In this special episode, we speak with Masataka Uo, Founder and CEO of the Japan Fundraising Association, the nationwide network that promotes philanthropic giving and social impact investment. He discusses the rapid evolution of the nonprofit sector and the fast growth of the association, his efforts to expand links between nonprofits throughout Asia, and how charitable fundraising is key to creating "a new capitalism." This interview was recorded live in the exhibit hall at AFP ICON in New...

In this special episode, we speak with Tim Sarrantonio and Benjamin Johnson who were just completing their first Generosity Roadshow, a cross-country listening tour with three aims: to learn about the ways nonprofit practitioners do their jobs; to better understand the role that data plays in that work; and, to chart a path forward on how nonprofits can use data in actionable and insightful ways. This conversation was recorded live in the exhibit hall at AFP ICON in New Orleans.

Jay Love is a charity sector titan whose profound influence spans four decades and counting. He has developed and led a succession of major software firms serving the nonprofit fundraising world, beginning with Master Software in the 80s, eTapestry at the turn of the century, and Bloomerang starting in 2012. In each case, he identified a problem bedeviling nonprofits, pioneered a solution, and then was a key figure in transforming the way organizations build relationships with supporters....

Richard Pordes is one of the foremost figures in global fundraising. For decades, he has been pioneering, introducing, and successfully executing extraordinary direct response efforts throughout the world, first with UNICEF’s national chapters and country offices and later with many of the leading international charities, including MSF, WWF, Save the Children, UNHCR, and others. Born in Shanghai to Jewish refugees from Europe, raised in Hong Kong, and educated in the UK and USA, he is...

In this episode, we speak with Rajiv Vinnakota, a pioneering social entrepreneur with a passion for civic education. In past years, he co-founded the SEED Foundation, the nation’s first network of public, college-preparatory boarding schools for underserved children, and then served as Vice President of the Aspen Institute, where he launched and led the Youth & Engagement Programs division devoted to youth leadership development, civic engagement, and opportunity.  Today, he is President...

In this episode, we speak with Tony Myers, internationally acclaimed consultant, strategist, author, speaker, teacher, mentor, board member, and executive coach who has guided leaders to realize their vision, mission, and financial goals at over 60 nonprofit organizations on six continents. Dedicated to building a sector guided by sustainability, accountability, and leadership, his approach is to listen first, seek deep understanding, identify challenges, and find ways to work collaboratively...

For nearly forty years, Paul Edwards has been at the center of several miraculously successful philanthropic efforts. He began his career with a record-breaking higher education campaign and then decided he needed to leave the field for his faith, entering the seminary. There he unexpectedly discovered a new and profound spiritual role for fundraising which he applied when tapped to lead the fundraising effort at Prison Fellowship. Since then, he has led a successful major campaign for Mercy...

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Hutchisson, a social impact executive with over three decades of experience working at the intersection of business, society, and the nonprofit sector. Rachel is a former leader of the Global Social Responsibility effort at Blackbaud, a 3,300-person publicly traded cloud software company. During her tenure at Blackbaud, Rachel built the company’s “give back” function from the ground up, relying on her expertise in ESG/sustainability, strategic...

“Serving Others.” That is how Jennifer Oyer, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of Community Impact Advisors, describes the foundation of her life and her work in Hawaii, across the pacific islands, and around the world. For two decades, she has led and grown development efforts at organizations across Hawaii, including The Salvation Army, the Arthritis Foundation, the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, and her own alma mater, Hawaii Baptist Academy, before launching her firm in...

Andrew Olsen is a best selling author, popular podcaster, speaker, and nonprofit marketer who has guided over 500 nonprofits in raising more than half a billion dollars. Over the years, he has built and led fundraising programs on behalf of organizations ranging from Covenant House International to CARE USA, and dozens of Rescue Missions and Food Banks across the U.S. and Canada. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President of Fundraising Solutions at DickersonBakker & Associates, leading...

Chris Carnie is the Founder of Factary, Europe's leading prospect research agency, an instructor in fundraising at the University of Barcelona, Director of Fundacio Terra, and the author of three books on fundraising and philanthropy, including his latest, How Philanthropy Is Changing Europe. In this episode, we speak with Chris about his personal and professional journey which started in Scotland and eventually led him to Spain, the generosity he has witnessed along the way, and how...

In today's episode, we speak with Helen Brown, President of the Helen Brown Group, the world's largest and most influential development research consulting and training agency. A fundraising professional since 1987, she served in leadership roles at several major institutions before launching her firm in 2005. Since that time, she and her team have worked with over 1,000 nonprofits around the world. Along the way, she served as president of NEDRA, which honored her with the Ann Castle Award,...

Stacy Palmer has served as a top editor at The Chronicle of Philanthropy since its founding in 1988, overseeing its growth and development from the print to the digital era. In this episode, we talk about the arc of her career, from her early days as a lifestyle reporter to her work today in shepherding her influential publication into an independent nonprofit, as well as her thoughts about the media’s coverage of the nonprofit world, and her hopes for the future of the sector.

Krista Slade is an international leader whose epic voyage from Toronto to Hong Kong, Melbourne, Singapore, Oxford, and back again has had a lasting impact on the size, shape, and scope of advancement programs around the world. In today's episode, we take that journey with her, learning about each of these unique environments, the challenges and the successes, and the enduring characteristic which continues to fuel her optimism for the work we do in fundraising and philanthropy.

In today's episode, we speak with Lisa Zola Greer, an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who has managed her family's giving for the last decade. She has served on dozens of boards and commissions, including the Beverly Hills Cultural Heritage Commission, the international board of the New Israel Fund, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and the Los Angeles District Attorney Crime Prevention Foundation. In her new book, Philanthropy Revolution, she describes how she and her husband found...

A child of the great migration, Ava Willis-Barksdale has risen from a stint as a student in the steel mills to the Vice Presidency of Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. She has made her mark in both healthcare and higher ed fundraising, demonstrating a unique capacity for combining teaching and leadership with mentoring the people in her teams, leading to the development of cultures of transformational philanthropy. Ava shared some of her journey with us in this...

Amy Eisenstein, CEO and Co-Founder of the Capital Campaign Toolkit, is one of the leading voices in the field of fundraising. Amy is an AFP certified Master Trainer, former president of the board of AFP-NJ, and one of the few ACFRE designation holders in the profession. Her books include Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops, Raising More with Less, and 50 A$ks in 50 Weeks. In our conversation, Amy gives us a window into her highly innovative approach to the campaign feasibility study,...

In today's episode, we speak with Brian Lacy, a long-time leader in the field of sustained giving in the US and Canada. Brian takes us on a journey from his college days at the University of Toronto through to leading the program at the University of Connecticut and, finally, running his own firm today out of Texas today. Along the way, he shares his reflections on the faith, family, and philanthropy that have sustained him in the darkest hours and given him the strength to help others...

David Woodruff has been a key figure in some of the largest and most successful fundraising efforts in healthcare and higher education. He oversaw the $1.5 billion Campaign for the Third Century of Massachusetts General Hospital and then directed a record-setting $6 Billion Campaign for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. David joined Marts & Lundy as a consulting partner following his retirement as Associate Vice President and COO of Resource Development at MIT this month. In this...

In this episode, we speak with Karen E. Osborne, a master fundraiser, teacher, and storyteller who loves and believes in the power of philanthropy and nonprofits. She built her career around these passions not only as a frontline fundraiser, speaker, trainer, teacher, consultant, and coach but also as a donor, volunteer, and board member. She has served in senior positions at colleges and universities and, for the past 25 years, as President and now as Senior Strategist at The Osborne Group....

Today's guest is Armando Zumaya, a man who has been a significant force in major fundraising efforts since the 1980s. From door-knocking to billion dollar plus campaigns and, more recently, leading development efforts for top arts and social service institutions, Armando has become synonymous with fearless, data-driven fundraising. He is also a leading advocate for Latinx philanthropy and fundraising, putting this topic front and center through his newly formed organization, Somos El Poder....

Today's guest is Lisa Wolf. She is a self-described accidental fundraiser whose work has taken her from major political campaigns to advancing the work of CURE International and now fueling the work of non-profits around the country through Westfall Gold. At the heart of it all has been a focus on building successful relationships. In our conversation, she shares details on the importance of identifying and connecting with donors, helping them to understand the case, building a community of...

Tim Burcham's early training in musical theater provided the perfect training for a stunning career in higher education fundraising. Handpicked by his university’s president, he rose from recruitment officer to leader of a new, $900 million, 16-institution system and chair of the international board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Tim shares his story and tells how he is working today to help attract and mentor a rising new generation of fundraising leaders.

After leading development efforts in secondary and higher education, healthcare, the arts, human services, and faith based organizations, Linda Wise McNay founded Our Fundraising Search, where she and her colleagues guide clients with strategies in campaigns, governance, and recruiting top fundraising talent. She is the author of several books including Fundraising for Churches, Fundraising for Schools, Fundraising for Museums, the recently released Fundraising for All: What Every Nonprofit...

After beginning travelling the world to protect the assets of the wealthy, fundraising icon Paul D’Alessandro pivoted to guide nonprofits to billions in philanthropic support. In today’s conversation, Paul shares the story of his own personal and professional evolution and insights on the field from his new book, “The Future Of Fundraising Is Here.”