Nonprofit Lowdown

Yolanda’s journey in philanthropy had very interesting inception. It all started when she was in college. She was part of one of the first programs at school that dived deeper into fundraising and philanthropy. In her whole life, she has been seeing generosity and creation, and whole communities come together to raise young people and send them on their way. Yolanda, certainly, was the beneficiary of that sort of community. So seeing that, she has always been philanthropic, looking back over it standing on the shoulders of giants. Yolanda was still hearing the voices of women of color in the sector who wanted to meet space for the unique experience of being them. So she decided to create that and never looked back. Moreover, Yolanda said that when you're building your team, make sure that you have an environment that is attractive to a woman of color. Don't make assumptions about it. When she's looking at the opportunity, is it something that's really going to be attractive, where she's going to flourish, where she's going to thrive. Anything more about it, please join me in today’s episode as we talk about women of color in fundraising with our guest Yolanda F. Johnson. She is the founder of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, along with being the first African-American president of the Women in Development. Let’s hear it from her as she shares how she gets started on her own journey and dives deeper into fundraising and philanthropy. Let’s find out how she makes use of being a person of color to achieve her goals and be successful in life. To get to know more about Yolanda, you can follow her on: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-f-johnson-5778097/ Resources mentioned in the podcast: Committee on Civil and Human Rights https://council.nyc.gov/committees/civil-and-human-rights/ Radiant Leadership Institute https://www.woc-fp.com/radiant-comittee

In this week's episode, we speak to the amazing Trish Adobea Tchume about her thoughtful piece in the Nonprofit Wakanda Quarterly about what it means to live liberation.  We define terms and discuss four useful frameworks to help us understand how to liberate ourselves, liberate others around us and to liberate our organizations.  I loved this discussion for its practicality and tactical bend to help all of us live free and to help others do so as well. To read Trish's piece: https://www.nonprofitwakanda.com/blog/four-frameworks-for-living-liberation To connect with Trish: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishtchume/

[Updated--was a snafu with original upload] Join  me and expert fundraiser Adam-Michael Royston as he unlocks the vault  on some of his secrets.  He's raised serious money for capital campaigns  and annual campaigns and he shares some of his stories from the  trenches.  We dive deep on details on how he prepares for the ask, where  he does it and what happens when things don't go his way.  The big  takeaway here is that Adam-Michael knows that his job is to prepare and  to swing at the ball, not to get too in-his-head about the outcome. For more about Adam Michael, check out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-michael-royston-cfre-/

Join me and expert fundraiser Adam-Michael Royston as he unlocks the vault on some of his secrets.  He's raised serious money for capital campaigns and annual campaigns and he shares some of his stories from the trenches.  We dive deep on details on how he prepares for the ask, where he does it and what happens when things don't go his way.  The big takeaway here is that Adam-Michael knows that his job is to prepare and to swing at the ball, not to get too in-his-head about the outcome. For more about Adam Michael, check out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-michael-royston-cfre-/

Y'all!  This episode is fire.  My friend and new BFF Mallory breaks down how we embody energy that either attracts or repels money.  We talk about the different types of energy, how to harness the energy and, most importantly, tips that you can employ to help you get out of the funk.  This is one of my favorite conversations with Mallory (who has amazing energy btw:)  Check it out! For more about Mallory: https://malloryerickson.com/

In order for someone to remark on something, it must be remarkable.  Michelle, Executive Director of the Human Services Council, and I talk about their last video campaigns.  In it, they had the courage to claim an edge and to use humor to make their point.  Facts: we don't need another boring, canned nonprofit video.  In this interview, Michelle talks about the creative process, how the videos have been received and how they have made a point using humor.  The takeaway: the work is serious, but you don't have to be.  Listen to this as inspiration and courage to plan your next campaign. To see the videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gELZnORV4U To connect with Michelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-jackson-03a1a648/

Andrea is a Managing Partner at BDO which releases an annual State of Nonprofits report.  Join us as we discuss trends from 2020-2021 and opportunities and risks for 2022.  Will individual and foundation giving trends persist?  What risks should leaders be aware of and how can we mitigate them? What is the role of technology in the future of nonprofits.   For more about Andrea, connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-espinola-wilson-74a1507/ To read the report: https://www.bdo.com/insights/industries/nonprofit/nonprofitstandards

Join me and my friends as we tackle the big questions: what does "disrupting" fundraising really mean in theoretical and practical terms?  How do we develop our own theories of change and operation beyond the frameworks of "donor-centric" versus "community-centric" fundraising?  This trio is a masterclass in asking important questions, practicing fundraising as justice and daring to dream of a just future for all.  I am blown away by my guests and their thoughtful approaches to fundraising for a more equitable world.   For more about my guests: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-billings-4087b860/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/santana-moreno/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgesuttles/

Join me and my long-time friend Gabe Scheck to talk about how to successfully open, cultivate and solicit gifts from foundations.  Gabe has raised money for Teach for America and New Leaders among others and shares his top tips for raising major money.  He shares some early lessons learned, his guidance for how to network in order to get a warm intro and how to get the lead funder in.  Gabe is a fount of knowledge and a whole lot of fun. To connect with Gabe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-scheck-5260925/

Join me and my friend Darren Isom as we discuss the case for endowing Black-led nonprofits.  Darren published a thought-provoking piece in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on this topic and we do a deep dive on how we can shift the conversations from the myths and unhelpful narratives that keep Black-led nonprofits from growing endowments.  In this conversation, Darren offers up helpful tips on how we think about funding partners, shifting the conversation and elevating the conversations to trustees.  Instead of surviving, endowments help organizations to thrive. For more about Darren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/disom/ To read Darren's whitepaper: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/endow_black_led_nonprofits