741. Fundraising Problem or Distance Problem? The Reframe That Raised $1M - Connie Lewin
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Possible in Practice, a limited series of case studies from the We Are For Good community: the ask they sent, the risk they took, and what happened next. Eight incredible changemakers share what becomes possible when you stop waiting. Dropping Wednesdays starting this week.
About This Episode
Connie Lewin found the funders. She wrote the emails. She sent the proposals. The response was silence.
With a $1 million goal for a small nonprofit in Rwanda and no established high-net-worth donor network, Connie had to quickly step into a leadership role and take responsibility for the organization’s goal to scale its impact and operations in three years.
What finally moved the money wasn't better writing. It was closing the distance between donors and the people at the center of the mission by tapping into donors' heads and hearts and making the case for giving by connecting business strategy with empathy. 🩵
In this episode, you'll hear:
The reframe that changed everything: It's not an ask. It's an invitation — and what that actually changes about who you approach and what you say
Why an unfiltered list of hundreds of prospects feels like progress but isn't
What donors are really asking when they hesitate (it's not whether your work is good)
How a 16-year-old raised over $40,000 climbing Kilimanjaro — and what it proved about belonging
You'll walk away with one question to run before your next appeal: do we have a fundraising problem, or a distance problem? 🩵
Episode Highlights:
(2:27) Connie's origin story: a fourth-grade cleanup in New York City
(3:48) Walking into Rwanda: big vision, scrappy team
(5:30) The $1M opportunity — and the plot twist
(8:21) "The response was silence"
(9:00) The reframe: not an ask, an invitation
(10:00) Three moves that closed the distance
(13:59) Funder personas and the confidence gap
(17:47) Why an unfiltered list of hundreds of prospects feels like progress
(18:49) What donors actually want to know
(22:13) Bella's Kilimanjaro climb and the power of belonging
(25:33) One Good Thing: fundraising problem or distance problem?
Meet Connie: The Advisor Who Says Your Fundraising Problem Might Not Be a Fundraising Problem
Connie Lewin is the founder and principal consultant at Lewin Philanthropy Advisors. Throughout her career, she's helped raise and direct more than $18 million to organizations tackling economic opportunity, housing, and community development. She has personally raised funds through major gifts, private foundations, corporate partnerships, and annual campaigns at six- and seven-figure levels, while also advising donor families on the giving side of the table.
She works with two groups: nonprofit leaders building toward being trusted and well-resourced, and donors who want to give with more clarity, trust, and joy. That dual vantage point is what clients say sets her apart: she doesn't just tell nonprofits how to ask, and she doesn't just tell donors how to give. She's done both, and she knows what each side is actually thinking.
Her approach traces back to Rwanda—and even further, to a fourth-grade neighborhood cleanup she organized at age eight after reading a book about saving the world.
Powerful Quotes
"I did what I thought you're supposed to do. I found funders. I wrote emails. I sent proposals. And I was surprised that the response was silence." — Connie
"It's not fundraising, it's not an ask. It's an invitation." — Connie
"The invitation wasn't 'we need a million dollars.' It was, 'we have this really amazing opportunity to scale, and we're looking for some really smart people to join us.'" — Connie
"If you have an unfiltered list, it might feel like progress, but it actually isn't." — Connie
"The problem wasn't linkage. The problem was confidence." — Connie
"Donor attitude is far more humble and curious than you might think." — Connie
"The best way to build trust is to let people in." — Connie
"If they can't visualize a person or a place, it's hard to want to continue to give." — Connie
"They gave a richness and authenticity that I can't replicate, nor do I want to." — Connie
"Do we have a fundraising problem or a distance problem?" — Connie
Resources Mentioned
Lewin Philanthropy Advisors: Connie's practice, working with both nonprofit leaders and intentional donors
Program-Related Investment (PRI): the $1M investment that required philanthropic funding to unlock
LinkedIn: used as a practical mapping tool to surface existing affinity and linkage with funders
The Spread (Givebutter): sponsor mention; innovation event with community hackathon meetups
We Are For Good Community: free community app for nonprofit leaders
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