Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Further Together: Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations
Welcome to Small Nonprofit, the podcast designed for leaders, fundraisers, and advocates in the nonprofit sector who want to create real change. We provide small nonprofit organizations with strategies to enhance their fundraising campaigns, improve nonprofit governance, and implement ethical fundraising practices that resonate with today’s values-driven donors. Hosted by an experienced nonprofit consultant, Maria Rio, this show delves into the unique challenges of nonprofit fundraising and community-centric fundraising, providing tools for donor engagement and major gifts fundraising.👤 Who Should Listen?This podcast is perfect for anyone involved in a small nonprofit seeking practical advice on fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, and board accountability. Whether you're looking for innovative fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations or trying to create an impact measurement framework that demonstrates your organization’s value, Small Nonprofit is here to guide you.🎤 Core Topics We CoverCommunity-Centric Fundraising: Learn how ethical fundraising practices can strengthen donor relationships, enhance donor engagement, and align your organization with values-based major giving principles. We’ll help you shift from a donor-centric model to one that prioritizes the community.Systemic Change and Governance: From participatory budgeting to nonprofit board of directors best practices, we explore how to navigate the nonprofit industrial complex and embrace structures that foster diversity in nonprofit leadership and board accountability.Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Tackle topics such as nonprofit burnout prevention and learn how to cultivate a healthy, anti-oppressive work culture that supports your team’s well-being.Nonprofit Storytelling: Understand how to measure your nonprofit’s effectiveness through nonprofit impact measurement strategies and leverage nonprofit storytelling to create compelling narratives that attract donors.📣 Engaging Conversations and Real-World AdviceIn each episode, we bring you insights from experts in fundraising consulting, nonprofit grant writing, and capital campaign strategies. From interviews with fractional fundraisers and major gift officers to deep dives on fundraising tips and innovative fundraising ideas, we offer actionable advice that you can implement immediately to strengthen your organization’s impact.💰 Learn How to Build a Sustainable NonprofitEvery nonprofit leader faces the challenge of achieving financial sustainability. Our episodes address critical fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, providing insights on volunteer management, capacity building, and nonprofit marketing strategy. Gain access to tools that help you execute successful fundraising campaigns and build a foundation for long-term growth.🤝 Join the Movement for Systemic ChangeAt The Small Nonprofit, we’re committed to transforming the nonprofit sector from the ground up. Our focus on systemic change and community-centric fundraising aligns with our mission to support nonprofits in creating equitable, sustainable communities. By addressing topics like values-based decision making and nonprofit transparency, we’re working to build a more ethical, inclusive sector.❤️ Stay ConnectedSubscribe to Small Nonprofit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform. Don’t miss an episode as we explore everything from fundraising tips to nonprofit social media strategy, and learn how you can become a stronger advocate for your organization’s mission.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 7, 2023 • 34min
measuring your impact with Julie Gilbert
Send us a textAre you struggling to demonstrate your organization's impact? Are you looking for ways to engage your donors and keep them coming back? In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Gilbert, an independent consultant and coach in Julie Gilbert Consulting. She has over 25 years of experience working with public sector and nonprofit organizations, focused on helping organizations measure and communicate their impact. Julie talks about the meaning of impact, strategies and how solid measurement work can benefit organizations in attracting funding, and achieving their mission. Key Highlights:The meaning of impact Why it is crucial for nonprofits to communicate their impact to stakeholders, funders, and donors.How Julie’s Stepping Stones Impact framework can help nonprofitsWhat are the “impacts” that nonprofits should measure and strategies to evaluate changeHow to use narratives and storytelling strategy for impact measurementConnect with Julie:Website: Julie Gilbert Consulting: https://juliegilbertconsulting.com/ Impact Institute Academy: https://juliegilbertconsulting.com/impact-instituteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliegilbert001/Book a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Feb 28, 2023 • 43min
Confessions with Jess and Cindy: From burnout to being your own boss with Sabrina Walker
Send us a textIn today’s podcast, we’re chatting with Sabrina Walker Hernandez about how she moved from being completely burned out (including how that affected her health) to growing a business that allowed her to still serve nonprofits but in a way that protected herself and her own well-being. Through her company, Supporting World Hope, Sabrina is a trainer, facilitator, and coach who specializes in strategic planning, fundraising, and leadership development.Highlights:How Sabrina invested in herself - for her health, but also in learning to start a business Getting clear on your business’ offerings and servicesWorking in your business vs. on your business and how to balance those two Connect with Sabrina:Website: sabrina@supportingworldhope.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportingworldhopeLinktree: https://linktr.ee/supportingworldhope?fbclid=IwAR1cQd9zCUNADjoUr_WMSiaqp_aD4gsJZE6_kJpngs7IwejJ3H05zbBcyNkBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Feb 21, 2023 • 30min
practical minimalism in nonprofits with Danielle Russell
Send us a textWhen you're a small nonprofit, your work often involves doing more with less—which is why it's so important to know which tasks are essential and which just add up to clutter. Today, we’re talking about one approach that helps streamline our workload while staying focused on the biggest priorities- minimalism.Danielle Russell walks us through minimalism in nonprofits. Danielle S. Russell, CAE is a Canadian Not-for-Profit Industry Leader, Consultant, Author, Speaker, YouTuber, and Artist. She loves connecting ideas and people so that each individual can achieve their greatest potential impact. From keynote podiums, to the boardroom, to YouTube; Danielle leverages her unique strengths to help foster collaboration, empathy and action.Key Highlights:What is Minimalism in nonprofits?Practical guide to minimalism for nonprofits Letting go of “sentimental items” in your small nonprofitConnect with Danielle:Website: http://daniellerussell.ca/Instagram:@Danny_S_RussellResources: FREE Fundraising Strategy Guide: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/guideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Feb 14, 2023 • 51min
Introducing: Missions to Movements with Dana Synder
Send us a textOn today’s podcast, we’re bringing you someone else’s podcast! That’s right, from time to time we’ll be featuring some friends and their podcast episodes that we think are worth a listen. Today it’s Dana Synder’s podcast, Missions to Movements. If there is an organization to watch, Hope for Haiti is it, and today, you’ll meet Community Director of Innovative Philanthropy, Sarah Porter, and CMO Taylor Hebble. Hope for Haiti is pushing the boundaries with incredible creativity and innovation! A new VR experience transports supporters to a partner school in rural Haiti, they created a beautiful NFT collection in partnership with Haitian artists to fund the build of new schools after the earthquake, AND they’re using LinkedIn as an outlet to reach the media and have already more than doubled their following in the process.It’s time to step into the future and imagine the possibilities as we consider VR experiences as a launchpad for deeper social impact.Key Highlights:Bringing Haiti to everyone through VR experiencesFrom concept to execution: how long it took Hope for Haiti to launch their VR experienceHow Hope for Haiti grew to over 8,000 followers on LinkedInConnect with:Hope for Haiti: https://hopeforhaiti.com/Missions to Movement Podcast: https://positiveequation.com/podcast/Book a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Feb 7, 2023 • 34min
making your tech work for you with Kevin Christopher George
Send us a textThe cloud is changing the tech game. In fact, it's already changed it. But how can you adapt to this new technology? How can your small nonprofit make sure that you're ready for what's coming next? On this episode, I speak with Kevin Christopher George of Green Merits Consulting, about cloud technology with a grounded, real life, practical perspective on what it means to research, select and adapt cloud technologies.Key Highlights:The benefits of cloud-based technology for small nonprofitsWhy the cloud is better than an external hard driveBuilding partnerships with technology providersHow to get started and adapt cloud-based technologyCloud collaboration and accessibilityConnect with Kevin:Website: https://www.greenmerits.com/Email: kgeorge@greenmerits.comResources: FREE Fundraising Strategy Guide: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/guideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Jan 31, 2023 • 30min
equity in data with Meena Das
Send us a textSo many small nonprofits don't know where to start when it comes to managing the data they have. How can we use our data effectively and efficiently? And how do we make sure it’s being used with an equity lens? If you're struggling with this, definitely give this episode a listen!On today’s episode, I’m joined by Meena Das, Founder & Philanthropy Analytics Consultant at NamasteData, and her focus of work is grounding data and analytics solutions for nonprofits in the ideas of equity and inclusion.Key Highlights:Best practices of equitable data management for small nonprofitsHow to apply an equity lens in data collection as a nonprofit?Ethical challenges of data collection in the nonprofit sectorHow to balance DEI values with funders and partners?Connect with Meena Das:Meena’s LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/meenadas Website: https://www.namastedata.org/Resources: FREE Fundraising Strategy Guide: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/guideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Jan 24, 2023 • 37min
employee volunteering with Heather Nelson
Send us a text“Everybody pays, nobody pays. Because I think one of the most important principles that we put in place with our clients around corporate is transparency” - Heather Nelsonemployee volunteering with Heather NelsonIs corporate volunteerism trendy right now? Absolutely! Should you still include it in your corporate giving strategies? Probably.In this episode, I sat down with Heather Nelson of Bridgeraise, and talked about how your nonprofit can benefit from corporate volunteerism and how to get started with building a strong relationship with your corporate partners.Key Highlights:The value of corporate volunteerism to for-profit organizations and how to leverage it for your small nonprofitTypes of employee engagement: In-person, online, employee educationActivity ideas for an employee engagement programHow to gain revenue from corporate volunteeringHow to set up corporate partnerships with transparencyConnect with Heather: LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nelsonheatherWebsite: https://www.bridgeraise.com/Resources: FREE Fundraising Strategy Guide: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/guideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Jan 17, 2023 • 36min
practicing community centric fundraising with Maria Rio
Explore the concept of Community-Centric Fundraising with Maria Rio, focusing on equitable donor relationships, non-transactional fundraising events, community advocacy, and a collective mission to fulfill fundraising goals and mission alignment.
Jan 10, 2023 • 47min
in between asks - with Mike Duerksen
Send us a textSometimes fundraising in a small nonprofit can feel start-stop. You put in effort and maybe see results, but then as soon as you slow down, the money stops coming in. But on today’s podcast, guest Mike Duerksen, Founder and CEO of BuildGood, shares with us his “flywheel” method for creating a fundraising program that operates on momentum, so that the longer you fundraise, the less effort it takes to grow.Sounds dreamy, right? Mike covers:The Flywheel analogy of fundraising for small nonprofitsFive parts of Flywheel analogy Listening to donorsHow to engage donors through virtual and in-person eventsThe tactics of a good “ASK”Connect with Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduerksenWebsite: https://buildgood.com/Resources: 5minutefundraisingfix.comFREE Fundraising Strategy Guide: https://www.thegoodpartnership.com/guideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
Dec 12, 2022 • 29min
direct mail isn’t dead with John Lepp
Send us a textAnd the small charities can slow down a little bit and stop automating. I remind people that direct response, whether it's direct mail or if it's online, I don't care what it is. It is an opportunity for conversation. You are talking to other human beings that we call donors. And that's an opportunity to have something, a meaningful connection with someone who wants to help you achieve your goals. And just like relationships are in real life. - John Leppdirect mail isn’t dead with John LeppIn today’s episode, we are joined by John Lepp, a partner at Agents of Good and the author of Creative Deviations. He has over 25 years of experience in the fundraising and design industry and is an expert in direct-response fundraising. John is breaking down how to raise more money through direct mail using design and authenticity. Highlights:The role of creative design in fundraisingThe importance of direct mail in fundraising, despite the common belief that it is no longer effective.The advantages that small organizations have in terms of being able to stand out and be more personal with their donor communications.Debunking myths about direct mail in fundraising How can small nonprofits stand out in direct mail to raise more moneyConnect with John: Website: https://agentsofgood.org/creativeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlepp/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnlepp_aog/Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnleppResources:The Good Partnership - FREE Fundraising Strategy GuideBook a Discovery Call HereSupport the show Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded! Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.
