When a former classroom educator becomes the one writing the checks, EVERYTHING about grantmaking shifts.

Dr. Maggie Sullivan Marcus of the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation brings a rare, dual perspective shaped by years in the classroom and years in philanthropy. Her on-the-ground experience supporting multilingual learner programs is rooted in empathy, deep respect for educators, and a commitment to equity.

We get into how small but strategic investments can spark outsized impact, like, DC Public Schools’ $2,500 micro-grants. Maggie also shares what it takes to build a multilingual educator pipeline and why meaningful change can’t be squeezed into a 12-month grant cycle.

Her candor around trust-based philanthropy, power dynamics, and multi-year funding models offers a blueprint for nonprofits eager to move the needle on bolder, more sustainable partnerships.

Resources & Links

Connect with Dr. Maggie Sullivan Marcus on LinkedIn and learn more about the Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation on their website.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

How can a 10X mindset replace incremental goals with focused, brave action that scales monthly giving and clarifies what to stop doing?

• 10X mindset versus incremental growth
• letting go of low-leverage work
• applying bold goals to monthly giving growth
• risk reframed as focus and resource questions

Resources Mentioned:

1. Join the Sustainer Slack Group — completely free.
2. The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind + Retreat
3. "10x Is Easier Than 2X" - By Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Message me on LinkedIn (Dana Snyder) or Instagram (@positivequation) to learn more.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

If you've ever wrestled with the tension between being donor-centered and community-centered in your fundraising, today's episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. The incredible Tammy Zonker, founder of Fundraising Transformed, has helped raise more than $1 billion over her career, including facilitating a single $27 million dollar gift!

We dive into Tammy’s hands-on case study from the Children’s Center in Detroit, where her team tripled philanthropy in three years and doubled it again before her departure. You’ll hear what it actually looked like on the ground: auditing revenue channels, analyzing cost-per-dollar raised and ROI across events, grants, and direct response, strengthening monthly and planned giving, and expanding donor engagement.

This episode also explores why many nonprofits thrive with younger generations, offers in-the-trenches advice for leaders navigating busy giving seasons, and how to thoughtfully affirm everyone who contributes their time, talent, and resources.

Resources & Links

Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn and learn more about her book, Calling All Heroes.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

After an electrifying GivingTuesday, I’m here to share three BIG behind the scenes announcements that will directly support your recurring revenue goals and monthly giving programs in 2026:

First, I’m thrilled to announce that my Sustainers Slack community is now 100% free! It has become one of the most generous, collaborative, and energizing spaces on the internet, and if you join, you’ll get monthly office hours, expert Q&As, and coworking huddles.

We’re also going to talk about what’s in store for the 2026 Monthly Giving Summit, happening February 25-26th, including the why behind the theme, and all about our keynote speaker, Adriana Carrig of Little Words Project.

Finally, I’m unveiling two mastermind tracks next year! A high-touch 4-month Monthly Giving Mastermind, and a new Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind that offers a full year of strategic support, AND an in-person retreat in Atlanta.

I love getting to do this work and can’t wait to support you.

Resources & Links

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Most organizations rush straight from GivingTuesday into metrics, wrap-ups, and end-of-year planning, but if you do, you’re missing the most valuable moment of all: the DAY AFTER, when donors are still inspired and emotionally connected to the gift they just made.

In this replay of my most downloaded episode ever, you’ll hear the super simple, text-only email that can dramatically strengthen donor relationships, why it works, and how the responses can uncover donor motivations you’d never know otherwise.

Every single donation represents a person who chose your cause among MILLIONS of nonprofits!

And these replies can become fuel for future campaigns, major donor follow-ups, and segmentation strategies.

Resources & Links

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Fewer than five of charity: water’s donors wrote a check during a 75,000-piece direct mail test, yet direct mail STILL lifted revenue by 1.5-2%!

Behavioral science expert and DonorVoice founder Kevin Schulman is here to talk about why traditional direct mail metrics fall short, why your “non-check-writers” may be your biggest missed opportunity, and how personality-based messaging can transform donor engagement.

You’ll hear the inside story of a charity: water experiment that tested postcards vs. full letters, QR codes on the outer envelope, and personality trait targeting based on the Big Five framework.

Kevin and I also dig into measuring donor commitment, what predicts retention, and how some nonprofits are increasing their first-year monthly donor retention by 6-9 percentage points simply by adjusting their communication volume.

If you’re rethinking how direct mail fits into your world, this episode will reshape how you design, segment, and evaluate your campaigns.

Resources & Links

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn and learn more about DonorVoice on their website.

Check out the book I’m currently reading, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

When your mission depends on people not just caring, but acting, the right data and technology infrastructure is so important. I am thrilled to welcome Emma Bloomberg, Founder and CEO of Murmuration, a nonprofit civic tech organization equipping grassroots groups with the tools to engage communities more efficiently, track progress, and build lasting civic power.

Emma shares how organizations on the ground can use voter files, civic data, and tailored analytics to understand who they’re reaching, measure what’s moving the needle, and mobilize supporters in ways that feel personal.

You’ll also hear one of Murmuration’s most compelling case studies: Memphis Lift, a parent-led group that began with stacks of yellow legal pads that funneled into thousands of engaged community members showing up for local education issues.

And with tools like Civic Pulse, which polls 500 people every day using open-ended questions, Emma highlights how nonprofits can gain deeper insight into what their communities are thinking in real time.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Murmuration and request a demo on their website. You can also subscribe to their newsletter, Insights by Murmuration, on Substack.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Would you believe me if I told you that emotional intelligence can transform donor relationships and drive sustainable fundraising growth? Bill Crouch is the visionary leader of BrightDot and the author of Start with Heart: The Secret Power of Emotions to Catalyze Fundraising Results. And according to Bill, there is REAL data to prove why resilience and empathy consistently outperform traditional metrics.

Bill walks us through BrightDot’s “Teach, Train, Transform” methodology and how one community college in Florida raised significant gifts by rethinking their team structure, board accountability, and donor strategy.

He explains how handwritten notes, emotionally intelligent hiring practices, and even a 2 hour “Fundraising Focus” window each week can wildly change donor engagement outcomes. You’ll leave this conversation with so many practical takeaways to catalyze your results and bring more meaning into your fundraising culture.

Resources & Links

Connect with Bill at bill@thebrightdot.com and learn more about BrightDot on their website.

Check out Bill’s book: Start with Heart: The Secret Power of Emotions to Catalyze Fundraising Results.

Already have a monthly giving program? The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind starts in January and is just for you.

Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!