Fundraising Growth Now!

Hosted by Catherine Heitz New, Chief Executive Officer

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Fundraising conversations, advice, and best practices for arts and cultural organizations that want to strengthen donor relationships and raise more money. Learn how you can achieve Fundraising Growth Now!

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60 recent

June 7, 2026Episode 7623 min

AI and the Human Work of Fundraising

Artificial intelligence has rapidly changed how people work, communicate, search online, write, and make decisions. And it's here to stay. For arts and cultural organizations, the questions now are: how can AI help fundraising, and where can only the human element advance philanthropy? In this episode, RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New speaks with Founder Bob Swaney about that question. Bob’s view is practical and measured: AI can help fundraisers prepare better, communicate more clearly, and reduce unnecessary friction. It cannot, however, replace trust, judgment, timing, or the human element needed to grow donor relationships.

May 17, 2026Episode 7528 min

Hear From Your Peer — Jonathan Martin

We're continuing our podcast series, Hear From Your Peer. This week, RSC Principal Consultant Jeremy Hatch sat down with Jonathan Martin, an arts leader who has helped various organizations through growth, financial pressure, Board dynamics, audience change, and long-range planning. Listen in for a few steady lessons that apply to Development staff, Executives, and Board members alike.

May 3, 2026Episode 7425 min

Hear From Your Peer — Brittany A. Hall, Fort Wayne Philharmonic

We're continuing our podcast series: Hear From Your Peer. In our latest episode, Jeremy Hatch talks with Brittany A. Hall, President and CEO of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, about how that mindset shapes audience experience, builds stronger engagement, and supports the path from attendance to philanthropy.

April 19, 2026Episode 7324 min

Hear From Your Peer — Nathan Lutz, Carmel Bach Festival

Earlier this year, we launched a special series, Hear From Your Peer, spotlighting arts leaders and their fundraising practices. Now, we're going to give you more of what you want with an encore series. Join guest host Jeremy Hatch, principal consultant of RSC Associates, as he speaks with more leaders in the field, uncovering the shared practices and mindsets behind today's most successful fundraising teams.Listen in to today's conversation with Carmel Bach Festival Executive Director Nathan Lutz, as we explore how leading meaningful change in an arts organization requires building the trust that helps people move forward together.

April 5, 2026Episode 7228 min

Hear From Your Peer — Shannon Walenta, Opera Omaha

Earlier this year, we launched a special series, Hear From Your Peer, spotlighting arts leaders and their fundraising practices. Now, we're going to give you more of what you want with an encore series. Join guest host Jeremy Hatch, principal consultant of RSC Associates, as he speaks with more leaders in the field, uncovering the shared practices and mindsets behind today's most successful fundraising teams.Join us this week as Jeremy speaks with Shannon Walenta, COO of Opera Omaha, to hear about how organizations earn trust when community engagement is part of how they operate, not just something they add on.

March 22, 2026Episode 7112 min

How Healthy is Your Donor Pipeline?

If individual giving is critical to fundraising growth, the next question is simple: how healthy is the donor pipeline feeding that growth?This week on the podcast, RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New takes a close look at the components of a healthy donor pipeline and how organizations can assess whether their pipeline is strong, developing, or at risk.

March 8, 2026Episode 707 min

How to Get Out of the Weeds — What Fundraisers Can Learn From Restaurants About Managing Workload

If you’re a fundraiser in the weeds right now, you might be blaming yourself for what is actually a systems problem.“In the weeds” is restaurant lingo for what happens when the load exceeds the structure. When rotation breaks, a good server can look like they’re failing in just a matter of minutes.Fundraising is no different. When goals rise, and everything lands at once, the solution is not more hustle. Just like in a restaurant, speed without structure usually leads to more cleanup.Being in the weeds does not mean you’re failing. It means the system can’t hold the load. But systems can be redesigned.RSC CEO Catherine Heitz New unpacks this metaphor and a few practical ways to create capacity in the latest episode of Fundraising Growth Now!

February 22, 2026Episode 6925 min

Hear From Your Peer — Lyndy Franklin Smith and Jeromy Smith, The Lexington Theatre Company

We’re at our last week of our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer, where each week we’ve shared a conversation with an arts leader who’s achieved meaningful fundraising results in their organization. We’ve explored how they approached their biggest wins, what’s driven their momentum, and the practical insights they’ve gained along the way. Today’s episode features Jeromy and Lyndy Franklin Smith, co-founders of the Lexington Theatre Company. In just ten years, they’ve thoughtfully balanced resources and opportunity to grow the organization into the largest arts organization in Lexington, Kentucky.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward.

February 15, 2026Episode 6830 min

Hear From Your Peer — Rachel Ford, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra

Today’s episode features Rachel Ford, Chief Executive Officer with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee, who has successfully built major gifts through strong portfolio-management, despite a small team.

February 8, 2026Episode 6730 min

Hear From Your Peer—Sidney P. Jackson, Chicago Sinfonietta

We’re continuing our podcast series: Hear from Your Peer, where we’re sharing conversations with arts leaders who have achieved meaningful fundraising results in their organization. We’re discussing how they approached their biggest wins, what’s driving their momentum, and the practical insights they’ve gained along the way. Today’s episode features Sidney P. Jackson, President and CEO of the Chicago Sinfonietta, who shares how lessons from his fundraising career have informed his transition to Chief Executive—and how curiosity and courage can shape stronger donor relationships.Listen today for clear, candid guidance from people who are doing the work every day, and to highlight the strategies, habits, and decisions that are moving arts organizations forward.