Successful Nonprofits Podcast

What would you do if your online donations quintupled? Well, write down those ideas because with us today is Shane Michael, a website and fundraising guru. He and his organization, Mittun, have helped hundreds of clients increase their online donations and today he shares two tips that are proven to help increase your online donations.

Small and medium-sized nonprofits face unique fundraising challenges and all too often overcompensate in ways that can cause lasting damage. Today’s guest, Patton McDowell, is not only a nonprofit podcast sensation himself, but a fundraising expert. Patton shares 4 simple tips to accomplish efficient and effective fundraising: adopt an achievable fundraising strategy, use positive messaging,  properly engage your board and executive director, and keep your development staff happy. Listen in for details on how you and your nonprofit can achieve each of these and improve your fundraising outcome!

Are you tired of how your nonprofit manages its data? Are you considering adopting a new, or perhaps your first, CRM? Then today’s episode is for you! Maureen Wallbeoff is an expert in both nonprofits and the technologies that help them thrive. Today she shares tips to help you love your next CRM. When you listen in you will hear how to select a CRM, how to make the change successfully, and a few recommended CRMs that are affordable and effective for small and medium-sized nonprofits.

We don’t need to tell you that COVID-19 has created, well, a lot of challenges.  But today’s guest, Joan Garry, also points out that it has created a lot of opportunity in that it has given us the gift of time.  By using this time to creatively engage donors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders, she suggests you can come out stronger “on the other side.”  So listen in for tips and ideas on how to create high touch engagement while staying socially distant.

“What’s a reverse podcast?”    Earlier this year, Patton McDowell interviewed me for his podcast, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. He released the episode on his feed last week, and I’m releasing his episode on the Successful Nonprofits Podcast feed with Patton’s permission.   Patton interviews me about how to best engage your board members and build your organization in these challenging times.  We discuss board development, fundraising tactics you can incorporate into your development plan, and two things every nonprofit should invest in right now.    We close our conversation with some great – and specific – productivity tips that I've developed during my years as a consultant and nonprofit CEO, as well as several online and book resources that you’ll definitely want to check out!

Looking to shake up your fundraising strategy?  Then get some inspiration from a political campaign!  I know, I know.  You’re probably thinking that political and nonprofit fundraising are worlds apart.  And you are right, there is no doubt that they are very different. But there is also no doubt that we have much to learn from each other.  Today’s guest, Perry Monastero, has successfully raised funds for both politicians and nonprofits.  So listen in for ideas to shake up your own nonprofit’s fundraising strategy.

Trauma is all around us, especially right now.  It doesn’t matter your age, income level, color, gender, political ideology, religion, or nationality.  Trauma affects everyone.  The very nature of nonprofit work assures that we regularly, if not daily, encounter colleagues and clients who have experienced trauma.  So what can you do to make sure that you and your organization respect and empower people who have faced, or are facing, trauma? Here to answer that important question is Kate Daugherty, a leader when it comes to trauma-informed care.  Today, Kate teaches us how trauma and stress impact our brains and a few trauma-informed techniques that can not only bring back balance, but also improve your organization’s bottom-line.  So get ready to put your own amygdala aside, activate your prefrontal cortex, and take some radical steps toward a trauma-informed culture.

Instead of bringing our regularly scheduled episode on Trauma Informed organizations with Kate Dougherty, I am using the podcast to focus on the tragic killings that have thrust Black Lives Matter into the headlines and to amplify black voices. Looking back on New Year's Eve, who among us thought that we would be where we find ourselves today? That a pandemic would sweep across the globe. That the pandemic would lay even more bare the disparities between people who are white and people who are black and brown? That our nation would finally erupt in protests and our elected President would encourage those protesters be dominated with troops, tear gas, bullets, and dogs. As a person with privilege, I’ve added my presence at Black Lives Matter protests and added my voice among those calling for justice and equality. But over the past week, I am also reminded of the importance of making the space for black voices and our role in amplifying those voices. Now is a time to amplify black voices, listen to those voices and make some personal decisions about what more each of us can do to stop the killing of black people. For this reason, I encourage you to read, watch, or listen to black voices during the 30-minutes you would normally spend listening to the podcast this week. Dr. Martin Luther King eloquently said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” It is within our power to stop police violence, but it requires that we act. I am confident that the nonprofit sector has an important role to play in building a more just world, and I am certain that we’ll be talking about just that in future episodes.

Is your next annual gala at risk of being canceled due to COVID-19? Well then listen in before you do anything!  As today’s guest, Dean Crownover, points out, virtual fundraising events are working like gangbusters!  So join us to learn how virtual fundraising events are structured, what you can expect to spend, what you can expect to earn, and the best practices you can adopt to make your next fundraising event a virtual success.

Are you considering a career change?  Looking for something with a little more purpose and passion? How about a career in the nonprofit sector!? Today’s guest, Ellen McCarty, discusses her process for helping professionals make the switch from the for-profit to the nonprofit sector.  Join us as we delve into the culture and common myths of working at a nonprofit and see if this career path might be right for you.