49 episodes

Welcome to the 7-Figure Fundraising Podcast hosted by Trevor Bragdon. Each episode features a successful nonprofit leader who explains a fundraising strategy or tactic to increase your impact and rapidly grow your organization.

7-Figure Fundraising Podcast 7-Figure Fundraising

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 34 Ratings

Welcome to the 7-Figure Fundraising Podcast hosted by Trevor Bragdon. Each episode features a successful nonprofit leader who explains a fundraising strategy or tactic to increase your impact and rapidly grow your organization.

    49 - From Vision to Creation: Starting Musizi University in Uganda with Elaine Alowo-Matovu and Takako Mino

    49 - From Vision to Creation: Starting Musizi University in Uganda with Elaine Alowo-Matovu and Takako Mino

    Co-founders Elaine Alowo-Matovu and Takako Mino discuss the founding and fundraising journey of Musizi University, a new university in Uganda, and their vision behind it. 


    They discuss their backgrounds and how they came together to start the university. Elaine and Takako also explain the unique programs and curriculum offered at Musizi University, emphasizing the importance of practical skills and indigenous knowledge. 


    The podcast includes insights into their fundraising strategy, the importance of warm introductions, building relationships, and crafting compelling pitches. In addition, you’ll hear insights on overcoming university startup challenges, actionable advice for ambitious ideas, donating to Musizi University, and the interesting significance of "Musizi."


    00:00 Introduction 00:43 Background and Inspiration for starting Musizi University03:53 Unique Approach and Model of Musizi University07:09 Co-founding Musizi University and Takako's Background13:58 The Meaning of Musizi 16:16 Blending Western and Ugandan Talent in the University26:32 Fundraising for a Startup University30:43 Fundraising Success and Building Relationships38:26 Tactics for Warm Introductions and Relationship Building41:52 Crafting a Compelling Pitch47:41 Navigating Challenges of Starting a University48:16 Actionable Advice for Ambitious Ideas49:43 Building Meaningful Relationships with Donors51:07 How to Donate and Learn More About Musizi UniversityTo learn more about Musizi University visit: https://www.musizi.ac.ug/



    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 54 min
    48 - How to Never Lose an Employee Again with Joey Coleman

    48 - How to Never Lose an Employee Again with Joey Coleman

    Joey Coleman helps companies keep their customers and employees. As an award-winning speaker, he shares his First 100 Days® methodology for improving customer and employee retention with organizations worldwide (e.g., Whirlpool, Volkswagen Australia, and Zappos). His Wall Street Journal #2 best-selling book, Never Lose a Customer Again, shows how to turn any sale into a lifelong customer or donor.
    His new book, Never Lose an Employee Again, details a framework companies and nonprofits can use to reduce turnover, and increase employee engagement.

    In this episode we cover
    Employee RetentionTreat Employees the same way you would treat a donorDonor/customer experience is similar to the Employee experienceNew Employees ExperienceThe importance of the first 100 days with a new employeeJob PostingHow to entice the right applicants from the startWhy you should provide interview questions in advanceOff-the-cuff questioning vs. the more common interview questionsLearning about the person as a person instead of an employeeMaking a Job OfferWhat to do during the "quiet period" - the time between the offer and the first dayMaking a lasting impression on the first day and how to "Give them something to talk about."Making sure a new employee understands their role in the company and why they matter.CloseJoey's  challenge for the audiencePick up a copy of Joey's book, Never Lose an Employee Again
    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 54 min
    47 - Fundraising for a Startup Nonprofit

    47 - Fundraising for a Startup Nonprofit

    Trevor and Tarren Bragdon discuss how to think about fundraising for a startup nonprofit. 
    We have a lot of people new to fundraising who find us through the podcast and we’d wanted to do a podcast specifically for fundraising for a startup nonprofit. 
    3 phases of a Startup NonprofitIdea phase - Finding the product and market fitRead the book The Mom Test by Rob FitzpatrickProof phase - show your idea works - pilot or small scale successScale phase - figuring out how to take things that work on a small scale and make them work on large scaleTheory of Change FormulaWhat is the ProblemWhat is your Solution?Why are you the best team to solve the Problem?Write out your theory of change in less than 140 words.Refine and edit.You'll want to be able to explain it in about 1 minuteHow to introduce yourself - to new people and talk about your nonprofitProblem, Solution and then a StoryIntroduction from The 1-Page Marketing Plan by Alan Dibs“You know how [state the problem you solve]. Well I’m starting a nonprofit that [insert your solution here]. In fact, [give a story about your solution]”Start working on your pitch - See our short video on How to Build a PitchElevator Close VideoWe have a video on this and a short course on Udemy on how to build a pitch - almost 600 students enrolledPhase 2 the Proof phase - showing your idea works - pilot or small scale successCommunication with donors keyStart thinking about the size of the nonprofit you want to createBuilding out your team Wrap up
    To grow your fundraising as a Startup, focus on these steps. Idea PhaseAsk why isn’t this done alreadyDevelop out your theory of change Create your introduction and begin your pitchBegin testing your idea on a small scale Pitch donors and listen to their feedback Expect a lot of No’s Proof PhaseDecide the type of nonprofit you want to buildBuild out your teamFigure out how to scale 
    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 48 min
    46 - The 7 Steps for 7-Figure Fundraising

    46 - The 7 Steps for 7-Figure Fundraising

    To grow your fundraising, focus on these 7 steps.


    1. Ask Donors Only Once a Year (1:22) 
    This is how major donors organize their giving Match your ask to their timetableDon’t nickel and dime your major donors by asking them for a big donation and later asking them for smaller donations or sponsorships. 
    2. Treat Donors Like Partners (5:05)
    Poverty versus the Partnership Mindset What does treating a partner look likeSee  Episode #42 - Creating a 5-Star Donor ExperienceHow to create a great thank you letter: 5-Sentence Thank You LetterCreating a 100 day plan for new donors, see Episode #35 - How to Never Lose a Donor
    3. Add a Few New Partner Donors Each Year (12:00)
    You don’t need hundreds of new donors. A few can go a long wayFocus on warm leads Referrals - ask your donors for only one referralScript to use: "Is there one person, who is like you, that I should talk to about supporting our work?"Referrals have some of the highest close and retention rates for new donors
    4. Have a Big Vision (17:49)
    Why is this important?If you are trying to figure out your Big VisionThink about 1 year first Then 2, then 3Book: Vision Driven Leader by Michael Hyatt 
    5. Make a Compelling Pitch (23:06)
    Nonprofits are complicated and do lots of great things, but sometimes it's hard to explain everythingHow to talk about your work and make it memorableWatch an overview video of our 8-Step Pitch TemplateRead: The Ultimate Guide to Pitching Major Donors   
    6. Execute on the Big Vision (30:17)
    Execution is just as important as a big visionBuild trust with execution - show you are doing what you sayBooks on building systems for executionTraction by Gino Wickman4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney and Sean Covey 
    7. Staff with Fundraising Specialist (33:04)
    Connector - the person who reaches out to prospects and works on securing a first meeting. Closer - the person who meets with donors and makes the askCultivator - the person who manages the donor relationship throughout the year, ensuring they are getting a 5-star experience from the nonprofit.

    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/7-steps-of-fundraising

    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 45 min
    45 - Fundraising Habits - Psychology of Fundraising series

    45 - Fundraising Habits - Psychology of Fundraising series

    In this episode of 7-Figure Fundraising, Trevor Bragdon looks into the Psychology of Fundraising with Tarren Bragdon, co-founder of 7-Figure Fundraising and founder and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability. 

    In this episode, they look at:
    How you create fundraising habits. Habits for the task you want to do but don't. Habits for things you don't want to do but need to do. Lastly,  how do you create habits for those things you hate doing but need to get done? 
    Mentioned in the episode:
    Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg https://amzn.to/3R25qrU
    Show Notes: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast
    7-Figure Fundraising Workshop: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/7ff-workshop



    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 36 min
    44 - Psychology of Fundraising: Renewing Donors

    44 - Psychology of Fundraising: Renewing Donors

    In this episode of the 7-Figure Fundraising podcast, Trevor Bragdon and Tarren Bragdon discuss the psychology of fundraising and how it applies to renewing existing donors. They look at the different reasons donors renew and what you can do to set yourself up for your renewal meeting. The goal is to have your major donors happy to meet you and renew their support. This is the second episode in a  series on the Psychology of Fundraising.

    How to Build a Donor Pitch Video: https://youtu.be/oP7q_wCBGcc

    Show notes: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/psychology-of-fundraising-renewing-donors
    Learn more about our workshop: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/7ff-workshop

    To see all the show notes visit: https://www.7figurefundraising.com/podcast/
    To learn more about fundraising and our training visit: 7FigureFundraising.com

    • 37 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
34 Ratings

34 Ratings

oliviabaker13 ,

Inspiring, engaging, and actionable! 🙏

Whether you’re a well-established fundraiser or simply interested in learning more about philanthropy and some of the amazing non-profits out there - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Trevor does a fantastic job leading conversations with thought leaders across the fundraising and non-profit spectrum. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!

AdamForge ,

Freeing and Encouraging!

As a nonprofit founder, I know a lot of fundraising advice leaves you feeling overwhelmed, paralyzed, or intimidated.

Not 7FF!

These guys get it and they demystify the complicated and set you up for success. Moreover, their insight and advice allows you to better enjoy the relationships at the heart of your organization/ministry and look forward to fundraising, not dread it!

Composer 1853 ,

Useful!

As a past fundraiser, I can say that this podcast is full of great insights.

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