Nonprofit CourageLab

Julie Ordoñez is a leading fundraiser, coach, speaker and founder of CourageLab, a 6-week group coaching accelerator for nonprofit founders, EDs and fundraisers ready to double their individual giving. Nonprofit CourageLab shares soul-shaking insights on how to become a more courageous leader and raise more money for your nonprofit. No one changed the world without first changing themselves. If you want to raise more money to change the world, you are in the right place.

I started this podcast because fundraisers everywhere are terrified to do their jobs. There was a gap in helpers for dealing with the fear that comes with asking people for money. Our lack of courage is stopping us from changing our communities faster.In order to change the world, we have to develop our personal courage. We put our comfort before the mission all the time. That’s why our organizations stay small.My CourageLab is really a lab. Let’s try some things out, experiment, and learn from each other. I want to help you raise your courage so you can have a greater impact.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

We’ve all been there. Someone mentions in passing that they love your work and they’d love to help, they’ve shared on social media or come to an event, and you, being the nice person you are, thank them for being there and being supportive, even though what you really need is their monetary contribution.We have to stop accepting scraps and being grateful for that. Be ready at any moment to ask them to help in a way you actually need. Let’s be real, awareness doesn’t pay the bills. If your budget was fully funded would you talk about raising awareness? Nope.Part of why you haven’t gotten your revenue to where it needs to be is because you may struggle to receive help from people who have offered it. What if you went back to everyone who has offered help in the last 12 months? Authentic relationships with your donors are built on honesty and trust. Start telling people what you need.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Welcome back! In this episode I want to talk about how to change what you believe about your donors and yourself. There’s an attitude in the nonprofit sector that borders on martyrdom. We tend to believe that no one else cares as much as we do, that rich people are greedy, and that we are the heroes because we work for pennies for what we believe in.In reality, humility, when fully developed, looks like courage. Asking our donors for more means that we are willing to sacrifice our image and our comfort level for the cause. A humble leader doesn’t burn themselves out.You can choose to believe that there are people who are all in, who are willing to sacrifice just as much as you, and they will step up. If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

When it comes to major gifts fundraising, we talk a lot about renewing gifts, usually to the same amount that was given last year. How do you move beyond the same $25k year after year and grow exponentially? It takes a lot of courage to challenge donors to step up in new, big ways.The goal has to be to uncover the passion within your donors and the impact that they desire to see, then leading them to extraordinary generosity.Try it out with a donor you’re close to. They might just say yes, or surprise you with an innovative solution. It’s not because you’re greedy. You don’t care only about money. It’s time to lead from the front with power, with courage, and with generosity. You cannot ask them to go where you aren’t willing to.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Who you are determines what you do. If your strategy doesn’t line up with who you are, it won’t work. Developing a culture of generosity IS your strategy. When generosity is rampant in your organization, it comes naturally to everyone involved. There are 5 keys to building a culture of generosity:An attitude of abundanceHumilityFocus on people and relationshipsCommunication - both of frequency and qualityTaking ownershipWhatever you celebrate, you will see more of.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

My CourageLab program focuses on 3 major components to help you become a world class fundraiser and build a strong major gifts program.Courage: Humility that is fully developed looks like courage. It takes courage to have boundaries, to receive help, and ask for gifts. Being an exemplary leader takes guts.Strategy: Learn how to structure your time and which donors to focus on. As an executive, focus on the people you enjoy, maybe the top 20 donors and start there.Relationships: Build authentic relationships with your donors. Ask powerful questions, then genuinely listen with curiosity.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Courage isn’t a feeling; it’s a muscle. Courage is feeling the fear and doing the thing anyway. It’s a skill you develop by doing more of what you’re afraid to do.In my CourageLab framework, we build courage in these ways:Build an attitude of abundance. Believe that your donors can give more. Rather than looking for evidence that they are maxed out, look for evidence that they are on your team.Humble yourself. Be willing to experience any emotion and work through it. What are you willing to do that is so uncomfortable but you know is necessary to raise more money?Own your genius. Delegate everything you don’t have to be doing and spend your energy on what really matters.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

What does it take to raise a million dollars? If you’re struggling, it’s not for lack of work ethic. In this episode I’ll cover the 3 keys to a million dollar strategy.You need impossible goals. If your goals are tiny, they inspire tiny gifts. Impossible goals force us to think bigger and get more creative.Prioritize meaningful fundraising activities. Don’t organize events that aren’t relevant to your people, just because you saw it being successful somewhere else. What is an activity that will bring your donors closer together, closer to your mission, and closer to your team?Create an ownership culture. Stop pretending that you don’t have time if the reality is that you’re afraid. Once you own your attitude, you can change it. Control the controllables, and that includes yourself.What impossible goals are you going to set today? How can you take greater ownership of the results you get (or don’t get)?If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Fundraising that survives economic downturn and recession comes from a strong relationship with your donors. If you know them, and they know you, they will stick by you.Here are the critical ways to build strong relationships with your donors:Get personal. Share about your life, even if it has nothing whatsoever to do with your mission.Ask powerful questions. Ask them why they give and you may find a much deeper connection with them.Pick up the phone. Why are we so afraid of the phone? Just 2 minutes can accelerate your relationship.Follow up. Not just about gifts and programs, but about things that your donors have shared with you. People want to be connected to you. It’s okay to get to know your donors and create these strong connections with them.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

In this episode, I’m going to talk about my CourageLab process and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. CourageLab is a 6-week program for major gifts training.In CourageLab, you’ll learn:How to identify the right donorsHow to get meetings with those donorsHow to ask them for moreOverall strategy for major giftsAccountability and mindset coachingCourageLab may be right for you if you have donors who are giving a thousand dollars or more per year and you know they could give much more. If you can admit that fear holds you back and you want to expand your impact and you’re ready to create a new relationship with fundraising.Imagine enjoying fundraising. Imagine making one phone call and getting a $10k gift. Imagine a simple system. Imagine being able to identify the best ROI opportunities. In order to grow, you need to become someone new; someone more courageous. You need to invest in yourself. If the budget is small, and fear keeps you small, you’ll never grow.My program promise is that you will raise a $10k gift in 6 weeks or less, or your money back. I can make a bold claim like that because I have helped dozens of leaders do exactly that. The fall cohort is open now!If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Part of building relationships and getting your nonprofit to the next level is learning how to activate the catalysts on your board. These are the go-getters, the ones that ask the questions, offer help, and want to do better than their predecessors. Are you really using their skills to their full potential?One reason why you may not be getting the growth you need is because your board members don’t know what to help you with. They may never have done any fundraising before, or served on a board before, but they really do want to make an impact. They want to do a good job, and sometimes they can be quite competitive. Use that to your advantage. Get to know your board members and follow up when they offer to help. Get the buy-in from the influential, catalytic members of your board before the board meeting and they’ll be able to step into a strong leadership role next to you.I challenge you to call a board member and ask them some of these powerful questions and create a plan so you can support them in helping you expand your mission.The fall cohort is open now!If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

It’s very common to be terrified of hearing “no.” To avoid hearing no, we ask for smaller amounts or avoid asking at all. That’s not the way to raise large gifts. The worst thing that could happen isn’t hearing no. The worst thing that could happen is you not asking for more and your community continuing to suffer.The courage to hear “no” comes from being solid in your why. Is your work urgent? Is it lifesaving, or not? Is the benefit for your community worth your discomfort?There are a few myths that hold us back from asking for more.Some believe that they don’t have to ask for more. In reality, a moment of discomfort is nothing compared to the impact of you holding back.The best major gift fundraisers must hear “yes” all the time. No, they don’t - they hear no more often because they ask more.The first week of CourageLab is designed to get you a $10k gift. By trusting in my framework and following through on the challenges, you will be willing to hear no. Once you’re willing to hear no, and you can handle it gracefully, you will get more yes! Maintain the relationship and that no can turn into a yes. Get clear on how urgent, life-saving, and crucial your mission is. Is it worth hearing no for? How much do you need to ask for in order to get to your goals? Have a plan and be ready to handle the “no” with grace and strengthen the partnership, then watch how that will unlock radical generosity within your organization.The fall cohort is open now!If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

I hear many fundraisers and nonprofit leaders worrying that it’s somehow bad or unethical to raise money during a recession. In this episode, I want to talk about that mindset, how it became so prevalent, whether it’s accurate, and what to do about it. I started my fundraising career during the great recession. I was working with a community center and I couldn’t justify not fundraising, because the people we served were the most vulnerable. Their needs were the most dire. Times were hard for most Americans at the time, but I had to do what I could to help people survive.The top 3 things you can do to recession proof your fundraising efforts are:Get to know your donors, and let them get to know you. If they feel seen and valued beyond their monetary contributions, they’ll be on your side no matter what. Decide if your mission is important and urgent. If you don’t believe in your mission, you’ll find reasons not to ask. Build your empathy muscle for rich people. Don’t objectify them - you’re not entitled to their money. They want a connection too. There will always be a crisis. There are times to talk about donations, and there are times to just check in on your donors and connect with them. When you invest in relationships, you’ll know how passionate they are, or aren’t, about your mission. They’ll know they can trust you, even when times are tough, and you can ask them for exponentially more.The fall cohort is open now!If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving this year, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

I started my career in fundraising during the great recession and that was a great training ground. I was lucky enough to have a boss that agreed to get me training and really hone my skills as a major gifts fundraiser. What I found was that no matter what situation the world is in, the best way to fundraise is by cultivating genuine relationships with your donors.We are taught that it’s rude to talk about money. But, avoiding talking about money in an attempt to be polite isn’t helping your donors to help you. Inside CourageLab, I teach you how to be yourself when talking to rich people. I teach you how to have compelling conversations that lead to opportunities for them to have the impact that they want to have on the world.We are not entitled to someone’s money just because we’re doing good work. Don’t take your major donors for granted. Studies show that gratitude is like oil for your brain. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s likely because you’re getting into entitlement and pride and you’re not practicing gratitude.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

In this episode I’m going to go step by step through the process for building a solid foundation for raising major gifts. I’m not talking about foundations or grants. I mean individuals who contribute $10,000 or more per year to your nonprofit. First, you need to identify who those donors are and align your priorities to build relationships with them. Don’t be so busy working in your business that you neglect your relationships with donors because if they leave you, you won’t have a business to run. You need to spend more time with them if they’re eager, responsive, giving every year, and even increasing their giving. Don’t take them for granted.Next, you need to change who you are and how you see yourself. Get the guts to ask for more. Build your internal courage. The real risk is not learning how to do these things and hoping that your charisma carries you through.It’s important to aso change the way you see your donors. When I say “rich people,” you might bristle a little bit. They know they can make more money. Their precious limited resource is time. Be mindful of how you use (and waste) your time as well as the time of your volunteers and donors.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Every few episodes, I’ll share an “Ask Julie” episode, where I’ll talk with a client or nonprofit leader about a question they have.In this episode,I’ll give you a sneak peek into one of my monthly coaching workshops. Today’s question is, “Do I give up on this wealthy donor when there’s radio silence?” If a donor seems to be ghosting you, there are a few things you should consider. What are you doing to stand out among the many other organizations trying to get donations from them? Why should they choose you over everyone else? Odds are you haven’t done the work to be worth his investment.Communicating with your major donors is worth 30 minutes of your time a week. Don’t fill up emails with offers and links and information. Keep them simple and personal, and don’t let resentment build towards your donors.The root of courage is humility.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Today we’re going to talk about how rich people, your major donors, think during a recession. The important thing to remember is that even though some people are struggling right now, not everyone is. Your most generous donors are generous even in a recession. The best data you can get will come directly from your donors’ mouths when you ask them directly. Many of them prioritize generosity and want to be known by that. Your donors are generous people and when you treat them as such, that’s how they’ll behave.Even though they may not be personally struggling financially, recessions are stressful and there is more consideration in what to do philanthropically. You must have a crystal clear vision of impact for the future, and you need to be really efficient in how you talk about your work.Being able to articulate your big vision will inspire people, and that’s what you want. You want it to be obvious that it’ll take a massive amount of capital to make a massive impact. Be straightforward in your communication so your donors know why you need their unique value and their unique contribution. That’s when it becomes important to qualify your leads to be sure they’re mission aligned.Finally, you have to be able to deliver and report back on the impact of the gift, regardless of whether there is a recession. Anybody can write a check and get a tax write-off, but wealthy people want to make an actual difference.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Courage comes from being uncomfortable, taking calculated risks that grow our mission and our impact. The one skill that I’ve started doing that has helped me raise millions of dollars is negotiation - and it’s uncomfortable!I learned about negotiation at an event in Los Angeles years ago where I heard a story from a lady who was fundraising for a new hospital wing for low income and homeless families and individuals to really address the issues with healthcare and poverty. She managed to negotiate $2M from one donor because she really believed her mission was worth that much from one person. Do you believe that?You need to have the guts and a plan to ask. Talk to your donors like equals. You have to be able to ask for more. It’s your job to ask for more! I teach my Million Dollar VIP clients how to do this so that closing 6 and 7-figure gifts becomes just another Tuesday. If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production

Your goal is set, you have your donor database, your front line fundraisers are ready to go, but you know before you start that the numbers in your projections won’t reach your goal. What do you do? What do you try next?First, ask yourself a few questions:If you really believe that your largest donors were truly on your team, truly have your back and believe in your mission, how would you approach them?Have you asked for new connections, not just for more money?What is your system for cold outreach?Have you checked in and really connected with your current donors? You may have major donors hiding in your database that you haven’t fully connected with yet.You haven’t really tried everything yet. There are other things you can try and even if you did those last year, you can do them again. Ask your most loyal people for more. Not just more money, but more in general, and see what comes of it.If you’re ready to double or even triple your individual giving and start 2023 strong, come grab your spot at CourageLab today! https://nonprofitcouragelab.com/Music credit: With the Flow by Fin ProductionsA Podcast Launch Bestie production