How to Finish the Year Strong (Without Losing Your Mind) Summary: Overwhelmed by all the “shoulds” of year-end fundraising? Take a breath — Danielle Locke’s here to help. In this episode, she walks you through how to use what you already have — your stories, your donors, your mission — to create a heartfelt, high-impact campaign. Because effective fundraising isn’t about doing it all. It’s about doing what matters most, with purpose. In this episode, you’ll learn: - How to focus on what truly drives donor engagement. - The art of reusing and recycling content that still resonates. - Tips for building urgency without pressure or burnout. - Why skipping Giving Tuesday might be the smartest move this year. - How to approach Q4 planning with clarity and confidence. ⁠𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j1x9w1 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤! ✅ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄 ⁠𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 & 𝐂𝐑𝐌𝐬 - 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞! https://www.lockestep.com/post/online-donation-software-and-crm-list ⁠ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 📅 ⁠𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥⁠ https://www.lockestep.com/book-online 🎓 ⁠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞:⁠ “𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺” 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴. https://www.lockestep.com/programs 📱 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 🔗 ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemlocke/ 📸 ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemlocke/ 📘 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/lockesteppartners ▶️ ⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielleMLocke 🌐 ⁠www.LockeStep.com 📩 Email me to get it: 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞@𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩.𝐜𝐨𝐦 #FundraisingTips #NonprofitStrategy #YearEndAppeal #YearEndFundraising #DonorRetention #NonprofitGrowth #CampaignPlanning #EmailMarketingForNonprofits #GivingSeason #NonprofitLeadership #DonorStories #MarketingForGood #FundraisingPodcast #DanielleLocke #Lockestep

🎧 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟑 – “𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞)” Think you’re too busy—or too “non-techie”—to use AI and tech tools in your nonprofit? Think again. In this episode of Fundraising Unfiltered, I'll break down the no-fluff, real-life tech tools I actually use in my day-to-day to save time, stay organized, and build stronger donor relationships. From AI note takers and file sharing to CRMs and ChatGPT, sharing the practical ways tech can help you do more without doing the most. 💥 If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the tech talk, this one’s for you. 🎯 You’ll learn: * The #1 AI tool that saves hours on meeting notes * How to stop the version-control nightmare and collaborate better * Why CRMs aren’t just for big orgs (and which low-cost one to start with) * How AI can give you a 75% head start on your next grant or appeal 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j1x9w1 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤! ✅ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄 ⁠𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 & 𝐂𝐑𝐌𝐬 - 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞! https://www.lockestep.com/post/online-donation-software-and-crm-list ⁠ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 📅 ⁠𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥⁠ https://www.lockestep.com/book-online 🎓 ⁠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞:⁠ “𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺” 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴. https://www.lockestep.com/programs 📱 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 🔗 ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemlocke/ 📸 ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemlocke/ 📘 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/lockesteppartners ▶️ ⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielleMLocke 🌐 ⁠www.LockeStep.com 📩 Email me to get it: 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞@𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩.𝐜𝐨𝐦

In this eye-opening episode, we’re unpacking where the 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 money is hiding—and spoiler: it’s not just federal grants. We’re talking about underestimated goldmines like churches, local businesses, small family foundations, giving circles, and service clubs that are 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 💡 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: • Why individual donors 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 lead in giving • Small family foundations are 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦—are you looking? • Local businesses, churches, and Rotary Clubs want to support you • Fundraising isn’t begging—it’s inviting people to invest in impact ⁠⁠𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j1x9w1 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤! ✅ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘵! Use this creative tool to unearth prospects you never thought of. Even better? Assign it as Board homework! 📩 Email me to get it: 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞@𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 📅 ⁠𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥⁠ https://www.lockestep.com/book-online 🎓 ⁠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞:⁠ “𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺” 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴. https://www.lockestep.com/programs 📱 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 🔗 ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemlocke/ 📸 ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemlocke/ 📘 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/lockesteppartners ▶️ ⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielleMLocke 🌐 ⁠www.LockeStep.com

Kicking off 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 with the story that started it all—where we trade in sugar-coated nonsense for real talk, hard-earned wisdom, and the occasional F-bomb (because fundraising is 𝘯𝘰𝘵 for the faint of heart). I’m Danielle Locke, your Nonprofit Success Partner, and in this very first episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of the moment that flipped my life upside down... and set me on a path to build a thriving business helping nonprofits like yours stop scrambling and start scaling. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚: * I raised $30 million. * Built 130+ endowment funds. * and had the respect of my board, my team, and my community. * I was 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 it in my job at a community foundation. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲? 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐌—𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. But here’s the thing: getting fired was the best damn thing that ever happened to me. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥: Whether you’ve ever been blindsided by leadership drama, underestimated by your board, or just wondered how the hell to turn your nonprofit’s big messy mission into something funders can actually get behind—this one’s for you. And because this podcast isn’t just about me and my dramatic origin story, I’m also handing over the practical advice your strategic plan forgot to include: 👉 Why you need to 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯 👉 How to break down your impact so donors actually understand it 👉 What fundraising is really about (hint: not sales, not manipulation, just meaningful connections with the people who care most) So, pour yourself a strong one, hit play, and let’s go! 🔥𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩 ⁠⁠⁠𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩.𝐜𝐨𝐦⁠⁠ ⁠ 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐝. ⁠𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.⁠ https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j1x9w1 Share this with your nonprofit bestie who needs the pep talk! 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 📅 ⁠𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝟑𝟎-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥⁠ https://www.lockestep.com/book-online 🎓 ⁠𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞:⁠ “𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺” 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴. https://www.lockestep.com/programs 📱 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 🔗 ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemlocke/ 📸 ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemlocke/ 📘 ⁠Facebook⁠: https://www.facebook.com/lockesteppartners ▶️ ⁠YouTube⁠: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielleMLocke 🌐 ⁠www.LockeStep.com

Nonprofits have had to cancel or reimagine their fundraising events. During this time, we need to get creative in ways to reach and engage our donors, as well as raise income, when we can’t physically host an event. In this video I give you 10 Tips (and more) ways to ensure your virtual event is a success. Comment “virtual” and I’ll send you a handout with all these tips, links to great samples and more.

This quick video outlines what it’s like to work with me as a coach and why you can find success in working with me. This is a new concept for many. Me too. Now is the time to let me help you raise more money than you thought you could.

10 ways you can raise money for your nonprofit without making a direct ask. It’s easy!

Members are donors. Stop treating them like a transaction. Start building relationships with them today to raising more money.

In this video I give you a simple definition for Donor Cultivation. What is it. How do you get started. I also outline the stages of donor cultivation so you know how to go from the first meeting to major gift.