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Feeling exhausted from chasing the latest fundraising trends with little to show for it? In this insightful conversation with Isaac Ezell, CEO of Seed Fundraisers, we explore what truly drives sustainable nonprofit growth. Drawing from his 13+ years scaling Hope International from $5 million to $38.5 million, Isaac reveals that successful organizations focus on just one or two core strategies—rather than trying to do everything. He outlines five primary fundraising approaches and encourages nonprofits to align with their strengths and donor base. Most importantly, he highlights the relational heart of fundraising, where storytelling and listening build deeper, mission-driven partnerships.

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In 2025’s shifting nonprofit funding landscape, many organizations face steep federal grant cuts, prompting a pivot toward overlooked private foundations. In a timely discussion, Rachel Fidler Cannella of Instrumentl joins Megan Speer to share insights on navigating this challenge, highlighting examples like Second Harvest Food Bank. She debunks the myth of grants as “easy money,” noting most professionals spend 40+ hours per application with no guarantee of success. The conversation emphasizes how AI and cross-team collaboration are transforming the grant process, and Rachel offers practical strategies for strengthening grant efforts—urging leaders to focus on what’s working, set clear priorities, and adopt systems that foster visibility and sustainability.

Rachel Fidler Cannella is a skilled educator & nonprofit professional with over a decade in the Arts & Culture sector. She now leads educational programming as the Events & Community Manager at Instrumentl, the all-in-one grants platform for tracking, management, and prospecting.

Prior to Instrumentl, Rachel served as Senior Manager of School & Teacher Programs at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, leading all educational programming for 150,000+ annual school visitors at two county museum sites. She has also directed creative arts programming at Holocaust Museum LA and designed environmental education courses at the Portland Children’s Museum, in partnership with the Oregon Zoo.

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When the world feels like it's erupting around your nonprofit, should you wait for the storm to pass or forge ahead? In this timely conversation, Kimberly Bottom of Feather shares why inaction during uncertain times poses the greatest risk to your organization's future. We dive into the current challenging climate for nonprofits - from funding freezes to harmful rhetoric questioning the sector's legitimacy. Rather than seeing these as reasons to retreat, Kimberly reveals how they create unprecedented opportunities to amplify your mission and transform criticism into connection. "All press is good press," she notes. "The fact that nonprofits are being recognized nationally, even though the rhetoric is bad, gives us a taller soapbox to show what we're really about." The conversation explores practical strategies for nurturing donor relationships across generations, leveraging automation to create surprisingly personal experiences, and approaching new communication channels with a "test, don't guess" mentality. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by technological change, unsure about investing in marketing during lean times, or simply looking for a confidence boost, this episode delivers both strategic insight and empowering perspective. As Kim powerfully reminds us: "Take the high road. Say 'Hey, you're bringing all this attention to me? Thanks, I'm going to show you all the good work I'm doing.'" Don't miss this blueprint for turning today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities.

Kimberly Bottom is a passionate storyteller and a sharp strategic thinker with nearly two decades of experience in digital media. As Director of Community Engagement at Feather, Kimberly consults with nonprofits on the most effective and efficient ways to know, grow and engage their audiences through GOOD digital marketing.

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Get free nonprofit professional development resources, connections to cause work peers, and more at https://nonprofithub.org