NP Local

What’s Your Money Mindset and How Does It Affect Your Fundraising?

What is Money Mindset and how might yours affect your fundraising?  Listen as special guest Lacey Mellott and host Scott Niermann, discuss how to discern and shape your attitude and concepts surrounding money, and use it to improve your fundraising conversations and donor relationships.Episode Highlights: Lacey defines money mindset and explains how cultural taboos and personal experiences shape our beliefs about money. Scott discusses the impact of early money memories on fundraising attitudes. Lacey emphasizes the importance of shifting from a scarcity to an abundance mindset to unlock fundraising potential. Lacey suggests mindfulness and reflection as tools to build confidence before donor meetings. Scott discusses the value of not underestimating small donors and understanding donor motivations. Lacey advises fundraisers to see their work as an opportunity for donors to contribute to a transformative mission. Scott encourages fundraisers to take pride in their role, viewing it as a key part of societal good. Key Quotes: “Your money mindset is your unique set of feelings or beliefs around money.” - Lacey Mellott “It's so important to acknowledge how we think about money and then try to set ourselves up with some actions to behave differently so that we can really ultimately raise the most money possible for the nonprofits that we serve.” - Lacey Mellott “I also encourage folks to embed some reflection time into their routine before donor interactions, just taking that five minutes in your car before you go in to just do a little reset.” - Lacey Mellott Resources Mentioned: Lacey Mellott LinkedIn Reach out to Jason Cass Reach out to Scott Niermann - Scott can assist with church, nonprofit, and commercial insurance in Tennessee and Georgia. The Insurance Alliance serves organizations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Niermann Coaching and Consulting NP Local Podcast Book: The Millionaire Next Door 1st (first) edition

What Motivates Those Who Give?

Have you ever wondered what drives people to make a gift - even a really big gift? In this short episode, Cass and Niermann discuss reasons why people give, and the emotional connections with, and benefits to, those who give.Episode Highlights: Exploring the connection between emotions and decisions to donate to charity Discussing personal updates and the hosts' experiences with philanthropy Delving into new research suggesting pre-giving emotions influence charitable actions Analyzing the shift in motivations for giving, highlighting the role of emotion over the past decade Reflecting on the impact of societal changes on philanthropic behaviors Examining academic debates around the 'warm glow' theory versus preheating effects in giving Concluding thoughts on the reciprocal benefits of giving and its implications on personal legacy Key Quotes: “As a fundraiser, I want people to feel good about supporting our organization. I want them to have a warm glow if you will, but I really want the person that is inherently generous. That fundamentally believes in our mission and, and knows and trusts that we're going to make an impact.” - Scott Niermann “Anything we can do on this podcast to inspire more people, any donors, any board members listening out there, this is good for them. So you're right. There is a reciprocity. There is a benefit to all of this, whether you need to decrease cortisol, whether you need to feel better about your place on the planet.” - Scott Niermann Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Jason Cass Reach out to Scott Niermann - Scott can assist with church, nonprofit, and commercial insurance in Tennessee and Georgia. The Insurance Alliance serves organizations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Niermann Coaching and Consulting NP Local Podcast Featured article: People who donate to charity seem to have one thing in common Bank of America/Merrill Lynch study on high net worth philanthropy The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research The Health Benefits of Giving Back I Like Giving - Book I Like Giving - Website

8 Blunders in Major Gift Asks

Having trouble closing major gifts? Unsure how to approach major gifts? Let's think about what NOT to do, and talk about a better way. In this episode, Niermann and Cass talk about experiences in sales and fundraising, both mistakes they have made and successes they have had, and lessons learned through each case.Episode Highlights: Jason Cass explains the importance of managing major gifts in nonprofit fundraising.  Scott Niermann emphasizes the importance of visiting donors personally for major gift requests to build relationships.  Jason Cass discusses the effectiveness of face-to-face meetings versus virtual meetings for major gift tasks.  Scott Niermann explains the significance of having the right people in the room during major gift asks, especially involving board members.  Scott Niermann discusses strategies for avoiding backtracking during major gift asks and the importance of not beating around the bush.  Scott Niermann shares a personal anecdote about a two-hour lunch meeting where he failed to make the ask and the lessons learned.  Scott Niermann discusses the critical role of follow-up and keeping the responsibility to stay in touch.  Jason Cass provides practical tips for ensuring follow-up, including planning timelines and understanding donors' preferences for communication. Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Jason Cass Reach out to Scott Niermann - Scott can assist with church, nonprofit, and commercial insurance in Tennessee and Georgia. The Insurance Alliance serves organizations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Niermann Coaching and Consulting NP Local Podcast Feature article:Top 8 Nonprofit Major Gift Asking Blunders

Getting Real: The Value of Executive/Leadership Coaching

After a hiatus of several months, listen as Cass and Niermann get real about future podcast episodes (send in your feedback and tell us what you need!). This episode also emphasizes the importance of executive or leadership coaching, as Scott shares about the value he has seen with an Executive Coach to help level up his game.Episode Highlights: Jason mentions a thought-provoking book “Think Again” by Adam Grant, discussing how the rate of knowledge growth has accelerated from 25 years to as few as 3-6 years since the 1950s. Jason and Scott discuss their goal to rethink the podcast format to better deliver valuable insights to the audience. Scott shares his experience post-pandemic, touching on how basic functions in society seem to struggle and his personal engagement with an executive coach to enhance his leadership skills. Scott explains the 360 assessment process he underwent, which provided him with comprehensive feedback from various perspectives within his professional circle. Scott discusses the complexities of leadership styles and the necessary balance between detail-oriented and results-focused approaches. Discussion on the necessity of leadership adaptability in fast-paced environments and the importance of detail-oriented management. Jason discusses the implications of failing to meet goals and the intrinsic value of the learning derived from those experiences. Scott explains the philosophical aspects of identity, and how our past and decisions shape who we are and who we can become. Jason mentions another influential book, "The Courage to Be Disliked" which further explores the concept of identity and personal growth. Key Quotes: “We're trying to rethink this podcast, right? We want to make sure that we're going to give you the nuggets that we started with all along.” - Jason Cass “We're not trying to be all things to all people, but on the same token, we want to go deeper kind of in a next level that's going to help folks today.” - Scott Niermann “I'm being challenged in my leadership role. And so it's time for me to level up, right? You either rise to the occasion when you're in leadership or you get off the bus.” - Scott Niermann Resources Mentioned: Reach out to Jason Cass Reach out to Scott Niermann - Scott can assist with church, nonprofit, and commercial insurance in Tennessee and Georgia. The Insurance Alliance serves organizations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Niermann Coaching and Consulting NP Local Podcast Books mentioned by Jason Cass in this episode:  Think Again by Adam Grant The Courage to Be Disliked by Kishimi, Koga & Galvin

Tax Advantages of Charitable Giving

Do more complex, major gifts confuse you?  Do you wonder how to land stock, IRA, real estate, or other significant gifts for your nonprofit?  If you are just getting started understanding these things, don't miss this episode of the NP Local podcast hosted by Jason Cass and Scott Niermann, so you can begin talking with donors about gifts of appreciated assets, including real estate, personal collections, valuables, and more!Episode Highlights: Scott mentions that the first rule for obtaining a tax advantage when making a charitable gift is to donate it to a 501c3 public charity. (4:39) Scott explains the importance of discussing year-end giving with donors' tax advisors and ensuring timely paperwork. (7:46) Scott discusses the concept of bunching gifts, which is a tax planning strategy where a donor combines multiple years of giving in order to exceed the standard deduction in that tax year. (9:57) Scott mentions the significance of Donor Advised Funds (DAF) for regularly setting aside money for charitable purposes. (11:28) Scott advises fundraisers to consider marketing appreciated assets such as stock, bonds, mutual funds, and real estate to avoid capital gains. (13:27) Scott discusses the concept of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRA accounts. (18:30) Scott explains the Qualified Charitable Distribution, which allows donors to directly give up to $100,000 per year to a qualified charity. (20:22) Jason mentions that one of the motivating factors behind putting the podcast together was the various changes happening in the organizations covered by NP Local. (22:07) Key Quotes: “If you're a fundraiser out there, and again, you're working towards your year-end strategies, be sure that you're talking with people or marketing appreciated, stock bonds, or mutual funds. Appreciated investments, including real estate, when gifted directly to charity, help the donor avoid the capital gain.” - Scott Niermann  “One of the things that ignited Scott and me to be able to put this podcast together was the different changes that are coming into nonprofits, social services, all of these different organizations that NP local covers.” - Jason Cass Resources Mentioned: Fidelity Charitable: Charitable contributions U.S Chamber of Commerce: How Do Charitable Donations Impact Your Taxes? CNBC: How to maximize your tax deduction for charitable donations Charity Navigator: Tax Benefits of Giving Reach out to Jason Cass Reach out to Scott Niermann - Scott can assist with church, nonprofit, and commercial insurance in Tennessee and Georgia. The Insurance Alliance serves organizations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Niermann Coaching and Consulting NP Local Podcast