emily breaks down the critical work most founders skip, including how to clearly define the problem you’re trying to solve, conduct a real gap analysis, validate community need, and assess whether your idea adds true value or simply duplicates existing services. They dig into founder motives, ego vs. impact, and why “wanting to do good” isn’t enough to justify starting a new organization.You’ll also hear an honest discussion about leadership readiness, board structure, taking a founder salary, long-term sustainability, and the toll nonprofit work takes on founders and their families. Emily shares the biggest red flags she sees when nonprofits fail, what successful founders do differently, and the one hard question every founder must be able to answer to funders and the community alike.If you’re serious about impact, sustainability, and doing this the right way from the start, this episode is a must-listen.🎧 Listen now and find out if starting a nonprofit is truly the best way for you to make a difference.Please find Emilys free downloadable here https://docs.google.com/document/d/16t03bcKDLtELOG43X5N5365GKl69EzV9A0_BkZss4oU/edit?usp=sharingConnect with her on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilygaylorcfre/

Why do people binge Netflix? Because each episode hooks them, holds them, and keeps them coming back for more. Most nonprofits? Their donor journeys feel nothing like that. One donation, one generic thank-you, and then silence. Donors lose momentum. Retention drops. Engagement stalls.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly shares the Netflix Strategy — a framework for turning one-time donors into “binge givers.” Donors who don’t just give once, but return again and again because they’re emotionally invested in your story.Using the framework Hook. Hold. Habit., Tom shows you how to make donor journeys:Hook: Make the first giving moment unforgettable. Emotional micro-story. Immediate payoff. Future promise.Hold: Build sequenced donor journeys that create narrative momentum, emotional arcs, and soft cliffhangers.Habit: Turn giving into a predictable, recurring experience donors look forward to.You’ll learn how to replicate Netflix’s psychological principles in your fundraising, using AI to craft cinematic, relational donor journeys — without overwhelming your team.

Have you ever been on a bad first date — awkward conversation, no connection, way too much oversharing, and zero chemistry? That’s exactly what most donor journeys feel like. And it’s why so many donors give once… and never come back.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down why nonprofit donor journeys fail — and how to redesign them so donors feel courted, connected, and emotionally invested instead of pressured and rushed.Using the simple framework Spark. Sequence. Sustain., Tom shows how to turn transactional donor experiences into real relationships.Spark: Create a first touchpoint that feels warm and emotional, not like a receipt or a brochure.Sequence: Build a donor journey that flows naturally — gratitude, identity, story, value, and connection — before asking again.Sustain: Keep the relationship alive with ongoing, no-pressure touchpoints that make donors feel seen and appreciated.You’ll learn why most nonprofits overshare too fast, ask too soon, and treat every donor the same — and how AI can help you create personalized, relational donor journeys that feel human at scale.

Have you ever used AI to write a fundraising email or donor message and immediately thought, “This sounds like a robot wrote it”? You’re not imagining it — and it’s not because AI is bad at fundraising. It’s because most nonprofits are using AI the wrong way.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down the biggest mistake nonprofits make with AI: treating it like a shortcut instead of a force multiplier. When AI is used as a replacement for thinking, the result is bland, generic, robotic messaging. But when it’s used as a collaborator, everything changes.Using the framework Partner. Personalize. Prompt., you’ll learn how to turn AI into your most powerful teammate — not just a writing tool.Partner: Stop outsourcing your thinking. Give AI raw material — stories, bullet points, drafts — and co-create better fundraising messages together.Personalize: Train AI on your voice, tone, and donor psychology so everything it writes sounds human, warm, and consistent.Prompt: Learn how clear, directional prompts instantly eliminate robotic copy and produce donor-centered results.

Most nonprofits already have AI note takers… but almost no one is using them to their full potential.In this episode of the Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast, Tom Kelly sits down with Faigy Gilder, marketing operations and systems expert, to unpack one of the most overlooked (and low-risk) ways nonprofits can start using AI today: AI note takers.This isn’t about replacing people or overhauling your entire tech stack. It’s about capturing the gold that already exists in your meetings, donor calls, board conversations, and interviews — and actually putting it to work.Faigy breaks down how nonprofits can:Move beyond “just meeting notes” and turn transcripts into actionable insightsAutomatically capture action items so nothing falls through the cracksOrganize conversations by donors, board members, volunteers, and prospectsUse AI to uncover patterns, language, and emotional triggers that improve fundraising and marketingReduce overwhelm by starting small — without ripping out existing systemsThey also dive into tools like NotebookLM, simple automation workflows, naming conventions that make everything easier, and why AI works best as an assistant not an autopilot.If you’ve been curious about AI but unsure where to start, this episode shows how one small shift can save time, sharpen messaging, and help your nonprofit make better decisions — starting this week.🎧 Listen now and discover why AI note takers might be the most valuable tool you’re already ignoring.Connect with Faigy Gilder & Resources🌐 Website: missionmarke.tech📧 Email: faigy@missionmarke.tech🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faigy/🎁 Free Resource:Download Faigy’s newly updated Nonprofit Technology Starter Pack:https://missionmarke.tech/nonprofit-technology-starter-pack/

Have you ever used AI to write a fundraising email or donor message and immediately thought, “This sounds like a robot wrote it”? You’re not imagining it — and it’s not because AI is bad at fundraising. It’s because most nonprofits are using AI the wrong way.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down the biggest mistake nonprofits make with AI: treating it like a shortcut instead of a force multiplier. When AI is used as a replacement for thinking, the result is bland, generic, robotic messaging. But when it’s used as a collaborator, everything changes.Using the framework Partner. Personalize. Prompt., you’ll learn how to turn AI into your most powerful teammate — not just a writing tool.Partner: Stop outsourcing your thinking. Give AI raw material — stories, bullet points, drafts — and co-create better fundraising messages together.Personalize: Train AI on your voice, tone, and donor psychology so everything it writes sounds human, warm, and consistent.Prompt: Learn how clear, directional prompts instantly eliminate robotic copy and produce donor-centered results.

When was the last time you put together a board report, and the board actually read it? Most nonprofit leaders know the answer: rarely. Hours are spent gathering data, formatting charts, writing summaries, and chasing staff — and yet engagement is low. Half the board skims it, a few dig deep, and some ask questions you already answered. Exhausting.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly shows how AI can automate 90% of your board reporting, compressing complex data into a one-page snapshot that boards actually want to read. Using the framework Collect. Compress. Communicate., you’ll learn how to:Collect: Gather all your donor, program, financial, and operational data in one place, and let AI summarize insights for your board.Compress: Turn chaos into a digestible, one-page report with simple visuals, a clear narrative, and action-oriented decisions.Communicate: Deliver the report in layers — quick snapshot, easy-to-read visuals, and optional deep dive appendix — so every board member engages at their preferred depth.You’ll hear real examples from nonprofits that cut 12–15 hours per report, improved board engagement, and ran more focused, productive meetings. AI didn’t just make reporting easier — it made the board better.Plug-and-play prompts help you automate each step, from summarizing data to creating charts and rewriting narratives in a warm, readable voice.

Do you really need to be on every social media platform to grow your nonprofit? In this episode of the Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast, Tom Kelly sits down with LinkedIn fundraising expert Michelle Benson to break down why LinkedIn consistently outperforms other platforms when it comes to high-value donors, corporate partners, and trust fund decision-makers. Michelle explains why cold emails, coffee requests, and trustee address books are becoming less effective and how nonprofits can instead position themselves to be found by funders who are already looking to give. Drawing on her experience as both a former fundraiser and trust fund director, Michelle shares how decision-makers actually use LinkedIn, why mindset matters on each platform, and how nonprofits can build an intentional digital presence that leads to real conversations and partnerships. You’ll learn what nonprofits should have in place before funders reach out, why quality engagement matters more than likes, how commenting can be just as powerful as posting, and how to use LinkedIn without burning out or posting every day. Michelle Benson teaches nonprofits how to use LinkedIn to fundraise without cold calls or chasing the wrong donors. With 47,000 followers, over 5 million impressions, and more than 100,000 likes and comments each year, she has built a fully inbound fundraising pipeline and helped thousands of nonprofits across 32 countries do the same. If you want to reach companies, trust funds, and major donors more effectively, this episode will change how you think about LinkedIn and nonprofit fundraising. To work with Michelle, she offers year-round team training (direct message her on LinkedIn for details), as well as 4-week online LinkedIn training cohorts for fundraisers, CEOs, comms staff, and consultants running in January, May, and September 2026. You can follow Michelle on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-benson-creates-digital-pipelines/ and learn more at https://www.cultureofphilanthropy.co/.

Have you ever looked at a large nonprofit’s website, emails, or campaigns and wondered how they manage to look so polished, professional, and organized? The truth is, it’s not about having a massive budget — it’s about having the right systems.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down how small nonprofits can use AI to operate, communicate, and present themselves like million-dollar organizations — without hiring more staff or burning out their team. This isn’t about pretending to be bigger than you are. It’s about building smart systems that create credibility, consistency, and trust.Tom introduces a simple three-part framework: Brand. Build. Broadcast. You’ll learn how AI can instantly upgrade your branding, create automated donor and volunteer systems that run in the background, and multiply your content so you show up everywhere without exhausting your team.You’ll hear real examples of small nonprofits using AI to improve donor perception, increase recurring giving, streamline operations, and raise more money — all by replacing chaos with structure. If your nonprofit is doing meaningful work but struggling to look as professional as larger organizations, this episode will show you how AI levels the playing field.

What would happen if every donor who supported your nonprofit felt like they had a personal assistant dedicated just to them? Someone who remembered their birthday, their giving history, their interests, and their impact. Someone who responded warmly and accurately, every single time. Now imagine it happening automatically — without adding more to your workload.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly shows nonprofit leaders how to use ChatGPT as a donor relations assistant — an AI teammate that keeps donors engaged, valued, and connected. Using the framework Remember. Respond. Reinforce., you’ll learn how to:Remember: Use AI to track every donor’s history, preferences, and giving habits so you never miss a detail. Build donor profiles and communication rules that allow AI to act as the memory engine behind deeper relationships.Respond: Draft warm, personalized replies instantly for emails, DMs, or texts. AI helps your team respond quickly while keeping tone, gratitude, and mission alignment consistent.Reinforce: Maintain ongoing stewardship through automated check-ins, anniversary messages, personalized impact updates, event follow-ups, and upgrade invitations — all tailored to each donor’s journey.You’ll hear a real example from a food bank in Ohio that created an AI donor assistant named “Harper.” Response time dropped from three days to thirty minutes, and donor retention jumped 18% in a single quarter. Donors said: “You always remember me.” “I feel connected.” “I’ve never been thanked this consistently.”The episode includes plug-and-play prompts to help you: write warm donor follow-ups, personalize impact updates, send anniversary or birthday notes, and invite donors to upgrade or re-engage.

How many donor thank-yous are sitting on your to-do list right now? Five? Twelve? A hundred? Donor gratitude is one of the most important parts of fundraising — and one of the easiest things to fall behind on. Not because you don’t care, but because you’re busy.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly shows nonprofit leaders how to automate up to 90% of donor thank-yous without losing the human touch. Using the framework Segment. Spark. Send., you’ll learn how to build a scalable gratitude system that feels warm, personal, and heartfelt — even when it’s automated.Tom walks through how to segment donors properly, create AI-powered thank-you message banks, and add personalization layers that make donors feel truly seen. You’ll learn how to use donor data like gift amount, program supported, location, and past involvement to spark genuine gratitude inside automated emails, texts, videos, and handwritten notes.This episode breaks down how to deliver thank-yous automatically across multiple channels — including email, SMS, personalized video, and handwritten cards — all triggered instantly through your CRM. The result is faster follow-up, stronger donor relationships, and higher retention, without overwhelming your team.