Podcast Summary: What the Fundraising

Episode 254: The 1% Advantage: How Small Improvements Drive Big Impact with Adam Miller

Host: Mallory Erickson
Guest: Adam Miller (Founder & CEO, Instill; Former CEO, Cornerstone on Demand; Nonprofit leader)
Air date: August 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Mallory Erickson sits down with Adam Miller, a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit board veteran, to discuss the power of incremental improvement—a concept he dubs the “1% Advantage”—and its transformative potential for nonprofit organizations. Adam draws on lessons from scaling Cornerstone on Demand, his pivotal role at Team Rubicon, and his latest venture, Instill. Together, they explore how small, strategic changes, focusing on the right priorities, and using donor data holistically can elevate nonprofit impact and fundraising success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Adam Miller’s Background and Motivation

[01:52 – 05:49]

• Adam introduces his background as a tech leader, the founder of Cornerstone on Demand, and longtime nonprofit board member.
• His experience highlighted the mismatch between tech solutions and nonprofit needs.
• Instill was created as Adam’s “legacy play” to scale his impact, providing technology truly optimized for nonprofits.

Visionary Leadership: Balancing the “Clouds” and the “Ground”

[06:57 – 11:47]

• Adam describes his balanced approach: “head in the clouds, feet on the ground”—being visionary but also pragmatic.
• Paying attention—to partners, clients, employees, and industry trends—improves visionary skill:

  “Are you paying attention to what's happening? ... Paying attention really helps you understand what's coming next.” (Adam Miller, 07:45)

• Emphasizes “doing the right things” over “doing things right”:

  “We may perfect doing something that's irrelevant ... it's more important to make sure you're doing the right things.” (Adam Miller, 00:00 & 08:38)

• The importance of clarity of goals/destination for strategic planning and organizational alignment:

  “You would never go on a long road trip and not know where you’re trying to get to. ... It's having an idea.” (Adam Miller, 10:25)

The Trap of Perfectionism & Embracing Marginal Gains

[12:12 – 15:28]

• Discusses how perfectionism becomes a procrastination tool:

  “Seeking perfection often is a way to procrastinate ... a sign of insecurity about what you're trying to accomplish.” (Adam Miller, 12:39)

• Champions continuous, incremental improvement:

  “The most successful organizations ... are always trying to be 1% better. Always.” (Adam Miller, 13:30) “By the end of two decades, you’re really, really, really good. And that's what happened.” (Adam Miller, 14:44)

• Uses the “leak on the boat” analogy—always seek and fix the organizational “leaks” that truly matter.

Strategic Focus: The Power of Saying No

[15:28 – 16:38]

• Nonprofit leaders often struggle with guilt around saying no, but focus is essential for excellence.
• Adam underlines the need for “ruthless dedication” to the right relationships and priorities—applicable in donor stewardship too.

Relationship Intelligence & Data-Driven Donor Engagement

[16:38 – 20:47]

• Hope is not a strategy; real strategy requires understanding:

  “We talk a lot about relationship intelligence. ... Do you understand those people well?” (Adam Miller, 16:47)

• Instill uses data visualizations to help nonprofits see both top donors and top interactions—often not the same group.
• Vigilance against “watering stones”—spending resources on unlikely donors.
• Successful donors often start with small gifts; philanthropy is cultivated as a habit, not an afterthought:

  “Philanthropy is a habit. It's not something you learn when you retire.” (Adam Miller, 19:41)

Rethinking Metrics: Beyond Wealth, Toward Affinity

[20:47 – 22:03]

• Predictive modeling should focus more on engagement (affinity, propensity) than sheer capacity.
• Universities and nonprofits build donor habits with small initial gifts to foster long-term generosity.

Hidden Challenges: The Importance of Household and Relationship Context

[22:03 – 25:19]

• Many legacy CRM systems ignore household dynamics—critical in nonprofit fundraising.

  “In the nonprofit, it's all about the household ... my wife opens the mail, and if they're thanking me and not her, that would be the last gift.” (Adam Miller, 22:34)

• Nonprofits risk donor alienation by failing to recognize familial or organizational relationships.
• Corporate giving is often driven by where employees are engaged, another context often missed.

Building Holistic Constituent Views

[25:49 – 27:04]

• Disparate nonprofit tech systems prevent a holistic understanding of donor engagement.
• Instill aims to bridge these disconnected data sets for fuller insights, deeper engagement, and more effective fundraising.

Engagement Patterns, Retention, and Risk

[28:13 – 29:21]

• Adam stresses predicting donor retention by tracking all engagement indicators—not just donations.

  “If you understand all the other ways the person is interacting ... it's extremely predictable, because they’ve stopped going to events, they're not volunteering anymore.” (Adam Miller, 28:34)

Memorable Quotes

• Adam Miller:

  “It's more important to do the right things than it is to do things right.” (00:00)
  “The most successful organizations out there are not trying to be perfect. They're just always trying to be 1% better.” (13:30)
  “Hope's not a strategy. You need to have a real strategy.” (16:38)
  “Philanthropy is a habit. ... If you're someone giving $5 or $10 and get successful, you just start adding zeros.” (19:41)

• Mallory Erickson:

  “There's sort of like no skill that's more important than seeing around the bend and taking yourself out of this exact moment.” (05:49)
  “There’s a difference of seeking excellence versus perfection, which is just this unattainable thing.” (12:28)
  “We have to have that alignment and discernment and kind of ruthless dedication to identifying that people are or are not our people.” (15:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:52] Adam’s background and Instill origin story
• [06:57] Leadership philosophy: seeing ahead, setting priorities
• [12:12] Perfectionism vs. incremental improvement (“1% Advantage”)
• [16:38] Prioritization and donor focus; relationship intelligence
• [20:47] The habit of philanthropy & why small gifts matter
• [22:03] Why household and employer relationships are critical in nonprofit data
• [25:49] The need for holistic donor views & breaking down system silos
• [28:13] Predicting retention using full engagement metrics

Takeaways for Nonprofit Leaders & Fundraisers

• Focus on clarity of purpose and priorities—“do the right things,” not just “do things right”
• Embrace continuous, incremental improvement as the path to excellence
• Let go of perfectionism; seek strategic excellence where it matters most
• Use data to develop true “relationship intelligence” and align with the right donors
• Value affinity and engagement over wealth indicators alone
• Understand and respect the household and organizational ties of constituents
• Break down data silos for a complete picture of community engagement
• Monitor broad engagement behaviors to predict retention and future giving

For more resources, transcripts, and tools mentioned in the episode, visit:
MalloryErickson.com/Podcast
To connect with Adam Miller or learn about Instill:
instill.io | adam@instill.io