RAISE Podcast

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast Brent chats with Colin hennessy, Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving and head of the University of Chicago Alumni Association and Brittany Shaff, Assistant Vice President of Digital Engagement + Philanthropic Giving at the University of Miami. Their friendship took root as members of the Annual Giving Directors Consortium (AGDC), which Brent refers to as the “Fight Club” of advancement. We're always hearing about great conversations they are having amongst themselves, and we thought inviting them to the show could be our ticket to get in on one.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast Brent caught up with one of the longest tenured and most recognized sales professionals at Linkedin, Rob Humphrey. Rob shares a bit about his backstory, teases blockbuster products on the horizon at Linkedin, and answers Brent's burning question; how did he get his name on the credits for the legendary video game, Rock Band.

How often do you get to hear directly from the fundraiser, donor, and gift recipient all together? In this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent had the privilege of hearing first-hand the story of goodwill that has thrust SMU alum, Payton Keith, and student, Jo Lew, into the spotlight. After Dallas Morning News published a story about the struggling SMU student, Payton was compelled to act - and swiftly. He setup a GoFundMe page that raised over $28,000 for Jo in just 48 hours and became a platform for SMU to gain support for ongoing initiatives to support more students like Jo. This episode so perfectly reveals the importance of higher ed fundraising and the power of goodwill - it left Brent, and all of us, in tears.

On this episode of the RAISE podcast, Brent welcomed not 1 but 3 guests; University of Utah’s Janzell Tutor, Director of Alumni Relations and Development, and Chris Barragan, Director of Advancement for the School of Medicine, as well as JD Beebe, CEO and Co-Founder of Thankview. They covered the silver linings of COVID and how personalized video can elevate both alumni relations and development strategies and get you to the thanks.

Brent and Paul chat all things alumni and advancement in this episode of the RAISE podcast. They argue that the alumni association is a lead generator for advancement (hear them out!), how COVID-19 has been the catalyst for the alumni association to break the mold, and how breaking tradition is sometimes necessary for the institution. Paul claims his alumni association is the best in the universe. Listen and weigh in.

On this episode of the podcast, Brent hosts Ithaca College’s 9th president, Dr. Shirley M. Collado. Dr. Collado has an amazing story. She was a first-generation college student and is now the first Dominican American president of a four-year institution. Wherever her career has led — from running the Posse Foundation to leadership positions at Rutgers and Middlebury College — she's always been a change agent guiding institutions to put students first and create spaces for every voice.

Cindy Fredrick, AVP of Alumni, Parents and Friends at UVA joins Brent to talk about the alumni-fundraising partnership, hiring and diversity, and measuring what matters in a COVID world. 

On this episode of the podcast, Jane DiFolco Parker, recently retired VP of advancement at Auburn, joins Brent to discuss leadership, culture, and how to be unafraid to challenge your team, your donors, and yourself to reach higher.

On this episode of the RAISE Podcast Brent caught up with Anne Dean, the Managing Director of Research and Relationship Management at George Washington University. Outside of work Anne started as an alumni chapter leader in San Diego, at work she has accelerated into one of the top leadership roles in the prospect development space. Anne has played a critical role in building out the Giving Funnel at George Washington and we loved hearing about some of her innovative strategies and outcomes.

Age should not be perceived as a limiting factor in the advancement sector. That's what the LSU foundation's VP of development Krista Raney believes, and she's made incredible strides early in her career. Krista's experience shows that by combining a great attitude, a strong work ethic, professional mentorship, and a commitment to delivering results, rapid progression might just be possible within your current institution.

We are thrilled to host our first university president, Dan Lugo from Queens University of Charlotte on the RAISE podcast. Dan has a fascinating story that reflects some of the great aspects of higher education. From his humble beginnings as the youngest of four children in Saint Croix, Virgin Islands to being the first from his family to earn a college degree, Dan is one of the rare advancement leaders who has risen to the highest rank of our sector. We talked about Dan’s career path, what compelled him to take the leap from admissions to advancement, and his philosophy of continually asking, “Why not?"

We recently caught up with Matthew Lambert, VP for University Advancement at William & Mary. Engaging students, alumni, parents and friends, corporations and foundations, and faculty and staff, is critical to William & Mary's future. Matthew and his team in University Advancement strive to foster lifelong relationships among all constituents. William & Mary's ability to flourish and advance as a world-class university depends largely upon the active support of these key stakeholders. Matthew is one of the most respected leaders in our field, he and his colleagues have delivered incredible results and contributed so much as an author. We cover everything from Matthew's first job as a member of the elite Oscar Mayer Wiener hotdogging team to his book, Privatization and the Public Good: Public Universities in the Balance.

Brent is joined by Lynette Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. This episode was recorded early on in the COVID-19 crisis, at a time when they were both adjusting to their new work from home environments. We loved hearing about her journey from growing up on a fifth-generation family farm in Illinois to being one of the most respected leaders in advancement today.

On this episode of the RAISE podcast, Brent caught up with Nate Clapham, Assistant Vice President for Development & Annual Giving at University of Northern Iowa. Nate’s approach to fundraising is simple; he expects to win. They chatted about why Nate is so passionate about education philanthropy, why he pursued a masters in this field, how he evaluates every ask with the 6 rights strategic giving framework, and much more.

Brent is joined by three leaders from UVA’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Association for an interactive discussion on how the changes alumni relations and development teams have made today will last after we’ve emerged from this global pandemic.

On today's episode, I caught up with Jeff Martin, Senior Director of EAB's Advancement Forum. Jeff shares incredible insights into the key themes that will shape the Advancement sector in the coming years. If you aren't familiar with Jeff's and his team's work, you are in for a treat and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Brent Grinna chatted with Chris Campbell, Senior AVP of Information Strategy at the Oklahoma State University Foundation. Chris answered questions about how advancement services can support both the team and alumni in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Josh Newton, Senior Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement at Emory University, joins Brent Grinna for a live conversation about how he’s leading his team, doubling down on digital engagement, and keeping major gift conversations going during these crazy times.

On this live RAISE podcast, Lynne Wester, Donor Relations Guru, joins Brent to answer questions about communication with donors during the COVID-19 crisis. Visit evertrue.com/remote to see all our COVID-19 resources and a summary of the key lessons from this podcast with Lynne.  More about Lynne: https://www.donorrelationsguru.com/

On this episode of the RAISE podcast, Brent sits down with Kyle Vaughn, the Assistant Director of Athletic Fundraising at Ashland University. Kyle was an EverTrue 40 under 40 winner and our RAISE 2019 MVP. Kyle shares his perspective on building a community around athletics, and how he uses social media engagement and a giving funnel approach to fuel his donor pipeline. If you’re looking for someone to bring enthusiasm and optimism to any situation, look no further than Kyle Vaughn. Here we go!