Real Talk and a Deep, Communal Breath: Reclaiming Joy and Power in Fundraising
September 24, 2025
Finish Focused, Start Strong: Three Ways to Enter 2026 With More Ease
November 19, 2025
Walking the Halls, Hearing the Need
This year’s conference slate was busy and rewarding. I was honored to present workshops and serve on panels at a number of nonprofit community conferences across our Western states. The time I’ve spent between those sessions in hallways, over coffee or lunch breaks talking with nonprofit professionals, fundraisers, and founders of small organizations challenged me to think about how The Philanthropy Coach could serve more changemakers.
A recurring theme in those impromptu conversations – leaders feeling stuck, like the support and professional development they desire are out of reach for them.
“I want more confidence in fundraising, but I don’t have the budget to hire a coach or consultant.”
“How can I pause to build a strategic development plan when I’m a team of one, wearing all the hats?”
“I know my team is stretched too thin, but so am I. How can I make room for more learning when we’re just trying to get through the day?”
Your Development Matters Now More Than Ever
The demand for social services and safety net programs is increasing, often faster than nonprofits’ infrastructure can scale.- We have a sector-wide talent retention crisis. The average tenure of a director of development is now 14 months. That constant churn can’t build, and sustain, community.
- Leaders still need to grow, learn, and evolve. Without investment in skills, strategy, and capacity, we risk stalling – or reversing – our collective impact on society.
The demand for social services and safety net programs is increasing, often faster than nonprofits’ infrastructure can scale.The question remains: How do we bridge that gap—between high aspiration and constrained resources?
A Short List of Ways to Upskill (Even on a Shoestring)
Here are some concrete paths Team TPC members have explored personally over the decades, and our clients have found useful in recent years. None are a magic solution, but they are accessible to many and can move the needle on the support small and budget-depleted shops need now.
| What | Why | Who/Where |
| Free or low-cost online trainings | Foundational skills in fundraising, planning, major gifts, grantseeking, etc. | For example, Candid Learning and Fundraising Academy offer live and on-demand webinars featuring in-demand experts from across the sector (like yours truly 😉) |
| Conference scholarships or volunteer opportunities | Access to high-quality content, peer learning and networking | At every conference I speak at, scholarship seats are available—sometimes underutilized by people on small teams. Additionally, conference volunteers can benefit from waived registration fees in exchange for hands-on service. Some upcoming opportunities of note: AFP ICON 2026 will be in San Diego – contact your local chapter to apply for the Chamberlain Scholarship. |
| Professional development grants | Funding to cover staff training, travel, or external coaching | Many funders explicitly allow or prioritize capacity-building or training in their grant programs. Here’s a list via Instrumentl. If you want to take a look at opportunities beyond this, here’s two weeks compliments of Team TPC. |
| Catchafire | Short, focused, project-based pro bono consultant engagements | Catchafire is an incredible platform that I discovered, and leveraged, in my last CDO role. A nominal membership fee is required (I highly recommend asking a board member or donor to underwrite this expense) but you can access expertise that would cost your organization thousands. How do I know? I take on one pro bono client via Catchafire every quarter! |
From Hallway Convos to a Whole New Playbook
I started Consulting over a decade ago because I was curious about what it would be like to work with multiple organizations at once. When I launched The Philanthropy Coach in 2021, I did it with the intention of helping as many community based organizations as possible improve their fundraising ability permanently.
The problem? Like many of your organizations, Team TPC is also small but mighty. We only have so many people and hours to pour into clients. Our bandwidth is also limited.
That’s why we’ve designed The Philanthropy Coach Playbook – a series of courses that your team can access one at a time or as a full library. The courses will be offered at a nominal fee and chalked full of foundational knowledge and the same turnkey tools that we use with our clients on retainer.
Our goal is to offer a bridge to better fundraising and empowered leadership for as many committed change-makers as possible.
At the end of the day, every conversation in those conference halls reminded me of one truth — you don’t need a massive budget or a big team to keep growing. You just need curiosity, commitment, and a few right-sized tools. The Philanthropy Playbook was built to meet you right there — in the hallway between what’s possible and what’s next.
As always, we’re rooting for your success,
Hannah 
