Mark Wilkison Archives - Business RadioX ®

Good2Give Podcast

Nonprofit Fundraising Made Stronger with Mark Wilkison

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Nonprofit Fundraising Made Stronger with Mark Wilkison (Good2Give Podcast, Episode 18)

In this episode of The Good2Give Podcast, hosted by DePriest Waddy and underwritten by the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, fundraising veteran Mark Wilkison, Principal and Partner at Columns Fundraising, shares timeless lessons on nonprofit fundraising, governance, board engagement, and major gift strategy.

With over three decades advising nonprofits across the Southeast, Mark explains why the right board can make or break an organization and how clear expectations, donor relationships, and legacy planning sustain long-term success. From practical end-of-year fundraising advice to insights on planned giving, this episode offers invaluable guidance for nonprofit leaders aiming to strengthen both their boards and their bottom line.

The Good2Give Podcast is presented by the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX® produce the show. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

Key Takeaways from this Episode

Why governance and board recruitment come before fundraising—and how to find the “three Ws”: work, wisdom, and wealth.
How smaller nonprofits can attract high-caliber board members through clear expectations and written commitments.
Why organizations should never rely on Giving Tuesday alone.
Practical year-end fundraising strategies every nonprofit should be implementing before Thanksgiving.
How legacy gifts, IRA distributions, and planned giving can sustain mission impact for generations.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to the Good To Give Podcast
00:22 Meet Mark Wilkinson: Fundraising Expert
00:58 The Changing Landscape of Fundraising
01:16 Board Governance and Membership
04:26 Strategies for Small Nonprofits
12:46 Year-End Fundraising Tips
18:33 Planning for 2026: Key Considerations
26:47 The Importance of Planned Giving
33:03 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Mark Wilkison, Principal & Partner, Columns Fundraising

Mark has extensive expertise in major gifts, planned giving, feasibility studies, execution of capital campaigns, strategic planning and visioning for organizations, and executive search.

A graduate of the University of Vermont, Mark has more than 35 years of consulting and fundraising experience, including serving as Vice President – Development for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Chief Development Officer at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Chief Development Officer for the International Life Sciences Institute, and Executive Vice President of the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. Mark’s additional Phi Gam work included serving as a field secretary for the fraternity and as Director of Graduate Services.

Mark has served as President of the Atlanta Peachtree Rotary Club and has also been involved with the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Georgia Education Advancement Council (GEAC), the Georgia Association of Development Professionals (GADP), and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP).

Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, Shari, and his two grown children, and playing an occasional round of golf.

Columns Fundraising

Columns Fundraising is a strategic business and organizational development firm composed of senior executives with extensive experience in both nonprofit and private-sector leadership. The firm helps clients identify challenges, uncover opportunities, and execute customized strategies that deliver measurable results. Columns specializes in creating and implementing strategic plans for areas like healthcare, education, and community organizations, focusing on things like fundraising campaigns and studies to assess project viability.

Its integrated services encompass executive search, interim advancement staffing, nonprofit mergers, brand positioning, marketing and communications, public-private partnerships, and grant writing. Columns also provides leadership coaching and training for boards, executives, and development teams. What sets the firm apart is its commitment to senior-level involvement in every engagement. Columns’ leaders have “walked in their clients’ shoes,” bringing the insight and experience needed to accelerate growth and strengthen mission-driven organizations.

Website | LinkedIn

The Good2Give Podcast celebrates the work of donors, nonprofits, and the causes they care about. DePriest Waddy is the show’s host, and the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia is the presenting sponsor.

The Good2Give Podcast is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. You can also find the show on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many others.

At the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, everything they do centers around one purpose: improving the world through the power of philanthropy.

On a fundamental level, they do that through managing funds held in trust, donated by individuals, organizations, and businesses. Most funds are donor-advised funds, similar to savings accounts. These funds are pooled for investment purposes, and their income is used to make grants for a wide variety of charitable purposes.

But the Foundation’s goals extend far beyond managing funds. They desire to strengthen the communities they serve in Gwinnett, Northeast Georgia, and beyond by providing leadership, addressing community needs, and assisting individuals and organizations with their charitable giving.

Connect with CFNEG:
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

North Fulton Business Radio

Nonprofit Fundraising, with Mark Wilkison and Wes Wicker, Columns Fundraising Consulting

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 682)

Mark Wilkison and Wes Wicker, both partners and principals at Columns Fundraising Consulting joined host John Ray to chat about nonprofits and nonprofit fundraising. They discussed the needs they see when they engage with a client, some of the common issues nonprofits face, the state of giving in the current economic climate, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Columns is a strategic business and organizational development firm comprised of seasoned executive level professionals with first-hand experience in non-profit organizations and private sector businesses. Their expertise provides the ability to quickly assess clients’ challenges and opportunities, develop and execute customized solutions, and deliver exceptional results.

With a specialized focus on healthcare, higher-education, health, and human services, independent schools, membership-based and fraternal organizations, community foundations, and associations, they design and activate strategic plans, including capital campaigns, sustainable major giving programs, and feasibility studies across a wide-range of clients.

Columns’ integrated services include c-suite executive level search, interim advancement staffing, non-profit merger facilitation, brand positioning, marketing and communication plans, public-private partnerships, nonprofit fundraising, and grant writing as well as leadership coaching and training for boards, executives, and middle management staff, including front line sales teams, development officers and volunteers.

Unlike other firms where senior executives focus on acquiring clients but are not engaged in providing day-to-day service, Columns clients always have senior executives intimately engaged in plan execution. They’ve walked in your shoes, so they have the knowledge and experience to accelerate and drive completion of your business objectives by providing the leadership and resources required to achieve your goals.

Your mission is to change the lives of those you serve. Their mission is to support you in that important work.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Mark Wilkison, Principal and Partner,

Mark has extensive expertise in major gifts, planned giving, feasibility studies, execution of capital campaigns, strategic planning and visioning for organizations, and executive search.

A graduate of the University of Vermont, Mark has more than 35 years of consulting and fundraising experience, including serving as Vice President – Development for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Chief Development Officer at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Chief Development Officer for the International Life Sciences Institute, and as Executive Vice President of Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. Mark’s additional Phi Gam work included serving as a Field Secretary for the Fraternity and as Director of Graduate Services.

He has served as President of the Atlanta Peachtree Rotary Club, and has also been involved with Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Georgia Education Advancement Council (GEAC), Georgia Association of Development Professionals (GADP), and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP).

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Shari, and his two grown children, and playing an occasional round of golf.

Wesley K. Wicker, Ed.D., Principal and Partner,

Wes has more than thirty years of experience in higher education and development, and nine years as a non-profit consultant. Wicker began his career in Admissions, and then in Alumni Affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, and as Vice President of Advancement at Kennesaw State University, and concurrently as Executive Director of the KSU Foundation. He also served as Vice President of Major Gifts for United Way of Metro Atlanta and held a similar position with United Way of Central Indiana (Indianapolis).

Wes has a B.A. in History from the University of Alabama, an M.Ed. in History from Georgia Southwestern State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Georgia in Higher Education Administration.

Wicker has served on the boards of the Fulton County Schools Foundation, the Georgia Planned Giving Council, United Community Bank of Marietta, and the Georgia Education Advancement Conference. He served as the Senior Director and later as President of the Theta Chi National Fraternity Foundation. He currently serves as President of the Norwich Housing Corporation. Wicker is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed on an alumnus of Theta Chi. Wes and his wife, Kay, have two adult daughters, and live in Big Canoe, GA.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Tell us a little bit about your company?
Given the economy, what is the state of philanthropy and nonprofit fundraising in the United States right now?
How does charitable giving in Georgia compare to charitable giving across the country?
With government playing a larger role in funding social programs and societal issues, why should people continue to support non-profit organizations?
What are the common issues facing non-profit organizations today?
What are the most advantageous ways to make a charitable contribution?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

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