501c Drop

501c Drop is a podcast and webinar series for nonprofit leaders, development directors, and executive directors looking to raise more donations and build stronger fundraising programs. Hosted by Leya Simmons, a 20+ year fundraising expert and CEO of BetterUnite, each episode covers nonprofit fundraising strategy, donor retention, event planning, board development, and the trends shaping the nonprofit sector. Whether you're running a capital campaign, planning a benefit auction, or rethinking your donor CRM, 501c Drop delivers practical, expert-led guidance you can use right away. New episodes drop weekly for nonprofit professionals who want real results.

501c Drop is a business podcast hosted by BetterUnite, with 12 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

BetterUnite hosts 501c Drop, a business show with 12 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  501c Drop

  Behind the Scenes with Kirby: The Real Talk on Event Day

  Aug 7, 202656 min

  She's worked over 1,000 nonprofit events. Here's what she wishes every event lead knew before the doors open. In this episode of the 501(c) Drop, BetterUnite Co-founder Leya Simmons sits down with Kirby Cathey, Account & Event Specialist at BetterUnite, for honest, boots-on-the-ground advice on pulling off a great in-person fundraising event this fall. They cover building a timeline backwards from your anchors, the winning-bid notification mistake that hijacks your fund-a-need, signage that answers questions before guests ask them, and the assess-communicate-solve play for when event day goes sideways. Fall event season is almost here. Consider this your backstage pass. ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/qjxNbjZBrV0 Read the blog - https://blog.betterunite.com/webinars/behind-the-scenes-with-kirby-the-real-talk-on-event-day

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  501c Drop

  Cracking the Mid- and Low-Donor Problem

  Jul 29, 202656 min

  Every nonprofit is losing everyday donors. This global ministry found a fix that actually works. In this episode of the 501(c) Drop, BetterUnite Co-founder Leya Simmons sits down with Jeff Givens, VP of Advancement at Evangelism Explosion International, to unpack the peer-to-peer "Sponsor a Nation" campaign that has brought in 285+ unique donors, roughly two thirds of them brand new to the ministry. They dig into the live donor leaderboard that turned a Fort Lauderdale banquet into EE's biggest ever, the Houston Sunday school class that adopted Azerbaijan and produced 16 first-time givers, Puerto Rico's 51-donor surge, and why clarity and transparency are what turn a $25 gift into a lasting donor relationship. Read blog - https://blog.betterunite.com/webinars/cracking-the-mid-and-low-donor-problem ▶️ Watch the full episode - https://youtu.be/HpHGtm3LcuI

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  501c Drop

  What Every Auctioneer Wishes You Knew Before the Event

  Jul 21, 202644 min

  Your auctioneer can tell how your event will go within the first ten minutes. Here's what they're seeing. In this episode of 501(c) Drop, BetterUnite Co-founder Leya Simmons sits down with Dan Campbell of Raising Paddles LLC, whose team works 300 events a year and has helped more than 1,000 nonprofits raise over $500 million. They cover why an auctioneer is a revenue strategist with a microphone, how many items a live auction should really have, the "fishing" technique that pulled in $200,000 before one paddle raise even started, and the board activation strategy that took an organization from $800K to $2.2 million in a single year.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  501c Drop

  What Every Auctioneer Wishes You Knew Before the Event

  Jul 21, 202644 minS0

  <p>Your auctioneer can tell how your event will go within the first ten minutes. Here's what they're seeing.</p><p>In this episode of 501(c) Drop, BetterUnite Co-founder Leya Simmons sits down with Dan Campbell of Raising Paddles LLC, whose team works 300 events a year and has helped more than 1,000 nonprofits raise over $500 million. They cover why an auctioneer is a revenue strategist with a microphone, how many items a live auction should really have, the "fishing" technique that pulled in $200,000 before one paddle raise even started, and the board activation strategy that took an organization from $800K to $2.2...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  501c Drop

  Community as a Catalyst

  Jul 9, 202658 min

  Your community is not your audience. It is your fundraising engine. In this episode of 501(c) Drop, BetterUnite Co-founder Leya Simmons sits down with Floyd Jones, Founder of BackBlack, for a Webinar Wednesday conversation on turning community into a force that mobilizes supporters, activates board members, and drives real dollars. Floyd breaks down his Four C's framework (Captivate, Communicate, Convert, Catapult), why fundraising is a team sport, how to build tiered pathways for volunteers and peer fundraisers, and why the data says your next gift is already sitting in your database.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on 501c Drop. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.