What’s playing over your headphones lately? Music, or a favorite morning talk show? You could use your spare time as a way to find out what’s going on with your peers and learn new techniques through podcasts! Podcasts are like pre-recorded radio shows you can download to your phone, music player, or computer. This month, we’ve found three we think Development Directors will appreciate.
Fundraising Is Beautiful
Release Schedule: Sporadic
Description: "Fundraising is just about the coolest job we can imagine. We’d like you to join us in that opinion, and we’re going to give you everything we can to appreciate the power and beauty of fundraising.
"[About the Podcasters:] Jeff Brooks is creative director at TrueSense, the growing, innovative fundraising agency for organizations that care about donors. Steven Screen is co-founder of The Better Fundraising Company, and a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year award from FundRaising Success magazine, which surprisingly led to him getting fired. Between them, they have nearly 50 years of experience helping excellent nonprofits raise money for their causes."
Why We Chose This: Veterans in the nonprofit fundraising sector, Brooks and Screen offer both tried-and-true tricks of the trade alongside innovative new ways to regard your job. Their main focus is not schools, though—their segment on Fundraising From Yourself (FFY) doesn’t generally align with our recommendations for fundraising in a private-independent school environment, for example. So while you listen, know you’ll have to glean the worthwhile nuggets that apply to your school while discarding those meant for a more corporate environment.
Recent Recordings Include:
- Are you Yoda or Batman to your donors?
- Want a relationship with your donors? Prove it!
- The 12 tips of Christmas
Social Innovation Conversations
Release Schedule: Sporadic
Description: "In these Social Innovation Conversations educational podcasts, find out whether these innovative ways to fund progressive domestic and global social enterprises are right for your venture. Gain tips for attracting donors and investors and for conducting impact evaluations that will demonstrate your social return on investment."
Why We Chose This: If you’re looking for new ways to tackle old problems, knowing what’s been done effectively—or badly—at other institutions and nonprofits may inspire innovations in your own Development Office in the coming months. In this podcast series, professionals from a variety of nonprofits share their experiences following common trends and problems in the industry.
Previous Recordings Include:
- Philanthrophy and the Free Market in Education
- Creating Infectious Action
- Responsible and Successful Collaboration
Driving Participation Podcast: What’s Working in Marketing & Fundraising | Nonprofits | Schools | Associations
Release Schedule: Weekly
Description: “Wonder what other organizations are doing to grow that you might not have thought of? Schools, nonprofits and associations have so much in common when it comes to attracting the right people, keeping them excited to be there and inspiring them to give back. From branding strategies to marketing programs and fundraising communications, organizations of all sizes are trying new ways to inspire action.In Driving Participation, Beth Brodovsky talks with marketers, fundraisers and consultants, exploring what what’s working to get people to show up, stick around and give back.”
Why We Chose This: This podcast actively synthesizes multiple different fundraising organizations for nuggets that apply to the others. It also brings together multiple offices—much as our Advancement Team philosophy here at ISM strives to do. Development should work hand-in-hand with multiple offices, including Admission and the communications/marketing team, and this podcast encourages that sort of cross-silo thinking.
Recent Recordings Include:
- DP 029: Investing in the Future with Millennials with Tammy Zonker and R Trent Thompson
- DP 033: Turning an Interview into a Compelling Story with Matt Hugg
- DP 001: Translating Alumni Love into Annual Giving with Heather Potts Brown
A quick note: ISM is not affiliated with any of these podcasts directly, and so advice at times may conflict with ISM theory or guidance. We're offering you these resources as a chance to take from them what works for your school and to be re-inspired for fall!
Additional ISM resources:
Private School News Vol. 14 No. 4 Three Podcasts for Private-Independent School Administrators
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 13 No. 10 Three Podcasts for Business Officers
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 13 No. 10 Three Podcasts for School Heads
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 12 No. 9 Three Podcasts for Division Heads
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 38 No. 1 21st Century Education and Your School's Parents
