Shows
What the FundraisingEngaging Everyday Donors with Technology with Kalyan VarmaWhat if in the future it is a possibility to build deeper connections with everyone who gives instead of raising more money from fewer people? In this episode Mallory is joined by Kalyan Varma, founder & CEO of Almabase, to discuss how AI and modern tools can help nonprofits better serve everyday givers.
Originally from India, Kalyan Varma was introduced to fundraising in college after helping launch a student-led nonprofit to raise scholarship funds for classmates in need. With a neverending passion for nonprofits and a mission for making education more affordable, he founded Almabase 10...
2026-01-0629 min
Gen ZEO PlaybookDropped Out of PhD to Build a 7 Figure SAAS. Here's What He LearnedWhat happens when you leave home at 15, become the first in your family to graduate college, drop out of a physics PhD, and build a company that scales to 7 figures?
Maruthi did exactly that. From a tier-2 city in India to University of Southampton, from physics research to building Almabase (the #1 alumni management software in the US), his journey is anything but conventional.
In this episode, we dive deep into:
→ Why he almost quit the moment he landed in London
→ The realization that made him drop out of his PhD
→...
2025-12-0827 min
YesUsers PodcastSeason 01 Ep #14 | Strength in Sales: Balancing Deals and Dumbbells with Prakashraj SA Word About Our Sponsor:We have a special thank you to give to our sponsor, GetCito.GetCito is doing some truly groundbreaking work in the world of AI content, and we're incredibly grateful for their support of the podcast. They’re providing essential tools that help brands like yours monitor how their content is appearing and performing on cutting-edge platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overview.With the rise of these generative AI engines, it’s more critical than ever to understand how your brand is represented. GetCito is at the forefront of this...
2024-12-0437 min
The Sure Shot EntrepreneurLearn How to Take Advice from the Right People at the Right TimeRajan Maruthavanan, Cofounder and Managing Partner at Upekkha, shares deep insights into the dynamics of building B2B startups from India for global markets, particularly in the US. He discusses the strengths and challenges of Indian founders, such as thriving in vertical, niche markets versus struggling with infrastructure and dev tools for global adoption. Rajan emphasizes the importance of founders learning how to take advice and shares his thoughts on the key skills needed for founder success.In this episode, you’ll learn:[3:57] Building a new type of VC firm: The Upekkha story[7:36] Wh...
2024-09-1730 min
SaaSBoomiThe Magic of Account Based Marketing - Ankit Oberoi, Zelto | Marketing Nation E3 | SaasBoomi PodcastEnjoy this 50-minute podcast where Arvind and Varun get on a call with Ankit Oberoi to decode the dilemma of ABM, or Account Based Marketing. Ankit, being a proponent for documentation and structure, talks about his journey with AdPushup and how they discovered the untapped potential of ABM in a world filled with inbound marketing companies. Having cracked the ABM playbook methodically, Ankit shares some gems of wisdom with Arvind and Varun as the three of them nail down the specifics of what ABM is and how to leverage it to engage prospective clients in ways that really matter.
2023-10-2650 min
Donor GrowthThe ABCs of fundraising failureWhat keeps organizations from growing once they’ve hit a certain maturity? On this week’s podcast, we discuss 3 challenges we’ve seen that hinder fundraising growth.Arrogance: Thinking your org is “too important” to fail—or too big, or too well known, or too loved, etc. Money will keep coming in because, clearly, you’re awesome.Bureaucracy: Excessive processes and a lack of nimbleness in decision-making. When decision-making processes become overly bureaucratic, the outcome stops being progress—and it starts being “following process.”Complacency: Being complacent can lead to a lack of focus on co...
2023-06-0840 minDonor GrowthThe New Playbook for Higher Ed Annual FundraisingIf you were a fundraiser in higher education 20-30 years ago, the playbook for the annual fund was clear: a couple of letters to your alumni, a reunion effort, and lots of volunteer solicitation.Now… not so much.Most alumni are non-responsive to email and mail solicitations.It is harder and harder to get people to volunteer.Today, we share an alternative playbook that focuses on:Making sure you’re deepening your relationships with existing donors, no matter how much they gave to youProactively identifying potential major gift prospects through pros...
2023-06-0147 minDonor GrowthFyre Festival 2 and the incurable addiction of special eventsWe're diving into the captivating story of the Fyre Festival and exploring how it serves as both a shining example and cautionary tale for special events in fundraising.At it’s best, special events can:Brings corporate partners on board Be a physical manifestation of your mission Gather people in community, and build affinity Acquire new donorsBuild richer context around your content Create excitement because of the date-driven eventCreate all sorts of content and other engagement opportunities Involve volunteers in co-building a meaningful experience But as always...
2023-05-2542 minDonor GrowthLouis reveals the project he’s been working on: The Annual Fund ToolkitDo you struggle with keeping your donors engaged and your pipeline filled? You're not alone.Over the last 6 months, Louis has delved deep into the challenges of consultant relationships and the complex nature of one-to-many work. The good news? He’s on to something that’s working.Meet the Annual Fund Toolkit (AFT) - designed with you, the practicing fundraiser, in mind.Leveraging insights from the Donor Participation Project—a research initiative and fundraiser community dedicated to understanding donor behavior—we've developed a system to help you boost donor retention and supercharge your major gi...
2023-05-1831 minDonor GrowthBack from Build Good SummitWe’re back from the first-ever Build Good Summit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights—and we’re doing a bit of a recap.-What did we learn?-What made the BG Summit different from other conferences?-What were some of the key challenges fundraisers in the room brought to the table?-Which sessions did we find the most valuable and innovative?-Did the conference make any money? If you’re tired of stuffy conferences, full of suits and bowties, in big convention centres, with recycled AC air and stale coffee, a...
2023-05-1140 minDonor GrowthLive Consulting: How to grow the monthly giving program of Free To ShineIn this special episode of Donor Growth, we chat with Georgia Morrison from Australia about how to grow her organization’s monthly giving program. Free To Shine raises about $400,000 per year to protect girls in Cambodia from being sex trafficked. They’re effective. They’re doing work that matters a great deal. They’re innovative.But they’re struggling to raise the needed funds year after year. Should they invest more in grants? Should they try something new? Or should they go all in on building a robust monthly giving...
2023-04-2753 minDonor GrowthFundraising use cases for ChatGPT that aren’t content creationAre you tired of hearing about ChatGPT? If you are, this episode might be for you.Because chances are, most use cases you’ve seen are about using AI to help you write thank you notes, emails, appeals, gift agreements, and more. But that’s only scratching the surface of what ChatGPT can do—and honestly, it’s the most boring part. On today’s podcast, Louis and Mike get into uses cases specifically for fundraising that aren’t about content creation. Things like:Summarizing Meetings: ChatGPT can be u...
2023-04-2034 minDonor GrowthDoes nonprofit fundraising as a career have a future?Would you recommend fundraising as a career to your kids?Why or why not?Like so many areas of nonprofit life, we find that there is not enough awareness and data.Join this episode to hear how Mike and Louis are trying to figure this one out.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solutions that increase donor participation.Get access to the 5 Minute Fu...
2023-04-1328 minDonor GrowthBusiness ideas for enterprising fundraisersIf you’ve ever dreamed of starting a business that serves the nonprofit sector, but you’re not sure what business to start…well, we don’t either.But on today’s podcast, we discuss a few ideas. From print-on-demand services and no-code CRM tools, to fundraising venture capital and a marketplace for fundraising-specific tasks, Louis and Mike share some businesses they wish existed.And, who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire you to start one.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn
2023-04-0644 minDonor GrowthFunnel-hacking FundraisingWhat is "funnel hacking" in the context of fundraising?In business, funnel hacking is the process of reverse-engineering the marketing and sales strategies of other organizations to understand what works and what doesn't. But in the context of fundraising, it simply means to study the fundraising activities of other nonprofits, often as a donor, to gain insights into their strategies—and learn from them.We get into analyzing ads, direct mail, emails, funders, partnerships, financials, job postings and a whole lot more.But to be clear, this is NOT about simply co...
2023-03-3036 minDonor GrowthWe’re in over our heads with The Overhead ConversationDo donors really hate overhead? Or does it mean more to us than to the general public?Today, we’re sharing some information that changed the way we think about overhead.We think you’ll find it compelling.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a commun...
2023-03-2329 minDonor Growth7 retention accelerators you can use to keep donors engaged1. Thank donors quickly—and thank them well.2. Pick up the phone.3. Ask for advice and feedback.4. Report back on their specific gift.5. Create an onboarding journey that provides something emotionally valuable, focuses on making donors feel seen and heard, and leads to a 2nd gift conversion6. Upgrade donors to monthly giving.7. Make monthly giving the defaultGET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solu...
2023-03-1628 minDonor GrowthWith Surveys, the Money is in the Follow-upLike any powerful fundraising tool, surveys can be both your best and your worst idea.They are a fantastic way to make people feel seen and valued…… unless you ignore the results, ask transactional questions that put people in the wrong frame of mind for philanthropy, and confuse everyone in your organization by taking the results too literally.In today’s episode, Louis goes over a framework to help you design and follow up on surveys to maximize your fundraising results.(We’ll try to avoid mentioning ChatGPT, procurement, and the Czech Republic...
2023-03-0932 min
The Build Good Fundraising Podcast#73: 5 steps to get started with donor surveys, with Louis DiezSend us a textHave you ever surveyed your donors? We talk a lot about listening to donors through conversations. Surveys can be a great tool to compliment donor conversations, because they’re interviews at scale.They’re a great way to: EngageCourse-correct (are we going in the right direction?)Collect informationMake donors feel valued and seenIdentify donors for further cultivation and solicitationBut how do you get started designing a survey? And what meaningful and practical steps can you take with the information you get back? On this...
2023-03-0158 minDonor GrowthYou only need 1,000 donors to be successfulMany nonprofits chase the elusive pursuit of “scale.”More donors. More revenue. More budget. More growth.We’re all for growth. After all, this is the Donor GROWTH podcast. But the truth is, often times acquiring more donors is mostly an exercise in optics. Big numbers look good; but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily meaningful. In fact, you can do a lot with just 1,000 donors. On today’s episode, Mike and Louis take the “1,000 true fans” theory developed by Kevin Kelly and apply it to growing your fundraising.
2023-02-2329 minDonor GrowthA better way to use ChatGPTIf you’re still feeding ChatGPT generic and simple prompts, chances are you’re getting generic results. Commodity content. There’s a better way. But you’ve got to trick ChatGPT a little bit.On today’s episode, Louis and Mike walk through a few hacks to get better results when playing with ChatGPT.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solutions that increase donor participation.Get access to th...
2023-02-1626 minDonor GrowthHow I’m Building This: BuildGood - MikeIt’s about time we introduced ourselves. On today’s show, we’re telling you the dark business secrets of how Mike is building his fundraising agency. We get into: Why build a direct response agency—and the pitfalls of direct response.The difference between having a “practice” and having a “business”.When it makes sense to hire a fundraising agency, and when it makes to do it all in-house.Creating a coaching program to help small shops…and a lot more.Come along for the ride!GET CONNECTED
2023-02-0342 minDonor GrowthHow I’m Building This: DPP ConsultingIt’s about time we introduced ourselves. On today’s show, we’re telling you the dark business secrets of how Louis is building the Donor Participation Project and DPP Consulting.From how he started a booking service for Jazz musicians, to creating a series of experiments in network building—you’ll see how everything Louis tried and failed prepared him to successfully grow DPP to over 3,500 members. We get into: How DPP got startedHow to attract your first 1,000 true believersThe difference between building an audience and building a communityThe problems Louis is now solvin...
2023-01-2641 minDonor GrowthDoes variable pay work?How can we reward fundraisers for their performance—without paying a commission on funds raised? How about everyone else working in fundraising operations, from database managers to other crucial admin roles? Is there an ethical way to provide incentives for our team? There are no easy answers, but this is a conversation we need to start having more and more.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co...
2023-01-1935 minDonor GrowthWe tried something and it failedA few months ago, we started a company. We tried to solve a pain point for nonprofit leaders who want to build trust at scale using content—specifically, short form video that is authentic, responsive and not boring.We spoke to many of our ideal clients. Leaders at large NGOs and Universities. They gave us great feedback. The loudest, clearest feedback of all?No sales. So on today's podcast, we're taking you along for a post mortem where we go through: The story of how LeaderVoice came to...
2023-01-1247 min
The ValueSaaS PodcastThe art of good customer discovery w/ Kalyan Varma, Co-founder & CEO @ AlmabaseIn this episode we speak to Kalyan Varma, Co-founder & CEO of Almabase about how you can learn about their customers' needs and then use those learnings to inform your pricing structure, product roadmap and positioning.About AlmabaseAlmabase bills itself as the "world's most loved Alumni management software." In layman's terms create tools that universities and high schools use to form meaningful connections with their alums. Underlying this product is a mission to make education more accessible by giving educational institutes the ability to raise more funds from their alums which can then be used t...
2023-01-1152 minDonor GrowthOur wild fundraising predictions for 2023Will the financial outlook in 2023 mean less donors will give? Will crypto donations actually become a thing? Will trust in the nonprofit sector continue to decline? Will mega donors be more—or less public—about their philanthropy?We have no idea.Still, we forge ahead and make wild predictions for 2023 we have no business making. GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get t...
2023-01-0554 minDonor GrowthFundraisers in the creator economyToday we're joined by special guest Dan "Indie" Long from the St. Baldricks Foundation to explore the topic of the creator as a fundraiser.How are creators like nonprofits? How can they use tools of individual fundraising to grow their revenue? How can nonprofits learn from the content creator mindset? We get into that—and more—with somebody who used to make a living being a full-time creator, and now works with creators to raise funds for childhood cancer research.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow...
2022-12-2242 minDonor GrowthUse cases of AI we're excited aboutLast week we talked about how AI might change the way we create fundraising communications—and our fears around nonprofits creating commodity content.This week, we talk about 7 other use cases of AI that we're really excited about.From creating smarter asks, to standardizing gift entry, we get into how the biggest promise of AI might just be to give you back your time to do the things only humans can do: build messy, unpredictable, 1:1 relationships with donors. GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Due...
2022-12-1538 minDonor GrowthAre robots coming for your wallet?Will the rise of AI replace the job of some fundraisers? Will robots be able to write donor communications that stir the heart and lead donors toward greater generosity? What is the real value fundraisers will bring to the table as more and more tasks will be done by marketing automation and AI tools?On today's episode, we test out some AI tools and talk about the increasing value of building trust with our supporter communities. GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duer...
2022-12-0840 min
SaaSBoomiAcing Customer Dev & Partnerships in the US - Kalyan Verma, Almabase | BTS E11 | SaaSBoomi PodcastKalyan Varma is the Co-Founder & CEO of Almabase. Before solving the alumni fundraising problem, Kalyan worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, just as he moved to start an online marketplace which couldn’t scale, yet he kept trying new things to eventually stumble upon the gap in the education system to eventually start Almabase. Kalyan is an alumnus of NIT Warangal and cites BITS Pilani as the foremost institution in the country with the strongest alumni relations. In this episode, as we dug deeper into the idea in this unconventional space, Kalyan breaks down the...
2022-12-0851 minDonor GrowthThis fundraising appeal checklist will make your appeal strongerLouis has collected all best practices when it comes to creating appeals—and on today's podcast, he's sharing his Fundraising Appeal Checklist. It's the same checklist that has helped many organizations consistently achieve strong results. But...does a checklist work for fundraising? Think about it this way. There are two types of checklists. The first is like a list of instructions (think of McDonald’s), specific steps that you need to follow. The second is like a reminder of important areas (think of an emergency room). This is the second ty...
2022-12-0145 minDonor GrowthThe pains of being big and the joys of being smallFundraisers in small nonprofits often envy their counterparts in larger institutions. Sometimes for good reason:they have more budgetthey have more supportthey have nice officesthey go to a lot of conferencesthey have name recognition and people return their calls BUT…there is a downside to being big. And an upside to being small. On today's episode, Mike and Louis encourage smaller nonprofits to lean into their small-ness and use it to their advantage. Because if you're small, you don't have to worry about large approval committees, procurement departments and tight brand standa...
2022-11-2434 minDonor GrowthThe changing paradigm of online contentHow do you change paradigms? In today's show, we get into the growing importance of creating engaging online content to grow and nurture a community of supporters. From the old paradigm:Command and control mindsetLow context, “I know better than you” approachScarce contentTo the new paradigm:Building influence and trustHigh context: building in public, I value your thoughtsRich contentSo how do you change paradigms? "Thomas Kuhn, who wrote the seminal book about the great paradigm shifts of science, has a lot to say about that. In a nutshe...
2022-11-0330 minDonor GrowthWho owns donor retention?Low donor retention. It's the issue plaguing the entire sector, or at least that’s what we say. We all beat ourselves up about it. We say “if only nonprofits care more about their donors, we wouldn't lose so many of them every year."If it really is such a big problem, then in the words of Peter Drucker: "The most effective way to manage change successfully is to create it. This requires the organized abandonment of things that have been shown to be unsuccessful, and the organized and continuous improvement of every product, service, and process with...
2022-10-2735 minDonor GrowthFundraising for snakes on a planeIn this special episode of Donor Growth, we do a live consulting session with podcast listener Ranger Kielak. He's the president of the Northern California Herpetological Society—a membership driven nonprofit org that provides reptile and amphibian education, as well as aiding in rescue and rehabilitation of captive species. In fact, they once put a rescued snake on a plane and sent it to the Denver Zoo.Ranger's got questions about growing membership and monthly giving, and Louis and Mike provide some different ways to think about growth.GET CO...
2022-10-2048 minDonor GrowthGood friction vs. bad frictionWe're all told to remove as much friction as possible from the giving experience to make it easy for donors to be generous. But what if not all friction is bad friction? What if the right kind of friction actually creates affection, and develops a deeper relationship?On today's episode, Louis talks about the difference between bad friction and good friction—including some specific cases like friction in direct mail to friction in major giving.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerk...
2022-10-1344 minDonor GrowthThe compounding power of processHere's a familiar story. A charity looks for a “rainmaker” —a fundraiser who is so charming, so outgoing, and so cunning that they will bring in millions.Or a nonprofit seeks out a star marketer who will take their message to the next level, and bring a flash of inspiration to the team for a viral digital campaign. But what if transformational fundraising isn’t about the one-in-a-million person? Or idea? Or advertising campaign? What if transformational and sustainable fundraising growth is a function of process. On today's p...
2022-10-0636 minDonor GrowthAnswering "The Ask"On today's show, Louis and Mike answer some questions posted on The Ask—the new Q&A platform launched by the Donor Participation Project. We get into:The ideal format for donor surveysHow to ensure fundraising campaigns are accessible Ideas for post-campaign kickoff outreach for non-attendees ...and more! GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solutions that increase donor participation.Get access to...
2022-09-2951 minDonor GrowthPlaying the game of constraintsHave you ever played The Game of Constraints? On today's episode, Mike walks through a fun exercise to play with your team where you imagine a scenario that might seem impossible or unlikely.Then you brainstorm as many ways as possible to overcome the problem.You’ll be surprised how quickly you can free your mind from thinking:“We can’t do that!” to“This is tough, but maybe not impossible” to“Here’s one way we could respond that would solve the problem”It’s a great way for your organization to uncov...
2022-09-2251 minDonor GrowthMaking the right asksYou've heard the saying: ask the right people, for the right thing, at the right time. But what does that look like in practice? On today's podcast, Louis gets into a framework he created to ask donors for the right things.GET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solutions that increase donor participation.Get access to the 5 Minute Fundraising Fix—a FREE min...
2022-09-1551 minDonor GrowthIs donor relations the new fundraising?"Donor relations is the new fundraising."Agree or disagree?On today's podcast, we invite you to consider the following: every enduring business and organizations grows through word of mouth. And how do you generate positive word of mouth?By treating your donors well, making them feel valued, and showing impact.Other than starting a solicitation program that didn't exist before, investing in donor relations is—often times—the greatest growth opportunity for nonprofits.ABOUT THE HOSTSLouis Diez advises nonprofits in annual fund deve...
2022-09-0835 minDonor GrowthThe power of SOPs in fundraisingHere’s a common pain point for many fundraising leaders: we’re spending too much time on the operations of the shop, and not enough time connecting with donors. But there is a way to reclaim some time. It’s not sexy. It’s not glamorous. It’s kind of a pain to implement at first. It’s for sure never a priority.But it will—in the long term—make your life and your work so much more effective. And that’s standardizing our operations with a series of SOPs, trainings, FAQs, temp...
2022-09-0140 min
Agents of NonprofitChanging Things Up to Combat Donor Participation Decline with Louis DiezIn this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Louis Diez, VP of Community at Almabase and Founder of Donor Participation Project. Louis advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies.Topics we cover include:What the Donor Participation Project is, and what Louis’ motivation was behind starting itThe huge benefits of utilizing e-gaming, e-sports and streaming communities in fundraisingHow a nonprofit can manage to combat misinformation and decline in trust from potential donorsWhat the most important technologies a nonprofit should be utilizing for fundraisingWhere Louis would like to take the Do...
2022-08-2936 minDonor GrowthCommon traits of successful fundraisersWhat do successful fundraisers have in common?Louis and Mike share some traits they observed in their mentors over the years.Successful fundraisers:Obsess about being as clear, simple, straightforward and plain-spoken as possible. They know that’s a service to their team mates and their donors. Obsess about what their community of donors and supporters cares about.Take full responsibility if people didn’t react to the message or approach, and then work better at understanding the audience/donors to frame the offer in a more relevant and m...
2022-08-2544 min
What the FundraisingFriendraising: Building Trust and Donor Relationships That Last with Louis DiezMy guest on this episode of What the Fundraising brings not only deep experience as a successful fundraiser for large cultural and educational institutions, but he’s also changing the conversation with fresh perspectives on both the nonprofit and donor sides of giving. Louis Diez, VP for Community at Almabase & Host at the Donor Participation Project, is sharing with us some of the research and insights that are going to blow your mind.In the theme of this week's mini-series, Friendraising, we explore top-of-mind topics such as what it takes to become a trusted pa...
2022-08-2343 minDonor GrowthWhat is gaming, esports, and streaming fundraising?Two thirds of people in the US play video games. And if that isn't surprising enough, games and streamers raise millions of dollars for nonprofits every year.Could your organization benefit from this highly participatory, grass-roots, community-building type of fundraising? On today's show, Louis gives a primer on the world of gaming, esports, streaming—and how it all ties back to philanthropy. And you'll hear about the National Videogaming Giving Day, a way to showcase your nonprofit, engage your community, and attract diverse groups to yo...
2022-08-1120 minDonor GrowthIf we were starting overEver look back on your career and evaluate how you might do things differently knowing what you know now? On this week's episode, Louis and Mike reflect on over a decade of being fundraisers and what each of them would do differently if they were starting over today.Things like...Focusing more on the strength of the relationship with donors rather than getting all the technical details just rightFocusing more on gathering insights directly from donors in a systematic way to shape fundraising messaging and strategyRealizing you are the CEO of youBeing in the r...
2022-08-0435 minDonor GrowthThe community advantageDoes your nonprofit have a community advantage? Almost all organizations talk about their community of supporters. But few have a true participatory community. Most simply have an audience; a list of people they blast communications to.Then again, some nonprofits have a competitive advantage in that they naturally have engagement opportunities that tend to create community.What types of nonprofits have these opportunities?Performing artsAthleticsReligious organizationsProfessional associations...just to name a few. On today's podcast, Louis and Mike talk about how organizations can leverage their community advantage—and h...
2022-07-2840 minDonor GrowthTechnical players vs. relationship playersWhat if our fundraising problems don't stem from the ‘technicians’ not being good enough?What if our fundraising problems aren't fundraising problems at all, but organizational and cultural problems that stem from us not having healthy organizations—and healthy leaders.On today's podcast, we argue that fundraising technicians aren’t enough to be successful and grow a sustainable nonprofit. We must operate as—and hire—organizational development specialists: relationship players. We get into the difference between technical players and relationship players, and why the most successful leaders are often highly relational and strategic.
2022-07-2138 minDonor GrowthThe errors of attributionAre nonprofits putting too much stock into attributing where each gift came from? It's never been easier to measure as many things as we're able to quantify now. And yet, in our omni-channel world, it's never been harder to truly measure the things that matter.That's why on today's podcast, Mike and Louis get into why focusing too much on gift attribution could be causing you to miss the bigger picture. Because what drives donor behavior is often very different than how we measure donor behavior.So do we need...
2022-07-1440 minDonor GrowthDo you trust me?McKinsey built an $11B brand by leaving nothing to chance. Not even building trust. Can nonprofits learn from their model?Here's the formula they've distilled: TRUST = (CREDIBILITY x RELIABILITY x INTIMACY)-------------------------------------------SELF-ORIENTATIONOn today's episode, Louis applies the trust formula to formula—and goes through a scorecard of the nonprofit sector. What do you think?CREDIBILITY✔ Most large, established nonprofits (universities, healthcare orgs) still possess a lot of credibility, although… ❌They could do more to honestly characterize its limits....
2022-07-0750 minDonor GrowthThe role of the nonprofit CEOIt's true that every nonprofit CEO is different—and every leader plays to their strength.Many are great operators. Others are fantastic visionaries. And some are charismatic fundraisers. But on today's podcast, Mike argues that regardless of personality, skill or talent, every CEO has one main role. It’s something that cannot be delegated. What is it? To create future value.Future value is answering the questions:1) where are we going?2) how will we get there?3) what are the future opportunities and road...
2022-06-3041 minDonor GrowthPlanning your next fiscal yearHave you started planning your next fiscal year? Chances are you're running into some common challenges: It's hard to align the whole team around a shared visionIt's easier to focus on trivial issues than to make the hard decisionsYour plan ends up sitting on a shelf, only to be re-visited in a year before the next planning sessionWherever you are in this process, Louis shares the steps he's used successfully to coordinate complex projects, gain internal buy-in, and achieve peace of mindGET CONNECTEDFollow Louis Diez on Lin...
2022-06-2340 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastUnity in Diversity with Bishop AlexanderIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we share a conversation with Bishop Alexander, Director of Alumni Relations at The University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. He talks extensively about the indispensable role of inclusion and diversity when it comes to alumni engagement. This ideology is clearly reflected in the engagement programs he shares in this episode, which are successfully driving engagement through his alumni-centric approach.
2021-08-2036 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastAlumni at the Center with Tyler ReichIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we are in conversation with Tyler Reich, Associate Vice President for University Relations at Willamette University, Salem, Oregon. Starting from a commendable career in politics, Tyler now has many feathers in his cap as an advancement professional. He truly believes that alumni belong at the center of engagement strategies. The result of these alumni-centric strategies? Fundraising success! Tune in to listen to the metrics, campaign ideas, and strategies that certainly prove that alumni centricity and fundraising go hand in hand.
2021-08-0341 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastTackling Transitions with Monica HoelIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we are in conversation with Monica Hoel, Alumni Director at Emory & Henry College, Emory, Virginia. With over 30 years of experience as an advancement professional at her alma mater, Monica has been tackling transitions and made the most out of it. We discuss some creative virtual ideas that worked great for them - most of which are sure to make your list for upcoming events.
2021-07-2433 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastPivot and Adapt with Steve BondurantIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we are in conversation with Steve Bondurant, Director of Alumni Relations at Providence Day School, Charlotte, North Carolina. He shares his experience as a professional baseball player and his gradual shift to Alumni Relations. We delve into the engagement strategies that have been successful at Providence Day School, and their top priorities going forward.
2021-07-0831 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastThe Story of Engagement Metrics with Thomas McArthurIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we share a conversation with Thomas McArthur, Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Parent Engagement at The College of Wooster, Ohio. He talks about the intentional choices that have set him on this incredible career path where he has played a crucial role in countless projects - many way ahead of their time. We take an extensive look at alumni engagement metrics and how important they are to an engagement strategy.
2021-06-0943 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastGive Value, Before You Seek Value with Brandon FosterIn this episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we talk with Brandon Foster, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at UNC School of Government, North Carolina. From spending days in an Egyptian desert for an archaeology study to now being an advancement professional, Brandon has had quite an adventurous journey. The conversation unfolds the backstories of some amazing engagement ideas that have worked for the alumni at UNC School of Government, alongside some candid anecdotes.
2021-05-2439 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastStudents today, Alumni forever with Mike GombitaIn the second episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we share a conversation with Mike Gombita, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement at Misericordia University, Pennsylvania. He talks in depth about his experiences in high school that sparked his interest in communications and later led him to pursue his Bachelor’s and Master’s in the same direction at Misericordia University. Mike has had a commendable start to his career in Alumni Relations and has already been pivotal in designing some amazing ideas that have proved fruitful for his community.
2021-05-0437 min
Almabase Spotlights PodcastFundraising second, Relationships first with Carolyn RussellIn this first episode of Almabase Spotlights Podcast, we share a conversation with Carolyn Russell, the Director of the Annual Fund at Greenwich Academy, Connecticut. She talks about her experience as once a student of Social Work and Fundraising at Boston University, and how she discovered her passion to work as an Alumni Relations professional thereafter. From building and strengthening relationships to engagement ideas that have created an impact within the alumni community at Greenwich Academy - this conversation unravels a range of ideas and stories.
2021-04-0834 min
Just Go Grind#246: Kalyan Varma, Co-Founder & CEO at Almabase, on Hitting $100K MRR, Value-Based Pricing, GTM Strategy, and Helping Universities & High Schools Build Relationships with Alumni and Increase Donations Kalyan Varma is a co-founder and CEO at Almabase, a company that helps universities and high schools build lifelong relationships with their alumni and drive higher donations. Educational institutions do a poor job of maintaining a good relationship with their alumni after they graduate. Typically the only time alumni hear from their alma mater is when they are being asked to donate. This broken relationship leads to an extremely low alumni donation rate (~2%). Almabase's SaaS platform provides all the lego blocks to build a successful alumni program - one where all the stakeholders benefit.
2020-12-0246 min
Web3Verse - Simplifying The Web 3.0 WorldHow to build an Outbound SaaS Sales Engine - Sandiep Medisetti, Head of Sales @ Almabase IncJoin us on a new season in Sales & Growth Marketing Series, where we bring in Leaders in Sales & Marketing to share their insights
Topic: How to Build a SaaS Sales Engine Speaker - Sandiep Medisetti, Head - Sales @ Almabase Inc
Host - Bimlesh Gundurao
Sandeep Medisetti is an entrepreneur & SaaS sales leader. Now, as the Head of Sales at Almabase, takes care of building a sales team and growing Almabase revenue. He believes selling SaaS is different and is a "rocket ship" opportunity. Recently published a book on Selling SaaS...
2020-09-011h 17
Curious About Sales by YashYour First Job in SaaS Sales with Maruthi Sandeep Medisetti, Head of Sales of Almabase. Episode 7"Curious About Sales" is a Podcast about leaders from the sales community and their stories of success, failures and learnings.
2020-06-0738 min