Podcast Summary: What the Fundraising, Episode 261

Title: Building a Heartfelt Nonprofit with Mark Dombkins
Host: Mallory Erickson
Guest: Mark Dombkins (Founder, Forever Projects)
Date: September 30, 2025
Length: ~36 minutes (main content)

Episode Overview

In this engaging conversation, host Mallory Erickson and guest Mark Dombkins dive deeply into what it means to build, lead, and grow a purpose-driven nonprofit in a way that’s innovative, authentic, and anchored in empathy. The episode explores Mark’s journey founding Forever Projects, lessons learned about leadership, funding, donor engagement, and navigating discomfort for personal and organizational growth. The discussion highlights how shifting the focus from charity as a transaction to building genuine community can transform both fundraising results and nonprofit culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mark’s Journey & the Birth of Forever Projects

Timestamp: 02:38 – 07:12

• Mark shares his background as a math teacher living in Tanzania, fostering/adopting three children, and witnessing firsthand the challenges families face.

• The inception of Forever Projects was rooted in one essential mission: to end the Tanzanian orphan crisis through income creation for women.

• Mark’s initial fundraising approached storytelling through personal networks:

  “Without taking you to Tanzania, the next thing we can do is tell stories… and we treat it like an art gallery and just give as you feel led. And people gave so generously that night. Sixteen grand.” (Mark, 05:45)

• Early lessons included valuing transparency—showing donors precisely where their money went built trust and repeat engagement.

2. Leadership Lessons: Learning from Outside & Building the Right Team

Timestamp: 03:41 – 07:12

• Mark credits outsider influences (notably Seth Godin and Scott Harrison) for shaping his openness and approach to nonprofit work.
• His leadership philosophy: Get clear on the story, then collaborate with those whose skill sets surpass yours, particularly in storytelling, marketing, and creative.
• Crucial to success: Surround yourself with great people and remain curious—always seek those ahead who have tackled your current challenges.

3. Community-Building & Sustainable Donor Engagement

Timestamp: 07:12 – 14:18

• Mark explains how Forever Projects shifted from organization-centric messaging to donor-centric—meeting supporters “where they’re at” in life, rather than expecting them to come to the mission.

• Inspired by Victoria Harrison and VC-community practices, Forever Projects initiated a series of themed events (e.g., “Collective Effervescence”) designed to foster joy, hope, and connection rather than making a hard fundraising pitch.

  “We just trusted that they would leave going, wow, who brought that together and where can I get more of it?” (Mark, 09:12)

• The events built bridges to people outside the immediate network by leveraging the assets they already had: relationships with thought leaders, venues hungry for community partnerships, and a spirit of abundance (modelled after Tanzanian culture).

• Mark emphasizes that the intention wasn’t to convert but to “delight them.” This abundance approach mirrors the worldview of those they serve.

4. Authenticity Over Agenda: The Power of Alignment

Timestamp: 15:19 – 21:41

• Mallory and Mark explore the tension in donor conversations—how hidden agendas (“We just want to get to know you”) breed discomfort and undermine trust.

• Mark describes how keeping true to leading indicators (like authentic engagement and transparency) rather than getting caught up in short-term funding pressure fosters lasting donor trust.

  “We as a sector need to be investing more in the leading indicators...and then believing and knowing that those leading indicators over time do result in the lagging indicators we're looking for.” (Mallory, 16:09)

• Governance can help or hinder: Mark curated a risk-loving, strategy-aligned board so he could pursue long-termism over short-term fundraising sprints.

• Direct communication with core donors—even sharing years where funds were lower—strengthened trust rather than eroding it.

  “Other people said, we love the transparency. We put a bet on you all when this was all very early days. We continue to trust you. And so it was both surprising and so affirming...” (Mark, 19:49)

5. The Courage to Say No & The Value of Discomfort

Timestamp: 21:41 – 27:54

• A major leadership evolution: learning to consciously choose where to invest energy and saying “no” to non-essential opportunities.

  “Unless I'm hurting from saying no to five things per week... this is a sign that I'm on the right track.” (Mark quoting a Seth Godin exercise, 22:21)

• Both Mallory and Mark highlight how discomfort is a sign of growth. Avoiding it can lead to people-pleasing and overextension—a common pitfall in nonprofit leadership.

• They stress the need for boundaries, self-awareness, and letting go of the need to please everyone.

  “Good things come from discomfort a lot of the time. And being able to sit in the discomfort long enough to get to the other side of it...” (Mallory, 27:30)

6. Events, Immersion, and Expanding Community Identity

Timestamp: 27:54 – 34:42

• Forever Projects now runs leadership trips to Tanzania, pitched not just as exposure to the cause, but as transformative, discomfort-embracing experiences for leaders.

• Mark explains how these offerings attract those who may not have prioritized the orphan crisis—highlighting the shift from cause-first to community-identity-first engagement.

  “People who care about these core fundamental components of being human, who want experiences like this, you belong here.” (Mallory, 31:23)

• The ripple effect: Return participants become powerful advocates, with their stories fueling new donor engagement.

7. Nonprofit Identity: Who Are You (Not Just What You Do)?

Timestamp: 34:42 – 36:03

• Mallory underscores that clarity on organizational identity (“who you are”) is foundational to resonant community-building.
• Mark adds that embedding clarity of culture (“people like us do things like this”) is central to sustaining growth and connection.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Our role was to raise funds and awareness for the work and... their teams could get on with it. But how do you captivate people an ocean away with a story that they've never heard?” (Mark, 04:39)
• “The agenda wasn't to convert them, the agenda was to delight them...we might not get anything out of this. But that's not the point.” (Mark, 13:14)
• “Alignment can't just be a strategy, it needs to be your intention.” (Mallory, 15:47)
• “Being able to separate your own identity from the short-term success that we feel runs deep for nonprofit leaders and all leaders.” (Mark, 18:47)
• “I want to please your future self, not your current self.” (Mark, 25:04)
• “Who's this for? It's for leaders who want to level up, embracing discomfort in service of others.” (Mark, 28:30)
• “These causes are incredibly important to us, but they're not yet important to most people. And it's the ‘yet’ that we can just play around with.” (Mark, 34:29)
• “It really matters who you are—and that probably what makes those invitations feel the way they do is because you know really who you are and the types of spaces you’re trying to create.” (Mallory, 34:42)

Actionable Takeaways

• Reframe fundraising and events: Focus on authentic community-building rather than transactional donor pitches.
• Invest in transparency: Trust is built and deepened by openly sharing challenges and progress, even when the numbers are down.
• Lean into discomfort: Growth, innovation, and true alignment are found in working through organizational and personal discomfort.
• Identify and own your identity: Successful nonprofits know and communicate who they are, not just what they do.
• Build with people, not just for people: Let your community co-create and carry your message further than you could alone.

Where to Connect

• Mark Dombkins: LinkedIn
• Forever Projects: foreverprojects.org

This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and any social good professionals seeking a more heartfelt, sustainable, and joyful approach to impact work. Mark’s practical stories and Mallory’s incisive commentary provide a roadmap for leading with courage, clarity, and connection.