Relish Studio

11/02/2026

Nobody posts a picture of the trailhead parking lot. So why does everyone keep posting the marketing equivalent? 🅿️

"We hosted a workshop" is the parking lot. "Forty families have a safe place to sleep tonight" is the summit.

Today's Marketing Tip from the Trail: in your next post, share a result instead of an activity. One number or one story. That's it.

Full post:

People don't care what you did. They care about what changed because of it. One quick fix for your next post, straight from the trail.

10/14/2026

How do you reach an audience that isn't naturally tuned in to your cause? On a recent RelishTHIS episode, DEI consultant Michael Rolph of New Sincerity shared his approach: open with something they didn't expect – for him, business data on the cost of toxic culture – then deliver the same mission through a door they already care about. It's the move we use in our environmental work: frame climate as natural-space protection for one audience and as an economic argument for another. Same mission, different doorway.

10/07/2026

"I have plenty of food. We need socks." That one sentence, from a person living on the street, changed how a founder ran her entire nonprofit – and it's the big takeaway from a fantastic RelishTHIS episode with Mitch Stein of Pond. Before you build a new program, buy a shiny tool, or chase a trendy channel, ask the people you serve what they actually need. Validate the audience before the product. It'll save you months and a lot of money.

09/30/2026

Feeling like you never get to the work that actually matters?

On a great RelishTHIS episode, Simon Severino of Strategy Sprints shared a daily two-question audit that helps his clients reclaim 10 to 14 hours a week: (1) which task could someone else do better than me tomorrow, and (2) if I lived more freely and intentionally, what would I do? Then invest that reclaimed time on your 100 dream partners – because other people carrying your message is the most elegant reach there is.

09/23/2026

Treating grant applications like a lottery?

On a recent RelishTHIS episode, Gauri Manglik of Instrumental makes the case that grants are sales in disguise.

Two moves: warm the funder before you apply (there's a real person reading your proposal), and read the receipts, not the brochure – check a funder's actual grant history, because they often say one thing on their website and fund another.

And don't get discouraged by an early "no" – most grants aren't won the first time you apply.

09/16/2026

Salespeople say "always be closing." On a recent RelishTHIS episode, data expert Matt Ranta of Nimble Gravity gave the version that grows a modern organization: always be testing.

Change one thing at a time – a bigger donate button, one fewer form field – watch your core numbers, keep the winner, and repeat. His teams have lifted donations 50% this way, and you don't need huge traffic to start. Your one action this week: change one thing on your site and see what happens.

09/09/2026

Ever run a great event and then wonder why nothing came of it?

On a recent RelishTHIS episode, consultant Carol Hamilton nailed why: we let people just leave without effectively framing the next desired action. There's a huge gap between a fun entry-point experience (a river cleanup, a gala) and the action we actually want (an advocate, a donor, a repeat visitor) – and most of us never design the step in between. Map the journey, and give people one clear next step before they walk out the door.

09/02/2026

"Just go do something, anything." That was Diana Zhang's advice on a recent RelishTHIS episode. Her nonprofit, NeighborShare, funds pivotal needs of $400 or less – like the $125 that covered a young father's job certification and bus fare. The lesson for your fundraising: stop averaging your impact into a big blurry number. Tell one real story and let your donor be the hero who made it happen. That's how one-time gifts turn into recurring contributions.

08/26/2026

"Please give" is the weakest ask in fundraising. On a recent RelishTHIS episode, Stephen King of GrowthForce – who raised more than 20 million a year for Amnesty International – shares a better one: show the tangible result of the gift.

Give voice to your real program costs so donors can picture the results their support creates ("$125 buys three villagers a day of bowling, a movie, or a trip to the petting zoo").

And a great way to increase donations is to transition one-time donors into monthly contributors. Take their highest gift in the last 3 years, multiply by 1.5, divide by 12, and ask for THAT amount monthly. A $1,000 donor becomes a $125/month sustainer – a higher annual total that feels smaller.