What does it look like when a nonprofit team thinks like a business, not a charity?

In this episode, I sit down with the powerhouse team behind Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center: founder and CEO DiDi Ellis, Director of Development Erica Smith, and Donor Relations Manager Paige Thames. In 11 years, Kids Hub has grown from 1 paid employee to 21, from 1,300 square feet to nearly 7,000, and from grant-dependent to running one of the most creative individual donor programs I've heard of, including a Power of 100 Women giving circle that raised $149,000 this year alone. We dig into how they think about donor acquisition in a rural southern community, why the chicken plant became one of their sponsors, how they tell emotionally compelling stories without ever showing a child's face, and why Paige says fundraisers have the cushiest job in the building and should act like it. This conversation will change how you think about the ask. All of it.

Topics:

  • The Power of 100 Women giving circle: from $0 to $149K and how peer-to-peer became their #1 donor acquisition pipeline
  • Why a chicken plant, a yeast company, and a paper mill are now sponsors, and the mindset that made the ask possible
  • How to tell emotionally compelling stories when you can never show a child's face or share specific details
  • Building donor relationships that go beyond the gift: volunteer days, feedback conversations, and year-round connection
  • The relay race model: splitting donor acquisition and donor retention between two people with different gifts
  • Why DiDi paid cash for a $680K renovation while still raising the money, and what that business mindset means for any nonprofit


For a full list of links and resources mentioned in this episode, click here.

Bloomerang is the complete donor, volunteer, and fundraising management solution that helps thousands of nonprofits like yours. Book your demo here. Read The 2026 Giving Signals Report here. 

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Thursday, August 20th at 12 PM ET

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