Nonprofit Lowdown

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/ 

"We can't afford that."  "There's not enough money."  "There's not enough time."  "Must be nice to have enough staff." Any of that sound familiar?  As a sector, we live under constant pressure for resources, exacerbated by the pervasive scarcity mindset that plagues us.  When we live in scarcity, we are stressed with "never enough" and that mindset affects our work, our staff, our clients and our peace of mind.  Join me and Nell Edgington to talk about how you know if you have scarcity mindset and what to do about it.  (spoiler alert!) We start with resourcing ourselves and asking different questions.  As they say, if you change your questions, you can change your life. For more about Nell (including buying her book), visit: https://www.socialvelocity.net/

"What about fee-for-service?"   If you've ever heard this in a board or staff meeting, then this episode is for you.  We talk with Brian Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO and Lizzie Honan, Regional Director NYC of RevJen about how to think about launching a fee-generating venture within your nonprofit.  We discuss the internal decisions, how to staff and train properly and how sales is unlike fundraising.  This is an insightful and thoughtful interview that sheds light on the mysteries of fee-for-service. To learn more about RevJen, visit: https://revjen.com/ To download their Infinity Model, visit: shorturl.at/dhuK9