Nonprofit Lowdown

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/

I'm the first to admit it--I HATE seeing my face on video.  As the face of an organization or company, our jobs might include being the public face, but many of us don't like it.  Join me and Jeany Park, actress turned video producer, to talk about how to come across your best in video.  We discuss why it's important to have a video strategy, how to improve your video presence and other tips to look your best (and give yourself some grace).  Also, we coined a new phrase: RDF.  Listen in to find out what that is! For more about Jeany and her company, visit: https://treeswingvideo.com/

For a career 501c3 ED such as myself, I thought of 501c4s as a mystifying entity.  I thought, they're like us...but different.  In this conversation with veteran nonprofiteer, Steven Choi, he pulls back the curtain on the differences between the two from a fundraising and policy perspective.  If you've ever considered a 501c4 arm of your current nonprofit, this is a valuable episode.  We talk about how to fundraising differs, how 501c4s can be effective in politics and with elected officials and how to set it up alongside a 501c3. For more about Steve, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-choi-66072b5/

Join me and the iconic Rich Buery to talk about all the lessons he's learned so far.  Rich has founded organizations, headed up some of the most influential in New York and been the deputy mayor of New York City.  He has maintained his commitment to serving children and leading with humility and grace through it all.  I was humbled by this wide-ranging conversation.  This is a must-listen, especially for those working in youth development. To connect with Rich, check him out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbuery/

Join me and my pals, Shruti Sehra and Hassan Brown, to learn about how venture philanthropy firm, New Profit, has re-designed giving for equity.  We talk about how community proximity IS expertise, how they redesigned proposal processes to be more accessible and equitable and what questions they are asking of themselves and the field.  I really enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation with two insightful, thoughtful and equity-minded philanthropy leaders. For more about New Profit, visit: https://www.newprofit.org/ For more about the framework for changing behaviors, visit: https://www.newprofit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Impact-Report_Grantmaking_v2.pdf

My friend and colleague April Walker has worn many hats: funder, consultant and development director.  In this honest and engaging interview, we discuss the problematic dynamics of traditional philanthropy, how she, as a Black woman, navigates predominantly white funder spaces and what we can all do to de-center white supremacy in philanthropy.  April is insightful and drops all the truth bombs.   For more about April and to read her weekly column Ask April, follow her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilcwalker/

Join me and my new pal Ramon to talk about similar best practices in sales and fundraising.  Ramon and I explore how bad salespeople and bad fundraisers give us all a bad name, the power of relationship and the need to invest in yourself to succeed.  Some key takeaways: Bringing the right energy and being in the right headspace are key to fundraising and sales. Invest in yourself to increase your skills--don't wait for someone else to give you permission. Focus on building the relationship and the rest will follow. Believing deeply in your product (or mission) to improve your client's (or donor's) life will drive success. I really enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation and it was an eye-opener for me to realize how similar sales and fundraising are (and how they're different in important ways!). To connect with Ramon, check him out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramon-w-basie/

With the pandemic lockdown, are you dreaming about open roads and exotic vacations?  Join the club.   Listen in to today's interview with Maryann Remsburg, a certified coach, mom of four, author and co-founder of Adventurous Life. In this conversation we talk about how we get so caught up in obligations, "should-ing all over ourselves" and fear that we forget to experience joy and adventure.  Maryann reminds us that we don't need a plane ticket around the world to live an adventurous life--it's all a state of mind.  Learn how to regain the sense of fun and adventure that you had before life (and the pandemic) got you down.  Bonus: you might avoid a mid-life crisis.  You don't need a Lambo and an inappropriately aged boyfriend to enjoy your life! For more about Maryann, visit: https://www.adventurouslife.net/

This episode is not for the faint of heart.  Join me and my friend Stephen Lasser to talk about how to generate leads and income with zero BS.  Stephen's clear-eyed, plain-spoken approach to fundraising is refreshing.  We talk about how to use your boards effectively (don't expect everyone to do everything), how to approach donors and how to meet donors where they are.  As a former banker, Stephen's cool-headed approach to money and how to fund your important mission will help you to be the best fundraiser you can be.   To connect with Stephen, check out his LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-lasser-00a3a2/