Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications

Discover how nonprofit leaders can navigate shifting landscapes with purpose and resilience. Explore the balance between immediate crises and long-term vision, and the power of community collaboration. Unearth the importance of adaptive leadership, shared governance, and scenario planning in uncertain times. Hear about grassroots leaders making local impacts without formal titles. The conversation emphasizes embracing curiosity and bold questioning to drive future success.

Bonnie Barczykowski, the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, and Noorain Khan, Board President and former Ford Foundation leader, discuss the powerful partnership between a board chair and CEO. They share how intentional meetings and a strong onboarding process laid the foundation for their collaboration. Their weekly check-ins boost team energy and foster rapid problem-solving. The duo emphasizes psychological safety, candid conversations, and clear governance roles to enhance effectiveness, ensuring a lasting impact on their organization.

Darlene Nipper, President and CEO of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, dives deep into the transformative nature of leadership seen in 2025. She discusses how everyday people stepped into leadership roles during crises, fostering community resilience through mutual aid and grassroots organizing. Darlene emphasizes the importance of 'leading from the inside out' and how civic responsibility has become a collective endeavor. Key insights include the need for long-term vision paired with immediate action and the democratization of leadership across various communities.

Nonprofits aren’t “less than” – they’re labs for modern leadership. I’ll share 8 nonprofit lessons corporate leaders need now.

Budgets are more than numbers; they tell the strategic story of a nonprofit. Transitioning to goal-driven budgeting can boost creativity and collaboration. Emphasizing fiscal literacy among board members is crucial for making informed decisions. Joan Garry advocates for integrating budgeting with mission-focused goals, allowing reserves to be utilized as strategic assets for innovation. Regular revisits of budgets keep them dynamic and relevant, while collaborative drafting encourages ownership among teams.

Garrett Cathcart, an Army veteran and co-founder of More Perfect Union, talks about building community bridges through the power of conversation and service. He shares the inspiring origins of MPU and its model focused on connection, service, and civic engagement. Garrett discusses the innovative 'brickyard' concept, where neighbors unite locally, fostering trust and understanding. He highlights a successful event in Glen Rose, Texas, showcasing the impact of simple neighborly acts and emphasizes the importance of diversifying leadership within nonprofits to reach wider communities.

Erica Fortescue, a professional coach and consultant focused on neurodiversity, joins to challenge the misconception that ADHD is a workplace flaw. She shares insights on ADHD subtypes, spotting strengths like creativity and crisis performance, and the innovative term 'ADHD-ish' for high-achieving individuals. Erica provides practical strategies for supervisors to align roles with strengths and improve communication. She emphasizes the importance of accommodations and suggests structuring meetings for neuroinclusion, promoting a more supportive work environment.

Vivian Chang, leader of the Democratizing Philanthropy Project, brings her 30 years of experience in community power-building to the discussion. She emphasizes the importance of people-powered fundraising, showing how small donations can stabilize revenue and align funding with mission goals. Vivian highlights the value of grassroots donors as ambassadors and shares insights into her project’s accelerator program designed to boost digital fundraising. With timely provocations for organizations and funders, she champions grassroots fundraising in current crisis moments.

Darian Rodriguez Heyman, a nonprofit author and consultant, and Cheryl Contee, a technology entrepreneur, share insights from their new practical guide, AI for Nonprofits. They discuss the pressing need for tactical AI guidance post-ChatGPT and how nonprofits can embrace AI while keeping human-centered approaches in mind. Key topics include ethical AI adoption, using AI as a super-assistant in fundraising, and the importance of mission-first leadership. They also emphasize building trust and capacity for responsible technology use within organizations.

Too many Development Directors feel like failures if they don't hit their revenue numbers — even when circumstances are beyond their control. In this episode, I explore why this mindset is harmful and what nonprofits can do to redefine success.