A Modern Nonprofit Podcast · The Charity CFO, LLC

Episode 126: Fundraising vs. Sales: What I Wish I Knew about Sales When I was a Fundraiser

·49 min·3 clips

Aaron says follow-up is "absolutely everything" because busy donors are not necessarily saying no.

The conversation starts with the feeling that some fundraisers have been flying blind. The host says there has to be a better way to do the work. Aaron Landis is introduced as a friend, teammate, and former nonprofit fundraiser. He previously led corporate partnerships at Habitat for Humanity in Austin, Texas. He also spent time consulting on fundraising, marketing, and brand building. That background makes him a useful foil for the comparison to business development. The two keep circling back to corporate gifts and sponsorships. Those relationships do not look exactly like individual giving. Still, the same pressure shows up around follow-up and attention. The show keeps pushing the question of what a workable system looks like day to day. They talk about using technology to create reminders. The CRM is treated like a second brain. That way the work does not have to live in one person's memory. The host then raises turnover in development roles. He points to how quickly donor data gets messy and why clean data matters for handoffs. Clean data helps with immediate outreach. It also makes transitions easier when staff change. They talk through tracking giving history and touchpoints. The point is simple: bad data compounds. The conversation closes with a plug for the newsletter and a monthly webinar series.

As heard by us

A practical look at how fundraising habits map onto organized business development.

The discussion treats fundraising and business development as closely linked work, especially where sponsorships, outreach, and follow-up depend on steady relationship management.

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Why you'd press play

When your nonprofit workflow needs less guesswork and more follow-through, especially after a handoff on donor data.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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