Dynamic Nonprofits Dan Sonners

Since 1979, C-SPAN has been providing unfiltered access into the inner workings of American democracy. Until recently though, the network was funded entirely by the cable industry and had never attempted to fundraise from private donors.



However, the disruption produced by cord cutting necessitated innovation and late last year C-SPAN launched a development program to generate support from the channel's loyal audience which values their unfiltered, unbiased approach politics.



C-SPAN's first ever Development Director, Molly Connors, joins Dan to share her story and go behind the scenes to discuss what it's been like to launch a fundraising program for legacy brand.



Topics covered in this fascinating chat include:

- Molly's origin story in fundraising, how her new position at C-SPAN brought her career full circle, and how helping to launch a digital program for PBS prepared her for the position



- C-SPAN's three critical donor cohorts and how Molly and her team identified them



- What is the value proposition that drives those cohorts to give and the importance of unique value propositions for different groups of donors



- TONS OF TACTICAL INSIGHTS, including C-SPAN's channel and engagement strategy and clever hacks for increasing DAF and digital giving (Hint: You'll want to add your postal address to all of your donation pages after listening to this interview)



- The value of donor stories and helpful tips on how to solicit them



- C-SPAN's surprising success on TikTok and reaching younger donors



Plus, so much more...



This interview is a great listen for fundraisers and non-profit leaders who enjoy founding stories as well any fundraising professional who is interested in tactical hacks for audience development, donor engagement, content strategy, and so much more.



Fundraisers who have been able to successfully start a program from the ground up have a rare and invaluable perspective which is why we are so grateful to Molly for sharing her time and wisdom.



We really enjoyed this conversation and, got a ton of value out of it, and believe you will too.



Thanks as always for listening to the Dynamic Non-Profits Podcast and enjoy the show!



Show Notes:

Molly Connors

Development Manager

C-SPAN

mconnors@c-span.org


LEARN MORE ABOUT C-SPAN OR SUPPORT THEIR MISSION TO PROVIDE UNFILTED ACCESS TO OUR DEMOCRACY

https://www.c-span.org/



CONNECT WITH MOLLY ON LINKED IN!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyconnors/

Fundraising thought leader Dave Raley drops by the show for a casual chat about innovation...more specifically what's holding innovation back in the nonprofit sector.

Much deeper than a philosophical discussion, Dave and Dan dig into innovation tactics and shifts which can benefit nonprofits of all sizes (some of which require little to no overhead to implement).

Dave also touches on the role of leadership and why understanding your "working genius" type holds the key to driving a culture of innovation.

Dan also asks Dave how his background in direct mail influences his approach to innovation and they have a brief side car discussion about strategies and techniques which overlap between direct mail, email, and other channels.

This is a fun and valuable listen for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders who are passionate about driving innovation or who are interested in taking stock about the state of innovation inside their own organization.

Please rate and review Dynamic Nonprofits if you get value out of Dan's interview with Dave Raley. It's the very best way to support the DNP mission to advocate for an unsiloed approach to fundraising.



Thanks as always for listening, and enjoy the show!



Show Notes:

CONNECT WITH DAVE ON LINKED IN!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/draley/



LEARN MORE ABOUT DAVE RALEY AND IMAGO CONSULTING

https://www.imago.consulting/



FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF WORKING GENIUS YOU ARE

https://www.imago.consulting/workinggenius



WEEKLY INNOVATION IN YOUR INBOX: SUBSCRIBE TO DAVE'S "WAVE REPORT" NEWSLETTER

https://www.imago.consulting/wavereport



LISTEN TO THE PURPOSE AND PROFIT PODCAST, COVERING THE INTERSECTION OF PHILANTHROPY AND BUSINESS

https://www.purposeandprofitpodcast.com/

These days it seems like there are more answers than questions for the nonprofit sector. There are tactics, solutions, and strategies for just about every challenge that nonprofit organizations face.


There are so many answers that it can be overwhelming and lead to decision paralysis.

Enter Jon DeLange and his essay series "12 Rules For Fundraisers". With over a decade of relationship based fundraising under his belt, Jon is on a mission to help nonprofits cut through the noise and focus on growth oriented strategies that help organizations cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships with their donors.

Jon joins Dynamic Nonprofits to discuss some of the rules and why relationships hold the keys to building more resourced nonprofits and increasing the sector's impact on the world.



Show Notes:

REGISTER TO READ THE 12 RULES AT:

www.strategicfundraisingplan.com



CONNECT WITH JON ON LINKEDIN!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/delangejon/

We cover a lot of ground on the Dynamic Nonprofits Podcast, but some of our favorite discussions are when we deep dive into tactics and practical tips that can help transform your fundraising program.



If you're an email fundraiser, or just a fundraiser who shares our passion for A/B testing, you'll love Dan's conversation with email GURU Jay Schwedelson.



Jay's combination of passion, candor, and practicality make for an entertaining discussion that will provide you with pages full of tips that can transform your organization's approach to email (some of which are surprisingly simple and counterintuitive).



Topics Discussed Include:

- Why open rates still matter and how to improve them with emojis

- Breaking News: Why opt-outs are actually a GOOD thing

- Optimal send times (Spoiler: They're not on the hour)

- Why your call to action is leaving donations on the table

- Shockingly simple advice for how to make sure your email newsletter is opened and read



Plus, so much more including how Jay's direct mail background informs his perspective on email and why Linked In Newsletters are the next great frontier for donor engagement.



It's a conversation that is as entertaining as it is informative (Dan and Jay even talk a little bit about reality TV towards the end). If you do walk away with some helpful advice, we hope you'll pay it forward by rating and reviewing the Dynamic Nonprofits Podcast on your platform of choice (but especially Apple Podcasts). It's the very best way to support our mission to advocate for an unsiloed approach to fundraising and it will help us find more groundbreaking guests just like Jay.



Thanks as always for listening and enjoy the show!



Show Notes:

CONNECT WITH JAY ON LINKED IN!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/



LEARN MORE ABOUT GURU 2024, THE WORLD'S LARGEST VIRTUAL EMAIL CONFERENCE

https://guruconference.com/



LEARN MORE ABOUT DELIVERED 2024, THE WORLD'S LARGEST VIRTUAL DIRECT MAIL CONFERENCE

https://deliveredconference.com/

There are a lot of books about fundraising, but one in particular has driven conversation within the nonprofit sector this year - The Generosity Crisis.



Co-Author Nathan Chappell joins Dan to look back on a year of The Generosity Crisis and what he's learned from '10,000 conversations' since the book's release.



They discuss what's driving the crisis and focus on solutions for solving it, some of which are surprisingly human and practical. Nathan also talks about radical connection techniques that nonprofits can borrow from commercial brands (who borrowed them from us first) and shares his inspiring fundraising industry origin story.



Dan's conversation with Nathan is the perfect compliment for those who have read the book and for those who want to quickly catch up on year's worth of conversations about it.



The Dynamic Nonprofits Podcast is the industry's first and only podcast dedicated to breaking down silos within the nonprofit sector. If you get value from today's interview, please rate and review Dynamic Nonprofits and subscribe to the pod so you can hear fresh releases first.



Thanks as always for listening and enjoy the show.



Show Notes:

CONNECT WITH NATHAN ON LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanchappell/



ORDER THE GENEROSITY CRISIS

https://www.amazon.com/Generosity-Crisis-Connection-Humanitys-Challenges/dp/1394150571



HEAR MORE FROM NATHAN AND CO-AUTHOR BRIAN CRIMMMINS

https://www.chappell-crimmins.com/media



ACCESS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

https://www.chappell-crimmins.com/the-book



DISCOVER MORE ABOUT DONOR SEARCH AI

https://www.donorsearch.net/donorsearch-ai/

Renown speaker and non-profit champion Tim Sarrantonio joins the show for a high energy conversation about the state of philanthropy and actionable steps small to mid-sized non-profits can take to rise above the economic headwinds.

Dan's interview with Tim is a fast paced, information packed chat that will leave you feeling equally informed and inspired to take on the challenges fundraisers are facing.

Show Notes:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsarrantonio/

https://afpglobal.org/FundraisingEffectivenessProject

https://neonone.com/

https://fundraising.ai/