The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast: Episode 94 Summary Title: How to Build a Strong Foundation for Your Nonprofit
Release Date: June 11, 2025
Hosts: Jim Dempsey and Jason Galicinski

Introduction: Laying the Groundwork for Long-Term Success

In Episode 94 of The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast, hosts Jim Dempsey and Jason Galicinski delve into the critical topic of building a strong foundation for nonprofit organizations. Drawing from their combined 60 years of development experience, Jim and Jason emphasize the importance of moving beyond short-term fundraising tactics to establish sustainable, long-lasting support for nonprofits.

The Short-Term vs. Long-Term Fundraising Mindset

Short-Term Fundraising: Jim and Jason begin by contrasting short-term and long-term fundraising strategies. They use the analogy of a sandcastle versus a skyscraper to illustrate the fleeting nature of short-term efforts compared to the enduring impact of long-term planning.

• Transactional Focus: Jim shares his preference for steady, long-term commitments over one-time donations:
  “Would you rather have $1,000 now or $10 a month for a lifetime? I'll take the $10 a month for a lifetime.” (00:10)
  He explains that transactional fundraising—viewed as a necessary evil—often leads to shallow donor relationships and inconsistent support.

• Impulsiveness and Quantity Over Quality: The hosts highlight how short-term strategies often result in emotional, impulsive decisions and a focus on the quantity of donations rather than the quality of donor relationships.
  “It's all about short-term. It's selling cookies, it's having car washes… You just need money.” (08:04)

• Lack of Planning and Faith: Short-term approaches typically lack strategic planning and do not incorporate faith or prayer, leading to short-lived results. Jim underscores the importance of trusting in a higher purpose:
  “You're trusting your own methods, your own strategies. You want to control things. This is going to be solved. I don't need to pull God into this.” (12:45)

Long-Term Fundraising: Conversely, long-term fundraising focuses on building deep, meaningful relationships with donors, strategic planning, and sustainable impact.

• Relational Focus: Jim emphasizes building relationships before discussing financial contributions:
  “When you build a relationship, when you listen, you care about the person… You’re going to get a lot more money in the long term by doing that.” (15:40)

• Purposeful Planning: Developing a strategic plan with a clear vision for the next three to five years is crucial.
  “Having a three to five year vision that you can present to people.” (15:42)

• Integrating Faith and Prayer: The hosts stress the significance of grounding fundraising efforts in faith, ensuring that organizational goals are aligned with a higher purpose. Jim shares his personal reliance on scripture:
  “Faithful is he who calls you and he will bring it to pass.” (19:24)

• Sustainable Impact: Focusing on the long-term impact ensures that the nonprofit can continue to make a difference over time.
  “If it's not to make an impact in people's lives and to make a change in this world for the better, then the ministry or the nonprofit is probably not going to last very long.” (21:20)

Strategies for Building a Strong Foundation

Jim and Jason outline several key strategies essential for establishing a robust foundation in nonprofit organizations:

1. Start with the End in Mind:

   • Visualizing the long-term goals and understanding the ultimate impact of the nonprofit’s efforts.
   • Jim illustrates this with the Old and New Testament teachings, emphasizing God's overarching plan:
     “We can see God's plan all the way through… God sees out into the future.” (23:41)

2. Create a Strategic Development Plan:

   • Developing a comprehensive plan that includes a development model to cultivate donors over time.
   • Jim compares developing donors to nurturing a long-term marriage, stressing the need for intentional steps:
     “You’ve got to take people along a continuum and along a journey from barely knowing you to giving their first gift to multiple gifts.” (25:36)

3. Faith and Prayer Integration:

   • Continuously involving prayer and seeking divine guidance to ensure the nonprofit’s mission aligns with a higher calling.
   • Jason references Matthew 6:33 to emphasize prioritizing faith in all aspects of the organization:
     “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and everything else will be added unto you.” (29:18)

4. Friend Raising Over Fundraising:

   • Prioritizing the cultivation of relationships over immediate financial gains.
   • Jim reiterates the importance of long-term partnerships over one-time donations:
     “$100 a month times 40 years… Do the math.” (31:20)

5. Building Sustainable Impact:

   • Ensuring that fundraising efforts translate into meaningful, lasting change.
   • The focus remains on creating programs and initiatives that have a significant, enduring influence on the community.

The Perfect Vision Dinner and Winner’s Circle Programs

Jim and Jason introduce their specialized programs designed to institutionalize long-term fundraising strategies:

• Perfect Vision Dinner Mentorship Program:

  • A foundational program aimed at helping nonprofits secure their first significant round of funding by building strong donor relationships.
  • “The Perfect Vision Dinner is the bedrock of everything we do.” (31:42)

• Winner’s Circle Program:

  • An invitation-only, three-year coaching program that guides nonprofits through advanced fundraising strategies, including major donor cultivation, peer-to-peer fundraising, and planned giving.
  • Jason shares success stories, such as Brian, who raised over $200,000 after joining the program:
    “He’s just accelerating, did his second dinner and raised over $200,000.” (26:00)

These programs emphasize gradual, strategic growth akin to building a skyscraper—layer by layer—ensuring a stable and enduring foundation.

Legacy and Sustainability

The hosts conclude by highlighting the importance of leaving a lasting legacy. They use Jim’s organization, which manages a $750 million annual budget and has a global presence, as a testament to the power of long-term planning and strategic fundraising.

• Jim reflects on sustaining a legacy through decades of ministry:
  “If you want to still be in existence 75 years from now, you’ve got to build that deep foundation.” (38:13)

Jason echoes this sentiment, encouraging listeners to adopt a sustainable approach:
“We’re not interested in just raising a quick… we’re interested in getting you long-term partners and to give you a long-term sustainable plan.” (35:37)

Conclusion: Building Your Nonprofit’s Skyscraper

Episode 94 serves as a comprehensive guide for nonprofit leaders aiming to transition from short-term fundraising tactics to building a sustainable, impactful organization. By focusing on relationship-building, strategic planning, faith integration, and sustainable impact, Jim and Jason provide actionable insights to help nonprofits establish a strong foundation that can withstand the test of time.

Notable Quotes:

• “Would you rather have $1,000 now or $10 a month for a lifetime? I'll take the $10 a month for a lifetime.” – Jim Dempsey (00:10)
• “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and everything else will be added unto you.” – Jason Galicinski (29:18)
• “We are the number one channel for the nonprofit executives.” – Jim Dempsey (03:16)
• “If you want your organization to succeed… you've got to build that deep foundation.” – Jim Dempsey (38:13)

Next Steps for Nonprofit Leaders:

• Assess Your Mindset: Determine whether your current fundraising approach is short-term or long-term.
• Engage in Strategic Planning: Develop a multi-year vision and create a strategic development plan.
• Build Relationships: Focus on friend raising over immediate fundraising.
• Incorporate Faith: Ensure your organization’s mission and fundraising efforts are aligned with your core values and faith.
• Leverage Mentorship Programs: Consider joining programs like the Perfect Vision Dinner and Winner’s Circle to receive guided support in strengthening your foundation.

For more detailed strategies and insights, listen to Episode 94 of The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast and explore their mentorship opportunities to elevate your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts.