This week, I was reflecting on the role of the people in my life that I’ve learned from, drawn inspiration from, and admired in some way. 

In reflecting, I read through some personal journal entries from several years back. I noticed a pattern, especially in areas of struggle or uncertainty, or when making a big decision.

It all started with a question – what are the surprising ideas at the intersection of causes and brands?

It’s hard to believe, but we’re coming up on four years since launching the Purpose & Profit Podcast. 

I remember when my co-host, Carly, and I decided to do the show. We had known each other for several years. She knew I liked to connect charity leaders with guests and topics from outside the world of nonprofits to see what we could learn. A couple of years prior, she started pressing me, “Dave, you should do a podcast.”

Artificial intelligence-based tools have become a tremendously helpful personal and professional asset in my life. 

I use AI-based tools weekly in at least a dozen ways, big and small. They help me communicate more clearly, work more efficiently, make better decisions, and do things that would require staffing or skills I wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

I remember the first nice camera I purchased. It was 2010, and our first child was on the way. Growing up, I had always enjoyed taking pictures, so I thought this would be the perfect excuse to upgrade to a real camera – a DSLR. 

I remember getting it out of the box, a Canon Rebel T2i. I was in awe of the sleek black frame. The interchangeable lens. The weight of it in my hands.

Are we teaching our children to be generous?

I remember my earliest encounters with generosity, like the time my dad noticed a homeless man outside of McDonald’s. “Come with me, son.” We talked to the man, and my father offered to buy him a meal, which he gratefully accepted.

Charity leaders are leaving millions of dollars on the table and not realizing it. 

Over the past twenty years, I have worked with, spoken to, or advised thousands of nonprofit leaders. One thing I’ve learned is that each area of fundraising is a deep rabbit hole. Major gift fundraising, grants and foundations, corporate or church relations, and single-gift and recurring giving are all sophisticated disciplines in their own right, and they benefit from deep expertise gained over time.

Would you mind if I'm a little vulnerable today? 

Today's Wave Report is a personal one. Heather and I celebrated 20 years of marriage this year, so I thought I’d share some lessons we’ve learned along the way. 

I understand that marriage can be a sensitive topic, so my hope is that if you read this article, you see it in the spirit in which it was written. 

Well, we did it – The Rise of Sustainable Giving is in the world, and the overwhelming reception has blown me away… So much so that the book hit #1 Best Seller in every category it was listed. 🤯🎉

This isn’t a prediction post. Each January, you can find plenty of predictions about the new year. Instead, I’m much more interested in what is happening now that leaders can put to good use.

So today I’m going to unpack eight trends I’ve been watching that I believe leaders like you can leverage in 2025. 

I’m so glad you’ve decided to join The Wave Report, my weekly column on the lessons leaders can use to grow – themselves, their leadership, and their organizations. 

Some people have asked me why I call it "The Wave Report"? Are you a wannabe surfer or something? Well, actually, I am (aspiring, that is). But that's not why I called it The Wave Report. Let me tell you why...

I think we can learn several things from the world of surfing when it comes to innovation.

I don’t like change.

I’ve never liked change. In 5th grade, I wore the same pair of olive green pants every day to school. And I don’t just mean that figuratively, as in most days. No, it was every. Single. Day. And we lived in Desert Hot Springs, where temperatures could soar above 120 degrees. We played soccer outside nearly every day at recess. It didn’t matter to this 10-year-old goalie, diving into the dirt to block a ball, green pants proudly on display. 

We are in the final stretch of Season 5 of the Purpose & Profit Podcast, so I thought I’d take this Wave Report to share some of the highlights from the podcast this past year. 

If you are new to The Wave Report, you may not know that I co-founded and co-host the Purpose & Profit Podcast. The show explores the surprising ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. 

This day has been a long time coming, and I’m so glad it’s nearly here.

20 years of experience. 

36 months of research.

438 hours of outlining, interviewing, writing, editing.

Plus, hundreds more of dreams, plans, sweat, and work.

I’m pleased to announce that my new book, The Rise of Sustainable Giving will be releasing in just a few weeks. 

Happy New Year!

It’s common for authors to make predictions about the year to come at the beginning of each year. I’ve been known to take it a step further and write multiple articles on trends to pay attention to – waves to watch in the new year. (see what I did there? 👀🌊).

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and that in this in-between time before the new year, you can experience a sense of peace, rest, and reflection.

Today’s email is a short one. I want to leave you to consider just one question.
The word “Imago” comes from Latin. It’s a word that describes a future that will be but has not yet come to pass. It’s literally the image of a final form.

We love watching Christmas movies. Christmas is such a busy season that we don’t get to watch very many, so we take turns picking the movie. Often, the pick is a Christmas classic - Elf, Home Alone, The Grinch (no, not Die Hard or The Christmas Story!).

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.

This morning, I’ll sit down in one of my favorite coffee shops and reflect on the year as it comes to a close.

As I write this, I've just crossed my one-millionth mile flown. 😱✈️🌎

I’m on a flight back to Seattle from D.C. after spending a few days at the NonProfit POWER Summit in Baltimore, where I previewed my upcoming book about how nonprofit leaders can tap into the subscription economy to grow recurring giving. 

Today’s Wave Report will be a reflective one – I hope it provides some perspective. 

I believe that gratitude and generosity form a virtuous cycle. Each leads to the other, and they reinforce one another.

When I practice generosity, that leads to gratitude.