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Decoding the Secret Language of Fundraising

NonProfit Hub Season 6 Episode 22

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Stepping into fundraising can feel like learning a new language—but in this episode, Becca Segovia, founder of GCS Partners, helps decode it all. From her unexpected leap from banking to a 25-year career in nonprofit development, Becca shares practical wisdom, accessible definitions, and real-world strategies for navigating donor relationships, making a compelling case for support, and introducing innovation in legacy systems. Whether you're new to the sector or looking to deepen your impact, you'll find fresh insights on using data as a tool for change, engaging donors across all levels, and leading with curiosity. Tune in for this energizing installment of our Nonprofit 101 series.

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Speaker 1:

Pledge. It is designed for nonprofit fundraising professionals who need comprehensive event management without the learning curve. Our intuitive platform handles galas, golf tournaments, peer-to-peer fundraising and auctions, with built-in automation and progress dashboards. No technical expertise required. Visit pledgeitorg slash nonprofithub to learn more. Welcome back to the Nonprofit Hub podcast. I'm your host, megan Spear, and along with me today for a special edition of the Nonprofit Hub podcast is my very dear friend, becca Segovia, who's the founder of GCS Partners. And when I say that we are doing a special edition, this is kicking off our July series for the podcast on Nonprofit 101. What do you need to know as you're getting started, maybe in a new role with a new organization? Very excited to have Becca kick this series off with me to talk about her journey in nonprofit and what she wished someone would have told her back in the day. So, becca, welcome in.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank you, Megan, it's so great to be here.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I don't know how we haven't had you on before, but here we go. I'm excited to have you on in this one, so tell our audience a little bit about yourself. You have a storied career in fundraising across all sorts of different verticals and from lots of different seats. So tell us a little bit about your background.

Speaker 2:

So I don't know if this resonates with any of your listeners, but I kind of fell into fundraising and nonprofit work. I feel like that's most of us. When I talk to friends or when I'm introducing myself, sometimes I say, like I'm a recovering banker, like that was the career that I was headed down and I never really loved it, to be honest. I always gravitated towards marketing and sales and the relationships that are rooted in even the banking industry, and so I kind of had one of those pivotal moments. I was in a place where I wanted to do something different. I wasn't quite sure what it was and I was taking a proverbial year off to kind of figure that out. And in that proverbial year I worked for a company called Franklin Covey. And if you know anything about Franklin Covey, it's Stephen Covey and it's like highly effective people and it's understand your mission, your vision, your values and who you want to be and how you want to show up. And so in doing that work, while I was at work, ironically I realized I really wanted to do something that was going to give back in the world. And ironically, I realized I really wanted to do something that was going to give back in the world and ironically, as things would have it, I ended up waiting on someone that worked at a nonprofit in Atlanta, and it happened to be a place where a friend of mine worked and she had just sent me a job description for something she thought I should apply to because she knew what I was kind of wrestling with. And lo and behold, like the HR person is standing in front of me. At that time I didn't realize that's who it was, but I applied for the job and the HR person called. She was like you just waited on me yesterday in the Franklin Covey store. We were talking about these seminars and I think you would be great. And she kind of passed me on through to the executive director I interviewed and two weeks later I am no longer at Franklin Covey and I'm working for a faith-based nonprofit in Atlanta, georgia. And so that is where I say I kind of learned all the things and I learned a lot on the job.

Speaker 2:

I started out in just doing product development, so it was a teaching organization, and so there were products that we would make for our donors and for those that wanted to buy that. And then I had to figure out okay, how do we create that product? Well, we did it at donor events. So I had to learn how to put together big donor events. It was like, okay, how do we fund the ministry? Well, we were a radio ministry, so we had a direct response program that we had to think about. And then we had to think about, you know, what's our overarching case for support and how does all, how do all these things come together? Because this particular nonprofit was the blending of two coming together. So it was like a teaching organization working internationally and the other was media ministry, and so it was just a really interesting convergence of two types of organizations coming together to figure out what the future would hold.

Speaker 2:

And lo and behold, for me that has kind of been the theme of my career, and so I was there for about five years and left to go start two nonprofits one that was focused in Nicaragua and Jeffries Bay, south Africa, and spent some time on the board getting that up and running, and then another organization that was doing missions around the world. And I ended up getting a call from Conveo, which I don't think is a market anymore as Conveo, and while I was at that first nonprofit I had learned how to do digital fundraising before. It was cool. So we're talking early 2000s, ask for an email and we're going to cultivate donors in this place and we're going to get a 360 degree view of what that looks like and, and so I was really trying to figure out what does that mean and how do I start to build relationships in the digital realm?

Speaker 2:

And so I actually joined Canveo and led a vertical there for a couple years and started to think more strategically about how all those pieces across digital, male and even mid-level and major how they all fit together, and joined an agency called Pursuant now Allegiance Pursuant Group was there for about 15 years and got to work with nonprofits across the entire spectrum and started to work with nonprofits across the entire spectrum and started to really solve problems across the spectrum, meaning we were rooted in data, and so data was the diplomat and you could say, okay, of all the things that you, nonprofit, are trying to accomplish in your mission, what is the big, hairy, audacious goal to pull from Stephen Covey, right? So hairy, audacious goal. And then what are the tools in your toolkit that you need to use to get there? And sometimes it was leaning more towards major gifts and sometimes we were down in acquisition, retention and upgrade in the annual fund. And so how do you like, mix all those together to drive your fundraising strategy? And so I loved my time there.

Speaker 2:

During that time, we did a few acquisitions, and one was two technology tools that I had the opportunity to put in market in 2021 called GivingDNA, and so that really was bringing that 360 degree view into the world and looking at both predictive and prescriptive analytics.

Speaker 2:

And so how do you know what to do with what you have and how do you have that 360 degree view that I thought I was going to have in the early 2000s but now, in today's world, is much more easy to come by?

Speaker 2:

And then I spent some time at Classy and GoFundMe in the peer-to-peer space, really seeing what it looks like for people to I wouldn't say just ask people, but to bring people along in a journey of what not really fundraising, but what community can look like and how that can change the landscape when people give of their time, talent and treasure, so not just dollars, but their voice and their advocacy. And that lands me to where I am today. I left that organization at the end of last year and went out on my own, and I'm now at GCS Partners and and we help nonprofits really think through where are we today? What's that big, hairy, audacious goal that we want to bring to life, and then what is the path? So that's a little bit about me and how I stumbled into fundraising and have loved it. I mean, 25 years later, here I am.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love it. So I want to go back to that beginning. Yeah, five years ago, stepping into that first one, you said you learned a lot on the job. What does that look like? If you because I want to think about, man, what are some things you wish you would have known back then? Even you know, I did a LinkedIn post a couple days ago about you know what are the terms that we use in this fundraising space that we don't bother to just tell people. We assume they know what the things are that we have to learn. So tell me a little bit about your background with that and some things you maybe wish you would have known.

Speaker 2:

So, first of all, I wish there was a glossary. Maybe there probably is now. We created one. I think it personally at one point, just to like bring even new employees along and what they are.

Speaker 2:

But when I first stepped into that job it was like, okay, what's a donor pyramid? What do we mean when we say mid-level giving? And we weren't really talking about mid-level, it was really sustainers at that time, or we maybe even called them recurring donors. You know what's the threshold for a major gift, what is this annual fund thing and why do we call it that? What's a sidebunt? You know all the terms and terminology that you hear. And then sometimes you'll hear the marketing funnel.

Speaker 2:

So we were always talking about the donor funnel, like what does that look like and why is it important and what do you need to know? So those are a few things that I remember just coming in and going okay and the framework. Honestly, that helped me was because I had been in, you know, recovering banker but had leaned more towards marketing. I had to really take what I knew from a marketing perspective and say, okay, how does this apply in the donor funnel? And it's really kind of flipping it upside down and saying, okay, we're going to bring in new people at any level and then how are we cultivating them to give more instead of, if you're on the marketing side, buy more? Yeah, and I like being on the give side because my motivated side, the ripple effect like how do we make the world a better place for the organizations that we give and serve?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, so let's first of all, one of the things I think is so interesting is some of the words that you just used literally all mean the same thing, right, and so even just to I work in fundraising, I work in development and I work in advancement. Oh, yes, all mean the same thing. Yes, right, when we talk about monthly givers, we do. Maybe we talk about recurring donors or sustainers or that mid-level or we use so many of the same words and, like that, all mean the same thing, yes, which I think is part of why it's so confusing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yes, that's why we need to have a glossary and then maybe all align on. These are the terms and this is what it means, and here's what fundraising 101 looks like. So I'm with you on that. That's something we should do together.

Speaker 1:

Yes, Okay, so let's break this down this way If somebody were just starting in their this is their first job in fundraising Based on all of the terms that exist, what are some things that would be like the maybe the first five questions that they should ask of their superior, their boss, whoever, to ensure that they understand what's going on. Because I think, for me, one of the things that that I had a hard time with and maybe I would say is one of the top five, would be what are the designations for those levels At this organization? What categorizes a major gift, a mid-level giver? What's the different thresholds for where we do what interactions? Because I think that varies drastically depending on the type of organization you're in.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely so. I mean, you're calling out the donor pyramid and I'm gonna confuse it just a little bit. I love the pyramid, but I do think that it is a construct in which we understand fundraising, but I do think it's evolving. So I think that's something that you need to know when you're walking into that job. First of all, like, who are we as an organization and what kind of shop are we running? Are we a major gifts led organization? Are we an annual fund led organization? Is it a blend of the two? And then, to your point, what's the threshold for that? What does it mean to be a no fund? Is it $1,000 or less? Is it $10,000 or less? If you're a hospital organization, it's probably $10,000 or less, or sometimes 25. And if you're a smaller nonprofit or a midsize nonprofit, maybe 1000 or 5000. So get real clear on like, where are you serving inside that pyramid, if you will? And then what are the objectives inside that pyramid? So, annual fund, mid major, what are they?

Speaker 1:

I'd also want to get really curious about what is what's our case for support and so okay, so stop, let's pause and define that, because that, I think, is one of the ones that will hear like oh, everyone has their case. If you are unfamiliar with that term, define that for me from your perspective. And how is that different than a general mission vision statement? Love that. So mission vision is like who are we? And what is that different than a general mission vision?

Speaker 2:

statement. I love that. So mission vision is like who are we and what is the big goal that we are trying to solve? So, are we looking to eradicate poverty in our area? Are we looking at food deserts? What is the thing that we are trying to accomplish? And then, what's our vision and mission? To do that inside the community or space that we are sitting in. When I think about the case for support, this is really the vision document, for I would argue it's also for the whole organization, as well as the development team or the fundraising team or the advancement team. I mean the same thing. To pick up, on the same.

Speaker 2:

Yes, but it is the narrative in which we root ourselves in as we are having conversations with donors. This is who we are, this is why we're doing what we're doing. Here's what the needs are right now and here's how you can be a part of it, and I think that there's actually a shift happening around the case for support, and so the debate that I like to have with organizations is it the case for support or is it their case for support? Very interesting nuance on that. So the is the organization and this is what we are about doing, and I think the magic happens. So, if you're new into fundraising, the magic happens when you understand what their case for support is. That means the donors, and so if you have people that are already giving to you, you can go back and see what they gave to and why, and that will help inform what their case for support is. So is it that they care about the education that you're doing, or do they care about the food insecurity, or do they care about the mission delivery? What is the thing that they care the most about? And then you can look inside your big framework of what the organizational case for support is and say these are the two or three areas inside of that that this donor really cares about and that's what you lead with. And so where fundraising is going is that hyper-personalization.

Speaker 2:

And so just the shift in that language between the and their case for support can mean a lot, can mean a difference between the type of relationship that you have with that donor and the loyalty that they feel with your organization because they see them in your case for support and then, as they hopefully give to those things that they care most about, they're being stewarded. So that's another word that we use a lot. They're being stewarded, which means where they're being cultivated and they're being thanked and they're being acknowledged for how they're engaging with you, and then, in turn, you hope that they will move along with you in that donor journey, which is another jargon word that we use, which is how are people coming into your organization, regardless of what level annual, fund, mid and major that we were talking about and then how do you understand their capacity? So how much do they potentially have to give? And then are you putting their case for support in front of them and then inviting them into that journey and then stewarding them to where they are and where they could be.

Speaker 2:

Some people may have more capacity than they may first show up with because they may be getting to know your organization. So that's where that dialogue whether it's two way, like you and I are having right now, or any conversation, like being able to understand those attributes about your donors as soon as possible I think is also really important. That'd be another question that I would ask my leader what tools do we have? Yes, allow us to understand who our donors are and what they care about, and what are the systems that we're using so that I can get trained on those systems and start to build relationships, whether it's a CRM system that helps me, like, understand the donors at large, or whether it's a marketing automation tool so the thing you use to email people or an analytics tool that may be able to show you who those donors are and a little bit more about them as you understand their case for support.

Speaker 2:

So it's you know what are those. What's that tool set that I have? And then another question I would probably ask is like what's the goal of the organization from a fundraising perspective? What's our goal this year, what's our goal in five years and what are the things that are going to be true because we're aiming towards those goals. That are going to be true because we're aiming towards those goals.

Speaker 1:

Pledge it is designed for nonprofit fundraising professionals who need comprehensive event management without that learning curve. Our intuitive platform maximizes success for galas, golf outings, peer-to-peer fundraising, auctions and donation forms. Built-in automations recruit previous attendees, while dashboards let you quickly compare fundraising progress to past events. No technical expertise required, just powerful results. Ready to transform your fundraising? Visit PledgeItorg. Slash Nonprofit Hub to get started today. There's a couple of phrases in there that I want to dig into. Let's just make this the 101 as part of the 101 series. Stewardship is one of those words that I just think is so funny in this industry. I came from a sales background. I would never say that I'm stewarding my clients to different things. I just build a relationship with them, that is the answer.

Speaker 1:

And that is the answer. But it has to have these weird. Everything has to have a different term. But what when we talk about stewardship in that journey and building a relationship with folks and taking them on their particular donor journey with the organization? A lot of times I see new fundraisers come in and they get handed a book Like here's your people that you're responsible for. Right, they've never met these folks, they have no relationship with them. These people may, these donors may have had a relationship with someone else in the organization previously. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of that person. If you have been handed a book to steward and here's your people what's your first move?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, such a great question. So let's go on and call it what it is. It's relationship fundraising. It is building relationships with humans, people just like you and me. And so I would want to know, like, what have they been giving to in the past? Like I'd want to get curious about each individual.

Speaker 2:

If I'm running a book of individuals call it 100 people, 200 people, 500 people it's going to look different depending on where you are. You know, stewarding or building relationships, are you in the mid level? So again, we were talking about the donor pyramid. Sometimes annual fund is under a million 1000. Sometimes you'll see mid level, like 1000 to 10,000. And then you'll see major gifts over 10,000, just to kind of give an easy framework. So if I'm in that 1000 to 10,000 group, stewarding, building relationships with mid level, that's going to be a one to few approach. Like you can think about, annual fund is like one to many mass. This is one to few. So you're going to have to do some things in cohorts and some things you might be able to do individualized, and then, when you think about major gifts, that's going to be one to one.

Speaker 2:

So what am I doing? What am I doing when I first get that. I want to get really curious about, maybe the different cohorts, to use a word, which really means communities, people that have like attributes, and then maybe I want to put them in community together. Maybe I want to put them in community together, maybe I want to do very tailored emails to them, maybe I want to do a phone outreach to them, just depending on where they are in their journey and where I am in my journey and understanding the organization, that'd be. Another tip I would give is immerse yourself and see who you can shadow in those first 30, 60, 90 days at an organization across the organization, like, understand what's happening in the annual fund, meet with the marketing team and understand, like, how they're talking about the organization in the wild, if you will, which means out in the world, yes, what are the other development officers doing?

Speaker 2:

Or stewardship officers sometimes are called at the mid level, since that's where we're focused Like, what are they currently doing that's working and what's not? And then, what are the major gift and plan giving, legacy giving officers doing and what are they hearing? What feedback are they hearing as well? How's the case for support playing in the wild? What are you hearing that people are really leaning into and as soon as you can kind of get a beat on understanding that from the others, that will help give you confidence. When you are doing outreach to the mid-level donors that may be in your portfolio, then start building the relationship. Sorry, understand. No, you're totally fine, they're a case for support. And then take good notes so that those relationships that you build are real and even if you're doing one-to-many, you want it to feel like it's one-, one to one, and thank goodness we live in a world where you can do that at scale. What were you going to ask me?

Speaker 1:

I was going to say I think the other piece of that immersion process and I think it is a step that I skipped too many times if I had to go back and do it again is doing some of that shadowing with the actual program team. Yes, right, because it's so easy for there to be a disconnect between this is how marketing and fundraising talk about what we do, versus this is what the organization is actually doing on the front lines. And getting to shadow and spend a day, maybe with somebody who is delivering those services, who is meeting with the folks that you're serving. Those kind of interactions can really shape how you talk about the organization too, when you get to experience it from their perspective, and that is a step I skipped too often that I wish I would have gone back for.

Speaker 2:

Yes, that is like snaps on that. Absolutely Go beyond the front lines, because then you're sitting down with somebody and you're telling them your experience yes, the front lines, because then you're with somebody and you're telling them your experience. Yes, and one thing that I did for the organizations and you don't have to do this, but this is something I did, I gave, I wanted to be a part of what does it feel like to be a donor, so that I understood, like what, what I would receive, and then, if I was out on the front lines to, I now had personal stories to share with those that I was talking about. Hey, I was in the food line the other day serving and we had some people come in and let me tell you this really fun story about the mom and daughter that I met. Like, how can you contextualize what your experience is working inside the organization, as well as what mission delivery looks like?

Speaker 1:

I love it.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I'm going to shift gears a tiny little bit, because one of the things that I appreciate most about you is you and I both have this in common where we hate the phrase, but that's how we've always done it Right.

Speaker 1:

We want to do it the best way possible, not like I don't care how it's done it, and so you and I both have that kind of like disruptor mentality, in that I could see where and I've been in this boat, so I understand that it's real but especially somebody, let's say, who's maybe just graduating from college, coming into their first job in this fundraising space. So often you walk into a that's how we've always done it system. I feel like development fundraising whatever you want to call it is sometimes a little behind on trends, behind on maybe keeping up with what's happening. Let's talk very specifically to maybe a new grad who's in their first role, who is coming into a really heavily built system. How would you approach it if, if you because these folks are digital natives, they know the tools, they know the AI that's available, they know how to function within that give them some advice to help drive change within their organization, when they're not the one at the top setting those rules.

Speaker 2:

That's such a great question and, like, my head went in two or three different directions. We are living in, I would say, a mobile first, digital first world. It's not just digital, and so those are the tools that are native to those that are coming into nonprofits today, just as you said, and so. But there is the like. We've always done it this way, as you have said, and I will say that I have a belief that everybody that is working inside a nonprofit or even serving the nonprofit space, like we're there for a reason. It's an incredible opportunity and weight that we carry to make the world, the community, the neighborhood that we serve, a better place. And so I do think with that there is openness to innovation, even though there is the way we've always done it. And so I would come in and understand what the process is and then figure out, like, where do you see incremental levels of opportunity? And so I'll give an example. So we're sending this email out and we're sending a letter out. Those could be two things that could be happening. What does it look like for us to segment that a little bit differently and look at how people were engaging last, and if they last gave through the mail, then let's lead with that, and then let's see what a follow-up phone call looks like and just test that out, or if and you can even segment that by age so it could be a follow-up text, right? If you're looking at the different donors that are in there, or if they have been typically digitally native, then but what I mean by that is like their email givers or website givers then how do you send them the sweet handwritten note that maybe they don't typically get in the mail and would think was interesting? But also, on the flip side, like what is that text communication just to engage, not to ask to give, but just to engage look like? And so what are some of the test pathways, if you will, that you could put in place that are multi-channel, because we still think that multi-channel is the way to go, or omni-channel is really what I'm describing. It is different messages underneath kind of the same overarching thing, versus taking one message and just putting it in different channels.

Speaker 2:

I would want to test that. And so I would say test and then optimize the test and then report out the results. Like hey, over the last 90 days I've tried this thing out, which is I sent an email and I followed up with a text or whatever the thing is, and then this is what I'm seeing it's driven. Could we look at a potential test in a different segment to see if it plays out the same way? And so I think people are willing to listen and iterate if you've got some of the data backing you up there. So don't be afraid.

Speaker 2:

And I would also say sometimes you're going to get told no, and that's okay too. I would say get more evidence. People are more likely to say yes to something when they have evidence behind it. So is there anything out in the wild that you can pull in and say hey, we've got some research over here that suggests that if we do these three things or one thing, or test this one thing, it could produce a lift of 10%, 12%, 20%, whatever the thing is. Can we do a pilot over here and see if that works? Again, I'm back to the testing, but I think that's the easiest way to get people that have been stuck to get unstuck, because the data can be the diplomat for you there. What would you do?

Speaker 1:

I love that phrase that the data is the diplomat because it does speak and that you can't argue with it. It's yeah, it's a great phrase, I agree. I think a lot of times the no comes down to budget Right. We've always done it this, this way because these are the tools we have that we can afford. And so a lot of times especially maybe in some of the smaller nonprofits yeah, they would love to do all of the things right.

Speaker 1:

So I think sometimes we can get a lot of no's and get discouraged in that without seeing the bigger picture of it's not no because I don't want to, it's no because we don't want to, it's no because we don't have the resources for that right now.

Speaker 1:

But if you do have the data that proves it, maybe next year down the line I can figure out what that looks like. So I think I would encourage someone in that position to really be accessing as many of the free tools as possible. Yes, you know, if you pitch something and the answer is no because we don't have the resources, nine times out of 10, you're going to be able to find something similar with a free version or a free trial version that you can test with, and so I think that's what I would encourage folks to look at is what are the resources that we have available and what other options are out there to really be able to hit those points home. Yeah, sometimes I think and I think this would maybe be the overarching theme is that sometimes nonprofit requires you to get creative.

Speaker 2:

I would agree.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and so I don't get discouraged by the no, but be open to looking at other options for how to make it a yes.

Speaker 2:

Yes, sometimes you're coming into playing off that thread into a budget that's locked. Yes, if the budget's already locked, then sit and observe and think of the ideas and how they would play out and then, when it comes for budget season, again put your test and innovation budget in front of them. Can we pull $20,000 from this thing I'm making up a number here and this thing or is there a way to use to your point free resources to test something out? I had an organization that was on the board of small organization here in Dallas and limited staff, limited budget, like all those things and they just wanted they ended up tapping into their major gift network in a different way. They had a couple people on the board and a couple of major gifts that had been giving for a long time, that were friends with the founder, just host something at their home, and they brought like-minded people together and it was more of an informational session and that played out so well that they were able to get new donations off of that and they figured out okay, well, how do I scale this with the next generation? So they literally went into the file and broke it up by what we were talking about a few minutes ago annual, mid and major and then they broke it up by like areas of town and then they just did many happy hours just around town where you could come and learn more and bring a friend, and then that exposed existing donors into a way to connect with the leaders and they brought in new people. And so all of a sudden they saw net new donors rise because of that outreach and they saw giving rise because they had personal connection with the founder, which is meaningful. And so there are ways to kind of think outside the box.

Speaker 2:

Another story that would have larger organizations, a different kind of budget, but they were trying to build out a mid-level program and it started out as a call program. And as they were and we have technology today that can really optimize this but as they were doing those calls, they were recording them and then they were looking for like commonalities on the call and so they would do a word cloud at the end of every month commonalities on the call. And so they would do a word cloud at the end of every month. Every month they would look at like the themes that they saw on the call and they would write handwritten thinking notes about said theme and then they happen to have a publishing arm of what they did and so they would go and find like curriculum that they already had that resonated with those themes and that's what they would send with their handwritten note like out to the donor.

Speaker 2:

And then they saw Lyft and Mid and Major. Because of that, because people moved up and also media organization allowed them to know what to put on the radio or what to put on their podcast, because they understood the heartbeat of those that were listening and giving and in their community, and so that would be some. That's a larger scale way to think about it. But again, volunteers come in and make those phone calls. You script those a little bit but you also just let them share their passion about the organization. So that's great, okay.

Speaker 1:

So one last question as we wrap up. If you were to give one piece of advice to somebody who was just starting out in their fundraising career I'm thinking that kind of that new college grad starting in their first job in the nonprofit sector what is the one piece of advice that you would give them at this particular point?

Speaker 2:

Oh, my first I think it's for everybody is be curious as you decide the organization. Be curious about who they are. Be curious about their donors. Be curious about their program delivery and those that they serve. Be curious about the data. Back to what we were talking about a few minutes ago. Be curious about why they're doing it the way they're doing it. Yeah, be curious about other ways that we could consider doing it that may optimize. And then don't be afraid to share your opinion. Be curious.

Speaker 2:

And then, once you've done your assessment, be bold, ask the questions, because sometimes, when you're inside an organization and you just have the things that need to get done, you are stuck in business as usual. I got to get these 17 things out because this has to happen, because we are on track for whatever x, y and z is, and so sometimes it is helpful to have someone to have us, you know, look up and go wait. Why are we doing this way? Or have we thought about?

Speaker 2:

And the other thing that I would encourage you is use the first 90 days is not only the curiosity phase, but analyze the things that you're hearing back and then, at the end of those 90 days, say, based on all the things that I've heard and getting curious about X, y and Z. Here are the things that I observe are going well and I can't wait to dig into these things. Here are the things that I have questions about, that I want to learn. And then here are the things I'm curious. If we could optimize Because you're going to have just outsider coming in You're actually going to have some really key observations that could help the nonprofit. Just think slightly differently about what's happening. That could drive deeper donor loyalty, better donor experience.

Speaker 1:

So I love it, becca. Thank you so much. I think this is a fantastic kickoff to the nonprofit 101 series in July. I'm so glad you're here. Nonprofit Hub is going to be rolling out a resource around nonprofit lingo, so stay tuned. The glossary is coming. I'm very excited about it. We have one right now, but it's a little out of date, so we're going to definitely roll out a new one here shortly. I can't wait to see it. I'll share it as soon as it's ready. Yes, again, my guest has been Becca Segovia, who's the founder of GCS Partners. My name is Megan Spear. This is the Nonprofit Hub Radio Podcast and we'll see you next time.