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First Day Podcast

First Day Podcast

De: The Fund Raising School
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The Fund Raising School is excited to launch the First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School! Highlighting current news and research, this podcast provides fundraisers with the latest information in fundraising and philanthropy. Be more informed and stay up to date with the First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School!All rights reserved
Episodios
  • Checkout Giving: The New Face of Everyday Philanthropy

    Checkout Giving: The New Face of Everyday Philanthropy
    Mar 29 2026
    In this practical and timely episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Ruth Hansen, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, for a smart conversation about checkout charity and what it reveals about contemporary donor behavior. With her characteristic blend of research rigor and practitioner awareness, Ruth explores a form of giving that many people recognize instantly but few have studied closely: the small, spontaneous donation made at the register or during an online purchase. What emerges is a compelling portrait of “impulse giving” as a meaningful and often overlooked part of the philanthropic landscape. For fundraisers, the episode offers both data and perspective, showing that seemingly modest asks at the point of purchase can unlock real generosity when the conditions are right. One of the episode’s greatest strengths is the way it moves beyond anecdote and into useful insight. Ruth explains that more than half of Americans in her study reported giving through checkout charity in the past year, with rounding up as the most common method by far. But the more interesting takeaway is not simply that people give this way, it is that this type of giving may engage donors who do not always fit the patterns associated with more formal charitable support. While some demographic trends align with broader giving research, others differ in revealing ways, particularly around age, education, and income. Bill does an especially effective job drawing out what this could mean for nonprofit strategy, especially for organizations that may be overlooking everyday donors while focusing heavily on mid-level and major gifts. The conversation becomes a useful reminder that generosity is often situational, and that the right ask, at the right moment, still matters enormously. As the discussion continues, Ruth adds an important layer of nuance by emphasizing the role of familiarity and trust. Most people who gave through checkout charity reported at least some prior awareness of the organization receiving the donation, suggesting that these gifts may be impulsive, but they are not entirely disconnected from relationship-building and visibility. That insight gives the episode much of its practical value. Checkout charity is not presented as a shortcut or substitute for sound fundraising, but as one more channel through which public awareness can translate into action. Bill closes by reinforcing the broader lesson with clarity: people give when they are asked, and nonprofits ignore broad-base donors at their own risk. The episode’s final message is both encouraging and strategic. Small gifts at the register may look incidental, but together they point to a larger truth about philanthropy: when organizations make their work visible and make giving easy, people often respond.
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    15 m
  • How Empathy Can Prevent Fundraiser Burnout

    How Empathy Can Prevent Fundraiser Burnout
    Mar 22 2026
    In this thoughtful and deeply human episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Alison Jane Martingano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, for a fascinating conversation about empathy, burnout, and what fundraisers can learn from research rooted in healthcare. With clarity, warmth, and just the right amount of scientific precision, Alison Jane unpacks a deceptively simple idea: empathy is not just a feel-good virtue, it can actually help protect professionals from burnout. For fundraisers, whose work is built on connection, compassion, and constant attention to others, that insight lands with particular force. This episode makes a compelling case that understanding how we empathize may be just as important as the fact that we do. A key strength of the conversation is its careful distinction between different types of empathy. Alison Jane explains that empathy is not one single emotional blob, but a multidimensional concept that includes cognitive empathy, empathic concern, and emotional contagion or distress. Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand what someone else is thinking or feeling without becoming overwhelmed yourself. Empathic concern is the warm, compassionate response that keeps the focus on the other person. Those two forms of empathy, she explains, are associated with less burnout. The problem arises with distress-based empathy, when a person does not merely care about someone else’s suffering but begins to carry it internally, mirroring the pain as their own. That distinction becomes one of the episode’s most useful takeaways: feeling for others can sustain us, while feeling overwhelmed with them can slowly wear us down. Bill does an especially effective job translating the research into the daily reality of fundraising, where professionals are constantly immersed in stories of need, urgency, and hope. Fundraisers are, by nature and by job description, intensely other-focused. They advocate for people experiencing hunger, illness, educational barriers, housing insecurity, and countless other challenges. Alison Jane suggests that this outward focus may actually be a source of resilience, so long as it remains grounded in compassion rather than self-consuming distress. In one of the episode’s clearest and most memorable formulations, the conversation draws a bright line between being inspired to help and carrying another person’s suffering “like a bag of bricks.” That difference matters. It gives fundraisers permission to care deeply without believing they must emotionally collapse in order to prove that care is real. As the episode concludes, Alison Jane offers an important note of honesty and restraint: empathy may be preventative, but it is not curative. Once true burnout has taken hold, the answer is not simply to care harder or dig deeper emotionally. Burnout, she explains, is a structural problem caused by too many demands and too few resources, and that means real solutions must include institutional support, reduced stressors, and healthier workplace conditions. Bill closes by reinforcing why psychology matters so much in fundraising in the first place; philanthropy is fundamentally about human connection. Donors, volunteers, and fundraisers alike are driven by meaning, identity, and emotion. The episode’s final message is both reassuring and wise: empathy, when practiced in healthy ways, can help fundraisers stay connected to their mission without losing themselves in the process.
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    15 m
  • International Perspective on Next Gen Giving

    International Perspective on Next Gen Giving
    Mar 15 2026
    In this lively international edition of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D. welcomes Lynda Harwood-Compton, Director of Latch Fundraising, for a smart and spirited conversation about what it really takes to engage millennial and Gen Z donors around the world. Lynda brings both global perspective and practical wisdom, tracing her own journey from teaching blind children to leading an international fundraising consultancy focused on philanthropy, partnerships, stewardship, and next-generation giving. Her central message lands with the force of a well-aimed Scottish truth bomb: Gen Z and millennials are not just “emerging” donors, they are the future of philanthropy, and fundraisers need to stop waiting for them to arrive and start building relationships now. Lynda makes a compelling case that these generations are already deeply philanthropic, even if that generosity does not always show up as a big check in the mail. Gen Z, in particular, is giving through volunteering, activism, peer support, events, and monthly donations, with 84% saying they support a charitable organization in some way. Add to that the massive global wealth transfer already underway, and the picture becomes crystal clear: millennials and Gen Z are on track to become the wealthiest and potentially most influential philanthropic generations in history. But they do not behave like their predecessors. They care about impact, authenticity, and proximity to the cause, often choosing to support just one or two organizations where they can clearly see results rather than scattering gifts across half a dozen institutions and hoping for the best. The conversation also drills into an important distinction that too often gets blurred: millennials and Gen Z may be grouped together, but they are not the same. Millennials are “digital pioneers,” while Gen Z are true “digital natives,” and that difference matters when it comes to outreach, engagement, and trust-building. Lynda explains that millennials may still respond to Instagram, short videos, alumni connections, workplace giving, and even a well-timed WhatsApp message, while Gen Z is more likely to be found in the world of TikTok, influencers, activism, and collective action. Socially, both generations are moving away from traditional gala culture. Forget the black-tie banquet and auction paddles, this crowd would rather see family-friendly experiences, local connection, meaningful community engagement, and opportunities to bring their whole lives, not just their wallets, into the philanthropic experience. As the episode wraps, Lynda offers a refreshingly clear call to action for fundraisers everywhere: be authentic, be transparent, and do not try to perform some awkward corporate somersault to look “younger.” Millennials and Gen Z do not expect perfection, but they do expect honesty, visible impact, and values they can believe in. They want to advocate for others, especially in causes like education, human services, animal welfare, and mental health, and they are increasingly comfortable using strategic tools like donor-advised funds to make those decisions thoughtfully. Bill ties it all together with a reminder that every donor matters, every gift matters, and today’s modest first gift may become tomorrow’s transformational investment. The takeaway is beautifully simple: the future of fundraising is already here, and it is scrolling, texting, volunteering, organizing, and yes, still giving.
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    21 m
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