RKD Group: Thinkers

Episode: From food banks to PBS: Jen Newmeyer’s journey alongside digital fundraising
Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Justin (with Ronnie)
Guest: Jen Newmeyer, Senior Director of Digital Fundraising Strategy at PBS

Overview

This episode dives into Jen Newmeyer's extensive journey through the nonprofit sector, tracing her early foray into donor database management, her transformative tenure at a major food bank, strategic leadership at PBS, and her influential role as a thought leader and author in the digital fundraising space. The conversation covers technological evolutions, sector challenges, the importance of collaboration, the pitfalls of scarcity mindsets in nonprofits, and the future impact of AI on digital fundraising.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jen’s Intentional Entry into Nonprofit Work

• Unlike many in the sector, Jen deliberately pursued nonprofit work early in her career, starting at McGuire McGuire as an office assistant and becoming immersed in donor data management.
  • “I started at McGuire, McGuire as sort of an office assistant, and I was attracted to the company because they were working with nonprofits across the country.” (04:47)
• Her early work included a “big technology jump” when nonprofits started receiving donor information on diskettes rather than slips of paper.

Pivot Point at Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina

• Her “aha” moment stemmed from a mentor asking, “What are you still doing here? ...You really should think about, like, a career and, like, really sort of taking your skills and talents on the road.” (07:31)
• Jen led digital fundraising efforts during formative years for social media, growing online revenue from $150,000 to over $1 million.

Building and Innovating Digital Strategy

• Early freedom at the food bank enabled experimentation: she managed site redesigns, implemented e-newsletters, and launched campaigns.
• At PBS and in public media, she noticed slower digital adoption and “real resistance internally” to new approaches.

The State of Digital Fundraising in Nonprofits

• 92% of nonprofits operate below $5 million annually, often lacking both technology and skilled staff for digital fundraising.
  • “For the majority, ...we’re pretty far behind where we need to be from a digital fundraising standpoint.” (12:07)
• Barriers:
  • Leadership misunderstanding or lack of buy-in
  • Siloing between marketing (MarCom) and fundraising/development teams
  • Organizational resistance to collaboration and experimentation

Collaboration & Organizational Silos

• Collaboration is essential but rare, as described through territorial behavior and fear of destabilizing internal goals:
  • “There are a lot of territorial issues. ...I don’t want to have you involved.” (16:30)
  • Anecdote: A direct mail lead opposed mid-level donor contact by another team, fearing for her “ear tagged” donors. (18:58)
  • Pressure for results, tight budgets, and scrutiny breed siloed behaviors.

Scarcity Mindset vs. Collaboration

• Scarcity and risk aversion are endemic in nonprofits, fueled by tight budgets and high accountability to missional outcomes:
  • “I read all the time about nonprofits operating in a scarcity mindset...” (20:18)
• The group contrasts nonprofit scarcity with for-profit cutthroat environments.

Consulting & Authorship (CharityGen)

• Jen started her LLC, CharityGen, mainly for legal reasons in publishing her first book, but it became a side platform for speaking and consulting:
  • “There really wasn’t like, I’m going to start a consulting firm. ...I guess I have this LLC. I could be a consult.” (22:19)
• Wrote two influential books out of frustration with sector resistance and lack of digital literacy, particularly in public media:
  • Surprised by sector-wide gaps: “...the slide turns and it was like email. ...Everybody in the room was like, ooh, they’re writing things down. I was like, oh my gosh.” (26:23)
  • “I’m just gonna write a book, you know, and just put it out there so that everyone knows what they need to do.” (28:03)
• Book topics expanded from campaign guides to broader fundraising frameworks, audience growth, and stewardship.

Professional Certification Gap

• She notes that mainstream fundraising certifications (CFRE) still omit digital strategy, hampering integration into development offices.

Looking to the Future: AI and Digital Fundraising

• Jen sees AI as a future game-changer, especially for resource-constrained organizations.
  • “It’s going to be a godsend for those resource-constrained organizations that are going to be able to utilize all of these tools to just find greater efficiencies and therefore focus more on some of the more advanced strategies like experimentation.” (30:33)
• Questions how social media community-building will evolve and how SEO adapts as AI becomes more deeply integrated.

A Third Book?

• With ongoing changes, Jen hints at a third book already in the works:
  • “I do have a confession that I have a folder on my Google Drive called Book 3.” (32:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We were providing our nonprofits...with, instead of little donor names on little slips of paper, donor names on diskette. Yes. Big, big technology jump there.”
  • Jen Newmeyer, (05:30)
• On the digital evolution in nonprofits:
  • “I think that for a lot of small nonprofits, like, it’s a real struggle to...launch things and you have the skill...” (12:07)
• On organizational silos:
  • “Wait, what is she doing? No, she’s not, she’s not going to steal any of my people.” (18:58)
• On scarcity mindset:
  • “We have to be scrappy, you know, because we’re a nonprofit.” (20:18)
• On writing her first book:
  • “I remember joking at, after like a year and a half or so with someone at PBS. And I was like, look, I’m just gonna write a book, you know, and just put it out there so that everyone knows what they need to do.” (28:03)
• On the impact of AI:
  • “It’s going to be a godsend for those resource-constrained organizations...” (30:33)
• Looking ahead:
  • “I do have a confession that I have a folder on my Google Drive called Book 3.” (32:25)

Important Timestamps

• 04:47 – Jen discusses her intentional start in nonprofit work at McGuire McGuire
• 07:07 – The pivotal conversation that instilled confidence to “take her talents on the road”
• 09:25 – Jen's move to North Carolina and Food Bank context
• 12:07 – Assessment of the current state of digital fundraising in the sector
• 16:30 – Why collaboration remains such a challenge
• 18:58 – Anecdote about siloed donor ownership within a development department
• 20:18 – Exploration of scarcity mindset’s impact on nonprofit innovation
• 22:19 – The origins of her consulting LLC, CharityGen
• 23:49 – Motivation and lessons learned from writing her books
• 26:23 – Public media sector's surprising digital lag
• 30:33 – Outlook on AI’s role in nonprofit digital fundraising
• 32:25 – Hint at a third book in the works

Tone and Takeaways

The discussion is candid and accessible, blending humor, realism, and expertise. Jen’s journey illustrates both the sector's challenges and its opportunities for transformation—provided that nonprofits can break free from silos, embrace collaboration, and adapt to rapid technological change. Her experience demonstrates the real value of internal voices as thought leaders, offering relatable guidance for practitioners at any stage of their digital fundraising journey.