Nonprofit CourageLab

Profitable Fundraising Swaps I'd Make Every Time

May 19, 2026·27 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Stop doing fundraising that nearly kills you. Seriously.In this episode, I’m walking through the profitable fundraising swaps I would make every single time after helping clients raise more than $70 million. These are the simpler, more sustainable, higher-return strategies I’d choose over the exhausting nonprofit habits that so many teams normalize.Some of the most common fundraising strategies are draining your team, eating your time, and producing way less ROI than you think.If you’re an ED or fundraiser constantly exhausted by events, campaigns, and “doing all the things,” this episode is your permission slip to stop overcomplicating fundraising. There is an easier way to raise serious money without burning yourself out in the process.What you’ll learn in this episodeWhy house parties build stronger donor relationships than galasThe hidden cost of fundraising events that small teams rarely account forWhy major gifts are a better long-term strategy than chasing grantsHow restricted revenue is actually dangerous to the sustainability of your organizationWhy donors don’t need more control in order to trust youThe problem with relying too heavily on wealth screening toolsHow to build stronger donor relationships without expensive softwareHow to save years of loneliness and painful trial and errorThe fundraising strategy shift that creates more predictable revenueThe free, underused donor connection tool for nonprofitsFundraising should not feel like a constant recovery cycle. If your strategy leaves your team exhausted, overwhelmed, and scrambling every few months, that’s a systems problem, not a work ethic problem.If working harder was the answer, you’d be raising $10M a year by now.Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.If you’re an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you’re ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I’ll share details.

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