Season 1 | Episode 5 - Adopting A "Plus-Up" Mentality For Growth with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Jana Bearden

Jana Bearden from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society joins the podcast to discuss how her team has adopted a continuous improvement - or “plus-up” - mentality

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for peer-to-peer fundraising events. The most successful programs excel in different ways, some by engaging corporate teams, others by involving family and community teams. While some programs consist of numerous smaller events, others focus on a select number of large-scale events. The revenue sources also vary, with some programs heavily reliant on sponsorships and others predominantly driven by peer-to-peer fundraising.

Rather than relying on a single strategy, top-performing programs leverage various approaches to find success. Top fundraising programs are always seeking opportunities for small-scale enhancements that, when combined, can lead to exponential growth.

In this episode, join Marcie Maxwell from P2PPF as she sits down with Jana Bearden, the Vice President for Campaign Development, Community Initiatives at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). They will dig into the secrets behind Light The Night’s remarkable revenue rebound post-pandemic and discuss how incremental changes are generating significant results.

In today’s episode, we’ll explore:

– Strategies employed by LLS to gain buy-in from staff and volunteers.
– The significance of prioritizing goal planning in addition to goal setting.
– Techniques used by LLS to foster a “plus-up” mentality among their staff.

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Podcast Guest

Jana Bearden is a forward thinking development leader with a successful track record in creating and executing strategic plans to drive organizational growth and advance innovative ideas. As the Vice President for Campaign Development, Community Initiatives for the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), Jana serves as the national leader for Light The Night and Big Climb. Her responsibilities include setting and driving the overall strategic vision and growth trajectory for both campaigns and collaborating with all departments of the organization to maximize each campaigns’ impact to the LLS mission. Light The Night is LLS’s largest community fundraising campaign that comes to life in over 115 communities, and it held the #3 spot in the 2021 P2P Forum Top 30. Big Climb is LLS’s emerging campaign now taking place in 9 markets across the nation.

Podcast Host

Marcie Maxwell is the Managing Director of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum. Marcie joined the P2PPF team in 2021 after 15+ years as a front-line fundraiser, national events & campaign director and fundraising consultant. In her role, Marcie serves as a primary thought leader and community builder for the peer-to-peer fundraising industry. She started her career in fundraising with 10+ years at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she ran local fundraising events, managed national volunteer partnerships and launched their national walk program. She then spent 5+ years as the Director of Chapter Fundraising Events with Make-A-Wish America, where she provided strategy, support & training to 60 chapters on the full event portfolio – walks, school fundraising, an endurance hiking program and galas & social events. In her most recent role at Charity Dynamics, she partnered with clients to provide strategic guidance and analysis to help them optimize and grow their peer-to-peer fundraising events & campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in Ethical Leadership from Christian Brothers University. She resides in Memphis, TN.