Successful Nonprofits Podcast

There are just five weeks left in the year, and there are five fundraising tasks I want you to implement before December 31. If you don’t already have an end-of-year campaign, make this your year-end strategy. And, if you do have an end-of-year campaign that is currently rolling out, consider strengthening your strategy by incorporating these tasks.  Each can be planned and launched in just eight hours – making them the perfect way to boost your fundraising before December 31.

This week kicks off the holiday season here in the US, which is a time of reflection and gratitude. It also kicks off giving season. Whether you have a thank-you plan in place or not, make sure you listen in to this montage episode brimming with donor-tested, staff-approved strategies to convey just how deeply you cherish your end-of-year donors. We know how important it is to thank donors, yet the quest for a thank-you that truly stands out and resonates with your supporters can be a formidable challenge. So, join us in today's episode for a fountain of thank-you inspiration! You’ll hear ideas ranging from personalized video messages to bespoke paintings and even heartfelt gifts handcrafted by the very clients whose lives your nonprofit --- and donors --- touch.  Recommended Episodes: Unleash Your Donors’ Generosity with Brady Josephson on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website. Help Donors Fall In Love…With Your Organization with Abra Annes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

What if you could ignore the incessant demands on your attention, giving you the time and space to develop and maintain habits that make you more productive and help you care for yourself?  I recently read the books Indistractible by Nir Eyal and Atomic Habits by James Clear, and together these two books answer that important question. That’s why this Bonus Break shares three key concepts and four time-hacks from the books that will transform your relationship with work, productivity, and time. 

Kristin Sukraw, an award-winning storyteller and film producer with a passion for bringing nonprofit narratives to life, gives us a masterclass in finding and telling our nonprofit’s best stories. Kristin introduces essential interviewing techniques that transform the way stories are told and received.  Techniques like 'embracing the pause', 'doing the dip', and 'effective restatements.' Kristin and Dolph also tackle potential concerns about re-traumatizing former clients and the ethics of asking individuals to recount personal stories. And Kristen outlines how to invite individuals to share their experience in a way that leads to healing and a sense of pride. The conversation also explores the importance of selecting the right storyteller, advocating for the inclusion of quieter voices that often carry profound stories, and constructing a 'story vault' to organize potential narratives. This episode is a treasure trove for nonprofit leaders looking to harness the power of storytelling to advance their mission. Recommended Episodes: The Story Your Voice Tells with Tracy Goodwin on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website Become Your Nonprofit’s Brand Ambassador with Rita Soronen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website Links Mentioned In This Episode: Kristin’s Website Kristin's Instagram Atomic Ranch Homes

For five years after Aretha Franklin’s 2018 death, her estate couldn’t be settled because her heirs had to wait for a judge to decide which of her multiple wills to recognize.  Ultimately, the judge accepted a will found in a notebook stuffed into couch cushions as her last will and testament.  Can you imagine your organization being paralyzed for 5 years waiting for a judge to decide which by-laws were the correct version? Unable to take any action – not even able to appoint new Board members or replace an Executive Director who has left? That would be cataclysmic.  And that’s why this episode dives into your document retention process. Not the policy that states how long you have to keep documents, but the procedures for ensuring they are actually retained and transferred during leadership transitions.

What we’ve come to believe are fundraising “best practices” can have a damaging impact on those we serve, our staff, donors, and mission. Join today’s guests, Tanya Rumble and Nicole McVan, as they discuss philanthropic practices that cause harm and share steps you can take to challenge and dismantle them. Join us for a transformative conversation that challenges the status quo of fundraising and redefines the future of philanthropy.

Ever accepted a new job then regrated not negotiating enough on your salary and compensation? If so, you’re not alone! Navigating job offers and salary negotiations is daunting to most of us because we don’t do it every day.   Early in my career, I made a negotiation decision that cost me more $150,000. Fast forward almost 25 years, and I’ve had significantly more experience negotiating pay – both as the person doing the hiring and the person being hired. And I’ve learned what works – and what doesn’t work.   In this Bonus Break episode, I’ll share  Two secrets hiring managers don’t tell you  Tips on how to interact with your perspective employer when negotiating salary  Techniques that will help you master the art of salary negotiation  This episode also refers to a Compensation Comparison Worksheet you can download at https://zc.vg/mDNi5.  

If you're tired of restricted funding that only allocates 10% (or less) of a grant for admin and overhead, Nick Turner shares how he successfully makes a case for unrestricted grants and gifts.  Nick Vera is the CEO of the Institute of Justice, and he has dramatically grown his organization by soliciting and leveraging unrestricted gifts. In this episode, you and Nick will explore: The importance in gaining funder confidence before asking for large unrestricted grants Strategies for overcoming funder hesitancy to make unrestricted grants Tactics for setting boundaries with funders who want to be overly granular in their restrictions Similar episodes you will find useful include:  Ep 170: Challenge the Fundraising Status Quo with Sherry Quam Taylor (Apple) (Spotify) Ep 279: Standing Up for Equitable Funding Practices with Lauren Steiner (Apple) (Spotify) Links mentioned in the episode: Vera Institute of Justice Website https://www.vera.org/ Vera Institute of Justice Twitter https://twitter.com/verainstitute Vera Institute of Justice LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/verainstitute/ Vera institute of Justice Facebook https://www.facebook.com/verainstitute Vera Institute of Justice Mastodon https://mstdn.social/@verainstitute

You wouldn’t drive a car without a dashboard, and you shouldn’t lead your organization without one, either! Nonprofit dashboards support your chief executive in managing your organization and facilitating Board governance.  In this Bonus Break, you’ll learn how to create an effective organizational dashboard that you, your Board, and your team can use to stay on track and achieve your goals.  This episode references an editable spreadsheet with three sample dashboards that you can download from our show notes: https://successfulnonprofits.com/dashboard/.

“Understanding your strengths unlocks your potential and leads you and your organization to greater performance.” - Gallup, CliftonStrenghts. This episode does a deep dive in using your strengths as leverage. CliftonStrengths coach, John Augusto shares how nonprofits are using a strength-based approach to motivate, empower, and grow individual staff members and entire teams. If you found this episode helpful, check out these episodes:  Ep 187: Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders with Deb Stalling (Apple) (Spotify) Ep 198 Tools to Fire Up Your Productivity with Peter Chatel (Apple) (Spotify)   Links mentioned in the show:  McCarty & Co. Website https://mccartyandcollc.com/ John’s  LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-augusto-phd/