Responsive Lab Podcast

Virtuous Software
  • 4.7 (14)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The Responsive Lab, presented by Virtuous. In this podcast, we're exploring how nonprofits leverage technology to deepen donor engagement. Join us in the lab as we mix innovation with impact, tackling challenges and discovering new possibilities for the nonprofit sector.

  1. EP 78: Building a Loyalty Program That Celebrates Every Gift with Carly Plate and Dominika McLean

    5D AGO

    EP 78: Building a Loyalty Program That Celebrates Every Gift with Carly Plate and Dominika McLean

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Carly Plate and Dominika McLean from the University of South Florida to talk about building a consecutive giving recognition program that celebrates loyalty over gift size. Their core belief? The donor who gives $25 every year for 30 years deserves just as much recognition as someone who writes one large check. You'll hear about: Why USF created Loyalty Herd to close the gap between major giving programs and unrecognized lower-level consecutive donorsHow the program defines eligibility: any dollar amount, three or more consecutive fiscal yearsHow USF scaled stewardship across 20,000 donors using milestone touch points, in-house design, and creative campus partnershipsWhy they chose not to offer a buyback option, and how that decision strengthened the program's intentHow to approach data, communications, and development teams before launching a program like thisThe real ROI of recognizing giving behavior over giving amountPractical advice for teams with small budgets who want to start something meaningful nowLinks from the episode: Connect with Carly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-plate-a8373b2b/Connect with Dominika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikamclean/Learn more about the USF Foundation: https://giving.usf.edu/about/about-usf-foundationLooking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

    33 min
  2. EP 77: Building a Donor Strategy That Honors Every Gift with Dean Axelrod

    MAR 10

    EP 77: Building a Donor Strategy That Honors Every Gift with Dean Axelrod

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Dean Axelrod, Vice President of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Direct Relief. Dean's career has spanned business, law, and financial services. But the common thread? Helping people and organizations succeed. His core belief? If someone is giving all they have to give, they're a major donor. No matter the dollar amount. You'll hear about: Why Direct Relief moved away from traditional major donor definitionsHow to build a stewardship philosophy rooted in gratitude and impactThe balance between thanking donors and confidently making asksHow to use technology to scale personalization without losing the human touchWhy hiring for culture fit matters more than hiring fastHow to prepare for the future of fundraising in an era of rapid changeDean also shares why every communication should carry value to the donor, not just value to the organization. And why confidence in asking comes from laying the relational groundwork first. Links from the episode: Connect with Dean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-axelrod-mba-jd-bb010071/Learn more about Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/Looking for technology that helps you build deeper donor relationships with less work from your team? Learn more at virtuous.org.

    37 min
  3. EP 76: How to Build a Brand That Drives Long-Term Fundraising Growth with Donna Lucas

    MAR 5

    EP 76: How to Build a Brand That Drives Long-Term Fundraising Growth with Donna Lucas

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing and Development Officer at Joni and Friends. Donna spent decades in consumer products marketing at brands like Adidas, K-Swiss, and Dickies before making the jump to the nonprofit world. Her core belief? Planting comes before the harvest. Brand awareness has to come before the fundraising ask. You'll hear about: Why being "the best-kept secret" is actually a failure How Donna convinced her CFO to spend 60% of the budget on brand awareness The first steps to take once leadership says yes to brand investment How Joni and Friends used Instagram to cultivate an audience for two years before asking for anything Why internal alignment matters before you launch anything externally How to measure brand impact in ways leadership can understand and trust Donna also shares how the team achieved a 12% increase in fundraising revenue the first year after their rebrand and why momentum became the proof that kept the strategy moving forward. Links from the episode: Connect with Donna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamlucas/ Learn more about Joni and Friends: https://joniandfriends.org/

    48 min
  4. EP 75: What the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report Reveals About How Nonprofits Actually Use AI with Nathan Chappell

    FEB 17

    EP 75: What the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report Reveals About How Nonprofits Actually Use AI with Nathan Chappell

    92% of nonprofits are using AI. Only 7% say it's actually making a strategic impact. So what's going wrong? In this episode, Carly and Scott sit down with Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and co-founder of Fundraising.ai, to unpack the findings of the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report. Nathan breaks down why more AI tools don't equal better results, what happens when organizations use AI to speed up broken practices, and what the 7% are doing differently. You'll hear about: -The AI adoption paradox and why high usage doesn't mean high impact-Why an AI governance policy is the most important first step-How to break through the efficiency plateau-What predictive and generative AI look like in action for fundraisers-Why the habits you build in 2026 will compound for years  Download the full report: https://virtuous.org/resource/the-2026-nonprofit-ai-adoption-report-download/ Learn more about Virtuous Momentum: https://www.givemomentum.com/

    34 min
  5. EP 74: How to Build a Capital Campaign Around Real Donor Conversations with Meg George

    FEB 11

    EP 74: How to Build a Capital Campaign Around Real Donor Conversations with Meg George

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly & Scott sit down with Meg George, Co-Founder and President at George Philanthropy Group. Meg has spent her career in major gifts and now consults with nonprofits on campaign preparation and principal gift strategies. Her core belief? Campaign planning is a practice, not a moment. The organizations that raise the most money are always in some phase of a campaign. You'll hear about: Why "comprehensive campaign" is a better term than "capital campaign" What strong campaign preparation looks like before you go public How to create a feedback loop during a feasibility study The role AI can play in campaigns without replacing relationships Why qualifying donors is the number one differentiator between campaigns that succeed and those that stall The one skill every fundraiser should sharpen right now Links from the episode: Connect with Meg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-george-b19752165/ Learn more about George Philanthropy Group: https://www.georgephilanthropy.com/ Visit Meg's personal site: https://www.megtgeorge.com/ Get Meg's book, What's Philanthropy to Philomena?: https://www.megtgeorge.com/books

    29 min
  6. EP 73: What AI Actually Changes (And Doesn't Change) About Nonprofit Data with T. Clay Buck

    FEB 5

    EP 73: What AI Actually Changes (And Doesn't Change) About Nonprofit Data with T. Clay Buck

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with T. Clay Buck, Founder and Principal of Next River Fundraising Strategies. Together they explore what AI actually changes about nonprofit data. And what it doesn't. Clay has spent thirty years in fundraising. He's done everything from database administration to chief development officer. He watched the sector adopt online giving forms in the early dot-com days. Now he's watching it navigate AI. You'll hear about: • Why "garbage in, garbage out" matters more than ever with AI • How donor data tells a story of trust    • The case for creating a data oversight committee at the board level    • One practical step any nonprofit can take before adopting AI     Clay also shares why fundraising should be a business of joy. And why a little more laughter might be exactly what the sector needs. Links from the episode: • Connect with Clay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tclaybuck/    • Learn more about Next River Fundraising Strategies: https://www.nextriverfundraising.com/    • Get the book Responsive Fundraising: https://www.amazon.com/Responsive-Fundraising-donor-centric-framework-nonprofits/dp/1944194746

    36 min
  7. EP 72: Building Trust with Donors Through Better Impact Measurement with Sonja Schappert Howden

    JAN 28

    EP 72: Building Trust with Donors Through Better Impact Measurement with Sonja Schappert Howden

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Sonja Schappert Howden, Chief Impact Officer at Seed Impact, to unpack what meaningful impact really looks like and how fundraisers can communicate it in ways donors understand and trust. Drawing from more than two decades of experience in faith-based nonprofits, Sonja explains why outputs are only the starting point, how outcomes reveal personal change, and why true impact often happens outside your organization’s walls. She introduces the SEED Competency Ladders, a framework grounded in being, doing, and relating, and shows how this approach helps fundraisers tell more human, donor-centered impact stories. You’ll also hear why impact is not linear, why collaborative measurement matters more than ever, and how removing jargon can help donors connect emotionally before they ever engage intellectually. Links from the episode: • Learn more about Seed Impact at https://www.seedimpact.org/    • Email Sonja at sonja@seedimpact.org   Free impact report reviews available for a limited time here: https://www.seedimpact.org/impact-report-review/January-26th-Impact-Report-Review-p801608951

    38 min
  8. EP 71: Building a Relationship-First Fundraising Culture with Marc Stein

    JAN 21

    EP 71: Building a Relationship-First Fundraising Culture with Marc Stein

    In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Marc Stein, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Jews for Jesus, to unpack what it really looks like to put donor relationships first without sacrificing growth. Marc brings a rare perspective shaped by decades as an entrepreneur, donor, board member, and now nonprofit executive. He shares how his team redefined success by shifting away from revenue-first metrics and toward meaningful partner engagement… and why that shift led to stronger retention, healthier teams, and sustained major gift growth. You’ll hear how Jews for Jesus reduced portfolio sizes, rethought performance measurement, embraced transparency during missteps, and used both technology and volunteers to extend personal care at scale. Marc also tackles one of the hardest challenges in major gifts… how to ensure donors stay connected to the organization even when fundraisers move on. Links from the episode: Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcstein/ Learn more about Jews for Jesus: https://jewsforjesus.org/ Learn more about Virtuous at  virtuous.org/learnmore  and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at  virtuous.org/crmchecklist

    50 min
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4.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Responsive Lab, presented by Virtuous. In this podcast, we're exploring how nonprofits leverage technology to deepen donor engagement. Join us in the lab as we mix innovation with impact, tackling challenges and discovering new possibilities for the nonprofit sector.

Information

  • Creator
    Virtuous Software
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Responsive Lab Podcast Virtuous Software
  • Show Website
    Responsive Lab Podcast

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