Uplifting Blog

Listen to what you’re saying about your board. This one sentence may be shaping more than you realize—your tone, your leadership, and their response  “My board won’t fundraise.” It’s a statement I hear from so many Executive Directors and Development leaders. It’s also the statement that has many of you signing up for my courses. And I get it. It usually comes from that familiar frustration: “Once again, the board didn’t step up… didn’t make connections… didn’t bring in the m

Have you ever watched a perfectly competent, intelligent, successful board member completely shrink the moment fundraising comes up? Cue the body language shift. Tight shoulders. Nervous laugh. Sudden fascination with the agenda packet.  You might think, here we go again. Resistance .   What if it’s not resistance? What if it’s also about biology?  The good news is that when we understand what’s happening in the body, it gives us a way forward. The VAGUS NERVE, which helps re

I hear this more often than you might think: “Our board is supposed to bring in money… and they’re not.” This is usually said with fatigue, disappointment, frustration, and a sense of being let down. And I understand why. Fundraising is written into board job descriptions. It’s mentioned in recruitment conversations (hopefully). It’s assumed in strategic plans. So, when revenue doesn’t materialize from board engagement, it feels personal and that something isn’t working. Most

I know. This isn’t shiny. It ’s not revolutionary. There’s no new funnel, framework, or fancy acronym. And yet… it’s efficient, affirming, human, and surprisingly uplifting. Which, honestly, is exactly what many of us need. I keep hearing the same concerns everywhere I go: Stewardship matters. Donor retention is slipping. We need to stay in touch with donors. All true. And often overwhelming. So let’s make this easier. One Simple Habit Imagine this: Every weekday, you call on