Small on Purpose: Why the Curated Event Is the Future with Samantha Swaim

The Things We Don't Say Live from the GiveCon by Bloomerang Stage

Recorded live at Bloomerang’s GiveCon 2026, this episode gets real about some of the most valuable advice that never makes it onto a conference slide. In this live roundtable, four of the sector’s most candid voices get into the conversations they usually save for hallways and happy hours. They explore the mistakes they see nonprofits repeat, the tradeoffs leaders know exist but rarely say out loud, and the places where even experienced consultants genuinely disagree. It’s exactly the kind of discussion that reminds you you’re not alone. Featuring: * Ann Fellman, Bloomerang  * Julia Campbell, J Campbell Social Marketing  * Christina Tzavaras Edwards, Host of The Purpose & Profit Club Podcast and Founder of Splendid Consulting  * Samantha Swaim, Swaim Strategies    Learn more about GiveCon by Bloomerang.  GiveCon by Bloomerang: Atlanta May 3-6, 2027 [https://bloomerang.com/givecon?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=evgr_en2_brd_givecon-podcasts&utm_targeting=all&utm_content=consultant-roundtable-sam-swaim&utm_creative=]   Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw [https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw] Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ [https://www.feathr.co/demo-referral-swaim] Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Ann Fellman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annfellman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annfellman/]   Julia Campbell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliacampbell/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliacampbell/]   Christina Tzavaras Edwards LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinatza/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinatza/]   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/] Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/] Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam [https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam] Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling [https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling] Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/] Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book] Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies] Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] Connect with J Campbell Social Marketing: https://jcsocialmarketing.com/ [https://jcsocialmarketing.com/] Listen to Julia Campbell’s Podcast: https://jcsocialmarketing.com/podcast/ [https://jcsocialmarketing.com/podcast/] Connect with Splendid Consulting: https://www.splendidatl.com/ [https://www.splendidatl.com/] Listen to Christina Tzavaras Edwards’ Podcast: https://www.splendidatl.com/podcast [https://www.splendidatl.com/podcast]

Small on Purpose: Why the Curated Event Is the Future with Samantha Swaim

The most powerful fundraising move your organization could make right now might not be a bigger gala, it could be a dinner for ten. Co-host Samantha Swaim steps into the guest seat to make a compelling case for small, curated events as one of the most underutilized tools in the nonprofit playbook. With virtual work flattening human connection and donors drifting toward deeper investment in fewer causes, Sam argues that the antidote to the "connection recession" isn't another mass email blast, it's a deliberate, hospitality-forward invitation that says simply: we see you and we want you back. From a seven-week dinner series that re-engaged an entire lapsed donor base to a whiskey tasting that turned a board member's passion into a major gift moment, this episode is packed with real examples of what intimate gatherings can unlock. Sam also gets tactical about the fears organizations face when stepping back from big events: leaving money on the table, the pressure to cast a wider net, the chaos when three different audiences show up for three completely different reasons. She walks through how to assess your actual needs, design for a specific audience, and make an ask that's easy, specific, and actionable every time. This episode delivers both the permission and the blueprint to start smaller, go deeper, and raise more. Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw [https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw] Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ [https://www.feathr.co/demo-referral-swaim] Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/] Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/] Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam [https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam] Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling [https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling] Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/] Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book] Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies] Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] Want to work with Swaim Strategies? https://swaimstrategies.com/request-for-proposal/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/request-for-proposal/] Cultivation Event Podcast Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hru2SCqMkk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hru2SCqMkk] Special Appeal Podcast Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61onFuwgiSI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61onFuwgiSI] Event Planner Roundtable Podcast Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PFzefXTUT0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PFzefXTUT0]

Changing the Playbook with Brittini Lasseigne | Episode #120

What does it look like when a nonprofit event stops feeling like an obligation and starts feeling like a movement? In this episode, we sit down with Brittini Lasseigne, CEO of YWCA Clark County, who just pulled off a record-breaking, sold-out gala that had sponsors asking for extra seats instead of donating them back. Brittini takes us behind the scenes of SHINE and reveals why centering joy, diversity, and survivor resilience didn't just fill a room, it built an entirely new generation of donors. From a custom song that got 450 people on their feet to an organizational video told from the point of view of a shelter dog in a tutu, this episode is a shows what happens when purpose drives every single decision. Brittini also breaks open her organization's approach to corporate sponsorship: a 20-page values-aligned partnership booklet, a permission-based meeting process, and relationships so strong one sponsor has stayed for 30 years. She shares how her team flipped the script on transactional giving, why leading with curiosity over judgment has unlocked unexpected partnerships, and what a gift acceptance policy has to do with human dignity and repair.  Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw [https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw] Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ [https://www.feathr.co/] Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Brittini Lasseigne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittini-lasseigne/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittini-lasseigne/]   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/] Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/] Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam [https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam] Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling [https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling] Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/] Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book] Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies] Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] Connect with YWCA Clark County: https://www.ywcaclarkcounty.org/ [https://www.ywcaclarkcounty.org/] Follow YWCA Clark County: https://www.instagram.com/ywcacc/ [https://www.instagram.com/ywcacc/]

Leadership Coaching with Kendall Clawson | Episode #119

In this episode, we sit down with Kendall Clawson, founder of NW Leadership Consulting and a three-decade veteran of nonprofit leadership, for a conversation that is equal parts honest, warm, and revelatory. Kendall shares the origin story that changed her life's trajectory and takes us inside the early days of building an LGBTQIA+ community center in Portland. She also introduces a perspective that will stop you mid-scroll: the wolf pack model, where the strongest leader leads from the back, not the front. If you've ever answered "how are you?" with a five-minute rundown of your organization's priorities, this episode will feel like someone finally handed you a mirror. From the myth of the martyred nonprofit leader to the quiet crisis in board-ED relationships, Kendall delivers hard truths with the kind of care that makes you feel seen rather than called out. She breaks down why the average nonprofit leader burns out in three to four years, and why vulnerability isn't a liability, it's the very thing that opens the door to the support you've been white-knuckling through without. If you lead, serve on a board, or have ever felt like the mission's weight rests entirely on your shoulders, this one's for you. Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw [https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw] Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ [https://www.feathr.co/] Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kendall Clawson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-clawson-169b235/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-clawson-169b235/]   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/] Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/] Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam [https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam] Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling [https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling] Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/] Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book] Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies] Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] Connect with NW Leadership Consulting: https://www.nwleadershipconsulting.com/ [https://www.nwleadershipconsulting.com/]

Event Safety Beyond the Checklist with Kim Warnick | Ep. #118

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Warnick who is a culture organizer, violence prevention expert, and the person you want in the room when things get complicated. This is the conversation our listeners have been requesting more than any other, and it delivers. Kim reframes safety from something you add on at the last minute into something you design from the very beginning. And the difference, she argues, is felt in every single guest's nervous system before they ever take their seat. This isn't a conversation about metal detectors and security guards. It's about site selection, staffing with intention, trauma-informed design, and the quiet signals your event is already sending about who belongs and who doesn't. Kim walks us through protest planning, alcohol policy, de-escalation training, and why "neutrality" at your event is never actually neutral—it's just the status quo in disguise. Whether you're planning a gala, a pride festival, or a community organizing event, this episode will change how you think about every decision you make between now and the moment the doors open. Because when your guests feel safe, they stop scanning the room for exits and start actually showing up for your mission. Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show.    This Episode Brought to You by:  Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.    The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.    Bloomerang: https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw [https://bit.ly/4hLqLVw] Create the ideal giving experience with integrated fundraising tools and automated insights that maximize your impact. Keep donors close to the cause with mean-ingful outreach at the right time. Increase retention, major gifts, and all-around impact. Turn supporters into action-takers with tools that make it easy to recruit, organize, and engage volunteers at every level.   Feathr: https://www.feathr.co/ [https://www.feathr.co/] Feathr is a marketing platform built specifically for mission-driven organizations, offering simple tools for digital advertising, email campaigns, and audience engagement. The platform uses real-time insights and AI-powered segmentation to help you reach the right people at the right time—whether you’re nurturing existing supporters or discovering new ones who share your values. It’s marketing that meets people where they are, building relationships that last beyond a single click.   Speakers Samantha Swaim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   Kristin Steele LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/] Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies]   | RESOURCES | Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com [https://swaimstrategies.com] Propose a Podcast Episode: https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/propose-a-podcast-episode/] Get Event Help Right Now with Gala 911: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/gala-911/] Book Consulting Time with Sam: https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam [https://calendly.com/consultingwithsam] Book Consulting Time with Kristin: https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling [https://calendly.com/eventstorytelling] Learn More About the Elevate Conference: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/ [https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/] Get Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book [https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book] Join Swaim Strategies on Substack: https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies [https://substack.com/@swaimstrategies] Connect with The AV Department:  https://theavdept.com/ [https://theavdept.com/] Connect with Western States Center: https://www.instagram.com/wstatescenter/ [https://www.instagram.com/wstatescenter/] Resources and Toolkits from Western States Center: https://www.westernstatescenter.org/toolkits-resources [https://www.westernstatescenter.org/toolkits-resources] Sign up for Western States Center Monthly Newsletter: https://www.westernstatescenter.org/joinus [https://www.westernstatescenter.org/joinus]