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The Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast

The Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast

By: Tom Kelly
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Are you leaving money on the table at your fundraising events? Most nonprofits, schools, and churches run the same auction year after year and wonder why the numbers barely move. The answer is almost never the cause — it is the strategy. And strategy is exactly what this show delivers. Million Dollar Nonprofit is the daily podcast for fundraising practitioners who want one specific, actionable tip they can use before their next event. Every episode is under 10 minutes. Every episode delivers a tactic you can implement immediately — no fluff, no inspiration without execution. This show is for development directors trying to hit their annual fundraising goal, school auction chairs planning their biggest event of the year, gala organizers who want to raise more without spending more, and nonprofit leaders who know their events could perform better. Hosted and sponsored by CharityAuctions.com — the platform behind thousands of live fundraising events every year. Every tip on this show is backed by real data from real auctions, not theory. New episode every weekday. Under 10 minutes. One tip you can use today. Subscribe now and grab your free Silent Auction Toolkit at CharityAuctions.com/resources/Tom Kelly Daily Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The 3-Email Sequence That Triples Monthly Donor Conversions
    Jul 7 2026

    Most nonprofits ask for a monthly gift at exactly the wrong moment and it is costing them two-thirds of their potential recurring donors. Donors who receive this specific three-message follow-up sequence convert to monthly giving at three times the rate of those who get a single thank-you email.


    When someone bids at your auction or donates at your event, they are in a temporary, emotionally elevated state. If you wait until your annual appeal to ask for a recurring gift, you are treating it like a cold transaction. In this episode, we break down the exact timing and language for the 48-hour thank-you, the 14-day impact story, and the 30-day soft ask that turns one-time event attendees into reliable, long-term supporters.


    What You'll Learn:

    • The exact sentence to include in your 48-hour donor thank-you email to set up future contact.

    • Why the 14-day follow-up must be a single human impact story with absolutely no ask attached.

    • The exact word-for-word script for the 30-day soft ask that frames monthly giving as a low-risk community upgrade.


    Timestamps:

    [00:00]: # "Introduction — the wrong moment to ask for a monthly gift"

    [00:45]: # "Sponsor: CharityAuctions.com"

    [01:30]: # "Why timing matters: the emotional window after your event"

    [02:45]: # "Message 1: The 48-hour thank-you that plants a seed"

    [04:30]: # "Message 2: The 14-day impact story"

    [06:15]: # "Message 3: The 30-day soft ask (word-for-word language)"

    [08:00]: # "Recap & Free Resource"


    Resources Mentioned:

    • Free Donor Thank-You Email Templates (5-Pack): CharityAuctions.com/donor-emails

    • Book a Free Demo: CharityAuctions.com/demo


    Follow the show so you never miss a daily tip. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, it takes 30 seconds and helps us reach more fundraisers. Visit CharityAuctions.com to see the platform behind the data we share every day.

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    7 mins
  • The Last 10 Minutes of Your Silent Auction Are Worth $8,000
    Jul 2 2026

    The last ten minutes of your silent auction are worth more than the first two hours combined.


    Most organizations have no idea, and because of that, they leave thousands of dollars on the table every single event.


    In this episode, we break down the behavioral psychology behind the final-minutes bidding spike, why loss aversion is the most powerful force in your auction room, and the exact three-step system to engineer a last-minute surge intentionally.


    This is one of the highest-leverage tactics you can implement before your next event, and it costs nothing to execute.


    What You'll Learn:

    • How to script a 10-minute warning announcement that activates loss aversion and drives a bidding spike.

    • Why deploying volunteers to walk the room in the final minutes adds thousands in revenue.

    • How a countdown close for your top items turns the end of your silent auction into a mini live auction.


    Timestamps:

    [00:00]: # "Introduction: The Final 10-Minute Revenue Window"

    [00:45]: # "Sponsor: CharityAuctions.com"

    [01:15]: # "The Psychology: Loss Aversion & Social Proof"

    [02:45]: # "Step 1: Script Your 10-Minute Warning Announcement"

    [04:30]: # "Step 2: Deploy Volunteers to Walk the Room"

    [05:45]: # "Step 3: Use a Countdown Close for Top Items"

    [07:30]: # "Recap & Free Resource"


    Resources Mentioned:

    • Free Platform Demo (see your real-time bidding data): charityauctions.com/demo

    • Book a Free Demo: charityauctions.com/demo


    Connect & Subscribe:

    Follow the show so you never miss a daily tip. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, it takes 30 seconds and helps us reach more fundraisers. Visit CharityAuctions.com to see the platform behind the data we share every day.

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • The 48-Hour Donor Thank-You Window That Saves Your Retention Rate
    Jun 30 2026

    Your event ended last night. Your donors are already forgetting. Not because they don't care, because life moves fast. And if you're not in front of them within 48 hours, you're losing donors you already earned.


    In this episode, you'll learn the exact three-step follow-up system that turns one-time bidders into long-term supporters.

    We break down why the 48-hour window is backed by donor psychology research, what a personal thank-you email must include to actually move people, and why a 30-second phone call to your top 25 donors is one of the highest-ROI activities in all of fundraising.


    What You'll Learn:

    • Why donor retention drops sharply when thank-yous are delayed past 48 hours.

    • The three elements every post-event thank-you email must include to feel personal, not generic.

    • How a 30-second phone call from your executive director can increase next-year giving.


    Timestamps:

    [00:00]: # "Introduction: The 48-Hour Window"

    [00:45]: # "Sponsor: CharityAuctions.com"

    [01:15]: # "Why Timing Is the #1 Retention Variable"

    [02:30]: # "Step 1: Send a Personal Thank-You Email Within 24 Hours"

    [04:00]: # "Step 2: Call Your Top 25 Donors Within 48 Hours"

    [05:30]: # "Step 3: Post a Public Thank-You on Social Media"

    [07:30]: # "Recap & Free Resource"


    Resources Mentioned:

    • Free Donor Thank-You Email Templates (5-Pack): charityauctions.com/donor-emails

    • Book a Free Demo: charityauctions.com/demo


    Connect & Subscribe:

    Follow the show so you never miss a daily tip. Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, it takes 30 seconds and helps us reach more fundraisers.


    Visit CharityAuctions.com to see the platform behind the data we share every day.






    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
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