Jul 17, 2025
Good donor stewardship is rooted in human connection, where every donor is acknowledged regardless of the size of their contribution. In this episode, Sami Zoss sits down with Mikey Latner, founder of Project:Camp, to discuss how even the smallest nonprofit can create meaningful relationships with their supporters. Learn how Mikey makes his donors feel seen and appreciated, and how his passionate, human-centered stewardship transforms supporters into mission advocates.
Want to suggest a topic, guest, or nonprofit organization for an upcoming episode? Send an email with the subject "NPFX suggestion" to contact@ipmadvancement.com.
Additional Resources
[NPFX] Donor Stewardship: Helping
Donors Find Meaning through Philanthropy
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/donor-stewardship-helping-donors-find-meaning-through-philanthropy
[NPFX] Meaningful Donor
Relationships: The Key to Financial Stability
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/meaningful-donor-relationships-the-key-to-financial-stability
[NPFX] Measuring More than Money:
Why Donor Relationships Matter
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/measuring-more-than-money-why-donor-relationships-matter
Sami Zoss is the founder
of Zoss Collaborations, a business solutions consulting
firm specializing in nonprofit growth and operational efficiency.
With an MBA in Finance and Marketing, Sami brings a wealth of
expertise in donor engagement, technology integration, and
strategic planning to her clients. Before founding Zoss
Collaborations, Sami served as the COO and later as Acting CEO of
the Dakota State University Foundation, where she led
record-breaking fundraising campaigns and implemented innovative
donor engagement strategies that significantly expanded DSU’s donor
base. In addition to her work with educational institutions, she
has been a dedicated volunteer with organizations like Camp Gilbert
Inc., supporting children with Type 1 diabetes.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samizoss/
https://samizoss.com/
Mikey Latner is
the executive director of Project:Camp. A former camp
director with two decades of camp experience under his belt, Mikey
founded Project:Camp with the idea that camp and childcare
professionals have critical skills to offer in times of emergency.
In developing their pop-up camp model, Mikey sought to use the
structure of camp as a vehicle to bring joy, safety, and peace of
mind to children and parents impacted by natural disasters. He
hopes this work leads to a seismic shift in the disaster response
ecosystem, creating a more holistic, trauma-informed and
community-driven model that prioritizes the needs of families
during emergencies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikey-latner-19b268171/
https://projectcamp.co/
Russ Phaneuf, a
co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education
development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern
Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As
IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead
fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program
analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russphaneuf/
Rich Frazier has
worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. In his roles as
senior consultant with IPM Advancement and founder of VisionConnect LLC, Rich offers extensive
understanding and knowledge in capital campaigns, fund development,
strategic planning, and board of directors development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richfrazier/
https://www.visionconnectllc.com/