Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

175: How Can Nonprofit Leaders Succeed in the Attention Economy? (Eric Ressler)SUMMARYWith the distractions of instant access to information, are you effectively capturing the attention of the right people in a sustained, authentic, and meaningful way to move your mission forward? Eric Ressler explains what the attention economy means and how it has affected nonprofit organizations in episode #176 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. Eric shares why organizations struggle to find, grow and maintain funding and you can cut through the noise and better communicate your message. Learn why traditional strategies and approaches are not working in this attention economy and how to leverage the full power of a global digital culture.ABOUT Eric Ressler is the Founder and Creative Director at Cosmic, a Social Impact Creative Agency. Cosmic empowers social impact organizations to catalyze real world change by helping them nail their impact story, build brand awareness, and inspire action. Eric got his start in design from a very young age, and after leaving a design program in San Diego early to pursue freelance work, cut his teeth running a freelance business in the digital design space. After organically building a strong roster of clients, he discovered a passion for the social impact and philanthropic space. Through working with numerous organizations across this sector, he found that often their missions and visions are strong, but their efforts are stymied by ineffective communications philosophies and practices. Now, Eric and Cosmic are on a mission to help social impact organizations across the globe navigate a rapidly changing world.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES Red Rising by Pierce BrownLearn more about Eric and the work Cosmic is doing hereTake our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!Check out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

174: Planting the Seeds of Change with your Nonprofit Board (Christal Cherry & Renee Rubin Ross)SUMMARYDoes your nonprofit’s leadership truly represent the diverse voice you serve? Why is it more important than ever to have equal representation at the board level? In episode # 174 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, two talented nonprofit professionals have come together to collaborate on this important topic. Renee Rubin Ross and Christal Cherry share aspects from their DEIB training program and how nonprofits who commit to the process can strengthen the well-being of the entire organization. Renee and Christal discuss the knowledge gaps that exist between black and indigenous people of color and their white counterparts and what actions your board members can take once they recognize the differences that exist.ABOUT CHRISTALChristal M. Cherry, is a trained fundraiser with more than 22 years of nonprofit experience serving on executive teams, as a liaison with boards, and a confidant to the CEO/Executive Director. Christal has a passion to help transform board members into impactful leaders and touts fundraising as her ministry - the place where she feels she can make the biggest difference. Christal’s mantra: Fundraising is not an F word. Christal founded and leads The Board Pro, a company that equips board members with the tools they need to effectively govern and help nonprofits to fulfill their missions, scale, and become change agents in their communities.ABOUT RENEEDr. Renee Rubin Ross is a recognized leader on board and organizational development and strategy and the founder of The Ross Collective, a consulting firm that designs and leads inclusive, participatory processes for social sector boards and staff. Committed to racial equity in the nonprofit sector, Dr. Ross guides leaders and organizations in strategic plans and governance processes that deepen social change, racial justice and community strength. In addition to her consulting work, Dr. Ross is the Director of the Cal State University East Bay Nonprofit Management Certificate program and teaches Strategic Planning and Board Development for the program.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESCaste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabella WilkersonThe Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGheeLearn more about Renee and ChristalTake our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!

173: Can You Manage the Finances as a Nonprofit Leader? (Alex Romero)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, are you well versed in the management of budgets and financials for your organization? Can you forecast cash flow and establish internal controls to keep donors and board members happy? In episode #173 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we explore the fundamental financial skills you must master to excel at nonprofit leadership. Virtual CFO Alex Romero identifies some of the biggest financial challenges she sees nonprofit leaders facing today and how retaining virtual services might help you make good decisions before you put your organization in a bad spot. Alex shares the three financial management pillars for the overall health and sustainability of your organization and why they matter. ABOUT ALEXAlexandria Romero recently joined Chris Hervochon CPA CVA LLC accounting firm as a virtual CFO. Romero is a Certified Public Accounting from Colorado with an impressive list of accolades in accounting — a few which include the 2022 AICPA Outstanding Young CPA Award, a 2022 Colorado State University Department of Accounting Hall of Fame inductee, and a 2021 CPA Practice Advisor’s “40 Under 40” Accounting Professionals. In her new role as a virtual CFO for Chris Hervochon CPA CVA LLC, Romero directs financial planning, financial reports and financial strategies for nonprofits and digital marketing agencies around the country. Romero previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Pueblo City-County Library District in Pueblo, CO, overseeing a more than $14 million budget. Her extensive accounting experience also includes positions as Senior Auditor and Tax Accountant for McPherson, Goodrich, Paolucci & Mihelich, PC in Pueblo, CO, as well as Accountant positions for Colorado Springs Housing Authority in Colorado Springs, CO and the Downtown Denver Partnership in Denver, CO. Romero also is an active member of the accounting industry, currently serving on the AICPA’s Young Member Leadership Committee as chair and a board member for the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants (COCPA).EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene BrownLearn more about Alex and her virtual services hereTake our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!Check out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

172: 3 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Inspire Greater Investment (Deepa Naik)SUMMARYHow do you make a successful case for funding given the increasing number of urgent needs in your community? Your donors certainly have many great causes to consider. In episode #172 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with Deepa Naik, a former fundraiser and consultant who now works with The Merancas Foundation, about what she sees as she reviews dozens of proposals. Have you ever wished you could ask funders, “How do I best prepare for an initial conversation?” Well, Deepa has some suggestions, and she’ll identify the top three strategies nonprofit leaders can use to inspire greater fund investment.   ABOUT DEEPADeepa loves building stakeholder relations, handling complex projects, creative thinking, and facing diverse challenges. Her personal and professional paths have been marked by a commitment to empower individuals and support equitable access. Deepa joined The Merancas Foundation as their Director of Philanthropy in May 2021, where she is responsible for distributing grant funds within greater Charlotte, NC, Trenton, NJ, and Atlanta, GA. Formerly, Deepa cultivated external relations for Upstream USA as a Regional Director of Partnerships, expanding contraceptive access across NC. Prior to Upstream, Deepa was a full-time nonprofit consultant, working with organizations of all sizes throughout the Carolinas to achieve strategic and development goals. Early in her career, Deepa gained knowledge and expertise from program and development work in a substance abuse treatment center and domestic violence organizations. Deepa enjoys traveling back to England to see her parents and extended family. She now lives in the suburbs of Charlotte with her husband, Jinesh, and two daughters, Anissa and Evie.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES My Big Notebook: It’s About Me with a Little Help from My Friend JC by Carla CarlisleLearn more about Deepa and the Merancas Foundation hereTake our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!Check out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

171: How to Build Trust as a Nonprofit Leader (Teresa Mitrovic)SUMMARYAre psychological safety and trust key elements of your leadership? How does trust change workplace culture? What is a leader’s role in trust and how do you build psychological safety while maintaining accountability? In episode #171 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, author and coach Teresa Mitrovic advocates for trust as the crucial factor in organizational health. Learn what it means to create and adapt to this type of environment and discover what a high-performing team operating in psychological safety and trust really looks like. She shares how this model better attracts energized and resilient talent while significantly reducing turnover, which is a critical issue for nonprofit leaders around the world. ABOUT TERESATeresa Mitrovic is an author, coach and consultant who teaches leaders how to build performance while enabling psychological safety and trust. She has given keynote speeches at conferences, delivered immersive workshops for corporate audiences of up to 250 and cites delivering a Resilience workshop at Buckingham Palace as a career highlight. Before retraining as an Executive & Corporate Coach, she had a leadership career spanning two decades working for Hasbro, The Walt Disney Company and Universal Pictures amongst others. A high performer, she found the increasing demands of senior leadership and single parenthood increasingly exhausting. Learning how to coach as a leader was the turning point that inspired her career change. In the 9 months following the shift in her leadership style, workloads were reset, work pressure was paced, team cohesion, alignment and performance improved and profit grew three-fold. Since then, Teresa has worked with corporate and civil organizational clients globally. A New Zealander, Teresa has lived in Auckland and London but now lives in Melbourne with her husband and dog.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter SengeRead Teresa’s book The Currency of ConnectionLearn more about Teresa and ORO Collective hereCheck out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector Take our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!

170: How Can Your Nonprofit Be More Effective Seeking Grants? (Gauri Manglik)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, are you focused on the most important elements that help you generate more funding? In episode #170 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, learn how to better train your staff, measure the impact of your team, and choose the best tools for your nonprofit from Gauri Manglik, creator of a barrier-breaking grant discovery, research, and tracking tool. Aside from your mission, the talent you attract and retain is crucial to the success of your nonprofit. Having served over 2,000 nonprofit organizations, Gauri shares what she’s observed about successful nonprofits and how they manage their people and technology. In this age of big data, she breaks down unique trends nonprofit leaders should look for and how to leverage quantitative insight when applying for funding.ABOUT GAURIGauri has dedicated her career to building intuitive and delightful user experiences. Seeing the opportunity to force multiply the nonprofit sector's ability to create impact through software led to her work at Instrumentl. As CEO and a co-founder, she has led Instrumentl to serve over 2,000 nonprofits today, making it a favorite tool among grant seekers for bringing grant prospecting, tracking, and management to one place. Before Instrumentl, Gauri was CEO and co-founder of Fondu, an online community for sharing bite-sized restaurant reviews. After Fondu was acquired by Airbnb, Gauri led their mobile and special projects teams.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga​​​​​​​Learn more about Gauri and Instrumentl here.Use code NPLPOD50 to save $50 off your first month or year of Instrumentl.Sign up for a 14-day free Instrumentl account here: https://www.instrumentl.com/r/PathTake our Podcast Survey and let us know what you want to hear!Check out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

169: How to Assess the Philanthropic Culture of a Nonprofit Organization (Armando Chardiet)SUMMARYDoes your organization have a philanthropic culture? How do you know?  Armando Chardiet discusses exactly that in episode #169 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and provides recommendations to best stand out as you seek philanthropic support. He also shares what he looks for in recruiting talent, and why mentorship has been the most significant asset during his nonprofit career. Armando defines what it means to have a philanthropic culture, then explains how to create and maintain that culture throughout all facets of the organization. He discusses the shift taking place in philanthropy where individual donors and corporate foundations are driven by a more focused market strategy in areas they fund while simultaneously becoming much more critical in evaluating associated outcomes. ABOUT ARMANDOArmando L. Chardiet, MSW, is president of the Atrium Health Foundation, supporting one of the most comprehensive and highly integrated not-for-profit healthcare systems in the nation. As a member of the executive leadership team, he is responsible for all philanthropic initiatives and fundraising campaigns that allow the organization to advance its mission to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all. A recognized leader in the world of philanthropy with significant experience in establishing a strong culture of charitable giving, Chardiet joined Atrium Health in May 2017. Previously, Chardiet served in a variety of leadership roles, including chair of the Philanthropy Institute at Cleveland Clinic and chief advancement officer and assistant vice dean at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Chardiet holds his Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and Latin American studies from Southern Connecticut University and earned a Master of Science degree in social policy research from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an advanced certificate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in research.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESThe First 90 Days by Michael WatkinsLearn more about Atrium Health FoundationWe invite you to take our new Podcast Survey!Have you read Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership 

168: Will Your Nonprofit Sustain Excellence for the Next Generation? (Regina Moody)SUMMARYHow prepared is your organization as the philanthropic sector experiences post-pandemic changes? With increased competition for funding, are you communicating your mission and values effectively and managing your digital technology? In episode #168 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Regina Moody, who has had a remarkable 40-year career at a single organization, shares lessons she’s learned on her journey and what she sees for the future of the sector. Regina discusses the increasing reliance on technology and experiences she’s had with such things as policy changes, fundraising, and accreditation processes and compliance. You’ll hear vital advice on managing transitions at many levels, recruiting and retaining talented staff, and engaging with your board of directors. Learn what it takes to be an effective, impactful and intentional leader for the ages.ABOUT REGINARegina Moody has served as a visionary force, guiding Holy Angels through significant growth and development during her 40-year tenure. Her professional career has been to create a place of “loving, living and learning for the differently able”. Regina has led Holy Angels through National Accreditation (CARF-Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) and expansion of programs and services to provide additional opportunities to improve the overall quality of life for the residents. During Regina's tenure, she took Holy Angels from a single building to a nonprofit that encompasses 17 buildings, including four business enterprises. Regina helped to start Cherubs Café, allowing some residents the opportunity to have meaningful employment. Because of Regina, Holy Angels is internationally recognized for some of its innovative programming and services specializing in comprehensive medical and developmental programs. The list of awards and accomplishments for Regina is long. In 2020, she was awarded the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the highest honor given by the governor to those who have made significant contributions to the state.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESServant Leadership by Robert GreenleafQBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. MillerLearn more about Holy AngelsCheck out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector

167: Horror Stories of Fundraising: What Would You Do? (Jay Frost)SUMMARYThink you're the only one to experience a fundraising horror story? Well, Jay Frost is here to assure you’re not alone and there are ways you can avoid these scary situations. In episode #167 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, he shares the critical importance of having policies and procedures in place to avoid your own horror stories and sustain your strategic plan. Learn how often to review and with whom they’re communicated to better build partnerships of trust. In discussing real fundraising horror stories, Jay identifies where things broke down and how we can learn from previous mistakes. ABOUT JAYJay Frost has worked with thousands of organizations to identify and pursue billions in fundraising opportunities around the world over the past thirty-five years. He is recognized as one of "America's top 25 fundraising experts" by Philanthropy Media, one of the Top 8 Fundraising Influencers by Elevation Media, among the Top Twelve Excellent Fundraising Consultants by Double the Donation, and a Top 100 Charity Influencer by Onalytica. A consultant to nonprofits and an advisor to companies serving the philanthropic marketplace, Jay advises organizations at all stages of their efforts, from startup through capital campaigns. Jay is also the Host of DonorSearch’s Philanthropy Masterminds Series, which has offered over 600 programs to tens of thousands of attendees since its debut in 2016. He has addressed hundreds of meetings across the US, Canada, Asia, the UK, and the Middle East.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES Prospect Research for Fundraisers by Jennifer Filla and Helen BrownThe Artful Journey: Cultivating and Soliciting the Major Gift by William SturtevantAsking by Jerold PanasLearn more about Jay as a speaker here and as a consultant hereListen to Jay’s Mastermind Podcast and Mastermind WebcastCheck out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector 

166: Transitions in Nonprofit Leadership: Are You Ready to Make a Move? (Mazarine Treyz)SUMMARYAre you pondering your place in the philanthropic sector? The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and its effects are being felt across all industries. In episode #166 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, multifaceted career coach Mazarine Treyz discusses some factors that nonprofit leaders should keep in mind as they prepare for the next normal. She advocates for such things as self-care, equal pay and the need to find fulfilment in your career choices, regardless of the transitions ahead. We are in a cultural transition where individuals, organizations and society can look forward to shaping their futures rather than just grinding through the present.ABOUT MAZARINEMazarine Treyz loves to help you ask for more. She hosts the Asking for More podcast and mastermind. Mazarine has written a 5-star rated book on fundraising careers, called Get the Job! Your Fundraising Career Empowerment Guide and has helped over 1000 people move on up in their careers. Treyz founded the first fundraising career conference in spring 2015 and has done 13 conferences since then, each year learning more and more about the workplace justice movement.Mazarine excels at motivating audiences to lead and question the status quo. She taught over 20,000 people from 2011 to 2022. She has written 10 e-courses on fundraising & 3 books on nonprofit careers, fundraising and marketing. She has 13 years’ experience providing online workshops and trainings, including Fundraising trainings, Diversity Equity Inclusion trainings and a certification from the Racing to Equity Leadership Institute in 2021. She hosted the Name It podcast from 2019-2021, interviewing DEI leaders to further advocate for equity in our sector.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESThe Psychology of Executive Coaching: Theory and Application by Bruce PeltierLearn more about the Nonprofit Consulting Conference​​​​​​​Learn more about the work Mazarine is doing here​​​​Check out Patton’s new book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector