Over the past 20 years, I’ve interacted with thousands of nonprofit leaders, influenced hundreds of organizations directly, and consulted with 100+ charities individually. 

I’ve been on both sides of the table—hiring consultants and being one. In that time, I’ve seen the difference between a good consulting engagement and a great one that produces results. 

A great consultant can make a difference, but a great partnership can transform your organization. 

Let’s imagine a world in which generosity has a day. Not a holiday for deals or consumption, but one collective moment carved out for shared humanity and generosity. That world already exists — and it started less than a decade and a half ago.

GivingTuesday started with simple roots at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City. It was a bold experiment – a “Giving Tuesday” immediately following the Thanksgiving weekend, aimed at redirecting the energy of post-holiday momentum toward generosity.

Today, GivingTuesday is a worldwide phenomenon, with recorded movements in more than 100 countries. In 2024, U.S. donors alone gave $3.6 billion.

What do Seinfeld, Game of Thrones, and the Purpose & Profit Podcast have in common?

Each came to a natural end in its own time — and ended with a finale.

Some people celebrate anniversaries. At Imago, we celebrate Imagoversaries.

What do the likes of Walt Disney, the Savannah Bananas’ Jesse Cole, and Martin Luther have in common?

They each lead with imagination. 

Also… 

✨ They each have created movements. 

✨ They cared deeply about the people who followed their causes.

✨ They were masters of experience. 

The past week for me has been full of imagination. 

Events are one of the most effective channels for growing sustainable giving. In fact, for some organizations, they can be the number ONE channel for sustainer acquisition.

In this Wave Report, I’m going to unpack why events can be so effective in growing recurring revenue, and share seven ways to grow sustainable giving at your next event. 

Today, we continue our series on the worst advice I’ve seen when it comes to growing sustainable recurring giving. 

I’ve heard a lot of advice over the years about recurring giving. Some of it’s brilliant. Some of it’s practical. And then… there’s the other kind.

Well-meaning, confident advice that sounds reasonable in the moment — but if followed, could quietly choke the very growth in sustainable giving we’re trying to cultivate.

Historically, social services charities have been left behind when it comes to growing recurring giving. However, there is good news. This doesn’t have to be the case anymore, thanks to the way the subscription economy is transforming the way people give to charity. 

This week, I did something that I’ve never done in my life. 

I sailed a boat. 😬

We are embracing the final days of summer break in the Raley household. School starts next week, so this past week as a family we struck out for adventure on the Puget Sound in and around the San Juan Islands, or as they are known in the PNW, the “San Juans.” 

We didn’t go it alone, though. We were joined by Grandpa, and led by intrepid Captain K, an experienced sailor with decades of experience, who knows just about everything there is to know about life on the seas.

Did you know that Sunday, August 17, is National Nonprofit Day?

On August 17 each year, National Nonprofit Day recognizes the goals and positive impacts nonprofits have on communities and the world.

This week marks exactly six months since the release of The Rise of Sustainable Giving. 🎉

In less than a year, AI tools have added the equivalent of a full-time teammate to my business. All for around $100 per month. 

In Part 1 of this Wave Report –  10 Ways I’m Using AI Right Now (Part 1) – I shared five ways I’m using AI to multiply my output. It turned out to be one of the most popular articles of the year.

It confirmed something I’ve been sensing in so many conversations lately – leaders are hungry for practical, real-world ways to use AI-based tools to work smarter and lead better.

Today, I’m sharing five more — all aimed at helping you think, lead, and create with more clarity and capacity.

In honor of the U.S. Open, let’s look at two lessons that you and I can learn from the world of golf to apply to our leadership today.

I once heard a prominent psychologist make a joke that people think marriage teaches people about love, companionship, and conflict, but in reality, the most essential thing marriage teaches us is how selfish we are. 😳

He had a point. When invested in and healthy, marriage helps us grow emotionally, socially, and spiritually, helping us to become less selfish and more loving in the process. 

In that moment, I remember thinking… no, he’s wrong – marriage is just the minor league – parenting is the real teacher of selfish you really are!

If marriage is a graduate education in personal growth, parenting is a post-graduate degree. 🎓

Have you ever found that when you look back on your life, certain patterns emerge?

I guess that’s why they call hindsight 20/20.

We are designed to be in community together. To be embodied. To be present, physically, emotionally, spiritually. To belong. 

What do Apple, Disney, and Blockbuster have to do with leading an effective and thriving charity in the 21st century?

A lot.

Two of these companies – Apple and Disney – made their way back to greatness, and one failed so fatally that it no longer exists.

Every charity leader I’ve ever worked with has at times keenly felt the sting of two truths:

A) There are too many things to do, and

B) There are not enough resources to do all of them.

As leaders, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the list of things we should be doing, and yet, the resources we have to do anything about it are comparatively small. 

In today’s subscription economy, the irony is not lost on me that the first recurring giving program in our nation’s history was referred to as a “communal subscription.”