Nonprofit Lowdown

Join me and my dear friend Shanthi to talk about social media.  Shanthi is a social media strategist and communications expert who walks us through the nuts and bolts of social media.  More than just a "necessary evil," Shanthi tells us about where social media should fit into our fundraising strategy, how to connect with your audience and realistic ways to do social media without a dedicated team or burning out. To connect with Shanthi, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smblanchardjr/

Join me and filmmakers Tosca Davis and Cedric Smith to talk about their award-winning documentary film, TO BE US: To Work.  In this interview, they share their experiences of interviewing the experience of Black people at work and the harm and trauma experienced in predominantly white settings.  We discuss the relief of knowing you are not alone, of naming white supremacy at work and how to be an ally to our Black colleagues.  This is a critical conversation for all of us working towards equity and justice.  For more information about the film, visit: https://www.tobeusproductions.com/projects

I bemoan the fact that there is so little understanding between nonprofit people and corporate people.  Join me and my friend Lee Crockett as we explore the motivations that corporate folks have for joining nonprofit boards and how to make sure it's a fit on both sides.  Lee talks about ways to attract, recruit and utilize corporate people on your board.  Also, we share tips on how to use LinkedIn and to find the ever-elusive corporate board member of color.   For more about Lee, check out: https://leecrockett.com/

Have you ever considered developing a product to support your revenue goals?  Listen in to this conversation with Brenna Vaughn, founder of Mercantile for Good as we talk about the considerations for productizing.  She shares some successes and lessons learned from nonprofits that have gone to market with their products.  We cover how long to expect an ROI, what you should do (and not do) and how to know when to kill an idea.   For more about Brenna: https://mercantileforgood.com/

The nexus of generosity is where mission and donor purpose meet.  Listen in to my conversation with nXu founder Yutaka Tamura as we talk about his work in unlocking and connecting humans with their purpose.  Why does purpose matter?  Turns out, it drives everything from emotional well-being, community and even fundraising.  Yutaka shares actionable tips for us and asks some really evocative questions about purpose and why we're here. For more about Yutaka and nXu: https://www.nxueducation.org/

Listen in on my conversation with Karene Richards as she talks about her experience as a philanthropist and board member.  We directly confront myths about the lack of Black wealth and Black philanthropists and she shares some of her tips for engaging philanthropists of color.  Ultimately, it's all about relationships, people.  Karene majored in math, is a former banker and launched her own fitness consulting business.  When she's not helping people to pump iron, she models in bikini competitions and gives back to her community.  Seriously, check out the befores and afters from her biz. For more about Karene, visit: https://fithiddenfigure.com/

This interview was a total delight.  Join me and my friend Adili as he walks us through how he doubled his budget in one year via strategic partnerships and Facebook fundraising.  He shares how analysis of his competitive advantage led him to partner and generate revenues from bigger partners and the value of making others "the hero."  Adili is warm, knowledgeable and an all-around mensch.   To connect with Adili, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adili-kea-bbab75151/

If organizational change is hard, try doing it with a 100+ year old institution.  Join me and my friend Carole Wacey as we talk about how she bravely took the reins of WCC in NYC and took on the challenge of revamping its mission, its board, its staff and how it does business.  Listen in on the details of her cultural change efforts, how she dealt with dissenters and even an attempted coup (!). Carole is smart, straightforward and doesn't pull any punches.  This is a must-listen for EDs who are driving change. To connect with Carole, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-wacey-82397a160/

If you are like me, the world of online marketing and paid ads is just head-spinning.  Join me and my pal Rishi to talk about how to get started with a paid ad strategy, how to use your (FREE) Google ads grant and what paid ads are for.  If you have found your prospect pipeline and email list a little dry, then paid ads might be a strategy for you.  In this interview, we talk about WHY paid ads, how to best use them and what metrics we can track to know if our time and money are being put to good use.  We also dispel some misconceptions about paid ads (no, you probably won't get donations rolling in the door).  This is a really helpful primer for those who are new to paid ads. For more about Rishi, check out: https://risingroaddigital.com/about

Ever get the sense that your fundraising efforts are not driving forward your results?  Ever feel like you're experiencing paralysis by analysis?  Join me and Greg Warner, Founder and CEO of MarketSmart, to talk about how to use new technology to support the fundamental basics of fundraising.  How can you use surveys to start a conversation?  How do you lead with questions to build trust?  How are you the Yoda to your donor's Luke Skywalker?  This is a juicy conversation that overturns a lot of our assumptions about fundraising. To learn more about Greg, check out: https://imarketsmart.com/ For a free copy of Engagement Fundraising, click here