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
Aug 18, 2022 • 40min
the burnout is real with Sam Laprade
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Lacey Kempinski, Balanced GoodThese are scary times. The world is in crisis as we work hard to contain the COVID 19 outbreak and minimize its impact. Our organizations are being challenged in ways we could never imagine. For some of us, our clients are at high risk and we are working around the clock to support them. For others, we have been forced to lay off staff because our programs have been cancelled. The emotional toll on each and every one of us is significant, at a time when we are most isolated.We’re also seeing stories of hope, community, and caring. I’ve seen breweries turn the alcohol they have into free hand sanitizer. My neighbours created a mini food drive for a local shelter. Communities coming together in song.While this podcast episode was recorded a little while ago, the content is perhaps even more relevant now. Our guest is Sam Laprade and we are talking about burnout. Sam has been talking about mental health so that we can better take care of ourselves and our colleagues. Now more than ever. Sam joins me in today’s podcast, talking about burnout, mental health and self-care. So, take a breath and take a listen.Connect with Lacey Kempinski at Balanced GoodLiked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Aug 15, 2022 • 30min
a feminist COVID recovery with Chi Nguyen
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Lacey Kempinski, Balanced GoodHow do we recover from the exhaustion and pain of the pandemic? How do we lead our organizations into the post-pandemic world with responsible leadership in service for our communities? On today’s episode, social impact leader Chi Nguyen gives us the real talk on how to approach our leadership and the way we show up with a feminist and inclusive lens.Chi’s tips on approaching leadership from a feminist and inclusive lens:Caregiving is deeply feminist. Caregiving translates into leadership at all levels of our society. Leaders who understand the value of caregiving have the potential to transform how we are organized and governed.Purpose and responsibility driven. Think about responsibility not just for ourselves and our immediate community, but our collective responsibility for this planet and future generations.Show up as our whole selves. We carry what’s going on in our lives, our identities, and our values to the table and so let our authenticity and experience shine through our decision-making and leadership.Be ok with the discomfort when wrestling with power. Disrupting systemic privilege and the power structure is uncomfortable but a necessary part of the work in service for our communities. And it’s not just about disrupting power structures outside of our own organizations and our sector. We have to be able to look inward as well.Favourite Quotes from Today’s EpisodePost your favourite quote on social to share with us!“When I think about inclusive leadership and feminist leadership, it’s about bringing that whole person and all of the weight of that into decision making, into how we run our organizations with lots of forgiveness and resiliency, and frankly, real humanity.”“The best community programming and best response to community initiatives is a program that is for us by us — fundraised, led, designed, implemented. That is the model for ownership of community solutions, but it is not how our systems have been built. We need to move from a charitable model to collective impact model.”Resources from this EpisodeThe Good PartnershipChi NguyenBalanced GoodLiked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Aug 11, 2022 • 41min
working with consultants with Jess Campbell
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Jordana Merkin, Voice for GoodWorking with a consultant can be beneficial for nonprofits. They enable organizations to focus on keeping things running smoothly and efficiently by freeing up time for the bigger picture. But how do you find the right consultant for your organization? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about working with consultants with Jessica Campbell, Founder and CEO of Out in the Boons and a dear friend of mine. She is a trained nonprofit fundraiser who has worked with big and small organizations and runs a consulting business where she helps organizations to connect with the right consultants to get the help they need. Myths that Jess wants us to walk away from:Consultants only develop the plan. Some consultants like Jess, are committed to doing things differently. They are out there to help organizations not only get the plan, but also understand it and have the tools and resources they need to carry it out.Nonprofit consultants are always expensive. There is a large range in price for nonprofit consultants. The right consultant will have a pricing structure that works for you and your organization's budget.Jess’s tips on working with consultants Outsourcing helps you focus on your mission: Wearing multiple hats is common in our sector, but trying to do everything at once can lead you and your team to burnout. Getting help from a consultant allows your organization to do other tasks and focus on what really matters.Leveling of expectations: Before you decide to work with a consultant, Jess suggests that it is critical to identify the outcome that you want out of consulting, what your expectations and needs are to make this work effective for your organization. Matchmaking: In her own program, Jess uses matchmaking to match nonprofits with consultants based on their specific needs and areas of expertise. She also stresses the importance of finding the right match between the consultant's personality, working style, and the nonprofit's team.Favourite Quotes from Today’s EpisodePost your favorite quote on social media to share with us!“The biggest pet peeve is I see small organizations trying to do it all themselves. Or one person or two person team trying to do it all. And I wish that people realize that there's no trophies for burnout. You don't get a gold star for that. ”Resources from this Episodeoutintheboons.me/the-rolodexJess Campbell InstagramThe Good PartnershipConnect with Jordana on Instagram @voiceforgood, or on LinkedIn.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Aug 8, 2022 • 38min
leading with "nice" with Mathieu Yuill
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Jordana Merkin, Voice for Good What makes a good leader? If you’re an executive director in a nonprofit, you're probably thinking about how you can be more effective and motivate your team to create a bigger impact. But what are these qualities you should have to inspire others? To learn more about what makes a great leader, I sat down with Mathieu Yuill, Founder of Leading with a Nice, consultancy that develops leaders. Mathieu has more than 25 years of experience in the field of communication and marketing, as well as a master's degree in management and leadership. Myths that Mathieu wants us to walk away from:Leaders only give orders. Leaders who inspire their employees are those who practice empathy, listen, and genuinely care about their employees' well-being rather than just the work.Leaders should hide any weaknesses. Honesty and trust are qualities of a good leader that requires being vulnerable, assessing one's own weaknesses, and communicating them to one's team.Matthieu’s GET HG: qualities of leaders that inspire Gratitude: Checking in with your staff and simply asking how things are going or offering them help is a way to express gratitude because you trust the person to do their job. You're also acknowledging that they're working hard and that you appreciate it.Empathy: Stepping into other people’s shoes to understand their circumstances. A leader who shows empathy toward their employees reduces employee absenteeism and has a more productive team. Trust: It is all about intent. By communicating your desired outcome to your team and trusting them to choose the best path forward.Honesty: It is about understanding your own weaknesses and releasing control. Generosity: It is simply a matter of making time to mentor your employees and check in with them.Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode Post your favorite quote on social media to share with us!“So if you have a report who's working on a project often what we do is we'll come by and be like, “Hey, you know, are you done with that yet? Or how far along are you?” That's checking up and that's like a doctor's appointment. Nobody likes it. But instead, check-in and be like, “Hey, how are things going? Is there anything I can help you with?” That's actually showing gratitude and trust cause you're trusting the person they're doing their job and you're also acknowledging that they're working hard and you recognize like, “Hey, can I help you? Like I get this is a job that might need an extra set of hands.” That's a very simple way to show gratitude.””We need to understand how to communicate with each other and that's really the first base, the barrier to entry is do you know how to communicate with each other? ”Resources from this EpisodeLeading with NiceCrucial ConversationsCulture Code The Good PartnershipConnect with Jordana on Instagram @voiceforgood, or on LinkedIn.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Aug 4, 2022 • 35min
HR made simple with Bruce MacDonald
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: IMAGINE CANADAFrom lack of opportunity to develop leaders or train managers to pay transparency, there are so many issues and topics about HR that we never seem to have time to do or be able to make the proper investments. It's going to be a big problem for our sector because our work is only as good as our teams. Our organizations are only as strong as our culture.In today’s podcast episode, Bruce MacDonald, President, and CEO of Imagine Canada, is going to share with us HR Intervals - a new and entirely free human resources toolkit specifically designed for nonprofit professionals to help them manage new challenges and opportunities in our work cultures.Myths that Bruce wants us to walk away fromSmall nonprofits can’t afford human resources. Some leaders may need to find some volunteers to help them out, whether it's a member of the board or just networking to find some HR folks. Start that conversation with the staff about the priorities and urgent needs of the organization and be willing to listen to them. A talented staff member who is inspired by this work could be the staff lead supported by the executive director. They can also access the information and resources they need to perform HR functions at their organizations with the new HR Intervals toolkit. Nonprofits shouldn’t invest in human resources. The pandemic posed new challenges in terms of attracting and retaining employees. Private-sector firms are improving their ability to attract and retain talent, which has an impact on charities and nonprofits. Companies are now offering incentives to work there, and it is critical to ensure that we have the best possible workplaces, fair workplaces, reasonable, transparent compensation, that the culture is there, that this equity and equality is more vital than it has been in quite some time because of this competition for talent.Bruce’s thoughts around HR Intervals for Nonprofits Access to free information and resources. A vast majority of our sector does not have paid human resources talent inside their organizations, there can be a gap in terms of how organizations think about the management of their people. HR Intervals is made to bring a service that organizations can go to, to help leaders better understand, address, and guide people management in their organizations.Be intentional. HR Intervals offers a variety of resources and practices that can be utilized by nonprofits to assess their organizations. They can leverage this information to develop realistic opportunities and set priorities that will create a better workplace for their employees and enable them to do their mission effectively.Favorite Quotes for Today’s Episode“I think the one thing I've learned is you can't do it all at the same time or can do it all at once, but over time can create a basket of offerings that make it a place where people want to be, want to go and want to stay.”Resources from this Episode HR Intervals The Good PartnershipLiked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Aug 1, 2022 • 32min
young and diverse - the new workforce with Tamara Balan and Bareera Sial
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: IMAGINE CANADAGuess what - the next generation of workers are not millennials! We’re so past the conversation of millennials in the workplace and now is the time to think about how you’re hiring and engaging the next generation. This new generation values diversity and inclusion, as well as the ability to have an impact. This is in great alignment with the nonprofit sector, but the reality is that as many as 30% of employers struggle to fill their entry-level roles.Want to build your pipeline of talent in a meaningful and lasting way? Listen to today’s podcast with CivicAction and their HireNext program.For more HR resources, including on topics related to workplace wellness, decent work and equity, visit HR Intervals - an entirely free, bilingual toolkit specifically designed to help nonprofit professionals better understand, address, and guide people management in their organization.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jul 28, 2022 • 41min
your case for support from the ground up with Leah Eustace
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Kim Peterson, Cedar Fundraising I know you have a long list of “to-dos” that never seems to end. I can also guess that on that list, somewhere towards the end (and seemingly never moving) is to create a Case for Support for your organization. Well, today you’re in luck because our podcast guest Leah Eustice is a pro when it comes to writing a Case for Support and she’s going to give you all of her tricks and tips. The best part about it - she shows you how you can write your Case quickly and still make it meaningful.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jul 25, 2022 • 37min
fundraising as community building with David Karvinchuk
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Kim Peterson, Cedar FundraisingIn times like this, it’s so important that we stay connected. The same goes for our donors. They want to hear from you about how you and your organization are doing. I know what you are thinking: donors already have a lot on their plate right now. Why would they want to hear from me?On today’s podcast, David from The Common Good Philanthropy shares a great story about how donors felt so connected to a small nonprofit that they got upset when they were not called to help in a time of crisis. David wants us to think about fundraising as community building, and offers great advice on how to connect with our donors as our authentic selves. Take a listen!Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jul 21, 2022 • 28min
raise more money with this one simple trick with Cindy Wagman
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Sara Hoshooley, Charity ShiftSmall nonprofit organizations face the same fundraising challenges over and over again. They often believe that one fundraising strategy can solve all of their problems and look to large organizations for inspiration. Better marketing, major gift campaigns, corporate sponsorship- they have so many ideas, but most of the time, those solutions are not aligned with what will raise their organization money today and in the near future and grow it into a sustainable program.Myths that Cindy wants us to walk away fromA donor meeting is an ask for money. Donor meetings are not an ask for money. It is not a pitch and it's not talking about your organization very much. This is an opportunity for you to get to know your donors, why they support you, what they care about. Maybe they even have feedback around your fundraising or ideas to help you raise more money.It’s okay to make assumptions about your donors. We make so many assumptions about our donors based on our beliefs around fundraising and the value of our work, and almost always we're wrong. And then we use these wrong assumptions to then drive our fundraising strategy and decisions, which leads to us making bad fundraising decisions, which leads to us not raising the money we want to make or raise for the organization. Cindy’s thoughts around fundraising Get to know your donors. Most of our fundraising decisions are made by people sitting in a boardroom or around zoom and we make assumptions about our donors. And almost always these assumptions are wrong. We need to stop making assumptions and start verifying information about our supporters. The more information we know the more we can think about fundraising strategies that make sense for their donors and of course for our mission.Donor meetings help you find more donors. By getting to know your donors, it will help you see patterns and learn about their values. They have probably shared these values with their friends and networks. Your donors are one of the biggest untapped resources in finding new donors to your cause so the more you get to know them and build that fundraising strategy in line with them, you're also creating opportunities for them to welcome more people and introduce your organization to more potential donors.Communicate with donors. Getting to know your donor is an opportunity to understand how to communicate with them. By leveraging tools and technology, you can find ways to connect more with them. And to be effective, you need to communicate in a way that is aligned with your organization’s mission and what your donors are supporting. This could also be an opportunity to fix some problems with donors who are misaligned with your mission and lead them to learn more about your organization. Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode“We always get so caught up in elaborate fundraising plans and strategies, and we have to do these big things. It's not fundraising. Success comes from consistency and finding those points of intersection between your organization, its mission, and your donors.”Resources from this Episode:Charity Shift is offering customized, End of Year Campaign Strategy packages for charities ready to raise more money than ever before this holiday season. Visit charityshift.ca to download our free tips and to learn more.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jul 18, 2022 • 35min
your fundraising mindset with someone whose been there with Mallory Erickson
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: Sara Hoshooley, Charity Shift Fundraising is all about mindset. And if you don't believe that, chances are actually that you need to work on your mindset. If you've heard me speak about my fundraising origin story, you’ll know that I have loved fundraising right out of the gate, but I know that that's not the case for everyone. And so today you're going to hear from someone who hated fundraising and learned to love it by focusing on changing the mindset. Mallory Erickson, CEO & Creator of the Power Partners Formula, joins us in the podcast to discuss how you can change your mindset about fundraising and raise more money for your nonprofit. Myths that Mallory wants us to walk away from:Mindset has nothing to do with fundraising. How we feel and think about fundraising ultimately impacts how we show up and the results that we see. We can overcome the barriers to fundraising success by reframing our mindset and developing new habits.Great fundraisers don’t get rejected. Good fundraising is a job that involves regular rejection and it takes a lot of intentional building of resilience to be able to not internalize that rejection or make it about you, or have it relate to your stories about yourself that get in the way and keep you in a paralysis and perfectionist state.GAIL: four primary types of thoughts that hold you back from successful fundraisingGremlin or self-critic is the voice in your head that says “I am not good enough. I am not smart enough. I am not pretty enough. I am not enough” which plagues all of us. It gets triggered in fundraising because fundraising is a job that involves regular rejections and it takes a lot of work to build up your resilience so that you don't take them personally.Assumptions This is the result of our belief that when something has happened before, we believe it's going to happen again. For example, one donor didn't give last year, now we think that they're not going to give this year. But in reality, the data shows the exact opposite.Interpretations are the stories that we make up about someone’s behavior that is not based on facts. For instance, a donor does not respond to your email in 48 hours, and you make up an entire story about what is happening, how they feel about you, what they think about you, and if they're ever going to donate to your cause. We make these stories and hold on to them as if they were true, but in reality, they are not based on facts. Limiting beliefs are things that society puts on us that restrict our ability to think outside the box. The hundred percent model is a great example of a limiting belief, where we have been trained to think that there’s too much money to overhead. This is simply the limiting belief that we are all continuing to perpetuate, even as fundraisers. However, once you begin to challenge these beliefs, they disappear. Resources from this EpisodeWhat the Fundraising PodcastPower Partners Formula The Good PartnershipCharity Shift is offering customized, End of Year Campaign Strategy packages for charities ready to raise more money than ever before this holiday season. Visit charityshift.ca to download our free tips and to learn more.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
