2023 was a big year for EverTrue, and it was a big year for the RAISE podcast, too! (We hit a 150th episode milestone – whew!)
If you’re a newcomer to the RAISE Pod world, EverTrue CEO and Founder Brent Grinna hosts folks who lead the country’s most innovative and successful fundraising teams.
To celebrate all that the RAISE Podcast achieved in 2023, we’ve pulled together top 5 most-listened-to episodes from the past year. Each episode is a gem in its own right, packed with insights, wisdom, and helpful tips for advancement leaders (and future leaders). From thought-provoking discussions to industry-shaping interviews, these episodes have left an indelible mark on the RAISE Podcast’s ever-growing audience.
Give them a listen, and stay tuned for another amazing lineup in 2024!
Ep. 163: Eloise Dunn Brice, University of Houston
Eloise shares highlights of her journey through some of the top advancement shops across the country. She recounts the early days of socializing planned giving through a gift annuities add in the Wall Street Journal. She recalls reaching 55% alumni participation through the magic of elbow grease. She explains the “dangers” of working for your alma mater and seeing how the sausage gets made.
Eloise also shares her take on questions like: For a fundraiser, what makes an ideal day? What makes an ideal donor? What makes an ideal volunteer?
Listen now
Ep. 154: Stephen Rosfeld, University of Cincinnati
On this episode, Steve and Brent strategize about how to build fundraiser fluency across fundraising priorities, even at (and especially at) a large, complex organization with many schools and colleges.
Also covered during this conversation: insights on joining the Big 12, navigating NIL policies, and committing to always doing the next best thing.
Listen now
Ep. 153: Michael Reza, University of Oregon
Throughout Michael’s career, the roles he has stepped in to have either been new or long-vacant. So, he builds things. And currently, Michael is building a fundraising strategy to support the University of Oregon’s new Ballmer Institute, which offers the nation’s very first bachelor’s degree in Children’s Behavioral Health.
Michael and Brent discuss turning to tech tools to help define a prospect pool; weaving a startup mindset into a large, complex institution like UO; and how Artificial Intelligence will influence and alter the advancement industry.
Listen now
Ep. 155: Kristin Sorenson, West Point Association of Graduates
On this episode, Brent and Kristin discuss the rare (and very important) instances when she has said “no” to major gifts; her experience building the advancement industry’s first Principal Giving program; some of her most memorable gift stories, like working with Fred and Marlene Malek to name the Malek West Point Visitors Center; and how she and her team at WPAOG have built a steady increase in alumni participation at a time when it’s declining across the board.
Listen now
Ep. 140: Kyle Edgington, University of Texas, Dallas
On this episode, Brent and Kyle discuss how working with an academic Dean who just “gets” fundraising can make all the difference, the value that an MBA brings to a fundraising role, and whether the process of finalizing a major gift can accurately be described as a negotiation.
Listen now