The Nonprofit Boost: Leveraging Corporate Support for Fundraising Success

Is your fundraising potential being held hostage by messy spreadsheets and "shadow databases"? We love to focus on the art of the ask, but without a foundation of fundraising intelligence, even the most flashy campaigns will fall flat. In this episode, Colleen Carroll sits down with Griffin Homan and Jeffrey Wat from Huron Consulting Group to demystify data governance.They explore why simply "managing" data is a reactive trap and how true governance creates a "single source of truth" that empowers your entire team. We dive deep into the relationship between clean systems and donor retention, specifically looking at how collecting accurate employer data is the key to unlocking millions in matching gifts and volunteer grants. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by a data audit or struggled with siloed information, this conversation provides the roadmap to shift from transactional coding to long-term donor stewardship.What You Will Learn1. Management vs. Governance: Why managing data is reactive, while governance is the proactive strategy that treats data as a high-value asset.2. Breaking Data Silos: How to move your team away from private notebooks and into a unified system to ensure reporting consistency.3. The Prospect Coding Shift: Why you must stop coding for a single solicitation and start coding for the entire donor relationship to improve long-term donor stewardship.4. Workplace Giving ROI: How automating your matching gift revenue depends entirely on the health of your employer data.5. Sustainable Hygiene: Tips for creating a maintenance plan that prevents data decay without paralyzing your staff.Chapter Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:15) Meet Griffin Homan & Jeffrey Wat(02:16) Data Governance vs. Corporate Fundraising(03:45) Reactive Management vs. Proactive Governance(06:41) Common Challenges: Reporting & The Data Dictionary(08:43) Why "Trust" is Your Most Important Data Metric(11:35) How to Start a Data Audit Without Feeling Overwhelmed(15:34) Eliminating "Shadow Databases" and Siloed Spreadsheets(20:09) How Clean Data Powers Personalized Donor Stories(26:30) Prospect Coding: Relationship-Based vs. Transactional(32:43) Preventing Data Decay: The Maintenance Roadmap(37:05) Final Advice: Progress Over Perfection

Are your digital systems accidentally turning donors away? We spend countless hours crafting the perfect appeal, yet many nonprofits are losing significant revenue at the very last hurdle. In this episode of The Nonprofit Boost, host Colleen Carroll sits down with Mark Becker, Founding Partner of Cathexis Partners, to identify the friction points causing donors to bounce. Mark shares how a clunky donation page or outdated fundraising software doesn't just cost you a single gift—it breaks your matching gift funnel, preventing you from doubling your impact. We explore the shift in donor behavior, the necessity of digital wallets, and how to maintain donor stewardship by cleaning up your data and personalizing your outreach. Whether you are looking to bring back lapsed donors or optimize for major gifts, this conversation provides a roadmap for leveraging fundraising tools and AI to ensure no dollar is left on the table.What You Will Learn1. The Donation Funnel: Why removing friction from your donation page is the first step to securing more matching gifts.2. Payment Innovation: Why digital wallets, crypto, and DAFs are no longer "nice-to-haves" but essential fundraising tools for conversion.3. Data Hygiene: How to improve your fundraising intelligence by cleaning up duplicates and gathering accurate employer data.4. AI & Automation: Practical ways to use AI for dynamic asks and personalized content without "cheating" the creative process.5. Re-engaging Supporters: Strategies for bringing lapsed donors back through gratitude rather than guilt.Notable Quote:"You cannot get a matching gift from a donation that never happens. Every friction point we remove from the donation experience is a door we open for a corporate match."

Are your donors treated like partners in your mission, or just another line item on a spreadsheet? Many nonprofits struggle to move past the "ask," failing to build the authentic donor relationships that lead to long-term loyalty and transformational funding. In this episode of The Nonprofit Boost, we sit down with Matt Gill, Client Experience Leader at Veritus Group, to explore how to bridge the gap between the change donors want to see and the work your organization is doing.Matt shares his unique "service-first" philosophy to help you craft donor-centric narratives that resonate. Whether you are managing a capital campaign or looking to improve donor retention, this conversation reveals how to use storytelling to prove impact and turn supporters into lifelong advocates. We also dive into how to maximize matching gift revenue by involving major donors in your broader fundraising strategy.What You Will Learn:1. Donor-Centricity: Why moving from "org-centric" to "donor-centric" is the key to successful donor stewardship.2. The Power of Tangibility: How breaking down program costs (like the "Antiques Roadshow" example) can double your major gifts.3. Ethical Storytelling: Guardrails to ensure your stories respect the agency and dignity of the communities you serve.4. Strategic Planning: Why you need a fundraising strategy and a specific plan for every donor in your portfolio.5. The "Next Step" Call: Two simple questions to ask after a gift to boost donor retention.

Many organizations struggle with "dirty data," yet fail to realize that operational excellence is the foundation of high-impact fundraising. In this episode of The Nonprofit Boost, we sit down with Sasha Lewis, President & CEO of Moves Management Consulting, to discuss how to bridge the gap between back-end data entry and front-end relationship building. We explore why a strategic plan for donor stewardship is the only way to tap into the massive potential of mid-level donors and how improving your donor database management can prevent lost revenue. Sasha shares her inspiring journey from a high school dropout to a philanthropy expert, emphasizing that every data point—from employer data to gift frequency—is a person telling you their story.What You Will Learn:1. Donor Stewardship: Why most nonprofits fail to plan for the follow-up and how to fix it.2. Donor Lifetime Value: How to calculate this crucial metric using average gift size, frequency, and donor years to create a growth baseline.3. Fundraising Intelligence: The "Maserati" analogy and why investing in professional fundraising software and data management is a leadership priority.4. Matching Gifts: How one small nonprofit turned matching gift revenue into a consistent five-figure stream through simple template updates and persistence.5. Moves Management: The step-by-step process for handling a $1M surprise gift, from prospect research to building a multi-year transition plan.Notable Quote:"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. This is the biggest pitfall nonprofits take with stewardship—we know what to do, but we don't put the strategic plan in place to engage every donor."

Are you leaving money on the table by viewing your fundraising events as purely transactional? Many nonprofits miss the crucial opportunity to use events—and even volunteer programs—as powerful platforms for donor stewardship and securing high-value corporate sponsorships.In this episode of The Nonprofit Boost, host Amelia Baumann welcomes AJ Steinberg, founder of Queen Bee Fundraising, to dive deep into how you can shift your mindset from "we need money" to "let's build meaningful relationships." AJ, an expert in nonprofit events and fundraising strategy, shares her relationship-first philosophy for turning temporary volunteers into committed donors and securing long-term corporate support.Discover the often-missed tangible and intangible steps you must take to cultivate a successful volunteer program, the power of a "know before you go" communication strategy, and how to create the organic moments that lead to fruitful corporate giving partnerships. Learn how to transform your existing board and committee relationships into warm introductions for new sponsors, and why leveraging your loyal customer base is key to securing your next major commitment. Plus, we discuss how to turn those invaluable volunteer hours into more revenue through programs like volunteer grants and Volunteer Time Off (VTO).💡 What You Will LearnFundraising Events: How to use events as stewardship opportunities to attract and cultivate new donors and high-value supporters.Volunteer Programs: The essential, non-monetary experiences—like clear communication and showing impact—needed to build a successful and long-lasting volunteer corps.Corporate Sponsorships: Step-by-step guidance on how to assess your nonprofit's unique offerings and secure your first or next corporate sponsorship by leveraging your existing board and volunteer relationships.Volunteer & Donor Connection: Why focusing on volunteer happiness and appreciation can lead to long-term donor retention—up to 80% of volunteers become donors!Non-Monetary Value: Simple, non-monetary gestures, such as an employee engagement plan and personalized thank-you videos, that can solidify a longer-term corporate giving partnership.

Are your development officers spending more time wrestling with spreadsheets than building relationships with major donors? It is a common struggle: You want to pursue corporate sponsorships and increase fundraising revenue, but your data is trapped in disconnected systems that don't talk to each other. When your team is burned out by manual entry and "garbage in, garbage out" processes, your mission suffers.In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Dolar, CEO of Canvas Cloud, to dismantle the myths surrounding nonprofit technology. Ben shares his journey from the corporate consulting world to the nonprofit sector. We dive deep into why "saving money" on free tools often creates massive hidden opportunity costs, how to identify the fundraising software that actually serves your future goals, and why the right infrastructure is the secret weapon for unlocking workplace giving revenue.The "Free Tool" Trap & Staff Burnout:Many nonprofits rush to grab every free application available to fix immediate pain points. Benjamin explains why this "band-aid" approach inevitably leads to a cycle of frustration and data fragmentation. You will learn how to identify when a tool is serving a point-in-time need versus when it is a scalable solution.Escaping the "Data Silo Death Trap":If you are trying to scale corporate grants or matching gifts, you cannot afford to have your data living in different systems. We discuss the critical importance of a "relational system" that connects individuals to their employers. Learn how to stop missing out on corporate in-kind donations simply because you didn't know your existing donor worked for a matching-eligible company.From "Profit Maximization" to "Mission Expansion":In the for-profit world, technology is used to generate better margins. Benjamin reframes this for the nonprofit sector: proper tech implementation gives time back to your staff. We explore how saving administrative hours translates directly into tangible impact and how to sell this investment to your board.The "Win-Win-Win" of Workplace Giving:We break down the triad of value in corporate giving: the nonprofit wins funds, the employee wins a sense of purpose, and the corporation wins reputation. Benjamin outlines the exact donor stewardship strategies needed to minimize friction for these partners, including how to leverage automation so that payroll donations and volunteer grants become a seamless part of your revenue stream.The $10 Million Stress Test:If a $10 million check landed on your desk tomorrow, would your infrastructure break? Benjamin poses the "don't do it twice" challenge. Learn why you should build your tech stack now for the organization you want to be in five years, rather than the one you are today. We discuss how to achieve a "single pane of glass" visibility that integrates fundraising tools with volunteer management to handle massive scale.Moving Beyond Vanilla KPIs:"Dollars raised" is just the surface. We discuss the deeper metrics that indicate health, such as donor retention rates within corporate programs and engagement expansion (e.g., moving a corporate partner from a simple match to sponsoring a table at your gala). Learn how to use data to spot these upsell opportunities before they slip away.Key Quote:"When technology is done right, it really gives people time back... For nonprofits, that 'time back' isn't about profit. It's about: How do I use this time to serve? How do I use this time to create more impact? ... It made me realize that while I was working with nonprofits, every data point that I was looking at really came from a human story behind the scenes. It was a child being fed, a family being housed, a community being supported. All of that really motivated me... When you can give them better tools and smarter systems, it's not just about making their operations better; it's really about multiplying the effect and the impact that they have in their community."

Is your organization leaving free money on the table? Most nonprofit professionals dream of landing a massive corporate sponsor, but the true revenue revolution lies in optimizing the donors you already have. If you have ever felt the pinch of flat donation numbers or watched potential corporate partners slip by because of engagement gaps, this episode is your blueprint for growth. We are going deep on building a robust matching gift strategy that turns passive giving into a powerful engine for your mission.Matching gifts are often viewed as a "nice to have," or a bonus if you can get it. But in reality, they are one of the most overlooked and underused revenue streams in the sector. Today, we change that narrative. You will discover five surprisingly actionable ways to turn corporate matching gifts from an afterthought into a consistent source of funding. We explore how to remove friction from the giving process to improve the donor journey with matching gifts. Donors are busy; if they have to dig through spreadsheets to find if their employer matches, you have already lost them. We discuss how to create a "Clear Path Approach" that acts as the front door to doubling impact. We also dive into the importance of social proof. Humans connect to humans, not policies. You will learn how to leverage matching gift case studies and donor stories to normalize the process and inspire others to act.Furthermore, we tackle the "Education Engine." Many supporters simply do not understand how corporate giving works or that their company even offers payroll donations or volunteer grants. By utilizing the right marketing matching gifts assets (like videos and internal training) you can make matching gifts second nature for your team and your donors. Finally, we connect the dots between the match and the mission, ensuring that donor retention remains high by showing supporters exactly how their amplified gifts change lives.The Clear Path Approach: Discover how to remove friction and improve the donor journey with matching gifts by making eligibility search tools prominent and accessible on your website.The Social Spotlight: Learn to leverage social proof by sharing matching gift case studies and donor stories that encourage others to check their own eligibility.The Education Engine: Understand why consistent education is key and how to use resources to market matching gifts effectively to your supporter base.The Recurring Reminder: Find out how organizations like Boys Town use consistent campaigns to keep corporate fundraising top of mind throughout the year.The Mission Story Loop: Learn to tie matching gifts directly to impact, helping you master donor stewardship by showing where the extra funds actually go."Matching gifts are less about chasing corporate money and more about unlocking the full power of your community. You don't need a brand-new department; you need a new mindset."The Ultimate Checklist: 10-Step Checklist for Matching Gift SuccessAutomate Your Revenue: Overview of Matching Gift Auto-SubmissionAbout Double the DonationDouble the Donation helps nonprofits and schools increase funds from corporate matching gift and volunteer grant programs. We provide the most comprehensive data and automation solutions to help your organization raise more revenue. Whether you are looking to launch a capital campaign, secure major gifts, or simply improve your fundraising software stack, our tools integrate seamlessly to capture employer data and drive results. We also help organizations tap into volunteer time off (VTO) and corporate in-kind donations to maximize every opportunity.Our industry-leading database and fundraising tools allow you to identify match-eligible donors instantly. Join the thousands of nonprofits using fundraising intelligence to boost their workplace giving revenue today.

If you are ready to stop treating payroll donations as an afterthought and start treating them as a core pillar of your fundraising strategy, this episode provides the blueprint you need. From marketing ideas for nonprofits to technical implementation, we cover the essential steps to turn passive interest into active, recurring support. Visibility & User Experience: Discover why placing payroll giving information front and center on your website (rather than burying them in menus) is the first step to increasing participation. Leveraging Technology: Learn how integrating fundraising tools and plugins can remove friction from the donation process, allowing supporters to instantly identify if their employer offers companies with payroll giving programs or matching gifts.Continuous Engagement: Understand why you must treat workplace giving as a year-round conversation rather than a seasonal campaign, and how to use marketing payroll giving strategies to nurture donors between major events.Social Advocacy: Gain insights into using social platforms like LinkedIn to spread the word, empowering your team to share corporate giving opportunities with their professional networks to build peer-to-peer trust.Connecting Purpose to Paychecks: Learn how to combat the "invisible" nature of automatic deductions by using strong donor stewardship to show supporters exactly how their payroll donation revenue is driving tangible impact for your cause."Payroll donors don't just want to give. They want to belong. Show them what they're part of every time you communicate."Double the Donation: https://doublethedonation.com/Guide: How to Earn More Payroll Donation Revenue