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Beyond the Donation podcast episode 3 cover with John Fisher

Ep. 03 | From Startup to Success (John Fisher, Friends of the Children)

Our Guest: John Fisher, Executive Director Friends of the Children Fargo/Moorhead

About Friends of the Children Fargo/Moorhead: Founded in 2019 in Fargo/Moorhead. Serve children that are facing some of life’s biggest obstacles, by partnering them with adult mentors, or “Friends”.

(3:00) Plans for Staff in Fargo/Moorhead

(4:34) Founding of FOTC FM Chapter

(10:00) Strategy for Securing Funding

(13:19) “I always use the word ‘team’, not ‘family’. Because we’re not a family. We’re a team, and I am unapologetic about that. I don’t fire family; I don’t hire family. I do hire and fire a team.” - John Fisher

(14:50) Autonomy in a Chapter

(19:07) Chapter Individuality

(20:35) Pros and Cons of a National Organization Umbrella

(22:35) Advice for Those in Similar Situations

Golden BTD Nugget: Be a person of integrity and trust. Also, when you’re coming behind a founder, look under the hood. Make sure the organization you’re signing up to run aligns with your values. Look at the fine print, and know what you’re getting into.

(26:45) Leading Philosophy

(28:42) The Importance of a Good Development Hire

(32:58) Brunch Event Insight

(31:13) Lessons Learned from Primary Fundraising Events

(39:00) Camaraderie in National Organizations

John’s Pro Tip: It’s all about relationships. It’s looking past what the person can do for you and looking to who they are, and wanting to connect with them on that level.

More About Friends Fargo/Moorhead:

Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

More About John Fisher:

LinkedIn

To Connect with Beyond the Donation Podcast:

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What is founder syndrome in a nonprofit?

Founder syndrome is the pattern where a founder's deep care and operational ownership turns into bottlenecked decisions and sidelined boards — board members defer on every decision, no clear succession exists, and the board underperforms because "the founder will handle it." Strong governance and a clear, written board agreement are the antidotes: they translate care into shared leadership instead of one-person heroics.

Last updated
April 25, 2026
How do you set a realistic annual fundraising goal?

Start with program need. Cost out programs at the level of impact you want to deliver. Add operating, reserves, and strategic investments. That is your total revenue need. Test it against donor capacity in your database and your pipeline. The final goal is the larger of what you need and what you can credibly raise given current capacity — aim for the need and close the gap with strategy.

Last updated
April 25, 2026
Author
Elisha Ford
Content Writer
Last updated:
April 29, 2026
Written by
Elisha Ford
Content Writer

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