Katrina VanHuss

Katrina VanHuss

Katrina VanHuss has helped national nonprofits raise funds and friends since 1989 when she founded Turnkey. Her client’s successes and her dedication to research have made her a sought-after speaker, presenting at national conferences for Blackbaud, Peer to Peer Professional Forum, Nonprofit PRO, The Need Help Foundation and her clients’ national meetings. The firm’s work is underpinned by the study and application of behavioral economics and social psychology. Turnkey provides project engagements, coaching, counsel and staffing to nonprofits seeking to improve revenue or create new revenue. Her work extends into organizational alignment efforts and executive coaching.

Katrina regularly shares her wit and business experiences on her and Otis Fulton’s NonProfit PRO blog “Peeling the Onion.”  She and Otis are also co-authors of the books, “Dollar Dash: The Behavioral Economics of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising” and “Social Fundraising: Mining the New Peer-to-Peer Landscape.” When not writing or researching, Katrina likes to make things — furniture from reclaimed wood, new gardens, food with no recipe. Katrina’s favorite Saturday is spent cleaning out the garage, mowing the grass, making something new, all while listening to loud music by now-deceased black women, throwing in a few sets on the weight bench off and on, then collapsing on the couch with her husband Otis to gang-watch new Netflix series whilst drinking sauvignon blanc.

Katrina grew up on a Virginia beef cattle and tobacco farm with her three brothers. She is accordingly skilled in hand to hand combat and witty repartee — skills gained at the expense of her brothers. Katrina’s claim to fame is having made it to the “American Gladiator” Richmond competition as a finalist in her late 20s, progressing in the competition until a strangely large blonde woman knocked her off a pedestal with an oversized pain-inducing Q-tip. Katrina’s mantra for life is “Be nice. Do good. Embrace embarrassment.” Clearly she’s got No. 3 down.

5 Social Fundraising Lessons That Can Influence Your Overall Development Strategy

If major gift fundraising is Morton’s, social fundraising is McDonald’s. We’re not talking about the food; we’re talking about scale. The great thing about the scale of social fundraising is that you get a lot of data. So, here’s what the fast food of fundraising has to offer other income channels. 

Marie Kondo Defines Nonprofit Work Worth Doing

Evaluate the work you do each day with this clarifying question: What strategic plan objective does this task or project support? By doing so, you will go on a journey of discovery that could change your career.

Where to Begin Building Trust

Trust is your nonprofit’s most valuable asset. Donors support your mission so you will make something they think is important happen.

What Your Peer Organizations Are Doing About Raises

Knowing what to do about raises is tough. “What if we have a recession?” “But we had a great year.” “But we didn’t address raises last year.” “But our headcount is like a leaky bucket.” So yeah, it’s hard.

'Peopling' Avoidance Creates Back-to-Work Issues

Turnkey runs many peer experience sharing groups for C-Suite social good executives. In those private rooms, leadership talks about struggles with workforce issues regarding where and how people work. Here’s what we’ve heard.

The Great Resignation Hits the C-Suite 

The Great Resignation has hit the C-suite — maybe yours. This phenomenon had been slowly percolating for years. Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z put “happy” at the top of their priority lists even before the pandemic. And, let’s be frank, we made fun of them.

Lifetime Value Starts With the Second Gift

The motivation that gets someone to take the first step to support an organization (donating or volunteering) is quite different from their motivation to continue to be engaged. We do not need any further proof of this than the lousy retention rates that nonprofit organizations suffer year after year.

Quit Calling It a 'Walk'

Our Groundhog Day conversation starts this way: “What activity should we pivot to right now?” We are going to make several arguments, most of which you will probably hate.

Why Disaffiliations Really Happen at Nonprofits

Chapter or affiliate, disaffiliations happen for several reasons that are spoken aloud. Typically, some significant change is a catalyst for the conversation. Often the change is toward unification, streamlining in some way, or a significant program change.

Community Building Is the Climate Change of Social Good

Community building is the climate change of social good. Building a community delivers future value as rewarding as the survival of humankind. Building and nurturing a community ensures your mission’s success.

How (and Why) To Make Organizational Alignment Happen

Lack of alignment can happen at any level because subordinate employees do not have the tools to see if their work aligns with the strategic plan. They may know their nonprofit needs to raise $14 million, but not the organizational goal of retaining more event participants and transitioning them to sustaining donors.