On this episode of RAISE podcast, Brent talks with June Bradham, Principal at Change Develop Move. They discuss the keys to building a productive and cohesive board, how to tailor your message to speak to different personas, why roleplaying should be a go-to training tool for every fundraiser, and how to get everyone on board with what you’re actually raising money for.
We invited June to be a guest on the podcast after Brian O’Rourke gave her a shoutout as one of his mentors. We love to connect the mentorship dots!
Catch some highlights and listen to the full episode here.
Some highlights from the episode…
“I saw female leadership in action.” June grew up attending board meetings with her mother, who was very involved in civic events. She later attended Columbia, an all-women’s college (at the time). She had strong examples of females in leadership positions, and she followed their path.
“When a vision was presented to the board, they would jump on it.” June admired the highly-productive and responsive board at Hilton Head Hospital where she held her first position in development. She later learned that the #1 predictor of happiness for board members is if they have an opportunity to really make a difference.
“Leadership is the most important ingredient.” June loves seeing organizations empower strong leaders to bring successful projects to life. June has studied effective boards – and she wrote a book on it, called “The Truth About What Nonprofit Boards Want: The Nine Things that Matter Most.”
“We thought COVID was going to take us down – but really we’ve been busier during COVID than any other time, because we can handle twice as many clients not having to be on a plane.” The Change Develop Move team has really leaned into remote work, and they are flourishing. They have expanded reach, they are more available to their clients, and in-person meet-ups are more valuable and thoughtful than ever.
“It is just as easy to raise $1 billion as $10 million.” June explains that where there is passion and a solid strategy in place, a campaign will blossom.
More about June…
June Bradham is a widely recognized business leader and fundraising expert. Under her guidance and with her hands-on approach, she and her team at CDM (formerly Corporate DevelopMint) have led more than 200 successful fundraising campaigns ranging from $3 million to more than $100 million. Read more about June here.
June can be reached on LinkedIn, or by email at june@changedevelopmove.com.