The Focused Fundraiser

Donor Dock
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What if doing less made you a better fundraiser? Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser — the podcast for nonprofit leaders who are tired of the chaos and ready to prioritize what actually drives impact. Hosted by Rob Burke, each episode features honest conversations with fundraisers in the trenches who are cutting through the noise, saying no to the never-ending to-do list, and focusing on what matters most. We cover: ✔️ Fundraising strategy that doesn’t burn you out ✔️ High-touch stewardship that builds real relationships ✔️ Personal productivity and leadership in nonprofit life ✔️ Systems that help you work smarter, not harder If you’re ready to drop the “do more” mindset and lead with clarity, focus, and purpose — you’re in the right place. Live every Tuesday at 11am CT.

  1. 2d ago

    Using AI in Fundraising Without Breaking Donor Trust | Sami Zoss

    Fundraising drives relationships and the big gifts. Nobody puts the systems, the data, and the back-end operations on the flyer, and that's exactly the work that keeps an organization alive. In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke talks with Sami Zoss, founder of Zoss Collaborations and a former higher-ed foundation COO who calls herself a "systems girly with an ADHD aesthetic." Sami makes the case for a project-management mindset in nonprofits (the non-techie kind), the healthy tension between relationship-driven fundraisers and the people who build the systems, and how to earn trust through small wins instead of big overhauls. We get practical about the smallest data cleanups with the biggest payoff, how to advocate to your board for the time to fix your back end, and where AI is genuinely useful for a development team versus where it's just hype. She closes with one of the most doable tactical takeaways we've shared: get one thing out of your head and into the institution every week. If you've ever felt too busy raising money to fix the systems underneath it, this one is for you. Chapters 00:00 - The unglamorous side of fundraising: systems and operations 00:45 - Sami's path: from criminal justice major to foundation COO 03:08 - A "systems girly with an ADHD aesthetic" 03:57 - The most common broken system: no project management 06:25 - Getting relationship-driven fundraisers to trust a process 06:55 - "We're going to trip over money": building trust through small wins 11:06 - Leadership buy-in and the grace to fail 12:27 - Institutional knowledge walking out the door 13:06 - The smallest data cleanup with the biggest payoff 15:42 - "Too busy raising money to fix the back end" 18:52 - Where AI is genuinely useful, and where it's hype 24:12 - Context is everything: using AI safely 26:22 - Tactical takeaway: one thing out of your head each week Key takeaways Most nonprofits are so good at saying yes that they lose track of what they're working on and whether it's still mission-aligned. A light project-management mindset fixes that. Trust between fundraisers and operations is built in small, incremental wins, not big overhauls. You need leadership buy-in to fail gracefully. Processes are wrong before they're right. Institutional knowledge walks out the door when staff leave. Document it before that happens. Smallest cleanup, biggest payoff: keep contact info current and run a monthly contact-record cleanup. Advocate to your board for the time to fix systems. Lower the short-term fundraising expectation to raise long-term accuracy. AI is useful when it's genuinely useful, not just interesting. Mind your context and your data, and never let it manipulate the donor relationship. AI amplifies the relationship, it doesn't replace it. Tactical takeaway: every Friday, write down one thing that lives only in your head and get it into the institution. Connect with Sami Zoss Zoss Collaborations | Fundraising.AI advisory council About DonorDock DonorDock helps nonprofits find clarity, build stronger donor relationships, and grow retention through smart stewardship. Learn more at https://www.donordock.com Subscribe for a new episode every week.

    Using AI in Fundraising Without Breaking Donor Trust | Sami Zoss

  2. Jul 7

    Stop Building the Plane While You Fly It: Nonprofit Structure & Burnout | Leah Wiley

    Passion starts a nonprofit. Structure keeps it alive. In this episode of The Focused Fundraiser, host Rob Burke sits down with strategic advisor Leah Wiley, who spent nearly two decades as a community organizer before she began coaching nonprofit leaders. Leah explains why so many mission-driven organizations stay in "building the plane while flying it" mode for too long, how that fuels leadership burnout, and what it actually takes to build the structure underneath the mission. We get into letting go of the vine as you scale, stewarding your staff the way you steward donors, the discipline of saying no, and the one question every fundraiser should ask themselves today: am I doing this alone? If passion alone isn't moving your mission forward, this conversation will help you find the focus and the framework to do work that lasts. Chapters 00:00 - Building the plane while flying it 00:50 - Leah's path: from community organizing to nonprofit coaching 03:36 - Strengthening how an organization is structured 04:41 - The #1 structural problem: building too long without a blueprint 06:45 - Letting go of the vine as you scale 09:16 - Burnout and why it comes up every episode 11:35 - Stewarding your staff the way you steward donors 13:20 - Saying no and focusing on what matters most 17:12 - The question to ask donors: why do you do this work? 18:44 - Tactical takeaway: am I fundraising alone? 20:35 - How to connect with Leah Key takeaways "Building the plane while you fly it" is healthy at launch and a liability when it lasts for years. Strong mission-driven organizations require a strong mission-driven architecture: bookkeeping, hiring, roles, and a fundraising plan that fits the strategy. Burnout is usually a structure problem, not a willpower problem. Stewardship starts internally. Leaders who ask their staff about their lives and roles build cultures people don't want to leave. Ask donors why they got involved and what keeps them here, then actually listen. Fundraising should never sit on one person. Board, staff, and volunteers all have a role. Connect with Leah Wiley Email: leah@ledcoaching.net About DonorDock DonorDock helps nonprofits find clarity and build stronger donor relationships through smarter retention and stewardship. Learn more at https://www.donordock.com Subscribe for a new episode every week. New conversations with the people in the trenches of nonprofit fundraising.

    Stop Building the Plane While You Fly It: Nonprofit Structure & Burnout | Leah Wiley

  3. Jun 30

    Stop Chasing New Donors. Pick Up the Phone. | Patrick Kirby

    Every nonprofit wants more new donors. Patrick Kirby thinks that is exactly the problem. The people who already love your mission are where your major gifts, your bequests, and your steadiest support come from, and they are the ones we keep ignoring. In this episode, Rob Burke sits down with Patrick Kirby, founder of Do Good Better Consulting and author of Fundraise Like a Fifth Grader. After 20 years helping nonprofits "suck less at fundraising," Patrick makes the case for going back to the basics: real human connection, one question almost no one asks their donors, and a phone call with no ask attached. He breaks down what to track in your CRM, how to get a reluctant board to open doors instead of fundraise, and how to fight the burnout taking down nonprofit leaders across the sector. If you have ever felt like fundraising advice was written for someone with a bigger team or a bigger budget, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 - Don't Forget the Donors Who Loved You First 00:30 - Welcome and Meet Patrick Kirby 01:25 - From Losing an Election to Winning at Fundraising 02:52 - The Biggest Mistake: Skipping the Basics 05:28 - Why Retention Beats Chasing New Donors 05:52 - The One Question: How Do You Like to Be Thanked? 08:59 - Matching Gratitude to Communication Style 11:10 - Stewardship Is Showing Impact All Year 13:13 - What to Actually Track in Your CRM 16:22 - How to Get a Reluctant Board to Open Doors 20:31 - Burnout, Turnover, and Playing the Long Game 23:40 - Tactical Takeaway: Pick Up the Phone 25:37 - Patrick's Book and Where to Connect Key Takeaways - The most common fundraising mistake has nothing to do with budget or team size. It is trying to do everything and forgetting the basics. Technology should free up your time for human connection, not replace it. - Retention beats acquisition every time, yet nonprofits do the opposite. Love the ones who have loved you longest. They are where major gifts and bequests come from. - Ask every donor one question almost nobody asks: "How do you like to be thanked?" It unlocks a hyper-personalized gratitude plan and tells the donor you actually know them. - Don't go a full year without connecting. Ask permission to send updates and notes with no solicitation attached, then steward consistently across the calendar. - Track the right things in your CRM: last contact, communication preferences, how they like to be thanked, and the weird, specific details that prove you are curious about the person, not the pocketbook. You never ask for a major gift unless you know the name of the donor's dog. - Stop asking your board to fundraise. Ask them for warm introductions instead, recalibrate expectations every year, and set a doable KPI (one or two names a quarter, not five a month). - Burnout is the number one issue facing nonprofit leadership. Acknowledge it, treat fundraising as a long game, and find a peer community so you know you are not alone. - The single best thing you can do today: pick up the phone. Call a donor to say thank you and share their impact. Make no ask. Let the CRM handle the back-end work so you can focus on the conversation. Links - Do Good Better Consulting: https://dogoodbetterconsulting.com - Fundraise Like a Fifth Grader (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Fundraise+Like+a+Fifth+Grader+Patrick+Kirby - See how DonorDock helps you build relationships and retention through smart stewardship: https://donordock.com

    Stop Chasing New Donors. Pick Up the Phone. | Patrick Kirby

  4. Jun 23

    Why Development Directors Quit in 16 Months | Eddie Allen

    Most nonprofits run the same play: hire a development director, watch them work themselves to the bone, then watch them walk out the door 16 months later. Eddie Allen says that cycle isn't a people problem. It's a systems problem. In this episode, Rob Burke sits down with Eddie Allen, founder of Pacific Northwest Fundraising and author of the forthcoming book The Unicorn Development Director, to unpack why fundraising breaks when an organization builds it around one impossible job. Eddie explains the difference between fundraising, development, and philanthropy, why the math behind turnover is far worse than the often-cited $130K, and how "infrastructure fundraising" gives the person in the seat a fighting chance. If you have ever felt like your role wasn't actually possible, this conversation reframes the problem and points to what to do instead. Chapters 00:00 - Doing More Isn't the Goal 00:52 - Meet Eddie Allen and the Fractional Model 03:04 - The Unicorn Development Director Problem 05:30 - The Real Cost of Turnover 08:18 - Raising Money Now Without Burning Out 11:39 - Systems Problem or Money Problem? 15:35 - Why Retention Beats Acquisition 17:23 - Where to Spend 10 Focused Hours a Week 20:05 - The Tactical Takeaway 21:01 - The Book and How to Reach Eddie Key Takeaways Communications, marketing, database management, grant writing, and major gifts are separate jobs at large nonprofits. Smaller orgs pile them all onto one development director and wonder why the role fails. "No database, no donor development." Almost every project starts by building the data clearinghouse first, because data lives in someone's head or scattered across spreadsheets. Development takes time. Major gifts can take 24 to 48 months, yet most hires are told to raise money right now. That timing mismatch is built to fail. The true cost of turnover is roughly double the $130K salary-and-benefits figure once you count mission interruption, brand damage, donor distrust, and staff stress. Retention loses to acquisition because of bandwidth, not strategy. When one person is doing nine jobs, stewardship is the first thing to get dropped. Block standing time on your calendar for donor conversations (Eddie protects a weekly Wednesday lunch slot) and spend 80% of your time on the 20% that moves the organization forward. About the Guest Eddie Allen is the founder, CEO, and self-described "lead guide" of Pacific Northwest Fundraising, a fractional development team that gives nonprofits C-suite-level fundraising experience without the cost of building a full team in-house. His book, The Unicorn Development Director, comes out in July. Links Pacific Northwest Fundraising: https://pacificnorthwestfundraising.us Email Eddie: eddie@pacificnorthwestfundraising.us Learn how DonorDock helps you build relationships and retention through smart stewardship: https://donordock.com

    Why Development Directors Quit in 16 Months | Eddie Allen

  5. Jun 16

    Galas Are Getting Played Out. Try This Instead | Ryan Yuhas

    Ryan Yuhas has fundraised for food, faith, animals, and now furniture. He's seen what carries across every mission type and what only worked in one place. In this episode, he digs into why galas and golf outings are losing steam, the events grassroots nonprofits are using to bring in entirely new donor bases, and the simple mechanic Open Door Exchange uses to turn in-kind furniture donors into recurring cash donors. We also get into the human side of stewardship, including why donors leave when fundraisers leave, what a great executive director actually does for your job, and the story of a veteran with PTSD and five kids that explains why furniture is more than furniture. If you run events, work with in-kind donations, or have ever felt like you're carrying your fundraising shop alone, this one is for you. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome and intro to Ryan Yuhas 00:56 - Ryan's path: food, faith, animals, furniture 02:10 - Five rescue dogs and the animal welfare outlier 02:31 - Galas are getting played out: trivia night, music bingo 03:46 - The Glass Pumpkin Patch annual event 05:05 - What's on the scorecard besides net revenue 06:09 - Scaling grassroots into a larger budget 06:23 - Spinning out as their own 501(c)(3) 07:03 - What great EDs do and the red flags to avoid 08:44 - Donors invest in the mission AND the person 10:14 - Turning in-kind donors into financial donors 13:05 - Telling impact stories that go beyond the dollar amount 14:00 - The veteran's story and "the foundation of the home" 15:21 - Story plus statistics: how to communicate impact 16:43 - Tactical takeaway: ask for help, you're not alone 17:55 - How to connect with Ryan and Open Door Exchange Key takeaways Galas and golf outings are flat. Trivia nights, music bingo, and signature partnerships bring new donors.Net revenue is not the only scorecard. Attendance and new audience reach matter just as much.Free in-kind pickup is your best cash cultivation tool. Donors who would've paid $150 to dump it now want to support you instead.When a fundraiser leaves, donors leave too. Rebuild the relationship from scratch, in person, with a warehouse tour.The story plus the statistic always beats either one alone.A two-person shop survives by asking for help. Burnout is the real fundraising risk.Links Open Door Exchange: https://opendoorexchange.orgRyan Yuhas: ryan@opendoorexchange.orgDonorDock: https://www.donordock.com

    Galas Are Getting Played Out. Try This Instead | Ryan Yuhas

  6. Jun 9

    Be a Secret Shopper to Your Own Nonprofit | Farra Trompeter, Big Duck

    What if your donor retention problem is not a copy problem, but a brand problem? Farra Trompeter has spent 30+ years in the nonprofit sector and 19 of those at Big Duck, helping organizations build brands that move donors. In this episode, she breaks down why brand is more than logos and colors, how brand stickiness inside your team determines whether donors recognize you, and why most rebrands fail to lift fundraising results. We dig into the donor retention crisis, the difference between major-donor stewardship and the watered-down version everyone else gets, and the sub-brand strategy Big Duck used with the International Rescue Committee to build the Rescue Collective. Farra also explains why Q4 planning starts in Q3, and ends the episode with a tactical move every fundraiser can do this week: become a secret shopper to your own giving. If you want donors who stay, this is the conversation. Chapters 00:00 - Cold open: Be a secret shopper to your own giving 00:38 - Welcome and intro to Farra Trompeter 01:48 - Farra's path: from telefundraiser to Big Duck Co-Director 03:30 - What brand actually means for a development director 05:33 - Brand, culture, and where they overlap 06:22 - Why rebrands fail to lift fundraising results 09:04 - AI, generative tools, and brand consistency 10:43 - Donor retention is a stewardship problem, not a copy problem 12:54 - Monthly giving and sub-brands (Rescue Collective) 15:26 - Designing Q4: start in Q3 with a warm-up 17:25 - Prioritizing stewardship year-round 18:31 - Segmentation and treating mid-level donors like they matter 20:31 - Tactical takeaway: secret shop your own giving 21:46 - How to connect with Farra and Big Duck Key takeaways - Brand is every email, ask, event, and acknowledgement, not just your logo. - Internal "brand stickiness" comes before external recognition. - Donor retention is built between asks, not inside them. - Q4 results are decided in Q3 with a non-fundraising warm-up. - The fastest way to find your stewardship gaps: give to your own organization from a personal account and watch what happens. Links - Smart Communications Podcast: https://bigduck.com/insights/?type=podcasts - Farra Trompeter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farra - DonorDock: https://www.donordock.com

    Be a Secret Shopper to Your Own Nonprofit | Farra Trompeter, Big Duck

  7. Jun 2

    Relationship Mapping, Grant Transparency & the Biases Costing You Donors | Tori Tishman

    Tori Tishman has fundraised across education, healthcare, and political campaigns, and she came out of it with strong opinions about what the sector gets wrong. In this episode, Rob and Tori dig into relationship mapping for major donors, why grant reporting needs a radical transparency overhaul, the uncomfortable truth about pay in nonprofits, and how cognitive biases might be quietly tanking your fundraising results. Whether you're running your first capital campaign or you're a seasoned development director, Tori's systems-driven approach to CRM documentation, institutional knowledge, and storytelling will give you a new way to think about the work. What you'll learn: How to use relationship mapping and LinkedIn to unlock the right person to make a major donor ask Why fundraising is never just about numbers — and what that means for how you build trust The case for radical transparency in grant reporting (and why it protects you legally) Tori's honest take on pay transparency and executive compensation in the nonprofit sector How to structure a capital campaign — from goal-setting to leveraging foundation gifts as social proof Storytelling in HIPAA-sensitive environments: how Tori tracks and anonymizes client stories Why the playbook you build today protects your org the day you're gone The one exercise every fundraiser should do to uncover the biases holding them back Chapters 00:00 - The Ask Has to Come From Someone They Trust 00:42 - Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser 01:15 - Tori Tishman's Background in Fundraising 02:09 - Diversifying Revenue and Relationship-Centered Fundraising 03:48 - What Actually Works With Major Donors 05:37 - AI + CRM: Why Unstructured Data Is a Game Changer 06:50 - Dysfunction in the Nonprofit Sector 07:11 - Radical Transparency in Grant Reporting 09:38 - Pay Transparency and Executive Compensation 10:46 - Capital Campaigns: Strategy, Goals, and Getting There 12:59 - Advice for Fundraisers New to Multi-Million Dollar Campaigns 13:46 - Storytelling as a Fundraising Tool 15:16 - Telling Stories in Healthcare Under HIPAA 16:23 - Systems Thinking, CRM Documentation, and Institutional Knowledge 18:37 - Tactical Takeaway: Examine Your Cognitive Biases 19:50 - Where to Find Tori Tishman Connect with Tori Tishman: LinkedIn: Victoria Tishman Medium: Fundraising blog Learn more about DonorDock: donordock.com

    Relationship Mapping, Grant Transparency & the Biases Costing You Donors | Tori Tishman

  8. May 26

    Fundraising as Ecosystem Building: Lessons from Zimbabwe with Terrence Mugova

    What if you thought about fundraising the way a farmer thinks about soil, not just what you can extract, but what you're building over time? Terrence Mugova joins Rob Burke from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where he founded Educate, a financing company that helps students at more than 50 schools afford school fees, and runs a hunger relief program and money coaching practice in his community. Terrence brings a perspective rarely heard on fundraising podcasts: what it actually looks like to raise money without collateral, without a wealthy network, and inside an economy that's wrestled with hyperinflation. In this episode, Terrence breaks down how he built a sustainable funding model that blends donor relationships, corporate shared-value partnerships, micro-loans, and earned revenue — and why he believes nonprofits everywhere need to start thinking more like business operators. He also shares a sharp critique of how global organizations often get it wrong when they show up in Africa with a predetermined vision and no understanding of local context. If you work in fundraising — whether in the US or anywhere else — this episode will challenge you to widen your lens. Chapters: 00:00 - Fundraising as Ecosystem Building (Teaser) 00:22 - Welcome and Guest Introduction 01:21 - Terrence's Story: Almost Losing His University Seat and Founding Educate 04:15 - Starting Small: Six Students, One Proof of Concept 07:25 - What Success Really Means: Identity, Action, and Dreams 08:57 - The Fintech Partnership: Making Diaspora Education Funding Direct and Accountable 10:26 - Building a Sustainable Funding Mix Beyond Grants 14:14 - Shared Value Partnerships: Speaking the Language of Business People 15:53 - What Global Nonprofits Get Wrong When They Enter Africa 19:11 - Tactical Takeaway: Approach Fundraising Like Building an Ecosystem Learn more about DonorDock: https://donordock.com

    Fundraising as Ecosystem Building: Lessons from Zimbabwe with Terrence Mugova
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5
out of 5
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About

What if doing less made you a better fundraiser? Welcome to The Focused Fundraiser — the podcast for nonprofit leaders who are tired of the chaos and ready to prioritize what actually drives impact. Hosted by Rob Burke, each episode features honest conversations with fundraisers in the trenches who are cutting through the noise, saying no to the never-ending to-do list, and focusing on what matters most. We cover: ✔️ Fundraising strategy that doesn’t burn you out ✔️ High-touch stewardship that builds real relationships ✔️ Personal productivity and leadership in nonprofit life ✔️ Systems that help you work smarter, not harder If you’re ready to drop the “do more” mindset and lead with clarity, focus, and purpose — you’re in the right place. Live every Tuesday at 11am CT.

Information

  • Creator
    Donor Dock
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Donor Dock
  • Show Website
    The Focused Fundraiser

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