From just 17 monthly donors in 2009 to nearly 400 today, the Cat Adoption Team (CAT) has built a creative and effective recurring giving program that has raised over $1 million dollars. In this episode, we’re chatting with Shanda Chroust-Masin, Development and Communications Director at CAT, to learn how their “Meow Team” has become an incredibly loyal base of brand ambassadors.

The most pivotal needle-mover? Leaning into playful, on-brand messaging (think “State of the Meownion” updates and “Cat Person” window clings), paired with strong volunteer engagement and donor stewardship.

Shanda shares ALL the tactics behind their growth: how they leverage volunteer relationships and embed monthly giving asks into evergreen experiences like adoptions and newsletters, plus their strategies for delighting donors with small but impactful touches.

This case study is packed with lessons you can apply right away!

Resources & Links

Learn more about CAT on their website and check out their Meow Team. To connect with Shanda and the CAT team, email shandacm@catadoptionteam.org or development@catadoptionteam.org.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Imagine your monthly giving program is so successful that it sparks 65% growth in new recurring gifts and sustains investor loyalty for over two decades.

In this episode, Andrea Arkow and Ashley Schenk from The Hunger Project have cracked the code and are here to walk through their nine-month rebrand and the strategy behind their award-winning monthly giving community, The Core.

Can you believe more than HALF of their 1,000+ members have been giving for over 20 years?!

They discuss their intentional use of the term investor (rather than donor), how they decreased cancellations by 5%, and what they’ve implemented to balance acquisition and retention, including quarterly newsletters with data and partner stories, community calls, anniversary emails, and a four-part welcome series anchored by a video from their CEO.

No matter what size your organization is or how much budget you have, Andrea and Ashley are packing this conversation with great takeaways to implement for your mission.

Resources & Links

Learn more about The Hunger Project on their website, Facebook, or Instagram, and check out The Core to explore their monthly giving program.

Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

When Roots Ethiopia first attempted to build a monthly giving program, it was cumbersome and collapsing under its own weight.

Fast forward to today? That SAME program has transformed into a fundraising powerhouse with 93% donor retention, 34% of all donors giving monthly, and over $134K in annual recurring revenue.

Meghan Walsh, founder and board chair of Roots Ethiopia is back on the show to share it all: the handwritten cards, real-time donor reports, and a simple $20/month offer that shaped their results.

You’ll hear all about the nitty gritty tech tools, donor segmentation tactics, and community-building efforts, why she’s moving all donation asks toward a “monthly-first” approach, and how she's preparing to scale even further with automations and new acquisition campaigns.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the incredible mission of Roots Ethiopia on their website. You can also connect with Meghan on LinkedIn.

Meghan is using Bloomerang, FundraiseUp, Handwrytten, and Small Shop Strategies.

Tune in to Episode 179: How Automations Can Save You Time + Increase Donor Relations to learn more about Rachel Bearbower.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

It is Black Philanthropy Month, and I couldn't think of a better conversation to spotlight this than with two incredible women behind the Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood, Dr. Leslie Farrington and Khadejah Stegall. When it comes to giving birth while Black in America, having advocacy skills can literally save lives.

BCFSM’s ACTT framework of “ask questions, claim your space, trust your body, tell your story”, equips birthing people and supporters to speak up in medical settings, reduce communication breakdowns, and secure dignified, safer care.

You’ll hear how a Mother’s Day email push brought in their first recurring donor, why you should integrate a monthly ask into everything, and how they offer tangible value to supporters with free monthly workshops.

If you’re a small team looking to diversify beyond grants, streamline tools, and grow recurring revenue with focused storytelling, this conversation is a playbook you can borrow today.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood on their website, join a free ACTT workshop, and check out their monthly giving program, The Advocates.

Connect with Leslie: leslie@bcfsm.org

Connect with Khadija: info@blackcoalitionforsafemotherhood.org.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Differentiation can transform both your brand AND your internal culture.

For over 40 years, Barry LaBov has helped iconic companies like Harley-Davidson, Audi, and The Macallan uncover the magic that sets them apart - and now he’s bringing those lessons to the nonprofit sector.

Barry walks us through his 5-step “brand re-engineering” process, which starts with a profound question: "What should we NOT change?"

You’ll hear why naming your unique approach is critical, how to avoid the trap of generic mission statements, and why launching your brand refresh should start with your most important audience: your team and supporters.

These learnings from Barry's work at LABOV Marketing Communications and Training offer powerful parallels for nonprofits seeking emotional connection with supporters, and I just know this episode will challenge you to sharpen your language, simplify your message, and lead with confidence!

Resources & Links

Connect with Barry on LinkedIn and learn more about LABOV on their website. Barry also has a book, The Power of Differentiation.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

What if your nonprofit could grow its impact by 5x, WITHOUT increasing staff or burning out your team? That’s exactly what Greg Harrell-Edge did during his tenure as Executive Director of CoachArt. And you’d never believe that a mindset shift ultimately led to their 37% year-over-year increase in impact, sustained over five years.

Greg shares how a single board retreat sparked a movement within the organization, and why traditional models of nonprofit growth no longer serve today’s landscape. He also reveals how he created a unique spin on monthly giving by forming online advisory boards and inviting donors to contribute not just funds, but also their expertise.

Now, Greg is channeling his hard-won insights into the Proimpact Project, a content and community hub built to help Executive Directors embrace modern growth strategies. You’ll hear practical frameworks (like his 3x 3y napkin test), fresh takes on donor engagement, and ideas for building a movement.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the Proimpact Project on their website and connect with Greg on LinkedIn.

Greg shares his TEDx talk, An Impact-First Way to Think About Charity, on his LinkedIn.

Check out one of Greg’s favorite books, Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love from Day One, by Emily Heyward.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Lisa Steven never imagined her journey as a teen mom would lead to founding an award-winning nonprofit that transforms the lives of thousands of young mothers. Yet that's exactly what happened.

With over 28 years leading Hope House Colorado (which now operates with a $4.7M annual budget AND two debt-free buildings), Lisa reveals how saying “yes” to telling her story reshaped her organization’s future.

You’ll hear the behind-the-scenes of the 6-year journey to publish her book, A Place to Belong, the fundraising magic that made it happen (including a $25,000 gift from a longtime champion!), and how strategic PR efforts are opening doors for new partnerships, speaking engagements, and national expansion.

Lisa and I also get transparent about the challenges of balancing leadership and creative work, imposter syndrome, the ripple effects of podcast interviews, and why hybrid publishing offers unexpected freedom.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Hope House Colorado on their website and their podcast, Life (Re)viewed, and connect with Lisa Steven on LinkedIn.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

88% of potential donors ABANDON donation forms mid-click! If you are driving traffic to your donation page only to watch donors disappear, you may have a conversion problem. But don’t worry - I’ll help you close the “conversion gap” and reimagine the donor experience.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through 4 strategic donation page formats, when to use each, and how to analyze your Google Analytics data to diagnose mobile drop-offs, funnel performance, and campaign effectiveness.

Whether you're sending paid traffic to a Giving Tuesday campaign or trying to capture a donor mid-blog post, these tips and tricks will help you match the format to the moment, reduce friction, and finally fix the page that's costing you the most.

Resources & Links

Check out iDonate’s blog, The 4 Types of Online Donation Experiences (and How to Use Them to Convert More Donors).

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!