If you've spent any time in fundraising, you know this moment well.

You send the email, make the call and follow up—politely, professionally, thoughtfully.

And then… nothing. No reply. No acknowledgment. No signal of interest or disinterest. Just silence.

For many fundraisers, donor silence feels personal. It triggers doubt. Did I say the wrong thing? Did I wait too long? Did they lose confidence in us? Should I push harder—or back off completely?

Here's the truth most fundraisers need to hear—and hear often:

Donor silence usually has very little to do with you.

But what you do after that silence? That part matters a lot.

This podcast will help you separate what's outside your control from what absolutely isn't—and show you how to respond in ways that build trust, loyalty, and long-term generosity.

Listen and learn!

Before you send a single email or stuff a single envelope, reach out to donors—by phone or email—and announce your campaign is coming.

This one act can boost your response rate up to five times higher. If you actually reach a donor and they feel connected to your cause, half of them will give. Do it well, and that number can soar 70%. Incredible.

But skip the notification and rely only on a generic appeal letter or email? Expect a limp response rate of just 1–3%. Maybe 5% if you're lucky. (It's like brewing coffee without heating the water—you'll still get something brown, but nobody's drinking it.)

Listen in and Learn!

Fear not! To raise money, you and your fellow board members don't have to cold call strangers (or worse, friends), or suffer through awkward donor coffees where you feel like the people at the table next to you are eavesdropping on your shaky pitch.

Nope. There's an alternative. It's a heck of a lot easier for board members to do things that support the fundraising efforts of the organization, rather than do something terrifying they loathe. Below is a list of 21 things board members with no fundraising experience can do to support the fundraising efforts of the organizations they care so much about.

And for those board members who love to ask for money, give them a list of people to call and meet, and let them work their magic. For everyone else, have them choose a few things from the list below. Their contributions will lower the work burden of the fundraising staff and provide valuable resources and impact that will ultimately help raise more money.

Listen in and learn!