562: How It's Built: HeadCount's Integrated Approach to Traditional and Digital Voter Engagement - Tappan Vickery
Meet Tappan. A veteran organizer with two decades of experience, she’s the Senior Director of Programming and Strategy at HeadCount, where they’re revolutionizing voter engagement through the power of music 🎶At HeadCount, Tappan has spearheaded innovative campaigns that connect musicians with their fans to inspire democratic participation 🗳️She’s all about understanding different fandoms to build trust and engagement, meeting audiences where they are through various platforms and messengers. Tune in to this “How It’s Built” episode to discover how HeadCount is making every vote count.
560. How It's Built: Leadership Transition Planning - Amber Melanie Smith
Meet Amber. Her journey through nonprofit work is winding (literally!)🛣️ In college, she took off on a 3-month cross-country road trip with her best friend to volunteer in over 20 states. When she returned home, she launched Activate Good, a nonprofit that has mobilized over 50,000 volunteers to help hundreds of causes in her hometown, Raleigh, NC. She recently transitioned out of her Executive Director role and is sharing how she did it in this “How It’s Built” episode. Tune in to hear how organizations can prioritize succession and transition planning that takes care of all the people involved.
558. How It's Built: Impactful + Modern Websites for Our Organizations - David Hartstein
Meet David. He’s the co-founder of Wired Impact, which helps nonprofits build websites their visitors will love 💻❤️ He’s a firm believer that good marketing doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and he works to uncover opportunities within websites to help missions do more good in their community. In this episode of "How It's Built”, he’s sharing the essential steps for creating an impactful nonprofit website. Get ready to transform your nonprofit’s website with these tried and tested insights🛠️💪
554. How It's Built: The 4 Core Pillars of a Movement that Sustains Itself - Bryan Funk
Meet Bryan. He’s a community builder, marketer and movement builder🛠️ He’s sharing his experiences from Invisible Children, the team behind KONY 2012, the fastest-growing viral social justice and online fundraising campaign in the history of the internet (at the time). This digital campaign gained 100 million views in 5 days 🤯 and raised millions of dollars to support the efforts to bring warlord Joseph Kony to justice. Tune in for this How It’s Built episode that gives you the playbook for creating a powerful movement that sustains itself.
552. How It's Built: A 400+ Person Mindfulness Community for 200 Feeding America Network Food Banks - Megan Whitney
Meet Megan. She’s a nonprofit pro, certified coach, and meditation teacher. In this How It’s Built episode, she’s sharing how she started a thriving mindfulness community of over 400 people at Feeding America, the largest nonprofit in the U.S. Discover the power of mindfulness in addressing workplace stress, improving organizational culture, and enhancing personal well-being. Tune in for a practical playbook for bringing mindfulness to your org🧘♀️
550. How It's Built: How Perkins School for the Blind Transformed their Fundraising, Customer Experience + Brand - Stephanie Jones Wagle
Meet Stephanie. In this "How It's Built" episode, she’s sharing the journey of how the Perkins School for the Blind transformed their fundraising, customer experience and brand. From rebuilding their websites to reimagining direct mail, Stephanie unveils the strategies that have breathed new life into a 200-year-old institution 🏫 This conversation is packed with actionable insights for nonprofits looking to modernize their approach, expand their reach, and create a true sense of belonging for all. 🌍 Tune in for fresh ideas and stay for the incredible mission of this org.
548. How It's Built: 7 Shifts for 7 Figure Fundraising Growth - Jon Delange
Meet Jon. He's revolutionized Summit Ministries' fundraising, driving a 25% increase in active donors and securing their first seven-figure cash gift💰 As part of the How It’s Built series, he’s sharing practical advice on data-driven decisions and fostering donor relationships through innovative marketing. Join us as he reveals how small shifts in strategy can cause significant growth Tune in to discover how these 7️⃣ shifts can transform your fundraising efforts.
546. How It’s Built: Operational Magic That Puts Your Values to Work - Dorothy Chang
Meet Dorothy. Her mission is to activate everyone’s capacity to become a more powerful version of themselves—in the workplace and beyond. She helps teams and leaders design the organizational tools, systems, and processes they need to put their values into practice. In this episode of "How It's Built," Dorothy shares how those of us in the social impact sector can create conditions intentionally designed for people to do their best work. Tune in for pro tips on operationalizing values in your work🛠️
544. How It's Built: From Grassroots Campaigning to Nurturing a Thriving Monthly Donor Base (with Katherine Lacefield)
Meet Katherine. She’s sharing the case study of how she moved from street fundraising to sustaining a group of 2,000 monthly donors🥳 She’s sharing her grassroots fundraising strategies, how to build a recurring donor program + use storytelling and engagement to build a digital community and movement. Tune in to hear how you can adapt this modern framework for your org✨
542. How It's Built: How to Create a Modern Donor Journey - Nicholas Kristock, Fleece and Thank You
Meet Nicholas. He’s a former international soccer player turned serial entrepreneur and servant leader⚽ He’s found his passion in social impact work and is all about building businesses that tackle real-world problems. He founded and serves as the Executive Director of Fleece & Thank You, a nonprofit that provides psychosocial support and programs to children in the hospital. In this episode of "How It's Built," Nicholas shares how mapping donor journeys with intention has transformed their nonprofit🗺️ From listing all touchpoints to prioritizing a core welcome series, he walks us through practical steps to personalize the donor experience. Tune in to hear how you can adapt this modern framework for your org✨
540. How It's Built: How to Grow Your Mid-Level Donor Relationships Through 5-Minute Conversations - Kel Haney
Meet Kel. She empowers nonprofits to grow their mid-level donor relationships through 5-Minute Fundraising Asks (over the phone!) 📞 She’s personally made over 20,000 fundraising asks and trained nonprofit organizations to raise almost $20M (primarily in donations under $2.5K)❗ Ring, ring, it’s Kel calling and she has a refreshing alternative to scripted calls, shifting fundraising conversations away from transactional encounters and toward relationship-building opportunities. Tune in to learn how to craft a compelling story within a short call, develop trust from the get-go, and personalize each interaction to resonate with donors.
538. How It's Built: How Usher's New Look Built an Impactful Marketing Playbook - Kimberly Williams
Meet Kim. She’s a marketing visionary whose experience has taken her from the newsroom to Usher’s New Look🎤, where she connects Usher's celebrity brand and the nonprofit organization to create opportunities for young people. She’s breaking down their robust marketing playbook that prioritizes authenticity, relationships and marketing fundamentals. Tune in for lessons on disrupting traditional nonprofit marketing and scaling impact through strategic yet creative planning🌟
536. How It's Built: Tim Tebow Foundation's 19,000+ Monthly Giving Community - Kyle Roosen
Meet Kyle. He’s helped steward the creation and growth of a recurring donor community made up of more than 19,300 monthly givers at the Tim Tebow Foundation🤯 With no formal marketing training, he was hungry for knowledge and figured out how to harness the power of data and storytelling to invite believers into their mission one person at a time. The best part? You can copy his exact strategy. In this How It’s Built episode, Kyle is sharing the importance of a donor experience that infuses joy and meaning into every contribution. Tune in to hear the lessons learned along the way including the delicate balance of growing a donor base while cultivating current supporters🎁
534. How It's Built: How to Create a Winning Digital Strategy for Exponential Audience Growth - Alicia Cepeda Maule, Innocence Project
Meet Alicia. Since 2015 she’s been at the Innocence Project, now as the first Digital Engagement Director. The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Her team has won over 10 awards🏆 for the Innocence Project including Webbys, Tellys, Shortys, and Comnet’s Clarence B. Jones Impact Award.
She’s joining us to kick off the How It’s Built Series. We’re exploring the intricate and often overlooked elements that go into crafting impactful change. Alicia is walking us through how to build a winning digital strategy for exponential audience growth. Here’s your playbook for modernizing your nonprofit, step-by-step. Let’s go🏃♂️