
EP 82: Building Diversified Donor Portfolios with Audrey Cooper
From Responsive Lab Podcast by Virtuous Software
April 27, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 82
About this episode
Carly and Scott discuss donor diversification strategies with Audrey Cooper from Evidence Action.
In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly and Scott sit down with Audrey Cooper, Associate Director of Philanthropy at Evidence Action. Audrey brings 10 years of nonprofit development experience across social services and international development, and has helped Evidence Action scale from its 2013 founding to raising over $60 million annually. You'll hear about: Why donor portfolio concentration becomes dangerous and what the moment of recognition usually looks like How to make strategic first moves when diversifying revenue streams without spreading your team too thin Building the case for unrestricted giving in ways that build trust rather than create donor hesitation Evidence Action's four-category framework for deploying unrestricted donor investments Why data and story are mutually reinforcing rather than competing approaches to donor communication The power of "fundraising sprints" to focus on just a few priorities and follow them through completely How boldness in sharing impact creates collaborative donor relationships that feel more like partnerships Links from the episode: * Connect with Audrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreymcooper/ * Learn more…
People in this episode
Hosts: Carly, Scott
Guest: Audrey Cooper
Topics covered
- donor diversification
- nonprofit development
- fundraising strategies
- unrestricted giving
- collaborative donor relationships
- data and storytelling
Keywords
- donor portfolios
- philanthropy
- revenue streams
- fundraising sprints
- impact sharing
Sponsors
Virtuous Software
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Evidence Action
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