The Fundraising Elevator Podcast

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]

Episode #117: Consent, Dignity, and the Case Story with Derria Ford

In this episode, nonprofit consultant and ethical storytelling expert Derria Ford joins us for a conversation that every fundraiser, communications professional, and nonprofit leader needs to hear. Derria didn't set out to become an expert in this space, she was pushed into it by necessity, and then transformed by a single moment when a storyteller asked her to stop. What followed was years of building a practice rooted in dignity, consent, and the radical idea that the person telling the story should actually own it. This isn't just a conversation about doing the right thing, it's about doing better work. Derria walks us through her entire process, from identifying who's truly ready to share their story, to co-creating it with them, to the policies that protect both your storytellers and your organization long after the campaign ends. She challenges the sector's obsession with tears-as-metrics, makes the case for informed consent over intake forms, and offers a litmus test so simple it stops you cold: tell the story as if it were yours. If you've ever rushed a story out the door, repurposed old content without checking in, or wondered if your organization's storytelling is doing more harm than good, this episode is your starting point. 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]   Derria Ford LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derria-ford-mba-ed-d-6b820060/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/derria-ford-mba-ed-d-6b820060/]   | 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 Seed Fundraisers Connect with Derria Ford: https://www.derriaford.com/stay-connected [https://www.derriaford.com/stay-connected]

Episode #116: Abundant Fundraising with Mary Crogan

What if the biggest threat to your fundraising isn't a shrinking donor pool, but rather the story you're telling yourself about it? In this episode, Mary Crogan of Bloomerang joins us to challenge the scarcity narrative that's taken hold in the nonprofit sector, and replace it with something far more powerful: an abundance mindset. Yes, the landscape is shifting. Funding is less predictable, need is growing, and the pressure is real. But generosity? It hasn't gone anywhere. Research backs this up showing scarcity thinking literally narrows your cognitive capacity and kills innovation, while an abundance mindset unlocks creativity, resilience, and the kind of bold strategy that actually moves the needle. The question isn't whether generosity exists. It's whether your organization is positioned to meet it. Younger donors are redefining what giving looks like (volunteering, advocacy, peer fundraising) and the nonprofits that recognize and nurture those relationships are building something that lasts. Add the right technology to the mix, and suddenly you have a fuller picture of your supporters and the ability to show up for them in ways that actually resonate. Mary's message is clear and it's one every fundraiser needs to hear right now: tune out the headlines, trust your data, and believe that more is possible. Because the organizations that choose abundance? They're the ones heading up. 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]   Mary Crogan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycrogan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycrogan/]   | 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/] Research from Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir on Scarcity: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/books/scarcity-why-having-too-little-means-so-much [https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/books/scarcity-why-having-too-little-means-so-much]. Growth Mindset Research: https://ctl.stanford.edu/students/growth-mindset [https://ctl.stanford.edu/students/growth-mindset] Positive Psychology Research: https://peplab.web.unc.edu/ [https://peplab.web.unc.edu/] Bloomerang’s GiveCon: https://bloomerang.com/givecon/ [https://bloomerang.com/givecon/]