The Fund Raising School is excited to launch the First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School! Highlighting current news and research, this podcast provides fundraisers with the latest information in fundraising and philanthropy. Be more informed and stay up to date with the First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School!
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In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Ted Grossnickle, CFRE, Senior Consultant and Chairman at JGA Counsel, to explore one of the nonprofit sector’s perennial challenges; meaningful board engagement. Grossnickle argues that board members often underestimate just how much influence they have on current and prospective donors, and…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., tackles one of the most persistent questions in major gift fundraising: when is the right time to make the ask? Fundraisers may know the classic “six rights” of fundraising: the right person asking the right person for the right amount, for the right reason, in the right way, and at the right time. But that…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Jeremy Wells, Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Services at the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation, to explore one of fundraising’s largest overlooked opportunities: non-cash giving. Fundraisers often focus on a donor’s income, checking account, or other liquid resources because, as Jeremy…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes back Rick Dunham, founder and chairman of Dunham & Company, to unpack the firm’s latest annual survey of donors. One of the biggest findings is a disconnect between donors’ personal finances and their perceptions of the broader economy. Donors reported feeling less financially stressed personally,…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., takes an analytical look at the 2026 Giving USA report, which reviews charitable giving in the United States during calendar year 2025. Bill begins with the headline that charitable giving reached $617 billion in current dollars, the highest total ever reported. He explains the difference between current…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Morgan Jessup, Director of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the Alzheimer’s Association in Indianapolis. Bill opens with a reality many fundraisers know well: some of the nonprofit sector’s most generous donors are members of the Boomer and Silent generations, and normal aging can sometimes bring…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Julianne Read, founder and principal of E and E Fundraising & Events. Bill sets the stage by naming the rumors, myths, and legends that swirl around special events: they are either the ultimate fundraising solution, they never work, or they live somewhere in that wonderfully confusing middle ground.…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Christina Daniken, senior member of the research team at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Editor-in-Chief, for Giving USA. The big headline: charitable giving in the United States reached $617.2 billion in 2025, growing 5% in current dollars and crossing the $600…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Karen Houghton, CEO and Founder of Infinite Giving, for a clear, lively, and highly practical conversation about endowments: what they are, why they matter, and when nonprofits should start thinking about them. Karen brings a rare mix of nonprofit leadership, technology, finance, venture capital,…
In this episode of The First Day from The Fund Raising School, Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Soren Kaplan, PhD, nationally regarded educator, consultant, and author, for a practical and energizing conversation about nonprofit collaboration. Drawing from Soren's 2025 article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, the episode asks a big question: why should fundraisers and nonprofit…
