In this episode of 'The Difference', join host Jay Werth, and guest, Tom Ralser, Convergent Nonprofit Solutions' Principal and Director of Asking Rights.

Tom Ralser has a three-decade career in fundraising. He’s consulted with and added value to numerous nonprofit organizations, and pioneered applying return on investment principles to nonprofit fundraising.

In this episode, Tom will give an overview of "asking rights" and how it focuses on the value outcomes that nonprofit organizations deliver to donors or investors, a term Convergent stresses in its communications.

For more information to assist you with your fundraising efforts, visit convergentnonprofit.com.

Tune in to hear Jay Werth's latest conversation on 'The Difference' podcast with Convergent's Project Director, Andy Brubaker. Brubaker just finished an incredible two-week volunteer deployment with the American Red Cross in Georgia, where he supported disaster response and relief efforts. He describes what it was like to help Georgia’s communities affected by Hurricane Helene and witness the resilience and strength of those impacted.

Mike Goorhouse, Founder of Inspiring Impact, explains how planned giving can be transformational for nonprofits.

Speaker Bio
Mike Goorhouse is Founder and Lead Consultant at Inspiring Impact, LLC, a firm dedicated to helping nonprofit and philanthropic organizations effectively inspire change in their community.

He has spent his entire career in philanthropy including working with Family Foundations, Community Foundations and Youth Grantmakers while at the Council of Michigan Foundations and serving as President/CEO for the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) for 10 years.

Mike’s most notable accomplishments during his time at CFHZ include successfully completing a $35 million unrestricted endowment campaign which included 100 new estate gift commitments and launching a multi-sector collaborative effort to significantly improve the affordability of local housing options. During his leadership, CFHZ tripled its assets from $40 million to $120 million, grew annual gifts from $5 million to $20 million and expanded its community impact strategies to include significant investments in strengthening the local nonprofit sector, impact investing and an equity focused grantmaking strategy.

Over the years Mike has been recognized for his commitment to philanthropy and the community. In 2011 he was named one of the top 30 Civic Leaders under the age of 30 in the nation by the National Conference on Citizenship. In 2017 he was named Young Executive of the Year as part of the MiBiz Best Managed Nonprofit Awards. Finally, he has been recognized as one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal's Forty Under 40 Business Leaders six times and three times has been named one of GRBJ’s top 200 most influential business leaders in West
Michigan.

Mike has served on numerous local, state, national and international nonprofit boards including: Association for a More Just Society, Bread for the World, Housing Next, Movement West Michigan, Grand Valley University Foundation and Kids Food Basket.

Mike has a degree in Secondary Education from Calvin University and a Masters’ degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Grand Valley State University.