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

Where is online fundraising headed post-pandemic? Scot Chisholm, founder of fundraising software platform Classy, looks into his crystal ball and tells us what he sees.

Do you know the single best indicator of the health of a nonprofit? There is one KEY ingredient for a healthy nonprofit. And it’s even more important during a crisis. In this episode I talk with Carlos de la Rosa and Rosanne Siino, Executive Director and Board Chair of the Lindsay Wildlife Preserve. Hint: Notice I invited an E.D. AND a board chair on the podcast… The “co-pilots” of the organization. Carlos and Rosanne tell me all about the Preserve and in particular about the process of hiring Carlos as executive director. They also tell the story of how they were affected by Covid 19. On Friday the 13th of March 2020, everything was shutting down; Lindsay was closing the doors to the 100,000 people who support their mission. What structure, buffers, reserves, or relationships were in place that could (and did) sustain them through the ensuing months? My guests discuss how they used the down time to create opportunities for a sustainable future and tell us what allowed Lindsay Wildlife Preserve to not only survive, but thrive. About Dr. Carlos de la Rosa Dr. Carlos de la Rosa is an Aquatic Ecologist by training and a Conservation Biologist by practice. He obtained his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh, PA, and has recently been Adjunct Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of Costa Rica and the National University of Costa Rica, biodiversity advisor to the Organization of American States, the US Agency for International Development, and other organizations in the US and in Central and South America. Carlos has worked extensively in environmental education programs, sustainability issues, and conservation of wildlife and wildlands. He has led wildlife protection and conservation programs in California, Florida, and Central America and is committed to communicating to the public the urgency for a better relationship with nature and wildlife. Previously he served as Director of the La Selva Biological Station for the Organization of Tropical Studies, in Costa Rica; Chief Conservation and Education Officer for the Catalina Island Conservancy, in California, USA; Program Director for The Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve in Florida; Education Director for the Environmental Lands Division of Pinellas County, Florida; and Director of the Riverwoods Field Laboratory for the South Florida Water Management District, where he worked as a researcher in the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. Carlos is completing three new books exploring the natural history, ecology, restoration, and conservation of natural habitats within the cultural context in which they exist. His writings have been published in scientific journals as well as in popular media. His nature photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the US and in Costa Rica. “I am very excited to be part of this amazing organization. Developing a strong, positive, and nurturing relationship with nature and wildlife is one of the most important things that people can do to address many of our current environmental issues. And I can’t think of no better place to do this than at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience.” About Rosanne Siino Rosanne Siino was among the founders of Netscape in the 1990s. She brings to the Lindsay Board the same creativity, “think big” attitude and positive energy that launched the first commercially successful web browser. After a long career in high-tech marketing, Rosanne received a doctorate in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, where she has been a lecturer/researcher since 2007. Rosanne teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in branding, leadership, and organizational dynamics, and consults with technology companies, startups, and nonprofits on effective teamwork, management and messaging. In addition to serving on the Board, Rosanne brought her love of animals and incredible teaching and communications skills to Lindsay as a volunteer wildlife educator for many years. ...

This episode is about the role that AI is starting to play in transforming philanthropy by reducing rote tasks and fueling donor retention.

We discuss why boards matter, when to have a board retreat, how retreats have gone virtual, and what it takes to make a retreat a home run.

I would like to encourage you to turn your impatience toward your heroic pursuits. After all, there’s a reason you become a nonprofit superhero.

Boomers are aging out of nonprofit leadership in droves. Many started organizations post Vietnam and there is a huge impending leadership void in the sector that needs to be filled. Nonprofit boards tend to skew old and are distrusting of youth and "inexperience". And so the cycle continues. So who will fill this void? How do we build a leadership pipeline? In May of 2017 Charlotte Alter, national correspondent at Time, heard President Trump’s speech on how the US was withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. She looked up each person who advised him to do so and began to feel that the decisions being made were examples of the old eating the young. This took her on a journey to write her book. Today she takes us through the people, events and forces that she believes have shaped the political thinking of the rising generation of leaders in America. We discuss how today’s leaders differ from yesterday’s and what we might do to nurture millennial leadership. About Charlotte Alter Charlotte Alter is a national correspondent at TIME covering the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections, women in politics and youth social movements. Her first book The Ones We've Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America was released in February. Links The Ones We've Been Waiting For: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America Greta Thuneberg article The School Shooting Generation has had Enough Joan Garry's Guide to Nonprofit Leadership Second Edition- Joan Garry Who Needs an Executive Coach? Joan Garry’s Instagram Explore the Nonprofit Leadership Lab Joan's Book: Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership: Because Nonprofits Are Messy Music by Jukebox the Ghost Voiceover Work by Cindy Cap Solutions

There are steps can be taken to ensure success and begin the process of crafting your legacy as a leader, even BEFORE you take on a new role.

Giving circles have raised well over a BILLION dollars over the past 20 years. Learn how your org can tap into this growing movement.

If you’ve ever had trouble finding great board members, or getting them ready to serve your organizations at a high level, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

My journey through the world is highly enriched by the diversity of folks around me.