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© 2025 Positive Equation, LLC
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Missions to Movements is the nonprofit marketing and fundraising podcast that helps you grow recurring donors, scale monthly giving programs, and build digital campaigns that convert.
Hosted by Dana Snyder—speaker, strategist, and founder of Positive Equation—this show is packed with actionable nonprofit growth strategies, social media tips, and fundraising best practices.
Each week, you’ll hear how organizations are increasing donor retention, building thought leadership, and using digital fundraising to drive real impact. If you want to learn how to attract monthly donors, master nonprofit marketing, and transform your mission into a movement, this podcast is for you.
222 Episodes
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This year held some of my highest highs and lowest lows, and much of it happened faster than I expected. In this solo episode, I’m reflecting honestly about what 2025 looked like for me, both personally and professionally. You’ll hear what surprised me most, the growth of the Monthly Giving Summit, what it was like working 1:1 with 14 organizations through VIP intensives, the unexpected speaking gigs (including international!), and the journaling questions I’m sitting with. Of course,...
When a former classroom educator becomes the one writing the checks, EVERYTHING about grantmaking shifts. Dr. Maggie Sullivan Marcus of the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation brings a rare, dual perspective shaped by years in the classroom and years in philanthropy. Her on-the-ground experience supporting multilingual learner programs is rooted in empathy, deep respect for educators, and a commitment to equity. We get into how small but strategic investments can spark outsized impa...
How can a 10X mindset replace incremental goals with focused, brave action that scales monthly giving and clarifies what to stop doing? • 10X mindset versus incremental growth • letting go of low-leverage work • applying bold goals to monthly giving growth • risk reframed as focus and resource questions Resources Mentioned: Join the Sustainer Slack Group — completely free. The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind + Retreat "10x Is Easier Than 2X" - By Dan Sullivan and D...
If you've ever wrestled with the tension between being donor-centered and community-centered in your fundraising, today's episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. The incredible Tammy Zonker, founder of Fundraising Transformed, has helped raise more than $1 billion over her career, including facilitating a single $27 million dollar gift! We dive into Tammy’s hands-on case study from the Children’s Center in Detroit, where her team tripled philanthropy in three years and doubled it again ...
After an electrifying GivingTuesday, I’m here to share three BIG behind the scenes announcements that will directly support your recurring revenue goals and monthly giving programs in 2026: First, I’m thrilled to announce that my Sustainers Slack community is now 100% free! It has become one of the most generous, collaborative, and energizing spaces on the internet, and if you join, you’ll get monthly office hours, expert Q&As, and coworking huddles. We’re also going to talk about what’...
Most organizations rush straight from GivingTuesday into metrics, wrap-ups, and end-of-year planning, but if you do, you’re missing the most valuable moment of all: the DAY AFTER, when donors are still inspired and emotionally connected to the gift they just made. In this replay of my most downloaded episode ever, you’ll hear the super simple, text-only email that can dramatically strengthen donor relationships, why it works, and how the responses can uncover donor motivations you’d ne...
Fewer than five of charity: water’s donors wrote a check during a 75,000-piece direct mail test, yet direct mail STILL lifted revenue by 1.5-2%! Behavioral science expert and DonorVoice founder Kevin Schulman is here to talk about why traditional direct mail metrics fall short, why your “non-check-writers” may be your biggest missed opportunity, and how personality-based messaging can transform donor engagement. You’ll hear the inside story of a charity: water experiment that tested postcar...
When your mission depends on people not just caring, but acting, the right data and technology infrastructure is so important. I am thrilled to welcome Emma Bloomberg, Founder and CEO of Murmuration, a nonprofit civic tech organization equipping grassroots groups with the tools to engage communities more efficiently, track progress, and build lasting civic power. Emma shares how organizations on the ground can use voter files, civic data, and tailored analytics to understand who they’re rea...
Would you believe me if I told you that emotional intelligence can transform donor relationships and drive sustainable fundraising growth? Bill Crouch is the visionary leader of BrightDot and the author of Start with Heart: The Secret Power of Emotions to Catalyze Fundraising Results. And according to Bill, there is REAL data to prove why resilience and empathy consistently outperform traditional metrics. Bill walks us through BrightDot’s “Teach, Train, Transform” methodology and how one com...
What does it take to triple a nonprofit’s operating budget, raise $3.3 million for a capital campaign, complete a $10 million dollar facility renovation, AND expand to three campuses, all in just six years? Hope Pavich, Executive Director of Care for Friends, joins me to share how she did exactly that. In this episode, you’ll hear how Hope’s team identified service gaps to build an innovative grocery delivery program for unhoused youth that now reaches 30 of Chicago’s 50 wards, and why...
If you and your team are constantly juggling WAY too many priorities with not enough support, this episode is exactly what you need to hear. Vicki Burkhart is the powerhouse founder and CEO of The More Than Giving Co., a virtual, fractional staffing firm that has served over 230 nonprofit clients and counting! There is a growing “crisis of capacity” across the nonprofit sector. Did you know 65% of nonprofit leaders say they don’t have enough staff to deliver programs and services? Vicki expl...
At just 23 years old, Maddie Ward became Chief Operating Officer of End Overdose, a nonprofit that’s trained over 500,000 people to identify and respond to opioid overdoses. What began as a grassroots effort at UCLA has since EXPLODED into a powerful, youth-driven network spanning 70+ cities, fueled by data, creativity, and pure heart. Maddie offers a fresh perspective on how she built scalable systems for leadership, recruitment, and sustainability to empower students to take ownership of t...
We explore the power of nurture campaigns as a critical strategy before launching year-end appeals. Sharing personal stories and gratitude before making asks creates deeper connections with donors and significantly improves engagement metrics. • Previous bonus episodes covered LinkedIn thought leadership, making monthly giving the centerpiece of events, and getting featured in holiday gift guides • Nurture campaigns should share stories and milestones without making asks • Dana's personal ca...
What does recurring giving look like through a CFO’s eyes, vs. relying on grants and one-time gifts? It isn’t just good for cash flow – it’s the foundation for smarter, calmer leadership. Fractional CFO Stephen Newland is here to make the financial case for monthly giving. With over 15 years of experience guiding nonprofits, startups, and Fortune 500s, he breaks down how recurring gifts build stability, reduce burnout, and give leaders the space to think beyond survival mode. Stephen shares...
Holiday gift guides present a powerful opportunity for nonprofits to position their monthly giving programs and symbolic gifts as meaningful alternatives to traditional presents. With millions of people searching for gifts that create lasting impact, now is the perfect time to pitch your nonprofit's offerings to publications, local outlets, and influencers who create "gifts that give back" content. • Timing is crucial – editors are finalizing holiday gift guides between October and Dec...
Ready to transform your mission into something monumental? Promise yourself the tools to shake up nonprofit marketing and fundraising as you join me, Dana Snyder, on a journey from the heart of the nonprofit sector to the dynamic world of corporate agencies. This episode of the Missions to Movements podcast isn’t just about playing it safe—it’s about pioneering new paths with audacious strategies. If you're eager to craft a standout monthly giving program or want to boost your personal brand ...
The Values in Action Award from Home Agency is opening the door for organizations to transform their storytelling and digital presence in a big way, and ONE lucky nonprofit will win $100,000 in marketing services! Marivi Bryant spent nearly 25 years of her life leading campaigns for major brands like JetBlue, New Balance, The NASCAR Foundation, and the Phoenix Suns. Today, as the founder of Home Agency, she brings a powerhouse perspective on marketing that blends sports, corporate, and nonpr...
Transform your fundraising events from one-time giving opportunities into sustainable revenue generators by making monthly giving a centerpiece rather than an afterthought. We share practical strategies to create signature moments that convert event attendees into loyal monthly supporters while maximizing the long-term impact of your gatherings. • Creating signature visual moments that attendees will remember long after the event ends • Elevating existing monthly donors through specia...
Did you know that only 11–12% of visitors who click “Donate” actually complete their gift? That conversion gap represents a massive missed opportunity for nonprofits, and Scott Cross, sales leader at iDonate, has the data and tools to help you capture more donor intent – especially on mobile. Scott breaks down how simple A/B tests, mobile-friendly donation forms, and new pop-up giving tools are helping organizations see up to a 50% lift in completed donations and a 23% boost in recurring gif...
LinkedIn represents an untapped goldmine for nonprofit leaders seeking to grow recurring giving, with 80% of its billion-plus members wanting to give back. People are watching your content even when they don't engage, building relationships that can turn into donations, speaking opportunities, and partnerships when the time is right. • Block 2-3 hours weekly to write and schedule LinkedIn content for consistency • Think of posts as mini-newsletters that inspire conversation, considerat...
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