What if your most powerful fundraisers are already inside your organization… and you’re not even using them?

In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly challenges the traditional view of volunteer engagement and reveals why volunteers are often your most trusted, authentic, and effective growth engine.

Most nonprofits treat volunteers like extra hands. But volunteers aren’t just helpers — they’re social proof. They’re storytellers. They’re trusted voices in their communities. And when empowered the right way, they naturally attract donors, referrals, and new supporters without ever making an awkward ask.

You’ll learn why peer trust beats professional pitches, how to capture authentic volunteer stories, and how to create a simple system that turns volunteers into mission ambassadors. No scripts. No pressure. No forced fundraising goals. Just real stories that spark real engagement.

If you want more donors without chasing them — and more growth without burning out your team — this episode shows you how to unlock the power already sitting in your volunteer base.

Campaign stress doesn’t come from the work — it comes from uncertainty.

In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down how to forecast your fundraising campaign results before you launch. No fancy software. No complicated dashboards. Just four simple numbers that determine your outcome: audience size, engagement, conversion, and average gift.

You’ll learn:

• Why campaign results aren’t random
• The simple math model behind predictable revenue
• How segmentation increases forecasting accuracy
• What to adjust before launch instead of panicking after
• How clarity reduces stress and improves results

If you’re tired of refreshing your dashboard and hoping for miracles, this episode will give you calm, data-backed confidence.

Most nonprofit leaders don’t have a board problem.

They have a clarity problem.

In this episode of the Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast, Tom sits down with nonprofit founder-turned-consultant David Rhode, author of Passion Isn’t Enough, to unpack what’s really going wrong when boards feel disengaged, unhelpful, or frustrating.

David has been on both sides — as an executive director building a board from scratch and now as an advisor helping leaders course-correct when things go sideways. Together, they dive into:

• Why unmet (and unspoken) expectations are at the root of most board tension
• The two biggest areas where board members misunderstand their role: time and money
• The difference between a working board and a capacity-building board — and why you must choose intentionally
• How to transition from a “friends and family” board to a more strategic one (without blowing up relationships)
• Practical ways to hold volunteer board members accountable — without shame or blame
• Why passion alone won’t build a sustainable nonprofit

If you’re leading an organization under $1M and quietly thinking, “My board is a mess… where do I even start?” — this episode gives you a clear first step you can take this week.

Find David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rhode-1129183/

and head to his website to learn more https://dotdotorg.com/

Most nonprofits treat their big events like fireworks: one loud night, then silence. In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly explains how the real value of events begins after the lights go out. You’ll learn why events are not fundraisers — they’re information generators — and how to turn attendee engagement into ongoing relationships, recurring donations, and year-round revenue.

Using real examples, actionable steps, and AI-assisted strategies, this episode shows how to design follow-up journeys that continue the emotional momentum, convert your most engaged attendees into loyal donors, and build systems that grow your mission without burning out your team. If you want your event to do more than celebrate one night, this episode is a must-listen.

Most nonprofit burnout isn’t a motivation problem — it’s a focus problem.

In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, hosted by Tom Kelly, we break down how the 80/20 rule applies directly to fundraising growth, donor retention, and nonprofit strategy.

You’ll discover why a small percentage of donors drive most of your revenue, why a handful of messages create most of your engagement, and why focusing on high-impact activities leads to sustainable growth without exhausting your team. If you’re overwhelmed, juggling campaigns, events, emails, and still feeling stuck, this episode will help you simplify, prioritize, and scale smarter.

Because fundraising success isn’t about doing more — it’s about protecting the 20% that actually moves the mission forward.

Most nonprofits are proud of their big annual fundraiser. The gala. The walk. The tournament. The auction night. It feels productive. It brings in revenue. It’s tradition.

But what if that once-a-year event is quietly limiting your growth?

In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down why depending on one major fundraiser creates compressed revenue, shallow donor relationships, and team burnout. Big events often create the illusion of progress without building long-term momentum.

You’ll learn:

• Why events concentrate risk instead of building stability

• How feast-or-famine fundraising keeps nonprofits stuck

• The difference between event donors and mission donors

• How to turn your event into a long-term relationship engine

• Three simple actions to make your next fundraiser smarter, not bigger

Events aren’t the problem. The way you use them is.

If you want predictable revenue, stronger donor retention, and less burnout, this episode will shift how you think about fundraising strategy.

Are you tired of hearing, “I’m not a fundraiser”?

In this episode, Tom Kelly sits down with nonprofit strategist Esther Saehyun Lee to reframe what fundraising really means. Esther helps executive directors, board members, and staff see that fundraising isn’t just about the ask—it’s about connection, trust, and sharing your mission in meaningful ways.

They dive into:

• Why so many nonprofit leaders feel like fundraising isn’t their job
• The lightbulb moment when people realize they already are fundraisers
• How small and medium nonprofits can engage their teams and boards to share the fundraising load
• Simple, high-impact donor stewardship practices you can implement today
• The power of authentic storytelling and avoiding extractive narratives

Free Gifts for Listeners

1. Sweet Treat Quiz for Nonprofit Leaders – Take a fun, silly quiz to find out what sweet treat you need and what it says about your leadership archetype. Take the quiz here https://opinionstage.com/page/d95ef3db-f580-4a72-9b57-265e34ad6cc5
2. Limited Troubleshooting Calls – Esther is offering 4 private 30-minute troubleshooting calls to help you tackle your nonprofit’s fundraising challenges. To secure one of the 4 spots, email her directly at esther@elevatephilanthropyconsulting.com

If you want to reimagine fundraising, engage your team, and strengthen your nonprofit’s impact, this episode is packed with actionable insights and encouragement to get started.

Want to chat with Esther directly? Find her on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-saehyun-lee/

For more info on Esther, visit her website: https://www.elevatephilanthropyconsulting.com/

and for more additional resources from her here: https://candid.org/blogs/hidden-labor-behind-nonprofits-authentic-storytelling/

Most nonprofit campaigns fail to retain donors not because of lack of offers, timing, or frequency — but because the relationship feels disconnected.

In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down the quiet pattern behind campaigns that actually keep donors coming back: Recognition, Reinforcement, Re-entry.

You’ll learn:

• Why high-retention campaigns feel like relationships, not transactions
• How to make donors feel seen before you ever ask
• Why reinforcement builds pride and loyalty
• How re-entry invites without pressure or guilt
• How AI helps maintain continuity and scale donor engagement

Hear a real example of a nonprofit stuck at 41% retention. They rebuilt their campaigns around this simple pattern — same donors, same budget — and retention jumped to 62% in a year.

This episode shows how high-retention campaigns continue a donor’s story instead of restarting it with every email. Calm, confident, human, and repeatable — that’s the pattern.