Mastering Fundraising

What happens when your fundraising ambitions outgrow the systems designed to support them?

Growth is something every nonprofit wants. More donors. Larger gifts. Bigger campaigns. Greater impact. But growth without the right infrastructure can create complexity, strain teams, weaken the donor experience, and ultimately make an organization more fragile rather than more successful.

Who really makes the philanthropic decisions in a household?

For fundraisers, the answer may not be nearly as obvious as we think.

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with Deidre H. Sandvick, Senior Vice President for Development at the University of New Mexico Foundation, for...

From Transactional to Transformational: The Leadership Journey Every Fundraiser Should Understand

What prepares someone to become an exceptional Chief Development Officer?

According to Tianna Haradon, CFRE, it isn't one promotion, one campaign, or one major gift. It's a career built intentionally, one experience at a time.

In this ep...

In this insightful episode of Mastering Fundraising, host Chris Looney sits down with longtime advancement leader Jocelyn Tetel of the Skirball Cultural Center to explore what it truly takes to cultivate sophisticated donors in today’s evolving philanthropic landscape.

With nearly three decades of experience, Jocelyn shares her unconventional journey from the insurance industry into nonprofit fundraising and reveals how relat...

Navigating Leadership Change: Staying Grounded in the Midst of Constant Transition In this episode of Lead for Good, host Chris Looney sits down with Sara Colvin for a candid and deeply practical conversation about one of the most common yet least discussed realities in nonprofit leadership: constant change at the top. Drawing from her experience working under multiple chancellors and advancement leaders over more than a decade, Sa...

In the latest episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney, CEO of Fulcrum, sat down with Gloria Crockett to explore how fundraising can move beyond transactions and into true movement building.

The conversation centers on a critical distinction: the difference between running a campaign and building a movement.

A campaign has a defined goal and timeline. A movement builds ongoing momentum, deepens relationships, and invites dono...

What does it really take to align your board and CEO around a successful campaign?

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with LaMont Hayes, Associate Vice President of Development at the National WWII Museum, to unpack one of the most critical and misunderstood dynamics in campaign fundraising: managing board and CEO involvement.

With more than 20 years of experience leading major campaigns across healthc...

The fundraising playbook is being rewritten in real time.

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Tom Mitchell draws on decades of leadership in higher education advancement to confront a hard truth: many institutions are hesitating at the very moment bold leadership is required.

Tom has spent his career helping universities build strong advancement programs, develop talent, modernize strategy, and raise transformational resource...

Mastering Fundraising with Chad Peddicord: Hiring and Retaining Major Gift Officers Who Thrive

Finding great major gift officers is difficult. Keeping them is even harder.

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with Chad Peddicord, Vice President of Philanthropy at the Catholic Leadership Institute, for a candid conversation about o...

Mastering Fundraising Episode: Co-Creating Impact With Donors featuring Anna Lee

In this episode, Chris Looney sits down with Anna Lee, Executive Director of the AIP Foundation, to explore one of the most important and evolving topics in fundraising today: co-creating impact with donors and funders.

Anna brings more than two decades of experience across corporate relations, foundation partnerships, and major gift fundraising. Now l...

What happens when a successful CEO steps away from executive leadership and into frontline fundraising?

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with Jamie Cappetta, Senior Vice President at FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), to explore one of the most fascinating career transitions in the nonprofit sector.

After year...

Mastering Fundraising welcomes Christina Romero, Executive Director of the Santa Ana College Foundation, for a powerful conversation on social capital, authenticity, and the Trust Triangle in donor relationships.

Christina shares how genuine connection, emotional intelligence, and a personalized approach help fundraisers create meaningful donor experiences that last far beyond a single gift. Her insights include how to understand d...

Episode Title: What Is Behind Christian Generosity and Fundraising for a Christian Organization Guest: Justin Coleman, Salvation Army In this episode of the Mastering Fundraising Podcast, host Chris Looney sits down with Justin Coleman to explore the deeper foundations of Christian generosity and what it truly means to fundraise for a Christian organization. This conversation goes beyond fundraising tactics to examine faith, stewar...

In this episode of the Mastering Fundraising, host Chris Looney sits down with Ray Watts, Interim Vice President for Advancement at California State University, San Bernardino, for a thoughtful and practical conversation on plannual giving.

Plannual giving is the intentional integration of annual giving and planned or asset-based giving. Ray challenges the traditional separation between these strategies and makes the case that loya...

Mastering Fundraising Podcast: Capital Campaigns with Ryan Marshall, Assistant Vice President for Development at Atrium Health Foundation

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, Chris Looney sits down with Ryan Marshall to explore one of the most important and misunderstood areas of fundraising: capital campaigns. Ryan brings more than a decade of hands-on campaign experience, from national consulting work to leading major philan...

Integrating Storytelling, Marketing, and Philanthropy with Victor Martin – University of Puget Sound

How do you build a communications strategy that inspires generosity and strengthens donor relationships?

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, host Chris Looney sits down with Victor Martin, Vice President for University Relations at the University of Puget Sound, to explore how his team has successfully integrated a centr...

A huge thank you to John Scola for joining me on the Mastering Fundraising podcast for a powerful and timely conversation on Ethical Fundraising — a topic that sits at the very heart of our profession. As Chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Ethics Committee and a respected leader with decades of advancement experience, John shared deep insights into what it really means to uphold integrity while naviga...

In this episode of Mastering Fundraising, host Chris Looney sits down with Keegan Bell to explore one of the most important and underutilized concepts in modern fundraising: layered donor relationships.

Drawing from more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience across education, youth development, healthcare, arts, and environmental organizations, Keegan shares how organizations can move beyond transactional fundraising ...