I’m writing this from Arkansas, and by the time you read this, I’ll probably be somewhere between here and Montana. It’s one of those weeks where I’m looking at the calendar and thinking, “How exactly did all of this end up happening in the same week?” Last night I had the opportunity to serve a Pregnancy Resource Center here in Arkansas. Today I’m flying to Montana, where I’ll be speaking on Thursday. Then on Friday, I have the very unexpected opportunity to film a Dry Bar C

You're - You're - You're - I used the wrong one in the email! :) I’m going to give you a fundraising opinion that may seem a little strange coming from a comedian: please take the donation cards off the tables. Actually, if I’m coming to your banquet, I’d love for you to hide them. Put them in a closet. Lock the closet. Give the key to somebody you trust. Whatever you have to do, just don’t let people start deciding how much they’re going to give before you’ve actually made

There are a lot of people in the comedy world who have made me laugh. There are considerably fewer who have made me a better fundraiser. And there are even fewer who have become a genuine friend. Mike Williams somehow managed to check all three boxes for me. Mike is one of my comedy-fundraising mentors. We have taught fundraising together, talked about banquets, laughed about the ridiculous things that happen when you put comedians and fundraising in the same room, and spent

I’ve been to a lot of fundraising banquets. And I mean a lot. I’ve sat through hundreds of Executive Director speeches over the years. I’ve heard the great ones, the painful ones, the ones that went way too long, and the ones where I found myself thinking, “I have absolutely no idea what this organization actually does.” So when I hear an Executive Director give a speech that makes me think, “That is how you do it,” I pay attention. Recently, I heard SuNell from Compassionate

I get asked about this from time to time. “Tim, why is your keynote 45 minutes?” I actually think that is a really good question. When you bring in a comedian, you might expect comedy. When you bring in a motivational speaker, you might expect inspiration. When you bring in a storyteller, you might expect stories. When you bring me to your fundraising event, however, I want you to understand something very important. I am there as a fundraiser who happens to be a comedian. My

I was thinking about fundraising banquets the other day, and I kept coming back to something I see over and over again. Organizations work incredibly hard to put on a great event. They spend months getting everything ready. There are meetings about the program, the food, the decorations, the speakers, the video, the auction, the donor cards and all the other little details that go into pulling off a successful night. And because everybody has worked so hard, everybody has som

Over the years, I have had the incredible privilege of speaking at fundraising banquets all across the country. I never take that opportunity lightly because I know I am stepping into something God has already been doing long before I arrive. Every ministry has a story. Every organization has people who have prayed, sacrificed, served, and believed in a mission that is bigger than themselves. When I walk into a banquet room, I am reminded that this is never just another event

Every fall, I have the privilege of getting a front row seat to fundraising banquets across America. One weekend I'm speaking at a pregnancy center, the next I'm with a foster care ministry, then a Christian school, rescue mission, or another ministry that's faithfully serving people in the name of Christ. After having the privilege of speaking at fundraising events in communities all across America, I've noticed something that has surprised me. The ministries that raise the

Every few months I see another article, webinar, or social media post confidently declaring that the fundraising banquet is dead. They tell nonprofits that people don't attend events anymore, that banquets no longer raise money, and that organizations should abandon them in favor of the latest fundraising strategy. What I've noticed is that the people making those claims usually have something else they want to sell you. As someone who spends much of the year speaking at fund

I listen to Christian radio most days. It’s usually just on in the background while I’m driving or running errands. The music is familiar, and there’s something steady about it that helps reset my head in the middle of a normal day. It’s not something I overthink, it’s just part of the rhythm of life. But there’s one thing that’s become pretty predictable for me over time. Between songs there are often 60 second devotionals from national speakers. I get why they exist, quick

I’ve been getting asked a lot lately how to get booked more as a fundraising speaker, especially in the PRC, foster care, and adoption space. I’m grateful for those questions, and I don’t take them lightly. The honest answer is that a lot of what looks like a “system” from the outside is actually the result of a long mix of things coming together over time. Some of it is absolutely God given. Some of it is 25 years in ministry. Thirteen of those years preaching and learning h

I can finally put into words what I want in life. It’s taken me 47 years, 26 years of marriage, and 23 years of fatherhood, but I think I’m finally there. I saw it clearly on Valentine’s Day this year. My wife and I had just finished dinner at a fancy restaurant celebrating our love for each other. I had a three level seafood tower. I honestly can’t even remember what she ordered, but I’m guessing steak and lobster. I made the reservations back in October, so this wasn’t an a

I have spent much of my life around nonprofit leaders. Some are leading pregnancy centers. Some are running foster care ministries. Others are serving through churches, schools, rescue missions, or community organizations. No matter the mission, I often hear a similar story: "We are so busy serving people that we don't have time to fundraise." I understand that feeling because I've lived it myself. Most executive directors didn't step into nonprofit leadership because they dr

I am a real fundraiser. Like, for real real. I have CFRM from the Lilly School of Philanthropy and have been in the weeds of fundraising for a long time. Here is what I've learned from doing it as a comedian. When most people think about fundraising and comedy, they assume those two worlds don’t belong in the same sentence. One feels serious, structured, and strategic. The other feels spontaneous, unpredictable, and—well—funny. But after years of standing on stages in bot

If you’ve never asked for sponsorship or underwriting before, it can feel a little intimidating. Most people don’t grow up knowing how to do this. The good news is that it’s actually much simpler than it feels, and donors are often more open to it than you might expect. At its core, you are not asking someone to “help you pay for a speaker.” You are inviting someone to help make a high-impact fundraising event possible that will ultimately raise more money for your mission. T

About a year ago I was sitting at a local community foundation for a networking event for nonprofits. It was one of those gatherings where you walk in not really knowing what to expect, but you hope something meaningful comes out of it. They broke us into four groups of about twenty people each, completely random. No sorting by cause or philosophy. Just a mix of people from all kinds of organizations. As we went around the circle introducing ourselves, something really beauti

I’ve stood in a lot of rooms. Church gyms with folding chairs that squeak every time someone shifts. Elegant hotel ballrooms where the forks are nicer than my first car. Community centers where the microphone works… most of the time. And after enough of those nights, you start to notice something pretty consistent. It’s not the décor that determines generosity. It’s not even the video, the lighting, or how fancy the dessert is. There are a handful of things that, when they’re

Every fundraising banquet has them. The moments where the room subtly shifts. People stop leaning in, conversations get quieter, and someone suddenly becomes very interested in whether their iced tea needs a refill. These are the “cringe moments,” and while they feel small, they are often the exact moments generosity shuts down in real time. The tricky part is nobody plans them. No one gets on stage thinking, “Let’s make this awkward and lose momentum.” It just happens. The g

When you stand on stage at a fundraising banquet, you are not talking to “the audience.” It may look like one big room of people politely eating chicken and nodding at the right times, but it’s not one audience. It’s five very different people… all sitting at the same table, passing the rolls. Those five types are: the ready to give donor, the emotionally moved but unsure guest, the first-time guest, the relational giver, and yes, even the “I’m not giving” guest. And if you t

If your fundraising event isn’t raising as much money as it could, it’s not a program problem. It’s a strategy problem. Too many Christian nonprofits plan an evening that feels meaningful, looks polished, and tells great stories, but leaves generosity on the table. The room is engaged, people are encouraged, and everyone goes home thinking it was a great night. But the real question is whether it produced the level of giving the mission actually needs. In recent years, many o