by Adriana Sánchez | Sep 10, 2025 | Uncategorized
Every fundraiser knows the tension. You’ve got the budget deadline staring you down, your programs need support, the board is waiting for results—and you’re thinking about asking a donor for a gift. You may already have the meeting scheduled. You’re rehearsing the...
by Monica Vandeventer | Sep 9, 2025 | Podcast
Is Asking for a Gift the Next Right Thing? Summary:Are you about to ask someone for a gift? Maybe the meeting is already on the calendar… but before you make the ask, Clark wants you to pause and reflect. In this episode, Clark shares a powerful mindset shift that can...
by Monica Vandeventer | Sep 1, 2025 | Podcast
Summary:What if every donor interaction was treated like a golden opportunity? In this episode, Clark builds on the themes from Episode 187 (“Surprise and Delight”) to dig deeper into what it really takes to create a culture of excellence in donor...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 28, 2025 | Uncategorized
In 1998, I worked at the FedEx hub at the Indianapolis airport. It was my first summer out of high school, and I was all in—working the day shift loading truck trailers, sleeping in my car, and hoping to get called in for the night shift loading aircraft. At FedEx,...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 28, 2025 | Uncategorized
Let’s be honest: fundraising can wear on you. You’re always giving. Always asking. Always carrying the weight of your mission and your goals. It’s easy—so easy—to slide into cynicism, frustration, or fatigue. You start seeing donors as obstacles instead of partners....
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 28, 2025 | Uncategorized
What if your year-end appeal was already written, printed, segmented, and scheduled—before the Thanksgiving leftovers were even cold? Sound impossible? It’s not. In fact, it might be the greatest gift you give yourself this year. Our new course, Write Your Year-End...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 25, 2025 | Podcast
Summary:In this episode, Clark dives into the most underrated (yet powerful) skill a fundraiser can cultivate: gratitude. Far beyond gift acknowledgments and thank-you letters, Clark explores how authentic gratitude—when it’s woven into your worldview—can transform...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 18, 2025 | Podcast
Summary:In this special episode, Clark is joined by Monica Vandeventer—CEO of Major Gifts Fundraiser and the brain behind the ClarkBot. Together, they unpack how fundraisers can simplify, streamline, and elevate their year-end appeal process using the ClarkBot and a...
by Adriana Sánchez | Aug 11, 2025 | Podcast
When it comes to fundraising, especially major gifts, there’s a fundamental truth that often gets overlooked: doing the basics well is non-negotiable. You can’t skip the essentials and expect to wow your donors with grand gestures. It doesn’t work that way. Think...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 11, 2025 | Podcast
Summary:Are you walking, resting, or sprinting right now? In this episode, Clark Vandeventer shares a powerful metaphor drawn from his time trail running in Tahoe to help you evaluate the pace of your fundraising work. He explores what it means to find a rhythm you...
