Around with Randall

Hosted by Hallett Philanthropy

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Episodes

300

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Listen to the weekly podcast “Around with Randall” as he discusses, in just a few minutes, a topic surrounding non-profit philanthropy. Included each week are tactical suggestions listeners can use immediately to make their non-profit, and their job activities, more effective. Email Randall with a topic for a show: podcast@hallettphilanthropy.com Email Randall with a thought regarding specific a show: reeks@hallettphilanthropy.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 28527 min

Episode 285: Mapping Donor Networks: Influencer Dynamics

Many fundraising conversations focus on the donor sitting across the table, but rarely are major philanthropic decisions made by one person alone. Spouses, children, attorneys, financial advisors, and trusted friends often shape the timing, confidence, and ultimate outcome of a gift. This episode explores how understanding those influence networks can remove hidden obstacles, strengthen donor relationships, and help donors make the decisions they already want to make. The best fundraisers aren't asking for gifts, they're helping donors navigate the people and dynamics that surround every significant decision.

June 9, 2026Episode 28428 min

Episode 284: The Donor Waltz Three Conversation Sequencing that Builds Momentum

Fundraising is relationship building, but too many donor conversations feel disconnected, repetitive, and transactional. Enter the “Donor Waltz”. A three-step sequence of conversations designed to move donors from discovery to alignment, to meaningful commitment. Donors experience philanthropy emotionally, not operationally, and organizations that fail to find the emotional journey risk losing momentum, trust, and transformational opportunities. When fundraisers learn to sequence conversations, donor relationships begin to feel less like a checklist and more like a partnership.

June 2, 202619 min

Special 19: The Great Philanthropists - Andrew Carnegie: The Starting Point of Modern Philanthropy

Andrew Carnegie did not believe philanthropy was simply about relieving immediate need. He believed it was about creating opportunities that could create generational change. In this special episode, we look at how Carnegie’s philosophy shaped modern giving through libraries, education, research, and long-term investment in human potential. Challenging nonprofits to think beyond short-term charity and ask a harder question. Are we only responding to problems, or are we helping people escape them? A reflection on wealth, responsibility, and the deeper purpose of philanthropy.

May 26, 2026Episode 28329 min

Episode 283: Qualification Calls – Meetings: Getting to the Point and Not Wasting Time or Resources

Fundraisers often spend enormous amounts of time pursuing prospects who will never make a gift. Not because they lack capacity, but because nobody properly qualified their intent. In this episode, we look at one of the biggest hidden problems in fundraising: confusing wealth with philanthropic interest. Let’s explore how better qualification questions, smaller portfolios, and clearer disqualification standards can improve donor relationships and fundraising outcomes. Effective fundraising is not about collecting more names, it’s about identifying alignment and moving the right relationships forward.

May 19, 2026Episode 28225 min

Episode 282: A Physical Stewardship Matrix: Creating, Having, and Using One

Most nonprofits talk about stewardship, but few can actually show you a structured plan for how it happens. In this episode, we explore the idea of a donor stewardship matrix. A simple but powerful framework that brings clarity, accountability, and consistency to donor relationships. Stewardship is no longer just about thank-you letters; it’s about creating intentional systems that deepen trust, improve retention, and ensure donors feel connected to the impact they make possible. A practical reminder that meaningful philanthropy often depends less on grand gestures and more on disciplined follow-through.

May 12, 2026Episode 28125 min

Episode 281: Podcast 300 - Fighting a Failure of Imagination

A tragedy in the Apollo program revealed a powerful truth: the greatest failures aren’t always technical; they’re failures of imagination. In this milestone 300th episode, Randall challenges nonprofit leaders to rethink how they see risk, innovation, and the future itself. Drawing lessons from NASA and the space race, he outlines five practical ways to break free from limiting assumptions and uncover new possibilities. Because in a rapidly changing world, the organizations that thrive won’t just react, they’ll imagine what others never considered.

May 5, 2026Episode 28025 min

Episode 280: Truly Fighting the Term Overhead in our Nonprofit Work

Nonprofits don’t have an overhead problem, they have a narrative problem. When organizations obsess over keeping costs low, they often starve the very investments that drive growth, impact, and long-term sustainability. The truth is simple: low cost does not equal high impact. The organizations that truly move the needle are the ones willing to reframe overhead as strategic investment and communicate that clearly to donors, boards, and stakeholders.

April 28, 2026Episode 27926 min

Episode 279: Succession Planning at All Levels: How to Not Get Caught in Bad Transition

Succession planning isn’t just a CEO issue. It’s a frontline necessity in a nonprofit sector where turnover is constant and stability is fragile. When organizations fail to plan, they risk revenue disruption, donor attrition, and cultural erosion that can take years to rebuild. The strongest nonprofits don’t react to transitions. They prepare for them by developing internal talent, protecting relationships, and creating clear operational frameworks. Done right, succession planning isn’t about replacing people. It’s about strengthening the entire organization before change ever happens.

April 21, 2026Episode 27825 min

Episode 278: Fractional Work: How to Make It Work

Fractional employees are quickly becoming a practical solution for nonprofits facing talent shortages and budget constraints, but they’re not a simple fix. This episode explores how fractional roles can unlock high-level expertise without full-time costs, while also exposing the hidden risks to continuity, culture, and donor relationships. The key insight: success isn’t about whether you use fractional talent, but how intentionally you design and manage it.

April 14, 2026Episode 27725 min

Episode 277: Where Advocacy Ends - Good and Lobbying Begins - Bad

Nonprofits often hesitate to engage in public policy, fearing they might cross into prohibited territory. But the real risk may be staying silent. Missing opportunities to shape the very systems that define their impact. This episode reframes advocacy as a strategic, mission-aligned responsibility, showing how organizations can influence policy through education, data, and relationships without engaging in direct lobbying. When done thoughtfully, policy engagement becomes not a distraction, but a powerful extension of a nonprofit’s mission.