Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

245: 4 Ways to Become Mentally Shredded as a Nonprofit Leader (Chris Weedon)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, does the workload, isolation, and pressure to ensure the wellness of your community lead to feelings of burnout? In episode #245 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit leader Chris Weedon shares his struggles with these and other mental health stresses and offers support by helping you become mentally shredded. Chris explains what it is to be mentally shredded, how to recognize it, and advice for taking charge of your own mental well-being. He discusses his 4 pillars of being mentally shredded and how individuals can recognize and address each one head on.   ABOUT CHRISChristopher Weedon is the visionary Founder of Mentally Shredded, embodies a journey of transformation from a former athlete to a corporate professional and finally an entrepreneur. His path, marked by its challenges, reflects a resilience that has been anything but easy. Weedon's story is a testament to the power of personal development, mental fortitude, and the unwavering belief that, even in the face of adversity, one can carve a path towards empowerment and positive change. His commitment to changing the narrative around mental health and building healthy communities is rooted in both personal experience and a profound understanding of the human journey. Weedon's trajectory, from corporate to entrepreneur, encapsulates the spirit of Mentally Shredded — a movement fueled by a deep passion to break down stigmas, inspire hope, and foster unity in the realm of mental health.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESGreenlights by Matthew McConaugheyLearn more about Chris and Mentally Shredded hereWant to hear more from Chris? Check out his recent interview in USA Today.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 Watch for the companion workbook and the audio version of Patton’s best seller, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, coming soon!

244: Mission, Vision & Talent: A CEO’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership (Carol Hardison)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, how do you manage the “urgencies” in front of you while keeping an eye on the changing landscape ahead? You’ll want to listen to the advice of an accomplished nonprofit leader, Carol Hardison. Carol shares her advice on topics such as talent acquisition, building a strong strategic vision, and assuring you’ve got the funding you need in episode #244 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. She reminds us about what nonprofit leaders should be focused in 2024, and provides sage counsel to those starting on their path to nonprofit leadership.    ABOUT CAROLCarol Hardison is the second executive of Crisis Assistance Ministry. Her job is to ensure the mission of the agency is carried out through work with the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and donors. She came to Crisis Assistance Ministry in 2000 after 18 years at Duke Energy Corporation as a manager and consultant in the Information Technology Department. Her lifelong passion for helping those in poverty is being fulfilled through her work at Crisis Assistance Ministry.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES Now, Discover Your Strengths: The revolutionary Gallup Program that Shows You How to Develop Your Unique Talents and Strengths by Gallup PressPoverty by America by Matthew DesondLearn more about Crisis Assistance Ministry and Carol hereHave 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!Also coming soon, the new PMA Nonprofit Leadership website!

243: How Can You Better Maximize the Potential of Your Volunteers? (Karen Knight)SUMMARYAs a nonprofit leader, have you struggled to build a strong and sustainable volunteer program? In episode #243 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, volunteer leadership expert Karen Knight discusses what she’s learned over 25 years of providing volunteer recruitment, engagement, and training support for nonprofit organizations. Karen shares the top four trends leaders should know to grow their volunteer engagement program. She explains how leveraging your volunteer workforce will help scale your impact. What makes a good volunteer? How can nonprofit leaders better embrace volunteer appreciation? What should we include in the onboarding process and exactly how should staff engage in their day-to-day management? Karen shares the answers! ABOUT KARENKaren Knight is a consultant and volunteer leadership expert with over 25 years of experience in the social impact sector. She has served as district director, board member and in numerous other volunteer leadership roles. Karen has been a member of the Board of the Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association since 2017 and is currently serving as President. She’s used her years of experience and intimate knowledge of what goes into creating effective and strategic volunteer management programs to develop a proprietary framework for turning volunteers into enthusiastic, reliable and committed teams.EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCESFrom the Top Down: The Executive Role in Successful Volunteer Involvement by Susan J. EllisLearn more about Karen 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!

242: How to Design a Personal Planning Retreat (Patton McDowell)SUMMARYIn this solo episode #242, Patton McDowell discusses the process of designing a structured personal strategy retreat. The episode highlights why it's critical for nonprofit leaders to invest time in their own strategic planning, a practice often overlooked. He shares valuable strategies and insights on planning and executing a personal retreat for meaningful professional and personal development.12 STEPS TO DESIGN YOUR RETREATDetermine Date & Location Getting into the Right MindsetEquipment & SuppliesPre-Retreat ReadingThe Trip Itself - Creating SeparationVision Framework (6 Questions)12 Skills Self-AssessmentCalendar & Journal ReviewCalendar PreviewTranslating Vision into GoalsAnnual Metrics90-Day Action-Plan for the Next 90-DaysOTHER SOLO EPISODES BY PATTONEpisode #159: "4 Ways to Advance Your Nonprofit Leadership"Episode #56: "10 Essential Skills & Experiences for Nonprofit Leadership"Episode #78: "5 Ways to Build Your Professional Development Plan"Episode #13: "Build A Personal Strategic Plan that Works"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

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