Thompson & Associates

You don't want to miss this inspiring episode of Conversations with Industry Leaders featuring Susan Doliner from Maine Medical Center. In this 12-minute podcast, Sue shares: The priceless key to making a tremendous impact; Where the spirit of philanthropy shows up; The most important ingredient in philanthropy; How to overcome imposter syndrome; and more! Sue's insights are inspiring for all in the fundraising world; from the new gift officer to seasoned leaders. Take a listen! 

There's no better way to kick off the relaunch than with experienced charitable gift planner, Grant Whitney. Previously with Harvard for 21 years, Grant is celebrating his first anniversary at Mass General Hospital. In this 19-minute podcast, Grant shares what inspired his work in philanthropy; what he's learned to appreciate about the work; what he learned from mentors and what ingredients led to his success, and more! He also shares a donor story from Harvard that continues to remind and inspire for excellency in all we do.

There's no better way to kick off March, Women's History Month, than to feature the National Association of Charitable Gift Planner's new Chair, Kelli Smith! In this 14-minute podcast, Kelli jam-packs three critical lessons she's learned and how she’s achieved them: Be fearless; Have solid relationships; and, Be fully present. Don't miss this insightful podcast!  Kelli also shares how she overcame the imposter syndrome. 

We're humbled and grateful to have some of the country's leading specialists in the area of estate planning on our team.  We want to highlight a wonderful new resource becoming available on February 1!  Vice President Paul Hood releases his second book in his trilogy Planning Your Future series. Yours, Mine & Ours: Estate Planning for People in Blended or Stepfamilies is written for the lay audience to provide these families with a comprehensive guide to estate planning for people in blended or stepfamilies.  As a member of a blended family himself, Paul has pooled his personal and professional knowledge to create this resource.Grieving children are often left drowning in paperwork and tough decisions.  It's even more demanding and grueling for stepchildren and members of blended families to sort through these estates. In this short 9-minute podcast, Paul shares his passion and intention behind this series, including a sneak peek into book 3.

Eddie is joined by this month's industry icon, Rebecca Locke, Executive Director, Gift Planning for the American Red Cross, a role she's held for 22 years. In this 8.5 minute podcast, Rebecca shares: What she's learned from donors; How to serve both your donors and the mission you're trying to fund; What pressure to take off yourself when fundraising; And, Eddie shares a great response to use when you're asked a question you don't know the answer to!

Eddie sits down with Cindy Atmar, Executive Director of Trusts, Estate and Gift Planning, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the largest cancer center in the United States. In this 9-minute podcast, Cindy shares: A perfect reminder as we approach year-end on what to keep at the forefront of your donor giving goals; What she wishes she would have learned early on in her career; and, What bit of advice she would give someone who's beginning their career.

Join us as Eddie sits down with Art Ochoa, Senior Vice President, Advancement, Chief Advancement Officer, at Cedars-Sinai. In this 9-minute podcast, Art shares: What aspect(s) of your job description to focus on to be successful and receive promotions; A caution, and encouragement, for individuals who are ambitious and creative; What trap not to fall into to maximize donor gift potential.

We're delighted to talk with Laurie Kelley this week from Providence, a large health care provider across seven western states.  In this 7-minute podcast, Laurie shares:  Where she finds the bigger dollars, and ultimately donors who want to stay with the organization through the years;  Where to give yourself grace;  How to open the giving doors among reluctant donors;  And, how to be a better person and leader by making these kinds of "waves."

Eddie talks with Randy Varju from Advocate Aurora Health, the 10th largest health system in the nation.Randy jam-packs a multitude of invaluable wisdom in this 12-minute podcast, such as: The true purpose behind philanthropy, beyond metrics and dollars raised; The danger, and lesson learned, in focusing too much on metrics; Not to underestimate the reluctance that others have around joining solicitation calls and how to overcome it; Defending philanthropy in different ways depending on your audience; and, so much more!

Join us as Eddie sits down with Susan Dolbert, Senior Vice President with City of Hope. In this 9-minute podcast, Susan shares insightful wisdom she's experienced in her fundraising career, such as knowing when to say no to a gift; keeping the relationship healthy and positive between a benefactor and the organization; and, learning to trust your gut - your gut is based on experience!

This week, we have the pleasure of talking with health care philanthropy thought leader, Fred Najjar, from CommonSpirit Health. In this 15-minute podcast, Fred shares a multitude of lessons he's learned in his career:• How to treat others, especially as a leader; • What to look for in hiring new talent for his team;• How important it is to be a philanthropy advocate at the corporate-level;• The value of delegating work and trusting your team;• The drive to always better yourself with continuing education and networking a community, and so much more!

This week, our Founder and CEO Eddie Thompson spends time with Jodi Davis, Chief Philanthropy Officer with California healthcare provider Sutter Health.In this 9-minute podcast, Jodi shares:- The approach she utilizes to learn everyday, making life more enjoyable and people and situations more interesting; - The three best questions to ask your donors to clarify their needs;- Knowing when to let donors go; and,-The importance of reminding people why philanthropy exists at her organization, and why it's more important than ever right now.

You likely recognize this popular book trilogy by none other than Alex Brovey titled Zen and the Art of Fundraising. But, when was the last time you read it and have you read all three in the series?Eddie Thompson, our Founder and CEO, sits down with Alex to discuss what compelled Alex to write the first book, which quickly grew into a trilogy, and how this practical series can empower fundraisers to be successful.

Our Founder and CEO Eddie Thompson sits down with Joe Chickey, from the Sharpe Group. Joe shares what he learned when a donor made an eight-figure gift to another charity; what's critically important to the success of a planned giving program; how to calculate the percentage of planned giving dollars your organization ought to be raising; and, why you should treat donors like family.

Join us as we talk with Mark Larkin, President of Boca Raton Regional Hospital's Foundation. Mark has spent 35 years in philanthropy, with the last 20 in health care.In this 11-minute podcast, Mark shares:-How you can get much greater levels of giving (for the same amount of time spent);-The three components he looks for to replenish his major giving list;-The key to a successful fundraising event or capital campaign, and more!

For our next industry leader, you likely have one of her books on your shelf. Join Eddie as he sits down with industry veteran, Alexandra Brovey, to hear what she has learned during her 21 years in gift planning. In this 7-minute podcast, Alex shares:What has really made a difference in her career that especially resonates during the pandemic—something Eddie points out as the most important lesson in success;3 simple questions she asks herself when a difficult or uncomfortable situation arises; and, the art of trying too hard to get in front of people.

Join Eddie as he talks with 20-year planned giving marketing veteran Nathan Stelter, President of The Stelter Company. In this 10-minute podcast, Nathan shares his firm belief in this personal quality for achieving success; the most important component when bringing on a new team member; a critical juncture where hard, but important, business decisions had to be made and the impact it had on the company's success; and more!

Take a listen to this short 5-minute podcast with Lynn Ierardi, J.D., author of Storytelling: The Secret Sauce of Fundraising Success, to hear what inspired her to write this quick, but impactful, read. Nonprofits have amazing stories to share — stories of perseverance, fortitude, and generosity. Stories give nonprofits a way to stand out in a world that gets noisier every day, where people are looking for ways to find meaning and connection.Great stories engage donors and raise more money. Scientific evidence confirms good storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage stakeholders and influence behavior. Stories raise awareness, change behavior, and trigger generosity.But what makes a great story? What ingredients engage the audience and have an impact? What flavors will spark the appetite and make the mouth water? There are some ingredients that are essential. You just can’t make a good sauce without tomatoes.

Join Eddie as he talks with a nationally-known authority on estate planning and planned giving, Larry Katzenstein. Larry divides his practice between representation of wealthy individuals in estate planning matters and serving as outside counsel to planned giving programs at nonprofits nationwide.

Just in time for the holidays, we sit down with Wayne Olson to hear about his new book, Fundraising for Nonprofit Board Members: Wholesome goodness for you and your nonprofit.Wayne wrote this book to be an easy and quick read, designed specifically for the busy executive. It shows what each board member needs to know about fundraising, and dispels many myths that make fundraising seem unappealing.The book is the essential resource for all board members charged with fundraising. In this podcast, hear why Wayne wrote this book and what he hopes it achieves.