Responsive Lab Podcast

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Dave Raley, Founder of the Center for Sustainable Giving. Dave spent 18 years in fundraising and marketing before founding the Center, driven by a belief that sustainable, recurring funding should be accessible to every nonprofit, not just the largest ones.

You'll hear about:
• Why a flat recurring giving program is often a visibility problem, not a donor problem, and what to look at first
• How the first 30 days after a first gift is the most important window to invite donors into recurring giving
•...

In this episode, we bring you content from the 2026 Responsive Nonprofit Summit from Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing Officer at Joni and Friends.

You'll hear about:

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Chad Paris, Principal and CEO of Parisleaf, a branding agency that helps nonprofits fund progress by branding major fundraising campaigns. Chad has spent nearly two decades advising mission-driven organizations through comprehensive campaigns, and he brings a rare combination of strategic depth and candor about where the philanthropic sector is headed.

You'll hear about:
• What separates wildly successful campaigns from ones that simply meet their goal, including the four-part framework Chad uses
• Why donor fatigue is more often caused by a lack of mean...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Ben Webb, Chief Marketing Officer at International Justice Mission. He's spent more than 15 years across nonprofit leadership, ministry, and creative consultancy, including a global marketing role at Compassion International where he led teams across digital, innovation, and experience design in more than 30 countries.

You'll hear about:
* Why most nonprofit marketing fails to inspire and what we can learn from Red Bull's space jump campaign
* The shift from direct response fundraising toward product-centered donor experiences
* How to create relevance and value for...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Derric Bakker, CEO of DickersonBakker. With more than three decades of experience as a practitioner, consultant, and business leader, he helps organizations move beyond legacy fundraising models toward relationship-centered approaches.

You'll hear about:
* Why fundraising feels harder now and how this represents a fundamental shift, not just a cyclical downturn
* What "treat every donor like a major donor" actually means in practice
* How younger donors are increasingly behaving like major donors in their selectivity and relationship expectations
* Why 94% of nonprofit...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Tim Lockie, founder of The Human Stack. Tim has spent his career at the intersection of data and people, helping nonprofits use information systems to increase impact and decision-making.

You'll hear about:
* Why the AI conversation happens in a vacuum separate from actual fundraising work
* How to think about tech, data, and staff as an integrated system rather than three separate silos
* The identity and belonging questions that AI raises for nonprofit staff
* How to identify if your tech is...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Erin Stender, CMO at Omatic. With nearly a decade at mission-driven tech companies like Classy and Neon One, Erin brings a unique perspective from both the technology side and the nonprofit board member lens.

You'll hear about:

* Why nonprofits feel both excitement and trepidation about AI, and how both responses are completely valid
* How incomplete or inaccurate data creates costly missed opportunities, from major donors not receiving year-end appeals to lapsed donors getting acquisition-level messaging
* Why your CRM serves as...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Chris Larson, President & CEO at Ligonier Ministries. Chris has been with Ligonier since 2004, directing all strategic outreach initiatives and overseeing daily ministry operations through significant growth and leadership transitions.

You'll hear about:
* Why monthly sustainers became the backbone of Ligonier's 55-year mission
* How to create "beautiful reciprocity" where donors benefit from the org they support
* Balancing investment in younger donors while honoring longtime supporters
* Using AI and technology as force multipliers for human relationship building
* How to navigate the...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Chris Palombo, President and CEO of MAP International. Chris leads the organization that serves as the global relief valve for surplus healthcare products, shipping $1.26 billion in medicines and medical supplies to 100 nations annually. His core belief? Nonprofits must speak four distinct languages to demonstrate true impact: heart, finance, medical outcomes, and operational efficiency.

You'll hear about:
* The four tribes every nonprofit must serve and how to speak their different languages
* Why heart stories remain important but can't stand alone in today's accountability...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Audrey Cooper, Associate Director of Philanthropy at Evidence Action. Audrey brings 10 years of nonprofit development experience across social services and international development, and has helped Evidence Action scale from its 2013 founding to raising over $60 million annually. 

You'll hear about:

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Randy Molland, Founder and Chief Giving Officer at Impact Circle. Randy spent years building businesses as an entrepreneur before a trip to an orphanage in Mexico shifted his focus entirely. 

Since then, he's built a career around one specific gap: helping nonprofits build real relationships with the business community.

His core belief? The people with money to give are already on LinkedIn, and most nonprofits aren't showing up.

You'll hear about:

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Dr. Jeff McGee, a leadership and organizational culture strategist and creator of the Triple Loop Leadership framework. Dr. McGee has worked in nonprofits from frontline staff to executive leadership for over a decade and now coaches organizations nationwide on building healthy cultures and managing AI adoption.

You'll hear about:
* Why lack of honest communication creates quiet disengagement and an "us versus them" mentality between leadership and staff
* The key to retention: making staff feel valued, respected, and truly part of the mission...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Griff Bohm. As one of the founders of Momentum, an AI-powered donor engagement platform for mid-level & major gifts, Griff brings unique insights into how artificial intelligence can transform fundraising without losing the human connection that drives giving.

You'll hear about:
• Starting with problems instead of solutions when adopting AI tools
• Building major gift programs that leverage technology to create more donor time
• Understanding why major giving continues to grow as a percentage of overall fundraising
• Recognizing donor expectations for personalized, impact-f...

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:

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:

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:

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...

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:

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...

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 th...

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...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Matt Lombardi, Founder of Share, to unpack what real digital engagement looks like when it’s done well and why it actually leads people to take action.

Matt brings a practitioner’s perspective from working alongside nonprofits of all sizes, sharing what separates organizations that grow sustainably from those stuck on the acquisition hamster wheel. From donor personas and retention strategies to recurring giving programs that actually work, you’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately.

You’...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraising strategist Kel Haney, who has made more than twenty thousand asks by phone and helped nonprofits generate over twenty million dollars in mid-level giving.

Kel shares how she went from directing theater in New York to discovering the power of a well-structured donor conversation, and why a simple five-minute call can be one of the most effective tools a fundraiser has.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

On this episode of Ask a Responsive Fundraiser, Scott Holthaus sits down with Bailey Huston, Partnerships and Integrations Manager at The Giving Block, to answer your top questions about noncash giving and donor behavior in a changing fundraising landscape.

Bailey shares why donor choice, convenience, and control are now essential parts of the giving experience… and how offering options like crypto, stock, and donor-advised funds can unlock major gifts you may be missing today. She explains the motivations behind noncash giving, the younger and wealthier donor segments driving crypto adoption, and the simple ways nonprofits can...

What really happens inside a donor’s mind when they choose to give? In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Virtuous co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Cherian Koshy, VP at Kindsight and author of NeuroGiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making.

Cherian unpacks why giving is rooted in identity, how friction quietly slows generous brains down, and what fundraisers can do to design clearer, more intuitive donor experiences. You will hear why one vivid human story matters more than statistics, what assumptions often lead teams astray, and how technology and AI hel...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Lauren and John Mark Vanderpool from Social Impact Solutions to answer some pressing questions we didn’t have time to cover during a recent webinar.

Lauren and John Mark break down what impact really means, how to measure it, and how clear impact data can deepen donor trust and grow giving. You’ll also hear practical advice for using logic models, building realistic internal systems, handling confidentiality, and making sense of hundreds of stories without overwhelming your team.

...

Nonprofit leadership is meaningful work, but it can also feel exhausting. Between fundraising pressure, staff turnover, and board expectations, many leaders quietly run on empty long before they ever consider stepping away.

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Virtuous co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with CEO of the Seattle Police Foundation, Ian Adair, to talk about what it really takes to stay healthy in leadership and build organizations where people want to stay.

You’ll hear Ian, Carly, and Scott dig into:

- How to reco...

Speed matters. So does being seen. In this episode, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraiser, former executive director, and founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency, Rachel Bearbower, to unpack how small teams can deliver big-feeling donor experiences. We cover the “first 100 days” journey, the one-minute thank-you, and why silence erodes trust faster than anything. You’ll hear practical steps to turn repeatable stewardship moments into lightweight systems, how to anchor automation in your CRM, and a candid look at what Rachel learned by donating to 15 nonprofits to audit their follow-up.

Links from th...

Launching a capital campaign is one thing. Raising over $200 million and outgrowing your original goals is another. In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Dr. Will Smallwood, Vice President for Advancement at Cedarville University, to unpack the story behind the wildly successful “One Thousand Days Transformed” campaign.

Dr. Smallwood shares the campaign’s roots in mission-first storytelling, how strategic planning turned into campus-wide buy-in, and what it really takes to build momentum, from data-informed planning to real-time transparency with donors. You’ll hear the lessons Cedarville learned w...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus are joined by Aarika Riddle, Executive Director of Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, for a conversation about leading through uncertainty, stewarding well in challenging moments, and grounding your work in mission when fatigue sets in.

Aarika shares lessons from navigating multiple economic downturns in her fundraising career, including the 2008 recession and recent years of uncertainty. She gets tactical about the basics that still work (thank-you notes, stewardship, donor storytelling), how to personalize at scale using simple tools, and why leadership energy makes or...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with capital campaign expert Amy Eisenstein of Capital Campaign Pro to demystify one of the most ambitious and often misunderstood fundraising tools in a nonprofit’s playbook: the capital campaign.

Amy shares her journey from development director to co-founder of a firm that has guided hundreds of organizations through campaigns ranging from $3M to $150M. You’ll learn the key elements of a successful campaign, including when to launch, who should consider one, how to engage donors, and why feasibility studi...

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott bring you the closing keynote from the 2025 Responsive Nonprofit Summit. Victoria Harrison, co-founder of Charity: Water, shares how they created an in-person, immersive storytelling experience that could deepen donor connection and spark transformative generosity.

From VR headsets and interactive water walks to science labs and kinetic sandboxes, the Experience Lab is unlike anything else in the nonprofit space. And it’s already raised $2 million in just a few months.

In this episode, Victoria shares:

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with fundraising powerhouse Tammy Zonker to talk about her new book, Calling All Heroes. Tammy brings 25+ years of experience and over $1B raised to the conversation. She shares why our sector needs a third way: human-centered fundraising.

From the hidden pitfalls of both donor and community-centered approaches to the practical steps organizations can take to adopt a more holistic model, this episode is filled with a whole lot of wisdom and inspiration. Plus, Tammy drops strategies for mid-level giving, donor a...

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, Brady Josephson (Charity:Water), Chris Barlow (Beeline Marketing), and Matt Scott (CauseMic) tackle the three most common mistakes nonprofits make in marketing and engagement and how to avoid them.

From trying to do everything at once, to neglecting brand investment, to overcomplicating donor segmentation, this discussion is packed with tactical insights you can apply right away.

You’ll hear:

In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, John and Becky, co-founders of We Are For Good, talk movement-building from the stage at the Responsive Nonprofit Summit 2025.

John and Becky share their deeply practical framework for moving from donor acquisition to donor multiplication by centering believers, fueling joy, and letting go of control. Through stories from Komen, charity:water, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and their own early experiences in healthcare philanthropy, they make the case that responsive fundraising isn’t just a strategy, it’s a belief system.

You’ll walk awa...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Russell James, a leading voice in planned giving strategy, psychology, and research. Russell brings his unique background as a lawyer, fundraiser, college president, and now professor at Texas Tech, to unpack the practical steps any nonprofit can take to start (or strengthen) a planned giving program.

From the “magic age” for engagement to the psychology behind why donors give at end-of-life, this episode is packed with insights, phrases, and donor stories you can start using today.

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In this special episode of The Responsive Lab, fundraising experts Missy Gale (M. Gale & Associates), Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group), and Andrew Olsen (DickersonBakker) discuss how to balance long-term relationship building with the realities of fiscal year deadlines, limited capacity, and changing donor behaviors.

You’ll learn practical strategies for portfolio segmentation, leveraging donor signals, stewarding mid-level donors, and moving beyond “spray and pray” tactics.

Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Javan Van Gronigen, founder and creative director of Fifty & Fifty and Donately, to unpack the insights behind the 2025 Nonprofit Peer Report.

Javan shares surveying over 160 nonprofit leaders identified the top challenges nonprofit teams are facing today: misalignment, siloed data, brand confusion, and the inability to confidently execute digital strategies.

From the power of donor-centric messaging to the rise of personalized, AI-powered donor journeys, this conversation dives deep into the core disconnects that hinder generosity, and ho...

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, we go deeper into the real, raw questions nonprofit leaders are asking about artificial intelligence. Things like strategy and governance to privacy, personalization, and predictive modeling.

Join Virtuous’ Chief AI Officer, Nathan Chappell, alongside co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus as they unpack:

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, co-hosts Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with

Stephen Boudreau and Erik Tomalis from Avid to explore how fundraisers can actually use their data to drive meaningful action.

From demystifying AI to scaling human relationships with technology, this conversation dives into the real challenges facing fundraisers today and how teams can stop drowning in spreadsheets and start making decisions with confidence. Erik shares lessons from 5,000+ donor visits and how tech can enable deeper generosity, while Stephen explains why the best fundraising teams are shifting from b...