In this episode of IMPACTability, host Josh Hirsch interviews Daniel Samuels, the Director of Philanthropy for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, about sustaining donor relationships. They discuss the challenges and opportunities that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a significant increase in donors for the food bank. Dan shares how they adapted their systems, operations, and staffing to engage and steward these new donors. They also talk about the importance of storytelling, personalization, and relationship-building in donor retention. The episode concludes with a segment of Coaches Corner, where Sheryl Soukup discusses balancing mission-driven work with the business aspects of running a nonprofit.
Guest Bio
For the past 5 years, Daniel Samuels has served as the Director of Philanthropy for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. In his role, Dan has the opportunity to engage directly with individual and corporate donors and represent the organization through media and speaking engagements. For the 10 years before joining the Second Harvest team, Dan worked as a fundraising professional at two well-respected organizations in Central Florida, Devereux and Central Florida Hillel. Outside of his professional role, Dan served on the board of directors and is a past president for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Florida Chapter. He has also been an instructor at the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Rollins College. When not at work, Dan enjoys spending time with family and friends. He and his wife, Ashley, are animal lovers and have two dogs and two cats. Dan considers himself to be pretty handy and enjoys spending time working on their home.
Takeaways
- The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges and opportunities for nonprofits, including a significant increase in donors for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
- Adapting systems, operations, and staffing is crucial to effectively engage and steward new donors.
- Storytelling, personalization, and relationship-building are key strategies for donor retention.
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