Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

96: Getting a Grip on Uncertainty as a Nonprofit Leader (Gail Bower)  SUMMARYStill feeling a bit paralyzed in your strategic planning given the uncertainty that surrounds us?  This is a perfect time to utilize the talents of a futurist, and that’s exactly the skill Gail Bower brings to episode #96 of the Path Podcast. Gail provides a clear framework to activate your nonprofit’s strategic planning in a way that’s both practical and engaging for staff and board volunteers.  Equally important to your strategic planning effort is Gail’s advice about generating greater value for your corporate sponsors (and more revenue for you), and her reminders about the fundamental marketing plan that your nonprofit may be lacking.ABOUT GAILGail Bower is the founder and president of Bower & Co. Consulting LLC, a revenue strategy firm that works with mission- or purpose-driven organizations to uncover and develop reliable sources of revenue that also drive their social or environmental missions. Gail launched Bower & Co. in 2005, but she has been focused on revenue generation and enhancement, working with organizations of all sizes and scope, for over 30 years. She’s worked with companies like AT&T, Coca-Cola, Coors, Essence Magazine, Gibson Guitar, Sunoco, Mercedes-Benz., Folger Shakespeare Library, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Social Enterprise Alliance, and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Trained as a futurist, Gail studies where society is headed, what trends are on the horizon, and how these trends impact her clients’ businesses. Gail has been interviewed about her work by Marketplace, the New York Times, the Wall St. Journal, Time magazine, U.S. News & World Report,  and as a writer, she created the guidebook How to Jump-start Your Sponsorship Strategy in Tough Times. She’s working on new book, entitled Money + Mission: The New Partnership to Engage Employees, Customers and Communities While Driving Business Growth. As a speaker, she presents frequently at regional and national conferences and events and has led executive leadership workshops at Temple University and Bryn Mawr College. EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESCheck out Gail’s blog SponsorshipStrategist.comGet your free copy of Gail’s tool: Must Attend Virtual Events in 7 StepsGail’s Sustainability Quotient blog post with a link to the assessmentThe Sponsorship Seeker’s Toolkit by Kim Skildum-ReidPema Chodron’s book When Things Fall ApartCheck out Ben Mohler’s episode #92 4 Stages of Nonprofit LeadershipApply to join one of PMA’s Mastermind Programs!

95: Adapting Your Plan to Nonprofit Leadership (Bob Carter)  SUMMARYAre you open to new opportunities along the path to nonprofit leadership?  None of us know exactly where our journey will take us, but advice from Bob Carter, the guest on episode #95 of the Path Podcast, will certainly help.  Bob brings four decades of leadership experience in the charitable sector, and leads one of the top philanthropic consulting practices in the world at Carter Global.  He shares many of the lessons he’s learned along the way, including specific resources on fundraising and board development, as well as advice he remembers from many of the “accidental mentors” he encountered along the way. Bob is also a great champion for life-long learning, and it will be hard not to work on your professional development plan once you’ve finished listening to his ideas and suggestions!ABOUT BOBBob Carter is one of the world’s most respected, experienced and recognized experts in the areas of Institutional Strategy and Philanthropy. During the past four decades, Bob has helped strengthen a variety of organizations throughout the world by helping them overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities to be successful. Bob and his colleagues concentrate on building dynamic teams to deliver specific services that meet the unique needs of charities and donors. His service as member and chair of numerous not-for-profit boards lends firsthand experience to his governance counsel. Bob established Bob Carter Companies in 2011 and currently serves as the Chairman under the new Carter brand. Prior to forming the Bob Carter Companies, Bob spent three years as a Senior Advisor for Changing Our World and Omnicom Nonprofit Group. Before this, Bob spent 26 years with Ketchum, one of America’s largest fundraising consulting companies. The last 15 years with Ketchum, Bob was the President & CEO. Prior to joining Ketchum in 1981, Mr. Carter served as Vice President for University Relations at The Catholic University of America; Director of Development for Arts and Sciences and Engineering, and Associate Director of Annual Giving at The Johns Hopkins University; Assistant to the Headmaster at the Gilman School in Baltimore; and both taught and organized the development office at The Boys’ Latin School in Baltimore. He has decades of experience in development and capital/endowment campaigning.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESHarold Seymour’s book Designs for Fund-RaisingCheck out Bob’s interview at AFP ICON VirtualAdrian Sargeant and Jen Shang’s book Fundraising Principles and PracticeJerry Panas’ book Asking Apply to join one of PMA’s Mastermind Programs!

94: Can Nonprofit Leaders Bring An Equity Lens to their Strategic Planning? (Anna Dewar Gully)  SUMMARYMany nonprofit organizations are talking about equality, diversity and inclusion, but are they making genuine progress to support their stated goals?  Making public statements is a start, but incorporating DEI into the fabric of your nonprofit organization requires an intentional strategic planning effort, and that’s exactly how Anna Dewar Gully wants to help.  Anna’s use of the equity lens as a fundamental part of strategic planning is gaining traction worldwide, and her firm Tidal Equality is providing resources and guidance for organizations of all sizes and types. As the guest on episode #94 of the Path Podcast, Anna will help you understand and avoid the wrong ways to approach equity and racial issues at your organization, and offers practical examples of nonprofits that have successfully addressed the kinds of challenges with which many others are still struggling. Anna also explains the unique challenges many boards of directors are facing as it relates to DEI, and how they can better contribute to a solution.ABOUT ANNAAnna Dewar Gully is Co-CEO & Founder of Tidal Equality, a tech-enabled strategy firm focused on solving the problem of inequality at scale with radically new solutions like the Equity Sequence™, a simple practice anyone can learn to break down inequity in decision-making and design. Anna founded Tidal Equality with her business partner Dr. Kristen Liesch and together with their growing global team they deliver new and effective methods for helping clients in the public and private sectors build equity, diversity, and inclusion.  Prior to establishing Tidal Equality, Anna spent 15+ years leading enterprise-wide strategy, organizational change, and strategic public policy initiatives in the not for profit and government sectors in organizations including the YMCA of Greater Toronto, the City of Toronto, and health sector organizations in Canada and the UK. Since founding Tidal Equality she has also gained significant experience in the corporate world with clients including Virgin Media UK, the Royal Bank of Canada, Glassdoor, and more. She completed her Masters at the University of London (UK) and her undergrad at McGill and today resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband and two children. EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESDaniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and SlowLearn more about Tidal Equality’s Equity SequenceValerie Williams’ episode #73 What Nonprofit Leaders Must Do to Support Their Teams Apply to join one of PMA’s Mastermind Programs!

93: Leadership Lessons from The Duke Endowment (Rhett Mabry)  SUMMARYIt’s hard not to be impressed by an organization that has contributed over $4 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations since its inception, but that’s exactly The Duke Endowment has done, making it one of the largest 501(c)(3) private foundations in the United States. Equally impressive as the Endowment’s impact on its four program priorities (higher education, health care, rural church and child care) is the thoughtful leadership that President Rhett Mabry and his team bring to the philanthropic sector. As the guest on episode #93 of the Path Podcast, Rhett not only shares a wealth of knowledge from his three decades of experience in the charitable sector, but also specific advice for current and aspiring leaders in the nonprofit community.  What are funders like the Endowment looking for in you as a nonprofit leader?  What about your board?  What do they want to see in your strategic plan and in your methods of evaluation?  Lots of fascinating insight, and a unique opportunity to learn the answer to the question on your mind: “I wonder what the funder thinks about my nonprofit?”ABOUT RHETTA native of Greensboro, NC, Mabry joined the Endowment in 1992 as Associate Director of Health Care. He became Director of Child Care in 1998, was named Vice President of the Endowment in 2009, and became President in 2016. Mabry holds a Master of Health Administration from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill. Before joining the Endowment, he was a manager at Ernst & Young and HCA West Paces Ferry Hospital. He has served on the North Carolina Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council and the board of the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. He is a past board chair of the Southeastern Council of Foundations, and serves as an Observer to the Duke University Board of Trustees. He also serves on the board of Candid, a national organization that compiles and evaluates philanthropic data.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESRon Chernow’s book GrantLearn about the Endowment’s work through the MDC (Manpower Development Corp.)Craig Bass from Alexander Youth NetworkCenter for Effective Philanthropy President Phil Buchanan’s book Giving Done RightBlue Meridian PartnersKelly Fitzsimmons and Project EvidentApply to join one of PMA’s Mastermind Programs!

92: The 4 Stages of Nonprofit Leadership (Ben Mohler)  SUMMARYWhere do you fall within the different stages of nonprofit leadership? Our guest in episode #92 of the Path Podcast offers a fascinating view of career development in the charitable sector by breaking it into four distinct stages. Ben Mohler brings extensive experience in higher education leadership as well as his distinction as an ACFRE within the fundraising community. We had a great discussion about the different stages of nonprofit professional development including Learning, Doing, Growing and Re-Investing. Great ideas and take-aways no matter where you are on the Path, and advice you can apply yourself as well as help those on your team build their plan too.ABOUT BENBen is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). In this role, he oversees the KCTCS Office of Philanthropy and the KCTCS Office of Grants Administration. With 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses, KCTCS is the Commonwealth’s largest postsecondary institution. He also serves as executive director of the KCTCS Foundation, Inc. He is a fundraising expert including specialties in board development, strategic planning, and career coaching and supports nonprofits through his consulting practice GivingThree. Mohler most recently served as assistant vice president for development at Eastern Kentucky University. His background also includes key advancement roles at UNC Charlotte, Cedarville University, and The University of Texas at Austin. He earned a master’s degree in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Cedarville University. He is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and has earned the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) credential. He currently serves on the ACFRE Board. Mohler was named to Charlotte Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" in 2013 and the AFP Bluegrass Chapter honored him with their Exemplary Service Award in 2015. He currently serves as a member of the board for the United Way of Kentucky. He and his wife Christina make their home in Kentucky's bluegrass region with their four children, Etta, Clark, Eliza, and Della. His personal interests include spending quality time with family, painting, printmaking, home-brewing, and music.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESCheck out Ben’s great resources at GivingThree including essential nonprofit booksMichael Roberto’s book Unlocking CreativityJulia Cameron's book The Artist's WayRichard Muller’s book Physics for Future PresidentsApply to join one of PMA’s Mastermind Programs!

91: Bringing A Business Perspective to Nonprofit Leadership (Laryn Weaver)  SUMMARYHave you contemplated whether your for-profit experience might translate into effective leadership in the charitable sector?  Many nonprofit leaders bring invaluable skills from their for-profit days, but sometimes face barriers in effectively translating those experiences into current nonprofit practice. Laryn Weaver proved to be the perfect guest to talk about that exact topic (and much more!).  She is a former business owner, speaker, trainer and author, and now leads the Greenville Area Parkinson Society in the Upstate region of South Carolina.  She not only talks about her transition from the for-profit world to nonprofit leadership, but also how she continues to apply experience in both sectors to her fundraising, board development, staff recruitment AND her continued professional development planning. Lots of great take-aways in episode #91 of the Path Podcast!ABOUT LARYNLeadership development is a critical aspect of every organization.  As the founder of Laryn Weaver Consulting, LLC, Laryn has worked most closely with nonprofit organizations to improve vision, mission, and overall culture.  As the Executive Director of the Greenville Area Parkinson Society, she continues to bring clarity, intention, efficiency, and development to the already existing programs, as well as help form a vision for a larger future impact in the Upstate of South Carolina. Laryn is grateful for the opportunity to support and honor this specific community as it uniquely matches her life purpose of helping others become the best version of themselves while also bringing greater awareness about Parkinson’s Disease - and those who are battling it - to the people of the Upstate. Laryn has lived at 22 different addresses in four different states over the past 28 years. Some of her key accomplishments include her status as a John Maxwell Certified Leadership Development Trainer, the author of four books (including Living Intentionally) and she’s working on her Masters of Organizational Leadership from Anderson University in October of 2021. Laryn has successfully built four businesses between 1995-2015, two in a retail capacity selling products, one as a speaker and an author, and one as a development coach. She has helped her nonprofit with a 400% increase in membership and revenue in her first two years. Laryn has been married for 28 years, and has raised four accomplished adults.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESLearn more about the Greenville Area Parkinson SocietyAlexandre Havard’s book Virtuous LeadershipCheck out Laryn’s book Living IntentionallyListen to Laryn’s colleague Kamber Parker in Episode #80 Attracting Young Professional Talent to Your Nonprofit

90: Can Fractional Leadership Transform Your Nonprofit? (Rocky Cabagnot)  SUMMARYOne of the key challenges in nonprofit management is the identification, recruitment and retention of top-tier talent.  This challenge is compounded by budgetary realities that limit your ability to secure individuals with the skills and experience your organization needs, and as a result, critical hiring offers are often made to “B players” or emerging talent that can (hopefully) grow into the role. Are there other ways to approach this dilemma? That’s exactly what Rocky Cabagnot and I discuss in episode #90 of the Path Podcast.  Rocky is an attorney who specializes in the fractional leadership, and offers several ideas and approaches that will help you look at talent development in a whole new way.  What makes Rocky’s insight even more valuable is that while he is a practicing attorney, he’s also served as a full-time executive director and understands the management challenges of talent development and having sufficient expertise on staff to address increasingly complex issues as a nonprofit leader.  ABOUT ROCKYRocky M. Cabagnot is an Attorney at Hull & Chandler P.A. in Charlotte, NC. Rocky’s practice includes providing direct legal services to nonprofits and public charities, advising these entities on a wide range of legal issues.  In the past year, Rocky has branched out his practice offering his clients fractional general counsel services.  Prior to joining Hull & Chandler, Rocky served as the Executive Director of the Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency, a multi-million dollar 501 (c)(3) public charity that administered Head Start/Early Head Start, affordable childcare, and family self-sufficiency programs (Community Services Block Grant) throughout six counties in North Carolina.  For five years he served as a clinical law professor at an ABA accredited law school in Charlotte, NC where he developed and supervised the law school’s Community Economic Development Clinic, providing pro bono legal services to nonprofits and community groups throughout the Charlotte metro region.  He holds a law degree with Honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, a Masters in Mass Communication from the University of Florida College of Journalism, and a Bachelor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESRobert Greenleaf’s book The Power of Servant LeadershipLearn more about Rocky’s practice at Hull & Chandler PA and it’s Leadership SeriesCheck out Rocky’s blog post What is Fractional General Counsel?Episode #64 Sally Loftis: How Can We Address Compensation Gaps in the Nonprofit Sector? Episode #87 Tosha Anderson: What Questions Should Nonprofit Leaders Be Asking?

89: How to Accelerate Your Nonprofit Leadership (Men Tchaas Ari)  SUMMARYHow do you combine a diverse set of skills, talents and experiences to best position yourself for nonprofit leadership? In episode #89 of the Path Podcast, I explored that exact question with Men Tchaas Ari, who successfully engineered a career path that positioned him for his current role as President & CEO of Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, one of the largest CIS affiliates in the United States.  Men Tchaas shares much about his career journey, how he built on skills learned outside of the nonprofit sector through work in local government, and how he leveraged his work on the program side of another nonprofit.  We also discussed how he contemplated graduate education, and the somewhat surprising choice he made on that front. Finally, Men Tchaas shared a host of great ideas related to his preparation for nonprofit leadership, how he hit the ground running after he arrived at CIS, and how he quickly engaged his team, his board and his key donors.   ABOUT MEN TCHAASMen Tchaas is the President and CEO of Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, a student support organization that empowers students to stay in school and achieve in life.  Prior to joining CIS, he worked as the Deputy Director of Adult and Economic Services with Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services and prior to working at DSS, he was the Chief Program Officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry, where he was responsible for overseeing all client services. A native of Bloomfield, Connecticut, Men Tchaas has lived in Charlotte for 23 years. He is fluent in Spanish, and began his professional career with Mecklenburg County DSS as a Bilingual Food Stamp Case Manager and has more than 23 years of experience in human services. Men Tchaas is a graduate of Morehouse College, where he received his undergraduate degree in Spanish. He earned his Executive Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Government at Syracuse University and received a certificate in Municipal and County Government Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a member of the 2013 Class of Leadership Charlotte, for which he currently serves as board chair, has served on the board of the Assistance League, WFAE’s Advisory Board, and is a charter member of the New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP).  He is an aviator, an avid reader and a self-proclaimed health enthusiast.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESDavid Schwartz’s book The Magic of Thinking BigOrganizational tools Evernote and TodoistLearn more about the National Communities In Schools NetworkLearn more about Communities In Schools Charlotte-Mecklenburg

88: How Do You Create a Dynamic Culture as a Nonprofit Leader? (Mary Ward)  SUMMARYWill you be ready for your next opportunity to be a nonprofit leader?  Often the best opportunities occur when you're least expecting them, and you must rely on past experience, great mentors, and simply gut instinct, before you make the move. This type of opportunity occurred for Mary Ward, our guest in episode #88 of the Path Podcast, when she had the opportunity to lead the McLeod Center. She offers fantastic advice for nonprofit leaders in evaluating a new opportunity, determining exactly what to do once you arrive, and establishing a trusting and mission-focused environment.  She also tackles strategic topics such as how to follow a long-time leader at an organization, honor their legacy, but also initiate changes that need to be made.  We also discussed questions such as: how do you establish a positive culture in an inherently stressful clinical environment (and then add a pandemic on top!)?  Mary talks about all of the cultural factors she assessed, as well as the resources she’s utilized to maintain a dynamic staff and board culture and continue the important work her organization does every day.ABOUT MARYMary Ward became President of the McLeod Addictive Disease Center in April, 2017.  She is responsible for a $19M business and 230 employees serving the Piedmont and Western regions of North Carolina, providing outpatient and residential services through nine treatment service sites. In 2020, McLeod Center delivered over 57,000 patient services and launched a virtual care delivery system. Previously, Mary was Assistant Vice President of Addiction Medicine with Atrium Health where she had oversight three hospital and non-hospital based substance use disorder services. She was part of the first addiction medicine dyad leadership team and helped launch the system’s first site for office-based medication assisted treatment.  Prior to Atrium, she was the Director of Community Relations for the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board where she grew a grant program from $200,000 to $1.2 million in annual and multi-year awards for substance use disorder services with 20 community organizations.  She is passionate about the adverse effects of social determinants to health and uses her over 25 years of experience in local and state community corrections to advocate for equal access to care.  In addition to several local community groups, she currently serves on the Public Policy Committee with the North Carolina Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. She holds a MBA from Queens University McColl School of Business and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESAmy Edmondson’s book The Fearless OrganizationLearn more about the McLeod CenterEpisode #39 with Adam Cook: Nonprofit Leadership in Healthcare PhilanthropyEpisode #57 with Lisa Baxter: Bringing Authenticity to Nonprofit Leadership

87: What Questions Should Nonprofit Leaders Be Asking? (Tosha Anderson)  SUMMARYNonprofit leadership requires a wide range of skills and experiences to be successful, but no single leader can manage all of the technical aspects of a growing enterprise without help.  For nonprofit professionals who advance through the program, marketing or fund development side of the organization, the thought of also managing the finance and accounting part of the business is uncomfortable at best and downright intimidating at worst.  If you are new in your leadership position, you may not even know where to begin as you look toward the business office and your CFO!  That’s what makes episode #87 of the Path Podcast so valuable. Our guest Tosha Anderson not only brings the technical expertise of an auditor and a CPA, but the experience of actually working in a nonprofit so she can translate her knowledge into very practical bits of advice. What questions should you be asking of your accountant?  What are the most important contracts and agreements you should be focused on?  Why don’t your business office people and your fundraisers get along? (and what can you do about it?!?!?!).  Answers to these questions and many more in this great episode with Tosha.ABOUT TOSHATosha Anderson is the founder of The Charity CFO, an organization offering accounting and thought leadership skills to non-profit agencies. Tosha created The Charity CFO after realizing the need for specialized skills in non-profits with limited financial resources and increasing pressure to keep costs low despite mounting compliance and financial reporting needs. With non-profit experience as an auditor, a CFO, a board member, a volunteer and a consultant, Tosha works with non-profits with on-going accounting needs. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration; she is also a Certified Public Accountant. Tosha has spent over 15 years working with and for non-profits in many ways, including an auditor, a CFO, a board member, a volunteer, and a consultant. With this experience, we have developed the best practices and processes to make sure your accounting is exactly what you need for your organization and stakeholders.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESMichael Gerber’s book The E-Myth Learn more about how The Charity CFO can help nonprofits large and smallEpisode #64 How Can We Address Compensation Gaps in the Nonprofit Sector?Episode #82 4 Things They Don’t Teach You About Nonprofit Leadership