Chad Barger: The Martha Stewart of Fundraising

🎙️ In today's episode of Talking Shizzle, Taylor and Will from Creative Shizzle sit down with Chad Barger, a lifelong fundraiser with a passion for helping others raise funds for their passions. 🏫 Chad's fundraising journey started in college with a call center job and AmeriCorps, which led him to start his own fundraising consulting firm, Productive Fundraising. As a speaker, trainer, and coach, Chad has helped countless individuals and organizations reach their fundraising goals.

🎭 Chad's favorite job was his last position as executive director of a United Arts Fund, which raised money for 30 different arts and cultural organizations near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He's also a band geek who met his wife in high school marching band and discovered his love for speaking and engaging with people through his work in fundraising.

💰 During the conversation, Chad shares the unexpected path that led him to become a fundraising expert, the lessons he's learned along the way, and the impact his work has in the community and beyond. 👂 Tune in to Talking Shizzle to hear more about Chad's fundraising expertise and how it can help you reach your fundraising goals.

📌 Chad's Journey from Band Geek to Fundraising Professional

📌 Leadership, Fundraising, and Entrepreneurial Challenges

📌 Overcoming the Mindset of Being a Company of One

📌 Creating a Referral Relationship: Building Your Business Around Your Life
📌 Exploring Actionable Resources for Content Development

📌The Importance of Self Care in the Social Good Sector

📌 Productive Fundraising

Thanks for listening to Talking Shizzle! Be sure to 🎧 subscribe/follow/leave a review/etc. to stay up-to-date on future episodes. And don't forget to 🤩 share this episode with your friends!

Check out Productive Fundraising here:

WEBSITE: https://productivefundraising.com/
 

And connect with Chad on LinkedIn here:

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbarger/

Transcript

Taylor Shanklin  0:03  
Hey, hey, hey, talking shizzle listeners. You know, it's always been important for me to align our business with other companies and individuals who share our values, especially those who share a deep commitment to serving nonprofits and social impact. So for that reason, I'm super excited to announce our very first season to sponsor Kyla Kyla is a fundraising and donor management CRM that is built specifically for nonprofits by nonprofit professionals. These folks really get it. Their mission is to empower nonprofits to deepen relationships, retain donors, and raise more for their cause. A several of our clients and partners use Keela and have continued to be impressed by just how easy Keela is to use, how affordable it is, and most importantly, the results they see using the platform. The Keila team is also phenomenal to work with. They are super friendly guys, and they have a continuous commitment to equity and inclusion. Now, go check them out. We got a special offer for you as Season Two sponsor of the talking shows or podcasts. Keila is offering our listeners and community 40% off their first year subscription tequila 40% You guys. That is a lot of shizzle. Think about all the other shizzle you can get done by saving that money on your nonprofit CRM. Plus, if you have under 250 records, you can get access to the keyless starter program for free. So if you are interested in learning more and booking a demo, go to keilah.co/partners/creative das shizzle that is ke l a.co. Forward slash partners forward slash create Tim ash shizzle.

Hey, hey, how are you lovely people out there. You've got a lot going on in your day with big dreams and big goals for your world. Are you ready to talk some shizzle and learn some shizzle from leading entrepreneurs, changemakers coaches and overall interesting people who like to shake things up. I'm your host Taylor Shanklin, CEO and founder of creative shizzle and I am stoked to bring you a fresh episode of talking shizzle today, this show is all about helping you think differently so that you can grow. Talking chisel is brought to you by our team at Creative shizzle where we help businesses, entrepreneurs, and social good innovators make amazing marketing shizzle happen. Check us out on the web at Creative shizzle.com Now, let's talk some shizzle what's up what's up folks? We are here for a fresh episode of talking shizzle with fundraiser Chad. What up my friend?

Chad Barger  3:11  
Hey there Taylor. Great to be here. Looking forward to talking some shizzle

Taylor Shanklin  3:16  
let's get into who you are what you're about give us a quick background on

Chad Barger  3:19  
earthing Chad Barger lifelong fundraiser. Pretty much all I've ever done caught the bug early. I was a phone Athan caller in college and then AmeriCorps member. And before I got my first real job, I realized there was a business side to this nonprofit stuff. So all I've ever done up until a few years ago was be a nonprofit fundraiser. So had a 24 year, frontline position, variety of groups and higher education, the arts museum field and then kind of fell into consulting like folks do. And now I'm a fundraising speaker, trainer and coach with my own firm, productive fundraising.

Taylor Shanklin  4:00  
And you and I met we actually it's funny last year, you and I are about to go to the MPI con conference and I actually think we first met in person last year at the AF

Chad Barger  4:11  
Yeah, I think there's been some online stuff over the years but like yes, live and in person. That's the beauty of iKON. It's the largest gathering of fundraisers in the world, right?

Taylor Shanklin  4:20  
Yeah, exactly. Okay, so I want to get into a little bit about your background, and let's talk about some fun stuff. Tell us about your favorite job you ever had.

Chad Barger  4:29  
Yeah, my favorite job. I mean, it was it was truly my dream job. It was the the last fundraising position I held. So I was the executive director of a United Arts Fund. So we raise money on behalf of about 30 different arts and cultural organizations. Where I'm at I'm based just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, one of those state capitals that you folks not from Pennsylvania have a hard time remembering because it's not the biggest city but so ran that United Arts fun And and loved it. I'm a band geek arts people I met my wife we met first met in high school marching band. And she's a playwright and theater geeks, I was all in. Yes, I was that annoying guy that comes on stage right before the performance and tells you to turn off your cell phone and does a quick pitch for the United Arts fun while I'm out there. So that like 50 times a year, it was great. Did that for a decade, I really loved it. But during that same time, I was president of my Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter and kind of get started getting these requests to speak. You know, did that really learn I love speaking, it was a lot like high school marching band was rehearse performance, and get that adrenaline rush. And afterwards, people kind of started saying, Hey, I like that, will you come into our shop and teach us how to do that or show us how to do that. So kind of started doing a little consulting. And that grew. And over time, I kind of found that my passion has shifted from raising funds for what I really care about what I'm passionate about, to helping people do the same to helping them raise funds for what they're passionate about, and really seeing that leverage change in the community and even beyond.

Taylor Shanklin  6:15  
Well, I think you should go fact check. Chad, real quick on this, see if he was really in the marching band. It's a while since we've done that check in. So let's just go

Chad Barger  6:28  
to photo proof if needed.

Taylor Shanklin  6:31  
Exactly what we're getting that.

Chad Barger  6:35  
Oh, it's good. I got the death stare, like, compositionally, I was all in. Yeah.

Taylor Shanklin  6:40  
Well, I think it's great, because it's a part of your background that really like maybe at the time you were doing it, and you weren't thinking that this was going to relate to what I'm doing later in life and the business that I'm going to start but it did, right. Like it's a you had some fundraising roots there. So I guess I'm curious about maybe something that you learned from that, that you've taken into your current work? Yeah,

Chad Barger  7:03  
I mean, that was really I mean, the fun story I always tell is, I was actually voted shyest freshman. In ninth grade, my wife was as well. So we were the two, the male and female shy as freshmen. And now she's still pretty shy, but full out, you know, people give me the energy and those kinds of things. So I think just that process and the leadership, and kind of brought that out to me, and to the point that, you know, talking to me in eighth grade, there's no way I would have ever said that I'm a professional speaker, and enjoy getting on stages and those kinds of things. So it was just that evolution and competence and leadership that just kind of baked right into it.

Taylor Shanklin  7:43  
And so you've taken that into starting the company, tell us a little bit about, I'm curious to hear about an entrepreneurial challenge that you've had, like, walk us through the history of like, what made you get to the point where you started it kind of leading up to where you are now and what were some things you learned along the way?

Chad Barger  8:01  
You know, so I was doing the speaking and people were starting to say, hey, come work with us. So I talked to my board chair at the time, saying, Hey, do you care if I kind of do this on the sides. And he was very open minded and said, you know, that's fine. As long as you meet your fundraising goals, I don't really care. I actually think you're gonna get ideas, working with other groups that you can apply here and help us. So for about two years, I kind of did that. And then it grew. And I couldn't do both. So I talked to different board chair, this one was very into efficiency. So I knew that and I said, the consulting work I'm doing is growing, I want to keep doing that. But I don't want to leave this job. It's my dream job. How about, I go to halftime, I do the major gifts and donor relationships and work with the board and the leadership as executive director. And we hire a database person and an events person part time, you were going to save money in the process. We're gonna have more capacity, and everything can work. So that board chair was all in like, yeah, that makes total sense. So did that for two years. And then it grew again, and like, I gotta make a choice. Which way is it? Do I go with the dream job forever? And just ride this for 40 years? Or do I explore this kind of risky, but fun thing, and I started using that fun word, and I realized I kind of had that entrepreneurial bug that, you know, where is this coming from? I'm not sure. And I talked to my mom. And she said, You were the kid in fifth grade that was buying cases of candy at the discount store and reselling it on the bus in your backpack. You have this entrepreneurial Gene You just haven't repressed for like 20 years. So that was all I needed. And off we went. But I kind of had a different approach that I don't want the big firm like I don't want to grow this to the 20 person team and be the next you know, huge firm. I really like just being me. And, you know, I've, I've managed staff, I've had the HR challenges and all of that. And I kind of embraced this concept of a company of one, where, you know, I'll outsource things and, you know, 1099, and reefer and all of that, but I really love operating in my sweet spot. And, you know, not doing that. But people just don't get that, like that the concept that's kind of my biggest entrepreneurial challenge of, you know, overcoming the mindset that you have to grow in order to be successful. Like, you got to see this growth. And I certainly have revenue, growth and everything. But when they see that, hey, you started your firm five years ago, and it's still just you. What's wrong? That's kind of weird. And I don't know, that's kind of my struggle. I'm not gonna hire people just to make them happy. But it's the same time it's kinda like, yeah, why don't people get that? Not everybody wants the big firm.

Taylor Shanklin  10:54  
So what's your sweet spot that you figured out?

Chad Barger  10:57  
I learned? Well, you know, when you start your business, you take anything you can get, because you know, you're scared and you know, I need revenue. And so I'm doing you know, feasibility studies and development assessments. And every single time the under the job, it came time to write the report. I hate it, like sitting down to write that 510 1520 page report would can't stand it. But I'd have to do so much to motivate myself to do that. So I don't want to do that. And I just really love I love that stage. I love to train. I love to be with people that trifecta, Speaker trainer coach, really is what works for me, you know, speaking to a group on the stage being with a team, whether virtually or in person, and the one on one coaching, helping people you know, just get past things that monthly check out what's going on? How do we troubleshoot this, let's keep you moving, has really worked. And staying in the space. I know which, you know, outside of the first three years of my career where I was in higher ed with 40 person development team, everything else has been just me. So the small shop helping that executive director that has to do everything and fundraise on the side too. Or that overwhelmed development director and Little Shop of one. Those are my key areas and staying in the sweet spot that really works for me.

Taylor Shanklin  12:14  
Yeah, I remember you and I talking about that one time. Actually, I like I liked that you just know who you are and know what you like, in terms of like, well, why doesn't mean that just because I haven't grown to this team of 20 Doesn't mean I'm not successful. It doesn't. That's just the way that like, society traditionally views things what you're not growing, maybe you aren't growing,

Chad Barger  12:37  
there's growth. There's growth and revenue, there's growth in me, there's there's all kinds of growth, it's just not growth in bringing in other people that I got to deal with.

Taylor Shanklin  12:46  
Yeah, exactly. So like, that's what I mean is like, there's like you're personally growing, you're helping your clients grow, you're still professionally growing, I'm sure you're bringing in projects that you like working on. And so I think that that's, I think that's good. I honestly think a lot of people probably wish they had that, and are afraid to like, not just go after the continuous, you know, quote, air quote, growth.

Chad Barger  13:11  
Yeah, if there's any folks like that listening, I'll plug a book that really helped me, there's actually a book called company of one by Paul Jarvis. And just really huge help with this mindset of, Hey, you don't have to listen to them. You know, do what you want, build your company have one you can have specialize just in what you need. And because I want to do the work, I want to work with the clients and be free. I don't want to spend all my time managing 15 other people.

Taylor Shanklin  13:38  
Okay, so Chad, you, you've got to you, you've been overcoming the mindset of being a company of one, you actually prefer it? What is something that you could pass on to other people? Who might also be in that same place where they're feeling like that to me, but I'm not sure where to start?

Chad Barger  13:57  
Yeah, I would say it's getting past that mindset that growth equals success. So however, you need to do that. I actually kind of anytime you hear growth, or you need to grow, you need to do this, you need to expand, that, to me is a mental cue to just stop, stop and analyze, you know, think anytime that happens, any kind of growth, I'm gonna sit on that for like a week, at least just do I actually want to do this, is this actually going to take me in the direction I want to go? And more often than not, I'm kind of saying, No, that's gonna take me away from what I truly love doing. It's not worth it. I would much rather pass that on. So I have a lot of great referral relationships. Other people that I know that are great at this, you know, for the amount of requests I get for grant writing, I could easily have hired a grant writer to three at this point in house, have them completely busy, but then instead of doing what I want to do, I'm managing a team of three grant writers. We hate grant writing, so that is not going to be fun for me. So anyway, to pass that on to another firm, and we do enough, create a referral relationship, you know, I've done that where I'm getting, you know, a little bit of something for doing the half hour back and forth email chain, and off we go, I'm staying where I want to stay, they're getting business, everybody kind of wins. And that's great for the client to because they're getting somebody that's has tons of experience lives all day knows the local foundation scene. And yeah, I'm not in that spot that I don't want to be. It's kind of come up to another mindset shift here is that I try to try to build my business around my life, rather than building my life around my business. So you know, how's this gonna fit? If I've got to deal with, you know, this team, and they're calling and I gotta coordinate, and I got to have standard hours and a weekly staff call? No, then I'm not going to work. You know, I'm an early bird. So I like to get up, like 530 and just hit it. And by like, two, three o'clock, the brain is fried, and I can just turn it off. I don't have to be in the office managing this team. And this expectations of you know, this is what we all do. So growth isn't success and building your business around your life, not the other way around.

Taylor Shanklin  16:21  
I've heard that Chad Barger has been called the Martha Stewart of fundraising,

Chad Barger  16:27  
you're referring to the oddest feedback I ever received on a speaker form. And I think I gave you the full quote. So can you read the full quote there? Taylor.

Taylor Shanklin  16:38  
Yes, Chad is like the Martha Stewart of fundraising, very actionable and approachable content.

Chad Barger  16:45  
So when I saw the Martha Stewart of fundraising, I was kind of like, Oh, what is this? Well, my Martha Stewart, you know, and then I read the second half, and actionable and approachable content. And I'm like, okay, that resonates. Because that's exactly what I tried to do. In all of my training, all my coaching everything. So, Taylor, you've been there with me. We're at some random fundraising conference somewhere. And great presenter comes up, gives all this excellent research data and theory. And we're like, Yeah, I'm all in. I'm all in this is great. And then it stops. You're like, well, it was great. I agree. But what am I supposed to do with it? Where do we go from here? So all of that, like next steps, take this actionable. Here's a template, here's the sample, this is how you do it in your shop. I tried to do that in all of my training, because I just spend too many of those sessions. And frankly, it's why I attend a lot of conferences, but I don't go to a lot of sessions, I tend to do a lot of thinking and brainstorming and content development while I'm there because I just don't want to take the risk of going to another session where it's just all theory, and not necessarily what am I actually going to do with it? I don't do insider trading. I don't decorate. But if it's actionable and approachable content, I can be on board with that.

Taylor Shanklin  18:07  
Make candles or anything? No, no, I

Chad Barger  18:12  
hike I backpack a wall. Okay. They don't know. Little bit of leather work maybe would be the closest I get to anything crafty. But you know, that's just the like, fix things out.

Taylor Shanklin  18:26  
So what's one of your favorite resources you give to people like the most actionable resource?

Chad Barger  18:34  
You know, I'm gonna give a shout out to the great Lynne Westar donor relations guru and her team. Because I love their resource library. For one reason, one reason only they have these swipe files. So you're doing an annual report, you're doing a gift acknowledgement letter, or you're doing an event invitation, and you just have mind freeze, you go over there, download one PDF file, and it's got like 500 pages in it. And you'll literally just pop it up and keep hitting page down as fast as you can, until you see something that just strikes you and gives you that inspiration. She's got a huge Rolodex and client base, and she just says, Hey, give me your stuff. And they put it in this giant swipe file. And it's simply that like, just give me some inspiration. That kind of takes me back to the first three years of my career. We're in higher education. I wasn't an AFP member back then, because they have case Council for the Advancement in support of education. And we always went to conferences, and we joked that it doesn't stand for Council for the Advancement, sport of education. It stands for copy and steal everything. Because we literally all brought all our stuff, put them out on tables, and in the breaks, you just walked around and say Oh, I like that grabbed it and took it back to your designer and said we're doing this for our end of calendar year appeal. So it's the non education version of that for me, I'm just hitting those swipe files and there we go.

Taylor Shanklin  19:58  
Alright, so to close So I'm curious to get your perspective on one thing that you would change for the better in the social goods sector right now, what's something that you think if we just did this one thing, like it would fix a lot of other things? Yeah, I

Chad Barger  20:14  
have this guide I put out and we can link it in the show notes if you want the seven keys to fundraising success. And it used to be five. And then I added in outsource your grant writing, because I find most people are horrible at it. So that was summer six. And then, over the course of the last two years and turmoil three years really now turmoil and everything that has happened, add in number seven, which is gotta take care of yourself, you know, some self care. I think as much as we, in this sector are here to help people and improve the world and all these things. You're just darn horrible at taking care of us, and just giving us space and room and forgiveness and kinder health and all these things. And, you know, I think some of us that are managers don't give people room for that are the expectations and we're operating so lean, and there's just too many excuses. I think the last three years have shown us that self care does need to be a priority for everybody. There's no reason to not have that be we don't have to be a martyr for the cause we serve. When we do that. Nobody wins, we burn out. And off we go. I mean, my upcoming icon presentation is on the staffing crisis, and what can we do to actually attract, retain and keep qualified fundraisers? And what are the expectations these days and a big part of that presentation is you got to let them actually take care of themselves or they're going to be gone faster than anything. So self care, folks, you got to do it, make it a priority. Put it on your schedule. It is just as important as that donor meeting that you have to get to

Taylor Shanklin  21:56  
all right well, hey, where can people go find you if they want to work with fundraising Chad if they want to buy some candles from your online gift shop?

Chad Barger  22:07  
Sure thing. Productive fundraising.com is a website I have a huge free resource library with tons of stuff there people can grab anything I do a free monthly webinar every month on different fundraising topic you can sign up for that. And on social I go by fundraiser Chad on pretty much every channel. I'm not on Tik Tok. I don't really know what to do on there. Don't dance and things but anywhere else fundraiser, Chad, you can find me and we'd love to connect.

Taylor Shanklin  22:31  
Thanks so much for your time today. I look forward to seeing you when we're in New Orleans together this coming week.

Chad Barger  22:37  
Sure thing Taylor can't wait.

Taylor Shanklin  22:40  
Well, hey there. That was fun. I love how much mind blowing and mind opening shizzle our guests bring to us with every episode. We hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as we did. Make sure you hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast player so that you don't miss a beat up the talking shizzle podcast. And if you're listening on Apple, be sure to let us know what you thought and leave us a review. We'd love to hear from our listeners so that we can bring you all the good juicy Business Growth shizzle that you would like to hear about. Get in touch with us and follow along at Creative shizzle.com or email us at podcast at Creative shizzle.com Until next time, keep making your shizzle happen

Transcribed by https://otter.ai