Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: We Are For Good – The Podcast for Nonprofits
Episode: 665. Working Session: Activate Your Board + Grow Your Pipeline with Rhea Wong
Date: December 15, 2025
Host(s): Jon McCoy, Becky Endicott
Guest: Rhea Wong (Fundraising Expert)

This "Working Session" episode brings fundraising expert Rhea Wong back to the podcast for a rapid-fire, highly practical guide. The conversation centers on two key priorities for nonprofit professionals at year-end:

1. How to activate your board in the final weeks of the year to maximize fundraising
2. How to turn end-of-year activity into a powerful, predictable donor pipeline for the year ahead.

The episode is packed with actionable steps and real-talk strategies to help fundraisers and nonprofit leaders make the most of December and set up success for 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Board Activation in December

Rhea's Framework for Easy, Effective Board Engagement:

• 1. Give First:
  • Every board member should make their own donation before asking others.
  • “It is impossible to ask someone to support something that you yourself have not given to.” (Rhea Wong, 01:35)
• 2. Warm Nudges:
  • Board members should commit to 3-5 personalized nudges (via email, text, or voicemail) to their networks.
  • December is not for donor acquisition, but for closing existing prospects:
    • "December is decision time. December is let's close those gifts." (Rhea Wong, 02:11)
  • Lower friction: Provide pre-drafted messages and clear contact lists.
• 3. Social Media Push:
  • Ask board members to post about the organization and their role to amplify reach.
• 4. LinkedIn Presence:
  • Ensure every board member has their board role listed on LinkedIn and the organization has an active page.
  • "Make sure that your board members on their LinkedIn profiles list themselves as board members." (Rhea Wong, 03:16)

Advanced Tactics:

• Phone-a-thon at Board Meetings/Events:
  • Get board members to do quick calls/texts to lapsed donors or send thank-yous in a “party-like” setting before any celebrations.
  • "Before you let them have the booze, do a little phone-a-thon." (Rhea Wong, 03:30)

Psychological Tips:

• Make it Fun and Social:
  • “...make it a party... don’t make it a drag, but use them to increase the surface area of the reach.” (Rhea Wong, 04:42)
• Reduce Friction:
  • The easier the task, the more likely volunteers and board members will do it: “If I can, like, help you cut and paste.” (Rhea Wong, 05:26)
• Be Clear in Your Asks:
  • Avoid blanket emails and generic requests. Assign specific roles and tasks to individuals for accountability.
  • “If it's to everyone, it's to no one.” (Rhea Wong, 06:48)
  • “I need you to, like, be specific about the thing that you’re asking me to do.” (06:56)
  • “To be clear is to be kind.” (Host, 08:01)

2. Quick Wins for Moving Disengaged Boards or Donors

• Replace “Help” with “Take Responsibility For”:
  • Reminds board members of their commitment and creates accountability (05:58).
• Direct, Personal Outreach Trumps Mass Emails:
  • “Pick up the phone, call the people, be like, hey, Becky, here’s what I need from you this week...” (Rhea Wong, 06:37)
• Assign Roles Like in CPR:
  • Directly address individuals, not groups, to assign responsibility (07:41).

3. Closing Year-End Gifts: The Two-Call Close Method

“December is for Decisions.” (Rhea Wong, 08:28)

Rhea’s Step-by-Step Outreach Strategy:

1. Triage Your List:
   • Focus on your warmest prospects—those with relationships and recent engagement.
2. Create a Compelling Reason for Reaching Out (R4RO):
   • Generate a list of 10 names and tailor your outreach with specific, relevant reasons (milestones, news, matching gifts, updates). Avoid “check-in” calls.
3. First Contact (via phone/email/text):
   • Aim: Set up a 15-minute call—do not ask for a gift yet.
4. Conversation #1 – Alignment Call:
   • Listen deeply to donor priorities and interests. Use the time to learn, not solicit.
   • “Your only goal in conversation one is to get to conversation two.” (Rhea Wong, 09:14)
5. Set Up Conversation #2:
   • Bridge from what you learned: “Based on what I’m hearing, I would love to set up another call to present an opportunity that's aligned with all the things you told me matter to you.”
6. Conversation #2 – Thoughtful Solicitation:
   • Recap what you heard.
   • Present the opportunity in four parts: Frame, Urgency (“why now”), Impact, and a specific solicitation amount and date.
   • “And then you stop talking.” (Rhea Wong, 11:28)
7. Prepare for Objections:
   • Brainstorm 15 likely objections in advance so you’re never caught off-guard.

Memorable Advice:

• “This is a strategy that you can only use in December because of the urgency created by year end.” (Rhea Wong, 11:49)
• “After you ask for that number... shut up.” (Host, 12:38)
• “If you get a voicemail, use it as a prompt and then follow up with an email.” (Rhea Wong, 13:35)
• “At every gate that they say yes, you take it to the next level.” (13:58)

Tools Mentioned:

• Slybroadcast.com: For sending audio messages direct to voicemail if calls don’t go through (Host tip, 14:44).

4. Turning Year-End Activity into a 2026 Pipeline

If you have 30 minutes in January:

• Focus on Retention and Stewardship:
  • Review everyone who gave (December + all year).
  • Ask: What can you do to make them feel special?
  • “Donor retention, as you know, is the number one bugaboo... If they just held onto their donors, they would be way ahead of the game.” (Rhea Wong, 15:38)
• Design a Stewardship Workflow:
  • Plan tailored touchpoints for donors throughout the year (calls, surveys, thank-yous, invites).
• Shake the Tree with Short Surveys:
  • Send simple surveys post-campaign to identify who wants to learn more, visit, or talk. Use it to start donor conversations and “find the hand-raisers” (16:00).
• Analyze Engagement Data:
  • Overlay your donor lists with engagement info—who opens emails, attends events, shares on social—to identify your “hottest prospects.”
• “Click Here to Meet” Calendar Links:
  • Add a scheduling link to every email signature to offer instant donor connection (17:30+).

5. Building a Robust Donor Avatar (Long-Term Pipeline Assignment)

• Interview Your Top 3 Donors (Not Just Biggest):
  • Invite them for “homework” chats—no solicitation, just to understand what motivates them.
  • Use this as a relationship deepener and to build your ideal donor persona (18:33).

Memorable Quotes:

• “Just keep doing it over and over again. Get conversations on the books. That’s it.” (Rhea Wong, 19:38)
• “This is where humanity comes together, where we already have shared alignment on our values, because they’re probably giving to your organization. Go deeper. That’s what I think 2026 is going to be about.” (Host, 19:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “December is the time for decision. D is for Decisions.” – Rhea Wong [08:28]
• “If it’s to everyone, it’s to no one.” – Rhea Wong [06:48]
• “To be clear is to be kind.” – Becky Endicott, Host [08:01]
• “Donor retention, as you know, is the number one bugaboo. People are retaining at less than 40%.” – Rhea Wong [15:38]
• “Just keep doing it over and over again. Get conversations on the books. That’s it.” – Rhea Wong [19:38]
• “This is where humanity comes together, where we already have shared alignment on our values… Go deeper. That’s what I think 2026 is going to be about.” – Host, Becky Endicott [19:45]

Action Timeline (Timestamps)

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Board activation overview | Four quick board asks & rationale | 01:15-03:57| | Social media & LinkedIn | Maximizing digital visibility | 03:57-04:30| | Making it fun, reducing friction | Party-mode phone-a-thons & easy tasks | 04:31-05:26| | How to move the disengaged board | Personal accountability, ditching blanket emails | 05:27-08:03| | Quick donor moves | December is about closing, not acquisition | 08:26-12:24| | The two-call close strategy | Sequential, high-urgency donor asks | 08:26-13:35| | Pro tips: voicemail + email follow-up | Slybroadcast and micro-consent philosophy | 13:36-14:44| | Turning EOY activity into pipeline | Retention, stewardship workflow, donor interviews | 15:34-19:45|

Summary & Takeaways

This episode distills year-end fundraising into clear, doable tactics—especially harnessing your board’s social capital and thoughtfully guiding donors through intentional, high-relevance asks. Rhea Wong drops actionable advice on everything from board engagement to strategic donor calls and long-term pipeline development. The golden thread: Make it human, make it easy, be clear, and always focus on building real relationships.

For more tips and Rhea’s expertise:

• Visit rheawong.com
• Listen to the "Nonprofit Lowdown" podcast
• Find Rhea on LinkedIn

(End of summary)