Nonprofits can’t afford to ignore mental wellness. Stretching employees too thin leads to burnout, turnover, and lost donor trust—costs that ripple across mission, fundraising, and community impact. Leaders who invest in staff well-being not only do the right thing but also protect retention, efficiency, and donor relationships. From normalizing mental health conversations to flexible workspaces and empathetic leadership, the path is clear: taking care of your team is both a moral and strategic imperative.

Once seen as an invasion of privacy, texting is now one of the most effective tools for donor engagement. With open rates as high as 98%, texts dramatically outperform email and can strengthen relationships when used thoughtfully for outreach, stewardship, and even giving. The key is to keep messages short, timely, and personal—never spammy. When done well, texting becomes another arrow in the quiver of fundraising, deepening impact and building authentic connections in a digital-first world.

Getting in front of new prospects is harder than ever—but sitting back and waiting isn’t an option. This episode introduces a creative solution: gamifying the dreaded phone call. By turning outreach and even rejection into a points-based game, fundraisers can build camaraderie, reduce fear, and spark real momentum. From scoring voicemails to celebrating “rejection of the week,” this approach reframes calling from a chore into a challenge and makes progress fun again.

Donor conversations aren’t always smooth - especially when political or social issues enter the mix. In this podcast, Randall Hallett unpacks how fundraisers can navigate divisive topics with civility, professionalism, and focus on shared values. He stresses the importance of staying agnostic, listening first, and reframing discussions around mission and impact rather than ideology. With practical communication strategies and a reminder that philanthropy is about hope and connection, Randall shows how to keep relationships strong, even when opinions differ.

Building a strong donor portfolio isn’t magic. It’s math, persistence, and mindset. In this piece, we break down the real metrics behind qualification calls, revealing how many dials it takes to land conversations and turn those into meaningful meetings. It’s not just about picking up the phone, but about embracing follow-ups, leveraging multiple channels, and tracking every step. Success comes from resilience, consistency, and understanding that small wins compound into lasting donor relationships.

Transformational philanthropy doesn’t happen overnight—it’s the result of patience, humility, and deep trust built over years. Too often, organizations focus on immediate needs and campaign timelines instead of donors’ passions and timeframes. This story highlights how a client took the long view, nurturing a relationship with one of the rare 0.1% capable of extraordinary giving. By personalizing stewardship, showing appreciation, and listening with humility, they created space for generosity to grow naturally into something truly transformative.

Too often, nonprofits treat donors as if they are obligated to give—out of duty, guilt, or long-standing expectation. This mindset not only diminishes donor joy but also undermines the potential for transformational gifts. True philanthropy is rooted in passion, where giving aligns with a donor’s values, identity, and sense of purpose. By shifting from obligation to passion, nonprofits can foster deeper loyalty, larger gifts, and lasting impact. At its core, philanthropy should be about self-determination and joy, not obligation and pressure.

When a nonprofit’s founder or small group wields too much influence, mission drift can quietly erode trust, credibility, and board strength. The result? Confusion among donors, disengaged board members, staff turnover, and even reputational risk. The cure lies in proactive governance: clear roles, term limits, strong bylaws, intentional recruitment, and the courage (both from inside the board and, when needed, from outside voices) to keep the mission front and center.

For decades, annual reports were the gold standard of nonprofit transparency—but today’s donors want more. They expect real-time updates, emotional stories, and a visible impact that doesn’t wait 12 months. Whether through dashboards, video messages, or live virtual briefings, organizations that communicate continuously build deeper trust and engagement. The future of donor communication isn’t static—it’s dynamic, personal, and ongoing.

Nonprofits can no longer afford to wait for 100% certainty. In a world moving at the speed of chaos, inaction is a decision, and often the costliest one. It's time to lead with agility, clarity, and a bias for action. Let’s talk about what effective decision-making looks like now, and why our old models might be holding us back.

Too many fundraising shops operate in silos, each department focusing solely on its own priorities. This separation creates friction—between donor communications, programming, events, and stewardship—hurting both efficiency and donor experience. A truly successful fundraising operation breaks down these walls and works collaboratively across teams. When everyone aligns around donor impact, not just department goals, the entire organization wins.

Fear is natural—but in fundraising, it's often the silent barrier to real relationship-building. Whether it's a new gift officer hesitating to make a thank-you call or a seasoned professional dreading the ask, fear can shrink our actions and paralyze our potential. But reframing these moments as invitations, not transactions, changes everything. This episode explores how small shifts in language and mindset can turn fear into forward motion—both professionally and personally.

What if everything we know about building donor relationships is backward? In this episode, we flip the script—looking at fundraising not from the fundraiser's lens, but from the donor's experience. From curiosity to trust to continuity, we explore the eight emotional stages a donor navigates before and after making a gift. When you understand how donors feel at every step, you unlock deeper relationships, better communication—and better results. It’s not about what we want to say; it’s about what they need to hear.

When crisis hits—whether it's a struggling department or the entire organization—your response defines your future. This episode explores how to talk about financial distress without sounding desperate, and how to frame fundraising efforts as strategic, not survivalist. The difference? Donors don’t want to save a sinking ship—they want to fuel a mission with momentum. If you can communicate change, trust, and a path forward, you’ll do more than survive—you’ll transform.

Great fundraising, like the growth of bamboo, begins with unseen groundwork. The first five years may show nothing above the surface, but beneath lies a strong, intentional root system—just like the quiet outreach, relationship-building, and resilience fundraisers must invest before major gifts emerge. Today’s donor landscape demands more patience, personalization, and persistence than ever. When we stop chasing instant metrics and start cultivating trust, consistency, and collaboration, we prepare for the kind of exponential growth that surprises everyone—except the one who’s been doing the root work all along.

Right now, too many nonprofits are frozen in place—boards and CEOs so paralyzed by funding cuts and political chaos that they’ve stopped thinking strategically altogether. When organizations stall, donors lose confidence, talented development staff grow frustrated, and transformational gifts slip through the cracks. In this episode, we unpack four practical ways fundraising professionals can respectfully ‘manage up’—from reframing strategy as a leadership duty to enlisting donor voices and phasing in focused roadmaps. You’ll hear real-world examples of how anonymous donor feedback and targeted feasibility studies have reignited momentum and unlocked six- and seven-figure gifts. Tune in to discover how to break the paralysis and turn chaos into catalytic, strategic philanthropy.

Most first-time donors are testing the waters—curious if your nonprofit delivers on its promise and if a deeper connection is worth their investment. That’s why speed isn’t just a courtesy in stewardship; it’s a strategy. In this episode, I explore how re-qualifying new donors within the first 90 days can mean the difference between a one-time gift and a lifetime of giving. The data is clear: fast, thoughtful follow-up—especially from the right people—dramatically boosts your donor retention and major gift potential.

Today marks a milestone—250 episodes of Around with Randall! This journey has been one of service, storytelling, and sincere gratitude for those unseen moments of influence we have on each other. What started as a simple goal to make a difference in just one life has blossomed into a community of listeners across the globe. I never imagined the reach or the impact, but I am deeply humbled and more inspired than ever to keep showing up, sharing insights, and building this classroom of compassion and purpose. Here’s to the next 250!

Some of our most transformational donors are the ones you’ll never see on a wall or at a gala. They drive up in Hondas, not Bentleys—and they give in silence, often more generously than the loudest names on the marquee. But here's the catch: treating anonymity like invisibility is a critical failure. These quiet philanthropists still crave impact, connection, and trust—they just want it without the spotlight. Ignore them, and you don’t just lose a gift; you risk losing a legacy.

What is the concept of "choice architecture" in nonprofit fundraising? How can organizations better present options to donor and strike a balance between too much and too little information? Learn how to avoid common mistakes like the "Menu of Doom," false equivalency, and overselling, and discover practical strategies for curating meaningful giving opportunities that connect with donors' passions and the mission of your nonprofit. Join us for a thoughtful discussion on refining donor relationships and maximizing philanthropic impact.