Let's Talk Fundraising

Keith Greer, CFRE
  • 5.0 (13)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to "Let's Talk Fundraising" with Keith Greer, CFRE! This podcast is your go-to resource for mastering the essentials of fundraising while discovering how innovative tools and technology can supercharge your efforts. Whether you're a new fundraiser looking to level up your skills or a seasoned professional seeking timely reminders and fresh insights, each episode is packed with practical advice, creative ideas, and inspiring stories. Join Keith as he explores the core principles that drive successful fundraising and uncovers the latest strategies to make your job easier, more enjoyable, and incredibly impactful. From relationship-building and storytelling to leveraging the newest tech, "Let's Talk Fundraising" is here to help you transform your approach and achieve remarkable results for your organization. Subscribe now and be part of a community dedicated to elevating the art and science of fundraising. Together, we'll make a bigger impact, one episode at a time.

  1. 3D AGO

    The Pivot: What I’m Stepping Away From—and What I’m Stepping Into

    This Groundhog Day episode is a personal announcement and a fundraiser’s roadmap for change. After fifteen years in nonprofit leadership, I’m stepping away from a role I loved—not because something was wrong, but because something bigger was calling. What began as one reluctant conference session turned into a growing invitation to speak, teach, and help nonprofits navigate the future of fundraising, AI, and trust. In this episode, I share the full story behind my pivot, the fear and grief that came with leaving stability, and the practical framework that helped me choose expansion over comfort. If you’ve ever felt stuck repeating the same fundraising year—holding tightly to events, grants, or strategies that no longer fit—this conversation is for you. HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1️⃣ Growth Requires Space – The hardest part of evolution isn’t starting something new. It’s letting go of something good so the next chapter can flourish. 2️⃣ Not Letting Go Has Hidden Costs – Every strategy has a price: staff hours, burnout, turnover, and the opportunity cost of what you could be building instead. 3️⃣ Letting Go Can Be Strategic, Not Reckless – I walk through a simple nonprofit capacity audit to help leaders release sustainably, protect relationships, and grow without exhausting their teams. This year, you don’t have to repeat the same fundraising loop. If this resonates, subscribe at letstalkfundraising.com/subscribe, share with a colleague, and tell me: what will you let go of first? Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    33 min

  2. JAN 26

    How Fundraisers Get Interviews: Resumes That Speak the Right Language

    🎁 Enter the contest to get a signed copy of Scott Vedder's book, Signs of a Great Resume. Seven seconds. That’s often all you get before a recruiter decides “no” or “maybe.” We brought in Scott Vedder—former Fortune 100 recruiter and bestselling author of Signs of a Great Resume—to show how to turn a duty-heavy document into a sharp story of value that earns interviews, especially for fundraisers navigating fuzzy titles and complex teams. We start by reframing the resume as a leadership and career tool. Scott explains why writing like a job posting kills momentum, how to capture accomplishments while they’re fresh, and why a long master resume makes tailoring fast. You’ll learn what recruiters actually scan first, how to fix confusing titles with clear descriptors that pass the “moving sidewalk test,” and how to balance instant clarity with credible detail. We dig into his “signs” framework to surface exclamation-point moments, relevant experience, and numbers that quantify outcomes—without inflating credit or hiding behind group work. For fundraisers and nonprofit pros, we cover showing influence without dollar signs, signaling leadership without a manager title, and formatting choices that create “duh” clarity even on non-linear paths. Scott shares when to use reverse chronological, when to lead with skill buckets, and how to make networking and referrals beat blind applying. We also tackle ATS and AI: how keywords really work, how to research what matters with open-source and human intel, and how to use AI as an assist to draft stronger bullets while preserving your authentic voice. If you’re ready to move up, you’ll hear how to secure stretch assignments, document outcomes, and translate them into evidence a hiring manager will value. Plus: a signed book giveaway and free tip sheets you can use today. Listen, take notes, and share this with a colleague who needs a confidence boost. If this helped, follow the show, leave a quick review, and send us your biggest resume question—we might feature it next. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    52 min

  3. JAN 19

    When Competence Becomes Common, Taste Becomes Strategy

    Remember when donor newsletters read like dissertations and first-time givers needed a decoder ring? We take a clear-eyed look at how AI has quietly raised the baseline for clarity in fundraising and communications—and why that shift changes expectations, not the essence of our work. The conversation moves past hype and eye-rolls to focus on what’s actually changing: standards, roles, and the line between acceptable and excellent. We unpack the two most common reactions to AI—quiet fear about speed and scale, and easy dismissal of flat outputs—and show how both point to the same underlying movement. With faster orientation, basic competence becomes more common across writing, program design, data conversations, and leadership. That makes sloppy or confusing work stand out more, not less. The payoff for teams is a new starting point; the differentiators become human judgment, editorial taste, and ethical responsibility. You’ll hear the cautionary intern story of a 500-piece appeal that yielded a single $45 gift, and how today’s tools could prevent that kind of collapse without replacing the growth that builds wisdom. We also tackle risks head-on: hallucinated facts, claims that outrun evidence, and the temptation to accept clean prose as finished thinking. You’ll get a practical workflow for using AI to reach baseline faster—then slowing down for rigorous human review, verification, and audience-centered refinement. Speed should buy time to think, not replace it. If you care about donor trust, clear calls to action, and work you can stand behind, this is a guide to working well at a higher floor where competence is common and excellence still belongs to people. If this conversation resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague who writes appeals, and leave a quick review to help more fundraisers find it. Your feedback shapes what we explore next. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    21 min

  4. JAN 12

    Stop Making AI Slop, and Actually Leverage What It's Good For

    Download the Big Goals Worksheet The problem with so much “polished” AI content isn’t grammar, it’s judgment. We unpack why clean sentences can still feel hollow, and how fundraisers can use AI without outsourcing the thinking that protects the quality of your work. Instead of arguing for or against tools, we reframe the choice: Which role do you assign to AI, and which role do you keep for yourself? We walk through four distinct modes of AI use—retrieval and generation, editing and refinement, sense making and synthesis, and critical reflection and adversarial reasoning—and explain why most people get stuck in the shallow, fast lane. The real gains live in the slower modes that make you engage: connecting ideas, testing assumptions, inviting objections, and making the hard calls. You’ll learn the difference between scaffolding and replacement, how automation bias erodes confidence, and why fluent prose is not the same as understanding. Then we shift to practice. Think like an editor: let AI draft if you want, but you decide if the argument holds, where tension is missing, and what isn’t ready. We share a concrete coaching example from a goal-setting session that raised the quality of decisions without surrendering authorship. You’ll get simple prompts that start with your own thinking and invite critique—questions that keep you present, clarify your voice, and safeguard relationships. If you wouldn’t outsource the relationship, don’t outsource the thinking. Want support trying this approach? Grab the goal-setting worksheets and access to the AI coach at my Resources Page. If this conversation helped you sharpen your standards, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so others who care about craft and trust can find us. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    31 min

  5. JAN 5

    A More Supportive Goal Strategy

    Free Gift 🎁 Big Goals Worksheet If goal setting feels like a test you’re always failing, this conversation offers a calmer path. We pull apart the myths that keep fundraisers stuck—outcome-only targets, motivation as strategy, and the idea that discipline alone drives results—and replace them with a research-backed approach that actually holds the messiness of real work. You’ll hear how to separate what you want to change from what you can control, design if-then responses for predictable obstacles, and build early feedback so you can see momentum long before revenue lands. We walk through the Big Goal worksheet, a thinking scaffold that slows the jump from ambition to action just enough to think clearly without losing steam. It starts with a single outcome for direction, then anchors purpose across mission, role, and identity so your goals compete with the urgent. From there, you’ll identify a few high-impact behaviors within your control, name realistic roadblocks based on your history, and pair each with specific if-then plans. You’ll design progress signals to catch movement early, set tripwires to trigger small course corrections, and add recognition practices that keep energy alive in long fundraising cycles. To make the process less lonely, we introduce the Big Goal AI coach. It won’t hand you answers or a checklist; it asks sharper questions, slows you when you’re vague, and nudges you to narrow focus when ambition sprawls. Used with the worksheet, it keeps your thinking tethered to real decisions and support systems—not wishful scoreboards. By the end, you’ll have a steadier relationship with goals that helps you aim higher without burning out, and a practical way to adjust without shame when reality shifts. Grab the free Big Goal worksheets and get limited-time access to the AI coach at letstalkfundraising.com/resources. If this helped you rethink your year, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who could use lighter, stronger goals. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    31 min

  6. 09/22/2025

    From Survival Mode to Steady Fundraising: How AI Brings Calm to Year-End

    Year-end fundraising doesn’t have to feel like survival mode. If you’ve ever spent December scrambling — rushing appeals, juggling Finance deadlines, and showing up exhausted for donors and family — you’re not alone. The truth is, survival mode isn’t a strategy. Steady rhythms are. In this episode, I’ll share how to shift from frazzled to focused — and how AI can become the quiet assistant that keeps your year-end fundraising consistent, clear, and calm. You’ll hear practical steps you can start now to build a rhythm that carries you through December with confidence (without burning out). ✨ Ready to stop the chaos and bring steady rhythms into your year-end? 👉 The Fundraiser’s AI Starter Suite http://www.letstalkfundraising.com/startersuite This course was built for fundraisers like you — not as a tech-heavy seminar, but as a supportive, simple path to using AI safely, humanly, and effectively. One short lesson is all it takes to feel the difference by Friday. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Why survival mode fails (and how to break free from it) ✔️ The small, repeatable rhythms that bring calm to year-end fundraising ✔️ How AI can support you as a steady co-creator — not a replacement ✔️ Practical ways to save time, protect consistency, and find peace of mind 📌 Next Steps ✔️ Subscribe for weekly strategies on fundraising clarity, confidence, and AI support ✔️ Leave a 5-star rating & thoughtful review — it helps other fundraisers find these conversations ✔️ Start your AI journey here: The Fundraiser’s AI Starter Suite http://www.letstalkfundraising.com/startersuite Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    23 min

  7. 09/15/2025

    When Donor Thank-Yous Feel Rushed

    Every fundraiser knows the weight of unwritten thank you notes—that pile on your desk, the rushed emails sent just to clear your to-do list, the nagging guilt when your gratitude doesn't sound quite right. You're not alone in this struggle. I share a personal story about working at an organization where the CEO expected impossible levels of personalization in donor thank yous. They wanted handwritten notes with intimate details for hundreds of weekly donors—references to tennis games, grocery store encounters, and family conversations I couldn't possibly know. This unsustainable expectation nearly broke me, and it highlights a crucial truth: when thank yous feel rushed, it's not because you don't care enough—it's because your system wasn't designed for your reality. The solution isn't working harder; it's establishing rhythm. Donors don't need literary masterpieces crafted entirely from scratch. They need to feel seen, valued, and appreciated through timely acknowledgment that sounds like you. When we lack this rhythm, donors wait too long for generic notes, and we carry unnecessary guilt that drains our energy. This is where thoughtfully implemented AI can transform your gratitude practice. Not by replacing your voice, but by providing strong first drafts that eliminate the blank page and give you a foundation to build upon. With this approach, you can generate hundreds of personalized drafts quickly, allowing you to add those special touches that matter most while ensuring every donor hears from you promptly. The mindset shift is powerful: gratitude isn't less authentic when you use support—it's more authentic because it arrives on time, carries your voice, and reflects care without burnout. Using templates or AI isn't cheating; it's choosing presence over perfection. It's sustainability that lets you keep showing up consistently for your donors over the long haul. Ready to transform your thank you process? Join me in the Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite to learn how one short lesson can help you build a rhythm that gives you back your breath while strengthening donor relationships. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    24 min

  8. 09/01/2025

    The Sunday Countdown and the Fundraiser’s Rhythm That Brought Relief

    The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite If Sunday nights feel like the slow countdown to another heavy Monday, you’re not alone. I know that tightening in your chest — the mental list of donor follow-ups, board reports, events that need funding, and the quiet weight of a mission too big for one person to carry. For years, I fought through it with a brave face and a tired heart. I thought if I just worked harder, smiled brighter, or slept less, maybe we’d finally turn a corner. But the load didn’t get lighter — it grew heavier. That’s why in this episode, I share the truth about how I found a different rhythm. Not hustle. Not hype. A steadier way to begin the week — with AI as a supportive assistant, not a replacement for your voice. I’ll tell you about the false starts (like the first time I asked for a “persuasive” appeal and got a manipulative draft I’d never send), and what shifted when I realized AI is not a test with one right answer. It’s a conversation you can shape. Warmer. Shorter. One true detail. Suddenly, the pressure dropped, and the drafts started sounding like me. Along the way, we’ll sit with the real hesitations: – “I don’t have time.” – “Will it sound robotic?” – “Is donor data safe?” – “Am I already behind?” And I’ll show you how small, safe steps can pay you back by Friday. By the end, you’ll see what a first week can look like when you set clear guardrails, send thank-yous that sound like you, and outline a board report without losing your morning. Not a grand reinvention — just a quieter confidence you can feel in your calendar and in your body. If you’ve been carrying the weight alone, this episode is for you. Enter to win a signed copy of Signs of a Great Resume by Scott Vedder. No cost to enter. 💡 Want to take the next small step? → Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use → Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

    40 min
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About

Welcome to "Let's Talk Fundraising" with Keith Greer, CFRE! This podcast is your go-to resource for mastering the essentials of fundraising while discovering how innovative tools and technology can supercharge your efforts. Whether you're a new fundraiser looking to level up your skills or a seasoned professional seeking timely reminders and fresh insights, each episode is packed with practical advice, creative ideas, and inspiring stories. Join Keith as he explores the core principles that drive successful fundraising and uncovers the latest strategies to make your job easier, more enjoyable, and incredibly impactful. From relationship-building and storytelling to leveraging the newest tech, "Let's Talk Fundraising" is here to help you transform your approach and achieve remarkable results for your organization. Subscribe now and be part of a community dedicated to elevating the art and science of fundraising. Together, we'll make a bigger impact, one episode at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Keith Greer, CFRE
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Let's Talk Fundraising
  • Show Website
    Let's Talk Fundraising