Nonprofit Lowdown

"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

How is fundraising like dating?  From first meeting to courtship to finally "sealing the deal" Jonah and I take a humorous perspective on major gift fundraising.  Learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls (i.e. talking too much about yourself) and learn why I call major gift fundraising the "jazz" of the development world.  Remember, people, it's not about the money--it's about the relationships!  Jonah is smart, experienced, insightful and fun.  You'll enjoy this energetic conversation about how to romance your donors so they keep coming back for more. For more about Jonah, visit: altruicity.com To get a free chapter of Jonah's book, visit: https://www.dateyourdonors.com/ 

It's a whole new gala world where fundraisers are online, formal wear means your house slippers and hosts are the size of your screen.  The pandemic has made the entire gala industry pivot in ways we couldn't imagine.  Join me and Benjamin Ryan Nathan, founder of All of Us Films, as we discuss some of the successes and failures of virtual galas.  Ben runs a production company that did eight virtual galas from March to December and he shares some of his lessons learned.  We talk about how much we can expect to raise, where to really spend the money for a quality gala and some pitfalls he's experienced.  For all of you planning virtual galas, this is a must-listen. To find Ben, check out: AllOfUsFilms.com To download the virtual gala checklist, click here or shorturl.at/gmxyW

This one is for all of you aspiring nonprofit founders.  In this episode, we serve up a hefty dose of reality about what it takes to found and run a successful nonprofit organization.  News flash: running a nonprofit is actually running a small business.  We speak with new founder, Kenneth Brown, about everything he's learned in the first year of his nonprofit and Andrea Ortega who helps founders establish 501c3s.  We chat about how much time is spent on fundraising, how to deal with rejection and the reality of funding (spoiler alert: grant money will not fall out of the sky into your lap).  This is an important one if you're thinking about starting up a nonprofit of your own.  

True story: on top of my nonprofit work, I'm an aspiring stand-up comedian.  And, lemme tell ya, it's rough out there for a comic.  Join me and fellow stand-up comedian and Chief Story Smith Carlos Maestas to talk about how to be a better communicator.  We talk about how to find your own story, why it's a good idea to not take yourself too seriously and how to get out of pitch mode and into real connection with funders.  This interview was a ton of fun and jam-packed with value bombs for those looking to be better storytellers, and communicators. For more about Carlos and to get his book, check it out here: https://www.keyideas.net/ To see Carlos's very funny work for the Human Services Council, check it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gELZnORV4U&feature=youtu.be

Join me and George "In the Mix" Suttles to talk about a very important topic.  We discuss the myths of the lack of BIPOC talent, how to set BIPOC leaders up for success and how to celebrate leadership reclamation.  This is a hugely important topic for the sector because if we say that we want to center Black and brown leadership, then we have to be prepared to do business differently.  This conversation is honest, bold and asks important questions that will challenge the status quo. For more about George, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgesuttles/

This summer, after George Floyd's murder, everyone started looking for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultants for their teams and organizations.  Not coincidentally, all of a sudden, there were a whole bunch of people calling themselves DEI experts.  Join me as I chat with Naté Hoover about how to assess whether a DEI consultant is actually skilled, how to know when your organization and its leadership is "ready" for it and how NOT to do equity work.  Naté is a long-time DEI consultant and HR expert who shares valuable insight.  This is a must-listen before you hire your next DEI consultant. Here is the article that Naté referenced: https://www.mckensiemack.com/our-blog/2020/8/26/thinking-of-hiring-an-anti-racism-consultant-read-this-first To connect with Naté, here's her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l-nate-hoover-shrm-scp-sphr-pmp-ctmd-mbti/ For more about Mckensie Mack Group: https://www.mckensiemack.com/

Ah, founders...they are the stuff of legend.  The ones who birth a nonprofit, nurture it through its infancy and watch it grow.  But, what happens when founders move on?  Today, we're talking with Anne Eidelman, CEO and Elandria Jackson Charles, VP of Development and External Affairs of Blue Engine about what happens when a charismatic founder moves on.  What are some of the lessons learned for Anne as she stepped into the role and forged her own path forward?  How did she manage board, funder, staff and client expectations and how did she become her own kind of ED?  We talk with Anne and Elandria about what went well, what they wished they had done differently and how to help an organization to thrive after a founder leaves. For more on Anne's perspective in SSIR: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/when_moving_a_nonprofit_forward_means_altering_the_founders_course

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a beautiful video worth?  We're visual animals and there's nothing more inspiring than beautiful visual stories that can move us.  Join me and expert Rachel Jellinek to discuss the art of vulnerable storytelling, what three stories your nonprofit should be telling and how to veer away from the poverty porn that is so embedded in our nonprofit culture. To find Rachel, check out her website: https://reflectionfilmsonline.com/ Here are links that Rachel mentions in the interview: https://communitycentricfundraising.org/ http://trabianshorters.com/asset-framing/ https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much?language=en