Free Daily Podcast Summary
RAISE Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by EverTrue
Who's doing the most exciting things in fundraising? Who's thinking about things from a completely different angle? The RAISE podcast aims to find out. Each episode goes in depth with the people changing advancement. Tune in and get inspired.
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- Sep 25, 202652 min
215: Tara Jones, The University of Memphis.
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Tara Jones, senior vice president for advancement at the University of Memphis and president of the University of Memphis Foundation.Tara shares her journey in higher education fundraising, from getting her start at Auburn University to leading advancement at the University of Memphis. She reflects on the role philanthropy can play in helping universities meet the needs of their students, strengthen their communities, and create opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.The conversation explores donor relationships, student support, mentorship, scholarships, and the importance of understanding what motivates people to give. Tara also shares the story behind a transformational gift from a longtime Memphis donor and how his personal connection to the university helped shape his philanthropy. Throughout the episode, she discusses what it takes to build meaningful relationships with donors and keep the mission at the center of fundraising.
- Jun 15, 202637 min
214: Betsy Chapin Taylor, Accordant.
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Betsy Chapin Taylor, CEO of Accordant.Betsy shares her journey from aspiring journalist and healthcare professional to becoming one of the leading voices in healthcare philanthropy. She reflects on building fundraising programs across community hospitals and academic medical centers, launching Accordant, and helping healthcare leaders recognize philanthropy as a strategic source of revenue and impact.The conversation explores healthcare fundraising, donor stewardship, principal giving, board engagement, and the importance of focusing resources where they can drive the greatest results. Betsy also discusses the evolving role of philanthropy in healthcare, how organizations can better align fundraising with strategic priorities, and why the future belongs to teams willing to embrace focus, data, and meaningful donor relationships.
- May 29, 202646 min
213: Shanna Hocking, Hocking Leadership
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Shana Hocking, founder and CEO of Hocking Leadership.Shana shares her journey from discovering fundraising during her first month at Columbia University to building a career in higher education advancement at institutions like The University of Alabama, The Wharton School, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She reflects on being rejected from more than 100 jobs early in her career, developing innovative donor engagement programs like Wharton Women in Leadership, and learning how philanthropy creates meaning and opportunity for donors and students alike.The conversation also explores leadership, organizational culture, and the future of advancement work. Shana discusses launching Hocking Leadership, writing One Bold Move a Day, building a following through years of LinkedIn content creation, and helping advancement leaders navigate change, invest in people, and prepare their teams for the future of philanthropy.
- May 29, 202645 min
212: Sally Bryant, The Bryant Group
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Sally Bryant, CEO of Bryant Group.Sally shares her journey from growing up in a small farming community in Eastern Washington to discovering advancement work through a senior-year internship at Washington State University. She reflects on how that experience sparked a lifelong career in philanthropy, leading her into early development roles and ultimately becoming a chief advancement officer in her twenties at Marymount California University.She discusses the importance of mentorship and early leadership lessons, including learning from influential leaders who shaped her understanding of empathy, communication, and team culture. Sally also shares how she navigated a period of consulting work followed by an unexpected eight-year chapter at Mary Kay, where she developed deep skills in recruiting, rejection, and relationship building that later translated directly into her leadership philosophy.The conversation continues with her return to the Bryant Group, where she ultimately took over and expanded the firm into a full leadership consulting and executive search practice focused on advancement professionals. Sally highlights the importance of helping organizations strengthen both hiring and leadership development, and why talent strategy must support the full lifecycle of advancement teams.She closes by reflecting on current trends in advancement hiring, including the growing need for leaders who understand business models and technology while maintaining strong human-centered leadership.
- Nov 24, 202543 min
211: Luigi Amendola, Loyola University Chicago
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Luigi Amendola, Vice President for University Advancement at Loyola University Chicago.Luigi shares his story as a first generation American and first generation college student whose parents immigrated from southern Italy to Illinois by different routes. He talks about feeling out of place in high school, finding his voice and identity at Lewis University, and how living in a Christian Brothers residence hall with international students and eating alongside the brothers expanded his perspective. Along the way, mentors like the Christian Brothers and business faculty member Father Kevin Spees helped him raise his sights and see new possibilities.Luigi recalls qualifying for federal work study, leaving a late-night job in campus fast food, and stumbling into an office role in the advancement office. He describes the moment he realized that “not for profit” did not mean “no revenue,” how an internship at the Advocate Charitable Foundation became his first full-time role, and why the mission and purpose of philanthropy drew him into the profession. After several years in health care, he moved into higher education and began to connect the impact of education on individuals and family dynamics with his own lived experience as a first generation college graduate and now as a parent of a college freshman.Luigi talks candidly about the negative headlines surrounding higher education and why, despite real challenges, he is convinced that the value of higher education remains strong over a lifetime. He explains why he pursued an MBA while working as a development officer, describes the tradeoffs of moving from a large public research university to his alma mater Lewis and then to Loyola, and reflects on building teams, elevating fundraising results, and leaving places stronger than he found them.At Loyola, Luigi shares his focus on being excellent at the fundamentals and bringing a steady, consistent presence to his team. He emphasizes clarity of goals, consistent outreach, purposeful engagement, and the discipline of stopping work that does not move the mission forward. He likens advancement to a long game that compounds over time, talks about stewarding donors connected to Sister Jean, and describes Loyola’s quiet campaign and strong positioning in a challenging higher ed landscape. Luigi closes by reflecting on the collegial nature of the advancement community and his openness to informal networking and conversations with colleagues across the sector.
- Nov 24, 202538 min
210: Chip Edmonds, Lycoming College
On this episode of the RAISE Podcast, Brent hosts Chip Edmonds, president of Lycoming College and a longtime advancement and enrollment leader at his alma mater.Chip reflects on how a positive high school experience, a nudge from his soccer coach, and a visit to campus led him to Lycoming. He shares why he pursued a rare trio of majors in history, music, and business administration, and how living in multiple communities – the classroom, choir tours in Europe, and the athletic field – shaped his belief in interdisciplinary learning and seeing the world through different lenses.Chip traces his path into advancement through a series of invitations: from supporting a trustee as a young staff member, to his first formal role in annual giving at Duke, to major gift work at Yale and Lycoming. He talks about the autonomy and entrepreneurial mindset required of frontline fundraisers, how that experience influenced the way he designs portfolios, and what it was like to step into the vice president for advancement role at a relatively young age. He also shares his leadership philosophy around hiring capable people, giving them clear direction, getting out of their way, and stepping in to remove hurdles.Throughout the conversation, Chip returns to the tension between specialization and exploration, and why being “comfortable being uncomfortable” is essential for students, faculty, and leaders. He describes addressing first-year students about doing hard things, talks about enrollment as “everybody’s business,” and explains why stories that highlight the impact of higher education are so important in the face of negative headlines. Chip also recalls a powerful gift story from a Lycoming alum who became governor of the state of Puebla in Mexico, whose family established a seven-figure scholarship for students who are “very poor, but also very bright.”Chip closes by reflecting on mentorship, including the influence of Reverend Dr. Greg Jones, how advancement prepared him for the presidency, Lycoming’s history of innovation, and why he expects more presidents in the future to come from advancement backgrounds.
- Nov 20, 202559 min
209: Eric Holderness, KSU Foundation
In this episode, Brent welcomes Eric Holderness, Senior Vice President of Development at the Kansas State University Foundation, whose path into advancement began when he was a student-athlete learning to thrive under pressure. Eric shares how competitive drive, curiosity, and early mentoring shaped his approach to major gifts and leadership.Eric walks through the building blocks of effective fundraising: qualification, listening, preparation, and being willing to “go there” when donors bring up money early. He breaks down how he coaches fundraisers to enter the conversation with clarity rather than fear, and why the best asks sound like: “What do you want to accomplish with your money, and how can I help you do that today?”Brent and Eric dig into portfolio strategy, the myth of the “perfect” donor visit, how K-State trains frontline fundraisers to embrace objections, and why cultivating resilience matters just as much as cultivating prospects.Eric also shares insights into K-State’s unique culture, his team’s national leadership in D-I advancement, and the importance of simplifying systems so fundraisers can focus on relationships—not bureaucracy.It’s a candid, practical, energizing episode full of told-you-straight wisdom for anyone who’s ever felt nervous about making the ask.
- Nov 20, 202550 min
208: Amanda Hopkins, University of Colorado Boulder
In this episode, Brent sits down with Amanda Hopkins, Associate Vice Chancellor for Development at the University of Colorado Boulder, whose journey begins far from the Rockies—on a family farm in Trinidad and Tobago. Amanda shares how early mornings, hard work, and a first-generation path into college shaped her belief in mentorship, access, and the transformative power of higher education.After attending Rollins College and later earning her law degree from the University of Florida, Amanda practiced commercial real estate and finance law before discovering that gift planning offered the perfect intersection of relationships, problem-solving, and impact. She talks about how trust is the foundation of every meaningful planned giving conversation—and why donors sometimes literally bring their entire estate plan into meetings.Now at CU Boulder, Amanda reflects on the momentum sweeping campus: record enrollment, a bold new chancellor, the university’s 150th anniversary, and preparations for a comprehensive campaign. She shares how her team is managing rising engagement through smarter portfolios, data insights, stewardship, and the launch of CU’s DXO program.Amanda also takes listeners inside a rare multi-generational family visioning session, describing how donors, faculty, and values aligned to imagine transformational philanthropy.It’s a thoughtful conversation about purpose, leadership, and building systems that scale generosity.
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About RAISE Podcast
Who's doing the most exciting things in fundraising? Who's thinking about things from a completely different angle? The RAISE podcast aims to find out. Each episode goes in depth with the people changing advancement. Tune in and get inspired.
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