Nonprofit Lowdown

This episode will save you organizational change agents a lot of time and grief.  Have you ever been charged with leading change?  Ever wondered why the path was never as smooth as the plan?  Short answer: humans.  Nancy helps us to identify some of the major blockers of change, and how we reframe it.  She talks about empathy as the "Swiss Army knife" of change and how one little acronym (SCARF) can unlock your understanding of working better with humans.  This episode is chockfull of useful advice! For more about Nancy, click here: https://www.csrcommunications.com/about-us/ Some of Nancy's favorite resources: Influence Pre-suasion SCARF Model Nonviolent Communication

Have you felt your fundraising mojo drain a little?  Do you dread fundraising?  If so, this interview is FOR YOU.  Join me and my new friend Mark as we discuss all the ways in a little change of perspective can make you go from "ugh" to "Yasss!"  We talk about how to put your own positive energy towards fundraising, how to make it real for your donors and, most importantly, how to have fun with it.  It's your calling--let's try to find some joy in it. For more about Mark, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markaneidigsr/ 

Join me and my two friends, Evin and Jessica of America on Tech, to discuss their success as start-up founders.  Evin and Jessica are best friends and co-founders of a fast-growing organization that scaled from idea to national nonprofit in only seven years.  They discuss their lessons learned, what they wish they had done differently and how they were able to build hype from the beginning.  Learn how they their background in tech informed their start-up strategy and what is next for this dynamic duo.   For more about America on Tech, visit: https://www.americaontech.org/

This is a super-fun and nerdy conversation about how to systemize your fundraising systems as a small shop.  We also chat about specifics in major gift fundraising, Duane's favorite hacks and how to manage your time effectively (timeblocks!). Duane, a Director of Development at UC Irvine, shares his clear-eyed strategies on how to implement the habits and tools to be an effective fundraiser in a small shop.   For more about Duane, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanerohrbacher Duane's list of favorite books: Atomic Habits Ultra-Learning  Deep Work

Are you overwhelmed with all of the different social media platforms?  Do you feel like social media is just one of those things you "have to do," but don't really know how to monetize?  Join me and my friend Steve Larosiliere, Founder of Stoked, to talk about his social media strategy and how he's been able to build followers, parlay his social media into donors and corporate sponsors and how to not get overwhelmed.  Steve is one of the most gifted and creative people I know in nonprofit. For more about Steve and Stoked, check out: https://www.stoked.org/

Daniel is speaking some truth!  Join me and my friend Daniel Horgan to learn more about how you effectively develop corporate partnerships for your organization.  Spoiler alert: it's all about relationships.  Daniel shares some tips and best practices about how to use corporate volunteerism as an on-ramp, how to align your values and goals with your corporate partners and how to break down silos across your organization.  This is a must-listen for anyone looking to increase their corporate revenue. For more about Daniel, check out: https://www.colabl.com/

So often, when grant-seekers apply for funding, it can be a black box.  Who makes the decisions, how and why?  The process can be particularly opaque for BIPOC-led nonprofits who don't have a network to access privileged information.  Join me and Kerri Forrest, Director at the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, to share some of the changes they have made to make their funding more equitable.  From being an open space for grantees to drop by to simplifying grant applications, hear some of Kerri's advice to fellow foundation staff. For more about Kerri, visit: https://gddf.org/people/

This was seriously a masterclass on rebuilding a board.  Lucretia headed up fundraising for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and helped to revamp the board to reach their $100M fundraising goal.  Whether you're raising $100K or $100M, your board is key to your success.  Lucretia provides key insights from her experience, which includes how to recruit and orient new members, how to make your board members feel the TLC, and how to plan for the long-term.  This is a must-listen and make sure to have a notebook handy. To find out more about Lucretia, check her out here: https://www.philanthropyadvantage.com/

Join me and my friend Mino Lora as she talks about what it means to truly lead with a community.  Mino is the dynamic co-founder of People's Theater Project, proud New Yorker and candidate for City Council.  Mino's irrepressible spirit, commitment to service and relentless optimism will give you hope for the future of New York.  She is a true leader for the people and exactly what we need right now.  NY, don't forget to vote June 22! For more about Mino: https://www.minoforthebronx.com/

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts because we're taking a ride on the #realtalk train.  Join me and master communicator and coach, Marti Fischer, as we tackle the #1 problem most Executive Directors face.  Listen in to these gems like how to identify WHY your board isn't fundraising and tactics for dealing with it.  Some other juicy topics we explore: how to make your board meetings less boring, how to deal with the age-old question of give/get limits and how to measure what matters.  If you need some inspo about motivating your board to be your top fundraisers and cheerleaders, listen to this episode and prepare to take notes. To find Marti, visit her website: https://www.martifischergroup.com/