Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

241: The Power of Strategic Planning for Nonprofits (Marie Palacios)SUMMARYDid you know that a well-crafted strategic plan is statistically proven to double an organization’s chance of long-term success? In episode #241 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, strategic planning expert Marie Palacios provides clarity around the strategic planning process and how to create a powerful final written product. You’ll gain insider tips on questions like “How do we level the playing field so both introverts and extroverts have equal opportunity to contribute in conversations?” and “How do we narrow down a plethora of ideas into one concise document?”. Marie highlights the essential components so you can come away with a compelling plan with strategies to ensure the end result is clear, concise, and compelling.   ABOUT MARIEMarie Palacios, Lead Consultant for Funding for Good, is an expert educator, consultant, and facilitator who helps leaders achieve their goals. She combines evidence-based facilitation methods and two decades of professional experience to facilitate dynamic and productive meetings. Her specialties include consensus building, leadership development, and strategic planning for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Over the past two decades, Marie has worn every hat imaginable in the business world: volunteer, board member, program director, executive director, and development consultant. Marie is bilingual and uses her Spanish skills to provide language access and diversity training services for businesses and local government sectors. She is passionate about serving others and coordinates annual service trips to Latin America through her private consulting company, MP Pro Consult. Marie is a native of Morganton, NC, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, and one spoiled rescue dog named “Mako.”EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESThe Nonprofit Strategy Revolution: Real-Time Strategic Planning in a Rapid-Response World by David LaPiana & Melissa Mendes CamposLearn more about Marie and Funding for Good hereReady for a Mastermind? Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic SectorWatch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

240: How Can We Build the Nonprofit Leadership Pipeline? (Carmita Semaan)SUMMARYAre you developing a strong pipeline of nonprofit leaders within your organization? In episode #240 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Carmita Semaan, founder of The Surge Institute, explains how nonprofit leaders should strategically position future talent to help their organization excel, and maintain a steady stream of candidates for when it’s time to hire. Learn how Surge is changing the narrative and supporting diverse leadership across the sector. Carmita also shares how she’s communicating her mission to funders, community members, and corporate leaders, and how her fundraising has enabled her to dramatically scale her organization. She shares how Surge measures success and how she herself recruits talented leaders.   ABOUT CARMITACarmita Semaan is Founder and CEO of The Surge Institute. Her superpower is supporting and elevating the genius of emerging and seasoned leaders - particularly women and people of color - and shining a light on the brilliance and ingenuity that is too often overlooked and untapped in solving systemic issues. Carmita hails from Birmingham, AL and proudly professes that her hometown made her who she has become. Birmingham’s history has shaped what she feels called to do and the hustle, horsepower and heart she exhibits. Her guiding principle is the connection of head, heart, and soul in leadership to drive sustainable impact and lasting partnerships. Carmita holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a 2009 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, and is a graduate of the Broad Residency in Urban Education. She honors her love for education equity, creative arts, and the amplification of and investment in women community leaders via many boards and volunteer engagements. Carmita lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and their beloved goldendoodle, Jefferson.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan CainLearn more about Carmita and her work at The Surge Institute Ready for a Mastermind?  Learn more here!Watch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector, coming soon!

239: Nonprofit Leadership: 3 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started (Elizabeth Cushing)SUMMARYWhere are you on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership? In episode #239, seasoned nonprofit leader Elizabeth Cushing shares some of her biggest surprises along the journey, lessons she learned while leading large-scale organizational growth during a global pandemic, and the three things she wished she’d known before her journey began. Learn the differences between scaling an organization versus scaling the solution, and how large-scale change can affect your overall fundraising efforts and donor development. Elizabeth shares sage advice for every emerging nonprofit leader.  ABOUT ELIZABETHElizabeth Cushing is the CEO of Playworks, a national organization headquartered in Oakland, CA, that helps schools and school districts make the most of recess through on-site staffing, consultative support, professional development, and free resources. Elizabeth has been with Playworks for 17 years. She became president in 2011, and CEO in 2021. As CEO, Elizabeth leads the senior management team and ensures that all strategic targets are met across the organization. She has spearheaded Playworks’ growth plan, leading the organization through a scaling strategy that took it from partnering with 61 schools in 2004 to nearly 2,000 schools in 2020. Elizabeth has more than 25 years of nonprofit management experience with youth development and youth-serving organizations, and as a leader in the youth development field, is frequently invited to speak about Playworks’ scaling experience, and how play supports children’s development and wellbeing.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESWhy Play Works: Big Changes Start Small by Jill VialetLearn more about Elizabeth and Playworks hereReady for a Mastermind? Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector?Watch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

238: Is It Time to Redesign Your Nonprofit’s Website? (David Pisarek)SUMMARYIs your website as effective as it needs to be for your nonprofit? In episode #238 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, digital marketing expert David Pisarek shares how you can dramatically improve your website and digital marketing efforts and why you should invest in that effort right now. Learn what a redesign process looks like, the typical costs, and how to find a great agency with which to work. David’s experience within the philanthropic sector allows him to address how website analytics can lead to increased donations and the benefits of SEO for nonprofits.   ABOUT DAVIDDavid has been smashing the non-profit sector for 30 years, and now he's living out his dream: to design and build websites, lead design and branding projects, and be a general technology guru for non-profits in Canada. He’s a design and programming expert who has taught at the college level and found his passion for sharing knowledge at his clients' businesses. Over the past five years, he and his team have completed over 240 projects, so if you need some help, David and his team are the experts. Breaking apart processes and tearing down department silos, he uses his background to effectively bridge the gaps between IT, Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising departments to align processes, streamline operations, and ultimately help his clients achieve digital success.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESHooked On You: The Genius Way to Make Anybody Read Anything by Ian HarrisLearn more about David hereReady for a Mastermind? Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic SectorWatch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

237: Nonprofit Leadership in Action: Mastermind Success Stories (Josue’ Hernandez, Tiffany Kong, Michael Walsh)SUMMARYAre you ready to advance your nonprofit leadership through the PMA Mastermind program? Three Mastermind alums, Josue’ Hernandez, Tiffany Kong, and Mike Walsh share their professional development experiences and the positive changes they’ve made as a result of their participation. In episode #237 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, they discuss specific aspects of the program, the ongoing collaboration with colleagues nation-wide, and what they continue to utilize in their nonprofit leadership.Josue’ Hernandez is the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement at Memorial Medical Center Foundation, serving Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital. He oversees donor acquisition, engagement, and stewardship, including programs like Simply Grateful and iGive. Josue’ earned his CFRE certification in 2021 and holds a Master of Arts in Leadership. He is an active member of SCAHD and AHP and is one of 38 Volunteer CFRE Ambassadors globally.Tiffany Kong, Director of Community Impact, reviews grant-making in education and youth development, supporting nonprofit organizations at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. She co-founded The Give Me Hope Project in 2005, dedicated to building water wells in Laos. Tiffany serves on the board for Keystone Community Services and holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.Mike Walsh, Assistant Dean of Advancement in the Virginia Tech College of Science, leads the advancement team overseeing development, alumni relations, and communications. Previously, he worked at North Carolina State University, managing major gifts and leadership annual giving. Mike holds an associate’s degree in environmental studies, a bachelor’s in geography, and a master’s in organizational leadership.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESLeadership on the Line by Ronald Heifetz & Marty Linsky; The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker; Understanding Nonprofit Organizations by Lisa Dicke & J. Steven OttReady for a Mastermind?  Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector?

236: The Five Hardest “Soft” Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs (Dr. Shirley Davis)SUMMARYWhat are the critical soft skills nonprofit leaders must master? In episode #236 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, global workforce expert Dr. Shirley Davis explores why leadership skills and competencies have shifted over the past few years away from the technical and other “hard” skills to “soft” skills which can be harder to demonstrate. She shares her top five soft skills every nonprofit leader should embody to attract and retain today’s talent. Shirley explains why soft skills have the greatest impact on an employee’s experience and how nonprofit leaders can develop and improve these skills if they want to achieve high performance and engagement from their workers.  ABOUT SHIRLEYDr. Shirley Davis is a sought-after global workforce expert, national board director for Make-A-Wish Foundation, and president and CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, a strategic development solutions firm that specializes in human resources strategy, talent management, leadership effectiveness, culture transformation and diversity, equity & inclusion. Dr. Davis has over thirty years of business experience in a variety of senior executive leadership roles in Fortune 100 & 50 corporations. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Oprah Daily, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, NBC’s Today Show, USA Today, NPR, CBS News, Fox News, CNN.com, HR Magazine, and many others. She was inducted into Inclusion Magazine’s Hall of Fame for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in November 2021, and in August 2022 was awarded The Golden Gavel Award which is Toastmasters International’s highest and most prestigious award given to one person each year based on Leadership and Communication Impact. She was nominated for Forbes 2021 Women 50 Over 50 list and again in 2022. Dr. Davis has worked in over 30 countries on 5 continents and delivers over 100 speeches a year. She served on the Board of Directors and the Foundation Board for the National Speakers Association (2017-2021). In 2021, she was named to the national board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and will serve a four-year term. She holds a Bachelor’s in Pre-Law, a Master’s in Adult Education; a second Master’s in Human Resource Management, and a Ph.D. in Business and Organizational Leadership.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESGreat by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim CollinsLearn more about Dr. Davis and her books hereHear more from Hardy Smith in episode 186: Why Don’t Board Members Do What They’re Supposed to Do?Ready for a Mastermind?  Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

235: When Should You Consider Nonprofit Leadership? (David Goldman)SUMMARYAre you pondering your career path and want to find more intrinsic value and purpose through a mission-driven organization? How will you know if you’re ready to transition to leadership in the philanthropic sector?  In episode #235 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, David Goldman shares what it took for him to move from a career with some of the world’s largest and most loved brands to his current role as a nonprofit leader. He shares how he prepared for this transition and offers thoughtful observations when comparing the two sectors. Learn how to maintain your case for support, even in times of crisis, as David discusses his successful marketing and fundraising techniques that serves his work across Australia.  ABOUT DAVIDWith over 20 years’ experience as a strategic consumer marketer, David Goldman has a proven track record and a passion for doing things differently and challenging the norm. David has worked for some of the world’s largest consumer organizations, including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Canon and NewsCorp. During his time in these organizations, he launched Coca-Cola to the Palestinian Authority, developed the New Tastes Menu at McDonald’s and led a team with editorial support to reposition and relaunch The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs. One of his proudest accomplishments was to lead a strategic marketing and creative team that developed Canon’s “World of EOS”. The work was recognized globally, winning 8 Cannes Lions, including 1 Media Grand Prix, not to mention resulting in a significant uplift in underlying earnings for Canon Australia. Over the past 6 years, David has diverted his own interests to the For Purpose sector, having taken up executive roles at Relationships Australia NSW (NFP), RASE Pty Ltd (social enterprise) and his current role at the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. David’s philosophy: it’s time to give back and there’s fulfilment beyond material possession. In his spare time, David is committed to his community, a volunteer lifesaver at North Bondi SLSC for the past 11 years, 8 of which he was a patrol captain. He is also a volunteer mentor for Youth Off The Streets.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESThe Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie JakuLearn more about David and Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife hereReady for a mastermind?  Learn more here!Check out Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

234: Building Financial Leadership Within Your Nonprofit (Jessica McClain)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, how do you assess and ensure your organization has the financial tools, talents and resources to best advance your mission? Jessica McClain, a nonprofit leader and CPA recently named one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting in 2023, advocates in episode #234 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership how building a culture of open communication between your accounting department and other organizational leaders can better integrate your organization’s financial picture, especially when engaging new prospects and stewarding existing donors. Learn how business acumen is playing an integral part of financial leadership within nonprofits as she shares her advice for attracting, retaining, and advancing women in finance leadership positions.  ABOUT JESSICAJessica E. McClain serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital. In this role, she has strategic responsibility for finance and accounting, property, product program, retail merchandise, and business operations. Prior to transitioning to the not-for-profit industry, she spent 11 years in public accounting. Jessica represents Maryland as an AICPA Council At-Large Member. She is a Board member of the Maryland Association of CPAs Foundation, the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, and the Towson University Accounting Advisory Board, and gives back to the community as the National Treasurer for ODK Honor Society. She previously served on the AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee, the AICPA Foundation Board of Trustees, and the AICPA Student Recruitment Committee. Jessica's accomplishments include being named a 2023 CPA Practice Advisor Most Powerful Women in Accounting, a 2022 Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, the 2022 NABA DC Chapter Outstanding Accounting Leader of the Year, a Maryland Association of CPAs 2021 Women to Watch- Emerging Leader, a Black CPA Centennial's 40 Under 40 Black CPA Award honoree, a 2021 AICPA Outstanding Young CPA Award recipient, and a 3x CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 Professional. Jessica is a graduate of the highly competitive AICPA Leadership Academy and earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Towson University and her master’s degree in accounting from George Washington University. Jessica is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Virginia.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESWhat Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall GoldsmithLearn more about Jessica and Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital hereReady for a Mastermind? Learn more here!Have you picked up Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector?Watch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

233: Navigating Frustrating Scenarios with Your Nonprofit Board (Michael Corley)SUMMARYHow well do you get along with your board members? The complexity of the board/staff relationship can create challenges for any nonprofit leader. In episode #233 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit board expert Michael Corley illustrates many of the frustrating scenarios executive directors encounter with their board of directors, and how they can better navigate them. Michael clarifies the core roles and responsibilities among all parties that will enable success for the entire organization.    ABOUT MICHAELMichael Corley founded The Corley Company in 2010 to focus on providing support to CEOs and other organizational leaders. This directly resulted from his experience being a President & COO of a mid-sized company and a nonprofit Board Chair. In those roles there were many times he wished he had a trusted resource to give advice, an experienced person to facilitate/lead critical projects when the team didn’t have the bandwidth, and someone who was genuinely interested in professional growth.  As a leader, as “the” leader, he learned it can truly be “lonely at the top.” He built The Corley Company on his strengths, competencies, and areas of interest in order to grow and support organizational leaders. Over the past 12 years, he has worked with hundreds of nonprofit funders and agencies to provide strategic support to CEOs and boards. He now works only with nonprofit organizations as a confirmation of his belief in mission-focused work.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESHow to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: Building Lasting Relationships and Achieving Success by Dale CarnegieLearn more about Michael hereReady for a Mastermind?  Learn more here!Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic SectorWatch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

232: How Do You Manage a Small Nonprofit with Limited Resources? (Michael Schneider)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, do you struggle with limited resources that must be carefully managed in order to maximize the impact of your organization’s work? Learn from Michael Schneider, founder of a successful small nonprofit finding huge success, in episode #232 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. Michael shares how to be efficient with a small team and how strategic outsourcing allows nonprofit leaders be more directly involved with their mission. He also shares ways to better communicate your message through productive and creative uses of social media. Michael also talks effective fundraising for a small organization. How do you identify, steward, and even create legacy giving among your donors when your resources are in short supply?  ABOUT MICHAELMichael Schneider started Pilots To The Rescue back in 2015 to combine his love of aviation and saving animals. Michael is a commercial, instrument-rated pilot with more than 1,200 hours. When Michael isn’t flying, he enjoys spending time with his wife, 4 boys under 7 years of age, and his 90 lb. rescue dog. Michael currently resides in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and flies out of Essex County Airport (KCDW) in Caldwell, NJ.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESGame Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life by Dave Asprey et al.Learn more about Michael and Pilots To The Rescue hereReady for a Mastermind? Learn more here!Check out book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic SectorWatch for Patton’s companion workbook to Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership and the audiobook coming soon!