Missions to Movements

Hosted by Dana Snyder

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Episodes

264

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Missions to Movements is the nonprofit marketing and fundraising podcast that helps you grow recurring donors, scale monthly giving programs, and build digital campaigns that convert. Hosted by Dana Snyder—speaker, strategist, and founder of Positive Equation—this show is packed with actionable nonprofit growth strategies, social media tips, and fundraising best practices. Each week, you’ll hear how organizations are increasing donor retention, building thought leadership, and using digital fundraising to drive real impact. If you want to learn how to attract monthly donors, master nonprofit marketing, and transform your mission into a movement, this podcast is for you.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 2, 2026Episode 25237 min

Agentic Giving Explained: How to Get Your Nonprofit Found, Understood, and Trusted by AI with Fundraise Up CEO Peter Byrnes

Your next donor may never visit your website! Peter Byrnes, CEO of Fundraise Up , is joining me to explain agentic giving and the shift he sees happening RIGHT now from discovery, to recommendation, to delegation. Donors are already asking AI tools where they should give, and soon they may be asking those same tools to actually make the donation for them. We get into what nonprofits need to do now to become easier for AI to find, understand, and trust, including why consistency across your website, annual reports, financial information, and outside sources matters more than ever. We also talk about Fundraise Up’s free Agentic Giving Readiness Assessment , how to audit what AI is already saying about your organization, and why the goal isn’t to panic — it’s to prepare. Resources & Links Check out the Fundraise Up Agentic Giving Readiness Assessment . Connect with Peter on LinkedIn . Learn more about Peec.ai . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

August 26, 2026Episode 25130 min

Meet Monthlies Mid-Size Org Winner: Global Catalyst | This Is What Happens When You Stop Waiting

Global Catalyst is on a mission to mentor girls around the world to become powerful advocates and confident leaders. They went from just 7 monthly donors in July 2025, to growing their Girls First community by 500% to 35 monthly donors. As a girl mom, this episode with Courtney Stricklin Burgan hits deep to my heart. In her role as VP of Engagement and Communications, Courtney leads a passionate team of fundraising and storytelling professionals, and we're going to get into every single detail of how she did it. You’ll discover why donors started choosing $20, $25, and even $33 a month, how they steward their community with birthday cards, anniversary emails, sticker packs, and personal outreach, and why Courtney sees monthly giving as “major giving in a different way.” Resources & Links Learn more about Global Catalyst , follow them on Instagram , and connect with Courtney at c.strickland@globalgirlsglow.org . Check out Courtney’s book recs, Dungeon Crawler Carl and I Am A Girl From Africa . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

August 19, 2026Episode 25032 min

He Wrote the Longest Book Title in Nonprofit History about Planned Giving. The Advice Inside Is Even Better with Tony Martignetti

Planned giving does not have to be complicated OR expensive, and you don’t need an estate attorney to get started. What if your nonprofit already has planned giving prospects sitting inside your donor database, but you just haven’t asked them yet? Tony Martignetti worked with a historical society who mailed just 250 people about planned giving. SIX donors responded that they had already included the organization in their wills! We talk about how Tony built St. John’s University’s planned giving program to $20 million, why your best prospects are often your most loyal long-term donors, and why he recommends starting with donors around age 55-60+ and older. And yes, monthly donors absolutely belong in this conversation. Someone who has supported your organization month after month for years can make an incredible planned giving prospect. Resources & Links Connect with Tony on LinkedIn , tune in to his podcast Nonprofit Radio , and learn more Planned Giving Accelerated . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

August 12, 2026Episode 24927 min

Meet Monthlies Small Org Winner: Magical Creatures Sanctuary | How Authentic Storytelling on Social Media Built a Monthly Giving Program

If you've ever wondered what's possible with zero full-time paid staff and zero development budget, this episode is for you. Magical Creatures Sanctuary is a 100% volunteer-run farmed animal rescue on Hawaii Island that cares for more than 100 rescued animals, and today, 48% of their individual donor revenue comes from recurring gifts, with an 83% donor retention rate. Executive Director Jill Vanderhoef joins me to break down their Adopt a Magical Creature sponsorship program and how even a $5 monthly gift can create meaningful stability. Plus, Jill shares EXACTLY what’s working for them on Instagram and TikTok and why emotional connection, before-and-after storytelling, and paying attention to the questions your audience is already asking can help create content that brings supporters closer to your mission. Resources & Links Learn more about Magical Creatures Sanctuary and follow them on Instagram and TikTok . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

August 5, 2026Episode 24815 min

Why Monthly Giving Stays on the To-Do List (What I've Learned From 1,000 Nonprofit Leaders)

How do you walk into the end of the year with your monthly giving program finally built? More than HALF of the nonprofit professionals who joined my recent monthly giving webinars either had no recurring giving program or had started one and stalled. And after analyzing feedback and behavior from more than 1,000 nonprofit leaders, I found that there are three primary barriers keeping organizations from making recurring giving the front door to fundraising. I also take you behind the scenes of how I use Claude and MCP connectors to analyze webinar registrations, purchasing behavior, and participant feedback in a single afternoon. Plus, why another webinar, workbook, or framework won’t solve the problem unless it helps your team produce the actual program name, landing page copy, email sequence, and board-ready plan. Resources & Links This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

July 29, 2026Episode 24734 min

Black Philanthropy Month: The $86 Million Case for Funding Ecosystems with Kaci Patterson

August is Black Philanthropy Month, so consider today’s episode the kickoff! Kaci Patterson has helped raise and leverage more than $86 million for Black-led organizations. As the founder of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective , she joins me to get into their incredible study. 220 Black-led nonprofits across California created more than 4,000 jobs and generated over $335 MILLION in salaries. These organizations are powerhouse economic engines, truly driving critical work in health, safety, and racial justice. Kaci also shares how legacy can be a filter for which opportunities to say yes to, why funders must model the collaboration they ask nonprofits to practice, and how both sides can become values-based partners in community co-design. Resources & Links Connect with Kaci on LinkedIn and learn more about Social Good Solutions and Black Equity Collective . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

July 22, 2026Episode 24628 min

Your Visibility Is an Asset: Shilpa Alva on Leading Out Loud

Shilpa Alva is on a mission to fix one of the world’s most fundamental problems: the fact that hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to safe, clean water. Surge for Water is a women-led nonprofit that went from a nights-and-weekends passion project into a global organization delivering clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and women’s health solutions. And after operating across 12 countries and reaching hundreds of thousands of people, Shilpa shares why the organization has shifted its focus from chasing the biggest numbers to demonstrating deeper, community-owned impact. We talk about the business principles Shilpa carried from chemical engineering and corporate leadership into the nonprofit sector, why her board encouraged her to become a more visible speaker and advocate, how media appearances build credibility even when the ROI is difficult to isolate, and why nonprofit leaders should begin telling their stories long before they feel fully ready. Resources & Links Connect with Shilpa on LinkedIn and learn more about Surge for Water on their website . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

July 15, 2026Episode 24519 min

The AI Shift Nonprofits Can’t Ignore: Chatbots, Cancer Support, and the Future of Search with Mike Osborne

Most nonprofits start with the tools. The better question is, what’s the scalable opportunity technology can solve so your team can stay focused on the human interactions that matter most? With 1 in 2 people impacted by cancer in their lifetime, Mike Osborne and his team at Cancer Council Victoria are applying that thinking to one of their biggest pressure points: freeing up counselors from digging through systems so they can stay present and support more people in less time. Mike also reveals research-backed hot takes on AI-generated search summaries, and why teens are more likely to open up to a chatbot than talk to an adult. Resources & Links Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and learn more about Cancer Council Victoria on their website . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

July 8, 2026Episode 24425 min

From Months to DAYS: How AI Is Helping Children International Scale to 275,000 Kids with Tim Bachta

Way too much of our human capacity is spent on tasks that DON’T require human empathy. That’s how Tim Bachta from Children International is thinking about growth as his team works to expand from 220,000 to 275,000 children served. Tim shares how his team is using Microsoft Copilot to eliminate the manual work that’s been slowing them down (like letter translation processes that once took months, to systems running in DAYS!) so their staff can focus on building relationships and supporting families. This episode is a powerful look at what happens when you stop asking, “how can we use AI?!” and start asking where your team’s time is being wasted and who your champions are to help drive change. Resources & Links Connect with Tim on LinkedIn and learn more about Children International on their website . This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

July 1, 2026Episode 24355 min

From Spikes to Steady: World Central Kitchen's Monthly Giving Rebrand + What the Data Says About Recurring Giving Right Now

What does the latest recurring giving data actually tell us? In this special State of Recurring Giving episode, three leaders from CharityEngine , GivingTuesday Data Commons , and World Central Kitchen are joining me to unpack the latest recurring giving benchmarks AND one of the most compelling monthly giving case studies of the year. Together, we're exploring the trends shaping recurring giving today, why monthly donors generate nearly 3x the annual value of one-time donors, and how World Central Kitchen turned 2,800 new monthly donors into an estimated $6 million in lifetime value with their Kitchen Core monthly giving program. Resources & Links A special thank you to CharityEngine for making this quarter's State of Recurring Giving webinar possible. This episode is presented by The Monthly Giving Builder. With the Monthly Giving Builder, you can generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Supercharge your monthly giving program and apply for my Monthly Giving VIP Intensive session. Only 2 spots are available this fall! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind , is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good. Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!