Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

Episode: How Using a “Permission Ask” Can Improve Your Fundraising
Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guest: Jeff Schreifels, Principal and Owner of Veritas Group
Date: November 24, 2025

Overview

This episode centers on actionable fundraising strategies for nonprofits, focusing on relationship-centered approaches that drive long-term sustainability—especially amid economic uncertainty, donor fatigue, and diminishing government funding. Dr. Rob Harter interviews fundraising expert Jeff Schreifels, who outlines the transformative power of “permission-based asking,” practical ways organizations can build lasting donor relationships, and the importance of unifying internal teams around the donor journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current Fundraising Challenges & Strategic Shifts

Timestamp: 00:01 – 06:13

• The nonprofit sector faces increasing competition for funding, particularly as federal and state grants are slashed.
• Giving had already been trending downward before COVID-19; the pandemic spike has faded.
• Schreifels emphasizes the danger of nonprofits cutting their fundraising spend during downturns:

  “Fundraising is the engine that’s keeping it going. So do not cut fundraising.” (04:39, Jeff)

• Importance of a balanced investment in all donor pipeline areas: acquisition, cultivation, mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving.

Key Takeaways:

• Avoid across-the-board cuts that harm fundraising.
• Invest in relationships at every donor level for resilience through storms and downturns.

2. Relationship-Centered Fundraising

Timestamp: 06:13 – 09:33

• Relationship-building with donors is now more important than ever due to declining returns from direct response methods.

  “Direct response fundraising has become more expensive and the results have been less... those organizations that have focused on building relationships with donors... we’re seeing 20–25% gains year over year.” (07:24, Jeff)

• Many donors love organizations but have never been invited into deeper conversations or bigger commitments.
• Schreifels shares that challenging and engaging donors can unlock extraordinary generosity.

3. The Permission Ask: A New Way to Engage Donors

Timestamp: 09:33 – 12:55

• Veritas Group’s “permission-based asking” empowers donors to drive the conversation:

  “It’s basically a structure for how to talk to donors that allows the donor to drive the conversation.” (09:54, Jeff)

• Fundraisers use structured alignment and questioning to let donors state their interests and consent to deeper conversations—less pressure, more authenticity.
• The approach removes anxiety from fundraisers by making the ask collaborative, not adversarial:

  “They’re not trying to get the donor to do something they may not want to do. They’re allowing the donor to say, yes, I want to fund this project.” (11:12, Jeff)

• Both donors and gift officers find more joy in the process:

  “It completely changed for the major gift officer their idea of what fundraising is all about and how much more fun it is.” (12:55, Jeff)

4. Reframing the Purpose of Fundraising

Timestamp: 13:44 – 15:06

• Schreifels identifies fundraising’s dual purpose:

  “One is to find net revenue... the other is to help a donor find joy in their giving and make an impact on the world. And when you do that, you will find the net revenue.” (13:59, Jeff)

• Fundraising is less about money, more about matching donor passion with organizational need.

5. Building a Successful Mid and Major Gift Program

Timestamp: 16:05 – 18:44

• The “Veritas Way” consists of structured portfolios, donor qualification, tiering, and explicit plans for each donor.
• Weekly accountability meetings with fundraisers (“Did you do what you said you were going to do?”) drive results and provide needed support:

  “Being a fundraiser is a frontline... It’s a lot of work. There’s a lot of rejection in this job. You need someone to come alongside... to be your coach, to be your cheerleader, but also to keep you accountable.” (16:59, Jeff)

• Success formula: structure + coaching + accountability = portfolio growth and fundraiser satisfaction.

6. Accountability with Volunteer Fundraisers

Timestamp: 18:44 – 20:07

• For organizations reliant on volunteers, apply the same accountability principles as for paid staff—but with clarity and support to ensure positive experiences.
• Volunteer boards respond well to clear plans and mutual meetings; teamwork emerges when everyone tracks progress together.

7. Embedding Donor-Center Philosophy Across the Organization

Timestamp: 20:07 – 22:11

• Start with a philosophical shift: “Do you believe donors are also part of your mission?”
• With the right donor-centric ethos, practical changes (thanking, impact reporting, cultivation plans) flow naturally.

  “If you have that ethos about donors are our mission, all the practical things will fall into place because that’s what’s driving all of it.” (21:44, Jeff)

8. Breaking Down Internal Barriers to Donor Movement

Timestamp: 22:11 – 25:36

• Common barriers: internal silos, competition between departments, misaligned KPIs (e.g., direct response teams not incentivized to move donors up the giving ladder).

  “We create these things like, oh, ‘I don’t want to give up our donors.’ No, they’re not your donors. They’re the organization’s donor. And if you think about it, you’re preventing donors from giving more because you’re afraid you’re going to lose revenue.” (23:19, Jeff)

• The solution: cross-team meetings to realign goals around the donor journey and create KPIs that reward positive donor movement (e.g., from direct response to mid/major giving).

9. Preparing for the Future: Donor Diversification & Planned Giving

Timestamp: 26:38 – 29:11

• Revenue diversification is more urgent as government funding shrinks.
• Many organizations are under-invested in planned giving; those who began early are now thriving.

  “Those organizations that 15 years ago really invested in plan giving, I mean, they’re just rolling. Money’s coming in.” (27:43, Jeff)

• Public media and others have learned to engage donors in crises, but must build lasting systems beyond one-off emergency gifts.

10. Practical Approaches to Donor Engagement

Timestamp: 29:11 – 31:57

• Sustainable fundraising comes from proactive planning: Know your donors, document plans for each, and maintain regular “meaningful connections.”

  “What we’d like to have is around 30 to 35 meaningful connections a month. Now, a meaningful connection might not be face to face... It could be an email, a text—if you have a donor who’s a great texter. We’ve had donations come in at $200,000–$300,000 through text.” (30:16, Jeff)

• “Working your plan” with each donor is the gold standard for predicting and exceeding fundraising goals.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Maintaining Investment in Fundraising:
  “Do not cut fundraising. So those organizations that we’ve worked with in the past that have survived through economic downturns... have maintained their fundraising investment and progress. And when they do that, they weather that storm much better.” (04:43, Jeff)

• On Relationship-Centered Fundraising:
  “We’re seeing with our clients 20–25% gains year over year. So while overall the sector is less, I think a lot of that is coming from direct response results. From Major gifts and midlevel, we’re seeing increases in revenue.” (07:27, Jeff)

• On Permission-Based Asking:
  “By giving that major gift officer a structure of which to do this and to allow to ask the donor if they want to move forward in the conversation, takes a lot of pressure off... it’s all allowing the donor to kind of lead that for you.” (11:28, Jeff)

• On the Dual Purpose of Fundraising:
  “There’s a dual purpose in fundraising. One is to find net revenue... and the other is to help a donor find joy in their giving and make an impact on the world. And when you do that, you will find the net revenue.” (13:59, Jeff)

• On Accountability and Teamwork for Volunteers:
  “We treated them as if they were paid staff and held them accountable to what they said they were going to do on a volunteer basis. These board members loved it... everyone had a great time doing it and felt supported.” (19:25, Jeff)

• On Donors as Part of the Mission:
  “If the donor is trying to help you do this, now you have an obligation to that donor to help them not only understand the impact they’re making... but to find joy in their giving through you.” (21:01, Jeff)

• On Internal Barriers and KPIs:
  “A big barrier... is you have the wrong KPIs in the sense that the KPI for direct response is not only revenue, but how many donors can you move into mid level? Give them an incentive.” (22:36, Jeff)

• On Practical Donor Engagement:
  “Not all these metrics... are as important as at the end of the day, ask the fundraiser: ‘Did you work your plan?’ And we know that if you worked your plan, nine times out of ten you make or exceed your revenue goals.” (31:27, Jeff)

Resource Links & Calls to Action

Timestamp: 32:27 – 33:43

• For white papers, blogs, and free tools: veritasgroup.com

  “If you go on our website, we have a resource page. We have 25 different white papers... We have over 1,500 blog posts... We also have a Veritas Group Academy, which is our training online training platform.” (32:40, Jeff)

Summary Table of Key Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------------------|--------------| | State of Fundraising & Need for Relationships | 00:01-06:13 | | Relationship Centered Fundraising | 06:13-09:33 | | Permission-Based Asking Explained | 09:33-12:55 | | Broader Purpose of Fundraising | 13:44-15:06 | | Building Strong Programs & Accountability | 16:05-18:44 | | Volunteer Fundraisers & Accountability | 18:44-20:07 | | Donor-Centered Philosophy | 20:07-22:11 | | Barriers to Mid/Major Gift Adoption | 22:11-25:36 | | Preparing for a Sustainable Future | 26:38-29:11 | | Practical Engagement Metrics | 29:11-31:57 | | Free Resources Call-Out | 32:27-33:43 |

Conclusion

This episode delivers a wealth of practical advice for nonprofit leaders seeking sustainable fundraising in a tough environment. By shifting toward relationship-driven, permission-based engagement, implementing structured accountability, and realigning organizational goals around the donor journey, organizations can break through stagnation and ensure long-term impact. The actionable philosophy and tools offered by Jeff Schreifels and the Veritas Group prove invaluable for teams of any size or budget.