Kobia Consulting

09/02/2026

Let’s talk about something I hear often from nonprofit leaders: “We don’t want to celebrate that big gift or grant too loudly because people might think we don’t need any more money.”

I understand the fear. But here’s the truth: People give to successful organizations.

They want to know their gift is joining momentum. They want to see that others believe in the mission. They want confidence that their generosity will make a real difference.

Celebrating fundraising success does not mean saying, “We’re all set.” It means saying, “Look what is possible, and there is still more work to do.”

When you share a big win, you create trust. You show that your organization is credible, effective, and worthy of investment. You also give donors a chance to feel part of something bigger than one transaction.

The key is to connect the celebration to impact and continued need: “Because of this generous gift, we can serve more people. And with continued support, we can keep building on this progress.”

Celebration and urgency are not opposites. They belong together.

So don’t hide the big wins. Celebrate them with gratitude. Tell the story of what they make possible. Invite others to help carry the mission forward.

That is how you build confidence, momentum, and generosity.

08/31/2026

AI is changing fundraising.

But it can’t replace the heart of it: human connection + relationship-building.

AI can help you prep, organize next steps, and follow up faster.

But the advantage will always be human—earning the right to ask.

New blog post is live: how to use AI well in fundraising without losing the relationship (and how to get to the ask). The link is in the comments.

08/28/2026

There has been so much said about Dolly Parton since her death this week. Her music, her incredible talent, her business savvy, her humor and her authenticity. But I’ve noticed how often another part of her life keeps coming up: **her philanthropy.**

Dolly grew up poor in East Tennessee, one of 12 children. Her father could not read or write. In 1995, she took that very personal piece of her own story and created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, initially giving books to young children in the county where she grew up.

That little idea eventually grew far beyond those Tennessee mountains. More than **300 million free books** have now been distributed to children, with the program reaching five countries.

She gave millions to other causes, too, from disaster relief to health care and education. But there is something especially powerful about the Imagination Library because it connects so clearly to her own story.

That’s philanthropy at its best. It isn't simply giving money. It is deciding that something you experienced, cared about or wished had been different can become better for someone else.

We will remember Dolly Parton for the songs. We will remember the incredible businesswoman. But somewhere today, a child will open a mailbox and find a book with their name on it because Dolly decided decades ago that children deserved the opportunity to read, learn and dream.

**That's a legacy.**

08/27/2026

Fundraising feels less intimidating when you make it about relationships.

Not the perfect words.
Not the big ask.
Not convincing someone to give.

Relationships grow through activity.

Listening.
Following up.
Remembering what matters.
Asking thoughtful questions.
Inviting people closer to the mission.

The strongest donor relationships are not built in one conversation.

They are built through trust.
Through curiosity.
Through consistency.
Through showing donors they are more than a name in a database or a gift amount on a report.

If you feel stuck, shift the question.

Instead of:

“How do I get this person to give?”

Ask:

- What do I need to learn?
- Where have I failed to follow up?
- What connection point have I missed?
- What would help this donor feel closer to the mission?
- How can I make this feel more personal and less transactional?

That shift changes the energy.
Less pressure.
More connection.
Less performing.
More listening.
Less chasing gifts.
More building trust.

Fundraising is not separate from relationship-building.

Fundraising is relationship-building.

08/24/2026

What can I say? I missed campus. 🧡🦃

Today, I returned to Virginia Tech wearing a different hat.

This time, as **adjunct faculty in Pamplin College of Business.**

I taught my first class of 60+ students in **BUS 1004: Foundations of Business, Problem Solving** in Litton-Reaves Hall, and it felt a little full circle.

My Virginia Tech story started back in 2005, when I covered the university as the New River Valley Bureau Chief for WDBJ7.

Then came more than a decade in advancement at Virginia Tech.

Then entrepreneurship with Kobia Consulting and Blacksburg Fit Body Boot Camp, the business my husband and I own just across the street from campus.

And now…teaching.

I’m incredibly grateful and humbled that the Management Department in Pamplin has given me the opportunity to bring some of those real-world experiences into the classroom.

And what a first day.

The students were engaged, jumped into the conversation, and about 15 stayed after class just to introduce themselves and talk.

I walked out thinking, *this is going to be fun.*

It’s really good to be back.

Go Hokies!!! 🧡🦃

08/21/2026

🚨 **LAST CALL! We start NEXT WEEK!**

If fundraising feels like a constant cycle of events, grants, scrambling, and wondering where the next gift will come from, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

**Lead the Ask: The Executive Fundraising Accelerator** was built to help nonprofit leaders create the structure behind sustainable fundraising.

Over six weeks, we’ll work together to build:

✔️ Your Case for Support
✔️ Your donor pipeline
✔️ A practical fundraising plan
✔️ More confident donor conversations
✔️ Stronger stewardship
✔️ Your 90-day roadmap

This isn’t about adding more to your plate.

It’s about getting clearer about what actually belongs on it.

You’ll leave with a framework you can USE and the confidence to lead fundraising instead of constantly reacting to it.

📍 Blacksburg/New River Valley
📍 Floyd
📍 Roanoke/Salem
💻 Online

**We begin the week of August 25.**

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time.

👉 Register here: https://copy-of-nrv-lead-the-ask-b18e5y8.gamma.site/

08/19/2026

Should nonprofits celebrate and announce big gifts? Always. It signals financial health wellness of the mission and ability to raise additional funding.

08/17/2026

We’re just one week away!

If fundraising feels harder than it should, your donor pipeline isn’t where you want it, or you’re constantly wondering where the next gift will come from, Lead the Ask was built for you.

The Executive Fundraising Accelerator is a six-week experience that helps nonprofit leaders create the structure, strategy, and confidence needed to build a fundraising program that works.

Together, we’ll build:

✔️ A compelling Case for Support
✔️ A qualified donor pipeline
✔️ A practical fundraising plan
✔️ More confident donor conversations
✔️ Stronger stewardship systems
✔️ A clear 90-day implementation roadmap

This isn’t a workshop where you take notes and return to the same challenges. You’ll leave with a fundraising framework you can immediately put into action.

Choose your location:

📍 Blacksburg: Tuesdays beginning August 25
📍 Floyd: Wednesdays beginning August 26
📍 Roanoke/Salem: Thursdays beginning August 27

Seats are intentionally limited, and we begin next week.

A week from now, you could still be wondering how to improve your fundraising. Or you could be building the plan that changes it.

Link is in the comments.

Comment LEAD or message me with questions.

Fundraising gets easier when leadership gets clearer.

Let’s Lead the Ask.

08/14/2026

Thank you, again to the AFP Blue Ridge Chapter for such a warm welcome.

08/14/2026

Join me to discuss event strategy. Hope to see you there.

We're looking forward to this month's virtual Third Thursday session, presented by fundraising strategist Holly Kobia of Kobia Consulting! Join us next Thursday, August 20 from 9:30 – 10:30 am to learn how to elevate your nonprofit's event to achieve your goals.

Holly will challenge you to rethink how your organization approaches events, set meaningful goals, measure success beyond dollars raised, and determine whether your events are truly worth the time and resources you invest in them. Leave with a more strategic approach to creating events that move your mission and your organization forward.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3UdBdx7.