Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

Colleen Kelly Many of those working in nonprofits, often started in the nonprofit space. This doesn’t mean of course that someone in the for-profit sector cannot transition over. In fact, it is becoming more common. Today’s guest, Colleen Kelly, did just that, switching to the nonprofit sector after working for 30 years in the for-profit world doing marketing and advertising.  Rob’s guest, Colleen Kelly, is the CEO of the US branch of Concern Worldwide, Ireland’s largest humanitarian organization. Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organization that works to transform the lives of the world’s poorest people. Colleen explains why she decided to leave her amazing career in marketing and advertising, and how she became CEO of Concern Worldwide. She shares what surprised her most about her transition to the nonprofit sector. Colleen describes the differences in approach when leading for-profit organizations versus nonprofit organizations. She also shares some of the biggest lessons she has learned as a leader, one of which is the importance of delegation. Colleen believes leaders can only level up if they delegate to their team members and help them grow. She describes the mission of Concern Worldwide and shares why they are such a unique nonprofit organization. Finally, Colleen offers practical advice to those looking to transition into the nonprofit sector.  Mentioned: Connect with Colleen on LinkedIn Concern Worldwide Colleen’s email: colleen.kelly@concern.net This Podcast is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org Quorum:  https://www.quorum.us/  Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Joe Davis When you hear the term “generous leader” you may automatically think of financial generosity. Being a generous leader means more than that. Today’s guest, Joe Davis, explains that a generous leader is someone who shows vulnerability, supports inclusion and seeks to understand individuals at a deeper level. Rob’s guest, Joe Davis, is the Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group.  He is also BCG’s Chair for CIE (Center for Inclusion and Equity.) Joe is also the author of The Generous Leader, 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone’s Gain.  Joe explains what it means to be an empathetic leader and lists the positive outcomes of leading this way. He believes the best leaders are wise enough to realize they don’t hold all the answers. He offers specific suggestions on ways these leaders can incorporate deeper communication, by asking the right questions. Joe shares how leaders can measure whether or not they are leading generously. For leaders who feel vulnerability is a weakness, he offers reasons for why being vulnerable is powerful and how to start. Joe describes how small acts of generosity can have a big impact on the team and what these acts can look like. He also explains how generous leaders effectively increase employee engagement through intentional inclusion efforts. Finally, Joe shares that when it comes to navigating a team during a time of crisis, the willingness to be vulnerable can bring a sense of relief to the whole organization. Mentioned: Find his book, The Generous Leader  Connect with Joe on LinkedIn This Podcast is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org Quorum:  https://www.quorum.us/  Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 3avgZVgkTJYQ8Ki5orP9

What kind of brand and what kind of culture do you have? Is there a gap between how you see your brand and how your community sees your brand? Rob’s guest, Ted Vaughn, explains why so many nonprofits inadvertently develop a “brand gap” by failing to integrate their culture and brand strategy. He also shares how you can avoid making this mistake. Ted Vaughn, is the co-author of the recent book, Culture Built My Brand, along with Mark Miller. Ted is also a Brand and Culture Strategist at Historic Agency. Historic Agency helps organizations build a brand that matters through brand strategy and design.  Ted Vaughn, co-author of “Culture Built My Brand” and serves as Brand and Culture Strategist at Historic Agency Ted explains how many times nonprofits create their brand in a way that is disconnected from their actual culture and performance. He also believes that many nonprofits are not being intentional about their culture, which can lead to creating “mission drift.” Ted points out that clarity and organizational health are the two drivers to an overall healthy culture. Ted discusses the five pillars of a brand, and how nonprofits can create a strategic roadmap. He also shares why a “brand gap” is harmful to your organization and offers ways to fix it. Finally, Ted explains why branding is so important for nonprofits to get right, and offers advice to leaders as to how they can start to develop a brand strategy. Find out more about Ted’s book here: Culture Built My Brand #FromTheArchives This Podcast is sponsored by: To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/If you have any suggestions, questions for the show, or want to come on the show, you can email Rob at rob@robharter.com

Because nonprofit organizations thrive on the dedication of volunteers, we want to ensure we are not only recruiting the right people but also maximizing their impact. Today’s guest, Tyler Manley, shares how nonprofit leaders can improve volunteer recruitment and retention so volunteers become empowered champions of the mission. Rob’s guest, Tyler Manley, is the VP of Growth and Engagement of Catchafire. Catchafire is the largest skills-based volunteer platform in the world. The organization aims to bring together philanthropy and employee engagement by creating and tracking volunteer opportunities with immediate impact that simultaneously support nonprofits. Tyler outlines the 3 most important steps nonprofit leaders must take if they want to increase volunteer participation and engagement across the board. He describes the 3 different volunteer program types that nonprofits utilize and offers advice on the best way to decide what type will work best. Tyler encourages leaders to have clearly defined roles in place with volunteers, why it’s so important, and what that looks like when implemented. He warns nonprofit leaders of mistakes to avoid when creating volunteer programs, such as avoiding vague timelines for projects. Finally, Tyler explains the mission behind Catchafire, and how they connect skill-based volunteers with nonprofit organizations, for free. Mentioned: Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn tyler@catchafire.org Catchafire This Podcast is sponsored by: Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page

Hannah Bellamy Every year, approximately two million people worldwide are dying from water-borne diseases. Lack of safe drinking water, while not a new problem, is an issue that can be solved. Today’s guest, Hannah Bellamy, shares how Charity Water allocates 100% of the donations they receive to long-term, sustainable systems that provide clean water to different communities across the world.  Rob’s guest, Hannah Bellamy, is the UK Managing Director for Charity Water. Charity Water brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Charity Water invests in long-term, sustainable solutions to communities, by working directly with local partners in 22 countries. Hannah describes the mission of Charity Water and shares how their “one hundred percent model” allows them to allocate 100% of public donations to clean water projects. She explains how this model works for their organization and how it allows their team to have a bigger impact on the communities they serve. Hannah describes the types of clean water systems they invest in and what the vetting process looks like when selecting partners to work with. She also explains how Charity Water develops strong relationships within the organization and builds their staff. She shares how the organization encourages team members to live out their values every day, while explaining why the organization is so intentional about transparency with donors by showing proof that clean water projects have been implemented and maintained. Finally, Hannah gives examples of fun events Charity Water has hosted that have successfully built brand awareness. She believes what is more important than having a “cool” brand, is doing cool things with your brand. Mentioned: Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn Learn more about Charity Water This Podcast is sponsored by: Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Mike Lee When most people think of nonprofits, they think of 501(c)3 organizations. Did you know that there are over thirty different types of nonprofit organizations, including 501(c)8 organizations? Today’s guest, Mike Lee, explains how nonprofit leaders can access extra financial resources for their missions, by becoming a member of a 501(c)8.  Rob’s guest, Mike Lee, is the founder of the 501(c)8 Impact Initiative. Their mission is to bring awareness to fraternal benefit societies and the education, resources, and funding that is accessible to everyday people, communities, and nonprofit organizations. These fraternal benefit societies are also known as not-for-profit insurance companies that offer a wide variety of programs to their members. Mike explains what a 501(c)8 entity is and how it compares to a 501(c)3. He describes different grant programs offered to members of these fraternal benefit societies and how members can then use these funds to support community outreach programs like construction projects, coat drives, etc. Mike gives examples of successful partnerships between 501(c)8 organizations and 501(c)3 organizations, and how the partnerships increase community impact. For those interested in the many benefits offered, Mike describes the simple process of becoming a member by signing up for a life insurance policy. He describes other programs available to members such as discount clubs, testament services, child support programs, and college tuition programs. Mike explains that while 501(c)8 organizations have existed for over 100 years, most people, including nonprofit leaders, have never heard of them. With that said, Mike believes that with more education and outreach efforts, more people will become aware of 501(c)8 organizations.  Mentioned: 501c8 Impact Initiative Mike’s number: 703-932-5057 This Podcast is sponsored by: Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email rob@robharter.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Learn how to improve grant writing and fundraising for nonprofits with insights on grant prospecting, impact measurement, fundraising strategies, and navigating compensation challenges. Discover valuable resources from Instrumentl's website to maximize grant opportunities.

Angela Redding It’s one thing to have a belief or a hypothesis. It’s another thing to have credible numbers available to you as a nonprofit leader looking to make a real difference. Today’s guest, Angela Redding, shares how the power of data can help shape an organization’s story and impact.  Rob’s guest, Angela Redding, is the Executive Director of Radiant Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to cultivate a more personal, positive place for faith within modern society. One of the ways Radiant Foundation does this is through their app, Skylight, which offers short meditations aimed at connecting people with their higher power. Angela describes the mission behind Radiant Foundation and why the organization is dedicated to providing spiritual self-care tools to help people improve and manage their well-being. She describes why having partnerships with credible, global research firms has been critical to obtaining accurate data for their programs.  Angela explains how nonprofit leaders can make their mission relevant to more supporters. She also describes the factors that make it difficult to spread her organization’s message, and what her organization is doing in response. Finally, Angela dives into how social media affects our mental health. She offers advice on how we can establish a healthy relationship with technology so it doesn’t control our lives.  Mentioned: Connect with Angela on LinkedIn Skylight App  Radiant Foundation  This Episode is sponsored by: Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Donald Summers When we talk about nonprofits struggling with fundraising, typically we focus on solutions that address just the fundraising aspects of that organization. But often times, perhaps most of the time, if a nonprofit is really struggling with fundraising, it’s not just a fundraising challenge, it is an organization-wide challenge. So the solution to solving the issue is much deeper and more systemic than just fixing the fundraising department.  Rob’s guest is Donald Summers and he will share his guidebook for creating sustainable growth with a step-by-step guide to scaling social impact for any nonprofit mission. Donald is the author of the book Scaling Altruism and the CEO of Altruist Partners. Altruist Partners helps mission-driven organizations of all types make their social impact goals a reality. They use proven, practical solutions to solve the biggest strategic, fundraising, and organizational challenges to amplify the good nonprofits can do. Their Altruist Accelerator program is a boot camp for small to mid-sized nonprofit teams who are dedicated to growing their impact.  Donald explains that he decided to write the book, Scaling Altruism, after recognizing the consistent results his company was making with the “Altruist Growth and Impact methodology” they implemented with clients. The goal of the book is to help nonprofit leaders improve the whole infrastructure of the organization, with a practical and easy-to-implement approach. Donald shares his opinions on why so many people are lacking trust in nonprofits, and what nonprofit leaders need to do to earn the trust of future donors. He passionately believes that nonprofits are suffering because they are being held back by certain concepts, ideologies, and approaches. Donald describes different chapters of his book, and how each chapter digs into the seven-phase process his company uses to help nonprofits scale. He also explains that for this process to be effective, nonprofit leaders have to possess certain qualities because this growth process is not as easy as it may seem on the surface. Finally, Donald shares what he believes are the biggest challenges facing nonprofits, and what organizations need to focus on to resolve these challenges. This episode is sponsored by Altruist Partners Mentioned: Scaling Altruism Connect with Donald on LinkedIn Altruist Accelerator website  Altruist Partners website  This Podcast is sponsored by: Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page

Vilma Consuegra How much should your nonprofit invest in marketing and fundraising before it becomes excessive? This is the question we aim to discuss today. Rob’s guest, Vilma Consuegra, explains how you can find a healthy balance between your marketing budget and your mission.  Vilma Consuegra is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Wounded Warrior Project. WWP offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001.  Vilma shares how she got started with Wounded Warrior Project and the impact she hopes to make in her position in marketing and communications. When it comes to effective marketing, Vilma describes what she believes are the three biggest barriers that nonprofits face. She explains what nonprofit leaders need to focus on in order to create a healthy balance between effective marketing and operating within budget. As the WWP Communications Officer, Vilma shares the two most essential aspects to effective communication. She believes a nonprofit’s mission can be propelled more successfully, if one applies both of these aspects together. Vilma describes to what degree WWP integrates the use of AI in their organization process. She also shares whether or not she believes this technology will take over staff positions in the future. Finally, Vilma explains what impact she is hoping WWP will make in the lives of veterans as they continue to grow. Mentioned: Connect with Vilma on LinkedIn Wounded Warrior Project website  This Podcast is sponsored by: Donorbox Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page