Podcasts about Great Fundraising Organizations
The publication of Great Fundraising Organizations has resulted in several invitations to talk about it on podcasts.
Here are those that have aired already. We’ll add more in due course.
Two Ps on a Pod #2
When Mark Phillips and Giles Pegram CBE first spoke with Alan Clayton about Great Fundraising Organizations on Two Ps on a Pod they realised they had more to talk about, in particular Alan’s focus on the role of fear as a barrier to fundraising.
As a result they invited him back to discuss this in more detail.
“The single biggest block to fundraising growth is fear of criticism” Alan says.
Mark explains:
“As fundraisers, we are always being criticised. Obviously we are criticised by politicians or the media. But we are also criticised by colleagues who don’t like fundraising. Or by finance teams who want to minimise expenditure but maximise income – quickly. Add in social media, the isolation of remote working, and the ease with which anyone can broadcast their opinions, and the fear of criticism has never been stronger.
“The result is predictable – charities hold back. They soften their messages, they avoid emotion, they cut investment, and fundraising income flatlines.”
Mark adds that “Alan points to a way forward, and it comes from an idea borrowed from Jim Collins’ Good to Great and is reinforced by Adrian Sargeant’s research”.
The Beacon Podcast
In the August 2025 edition of The Beacon Podcast Lighthouse Counsel Content Coordinator Margaret Battistelli Gardner talks with Alan Clayton about organisations that “get it” and excel at raising the money needed to make their mission a reality.
Two Ps on a Pod
What makes a fundraising organisation great? with Alan Clayton
Mark Phillips and Giles Pegram CBE sit down with Alan Clayton, author of ‘Great Fundraising Organizations’, to explore what separates thriving charities from those that flatline.
Highlights include:
- Why every great charity is two businesses with one mission
- How internal fear kills growth
- Why fundraising is emotional (and why that’s okay)
- The leadership mindset that drives 10-year growth
- And yes, why that rebrand might be hurting your income…
“Backed by in-depth analysis of 500 fundraising organisations, Alan’s book offers evidence-based insights into what truly drives fundraising success — and why so many fail to achieve it”.
Of the wide range of topics in the book that one the seems to fire Phillips and Pegram the most is the fear that Clayton suggests is holding back many nonprofit leaders from aiming for transformational growth.
Mark and Giles subsequently invited Alan to record another episode, this time focusing on Alan’s contention that “the single biggest block to fundraising growth is fear of criticism”.
The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast
“Have you ever wondered why some nonprofit organizations seem to effortlessly raise millions while others struggle to stay afloat, even when they share similar missions?” says Tammy Zonker, major gifts strategist and Founder and President of Fundraising Transformed.
“It’s a question that has fascinated me for years”.
Which is why she spoke to Alan Clayton on The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast which she hosts. Tune into episode 94.
Brightspot Fundraising
Rob Woods of Bright Spot Fundraising spoke with Alan Clayton on Fundraising Bright Spots, the long-running series. He asked Alan “What do Great Fundraising Organisations do that is different to the rest?”
The YouTube interview includes a transcript of the conversation.
Rob explains: “At Bright Spot, it’s our mission to help you enjoy your job and raise more money. Both of these things become possible when you learn powerful techniques and, with the right encouragement, you have the confidence to put them into practice.”
The Rainmaker Fundraising podcast
Andrew Olsen speaks to Alan Clayton about the content of the book.
And they also share a determination “to shine a light on great fundraising leaders and how their differences in leadership positively impact fundraising capacity”.
To that end they have announced The Campaign for Great Fundraising Leadership. They have started by drawing the distinction between great and ordinary fundraising leadership by inviting humorous and anonymous examples of poor leadership via Laughable Leadership.
What does it take to be a great fundraising organization?
MotivateMonday
Pamela Grow spoke to Alan Clayton and Colin Skehan on her weekly MotivateMonday webinar on 3 February 2025.
Fundraisingpodden
Fundraisingpodden is a podcast about fundraising from Dekode.
It is based on the notion that "Fundraising is not a zero-sum game. We do not compete for limited funds. The better we collectively become at convincing people to give, the more goes to the causes we work for!"
Episodes are usually in Norwegian, of course, but Alan Clayton's episode is in English. Dekode described him as a fundraising legend, a researcher and a genuinely nice guy. Here he talks about level 5 leadership, finding purpose, and much more".
The podcast was recorded while Alan was in Oslo launching Great Fundraising Organizations to an audience of Norwegian fundraisers and charity leaders.
