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
Sep 7, 2020 • 51min
managing culture change with Surranna Sandy
When the pandemic started in March, no one knew what was going to happen.EDs at nonprofits big and small were projecting layoffs and devastating deficits. And that happened. To be sure - the impact of COVID on our sector and all of us has been significant. And mostly awful. People had to quickly adjust their work and lives to adapt. Yes. It's been a rough year. 6 months later, we're still dealing with an ongoing pandemic with no foreseeable end date. So, let's recognize this: our sector has also made some huge wins. Nonprofits have become more nimble than ever. They're shifting long-existing programming online, making their workplace remote-friendly, communicating to donors in ways they never tried before. Most of these things have been on our bucket lists for years, but we haven’t had the time and space to move forward with these changes.In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the perfect storm that forced us to change. When our environment forces us to change, we become more resilient than we thought we ever would or could be. We realize that changes are not as scary as we imagined. Can we reverse engineer this process and lead necessary changes with courage?I am so excited to launch the new season of the Small Nonprofit Podcast with a conversation on managing change. Surranna Sandy, the CEO of Skills of Change, shares her philosophy on leading change with people at the centre. She walks us through how to leverage this pandemic to set up the infrastructure that will enable positive changes. Ready for a new season of change and courage?Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jun 22, 2020 • 38min
always be learning with Aaron Sanderson
It seems like on all fronts we are currently engaged in deep unlearning and learning. Whether it’s around anti-racism or new technologies, the world is a changing place and learning has become more routine than ever.Right now, while our learning might be accelerated, it’s a good time to reflect on how we can integrate this type of growth and development into the long-term. Today’s podcast is all about lifelong learning with guest Aaron Sanderson, SVP, Advancement & Chief Development Officer at Kids Help Phone. Give it a listen and start planning your next learning!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jun 15, 2020 • 32min
surprise and delight your donors with Matt Barnett
As things are slowly opening up, do you have a favourite cafe nearby your home or work that you always visit and can't wait to go back to? If you do, you'll be familiar with this scenario: you go to the cafe a few times, and the barista starts remembering your order. The next time you show up, the barista smiles at you and asks: "americano with oat milk?" (that's my order!)Surprised, right there and then, the barista has fostered a sense of connection. Before you know it, that cafe becomes your favourite spot. A simple gesture of acknowledging "I know you" is so powerful for sparking connection. How can we also make that magical spark happen with our donors?Well, I want to introduce to you one of my favourite tools to foster those connections in today’s digital age and in the absence of having donor phone numbers: Bonjoro, a personalized one-to-one video messaging service. On this week's podcast, I chatted with Bonjoro's founder Matt Barnett. Matt shared with us some really doable tips to build authentic connection with your donors remotely.At The Good Partnership, we started using Bonjoro to send personalized videos to onboard clients and students for Flipside Fundraising, and it’s getting great responses and engagement. We’re also using it with our clients and their donors. As you know, I don’t usually recommend a specific product without context. But we fell in love with Bonjoro, and we know that can be such a great tool for you right now to connect with your donors in a socially distanced world. But, even if it’s not the right tool for you (p.s they have a free version), you can try the tactics in this podcast with other tools too!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jun 8, 2020 • 41min
Dare to lead with Amal Elmi and Bailey Greenspon
This past week, we’ve all been taking the necessary action to support the Black Lives Matter movement and holding space for difficult and necessary conversations both at work and at home. As you likely know, the work for anti-racism and anti-oppression practices has just begun.This is not a one-time effort, but something ongoing. We must address how our organizations are governed. We must talk about who sits on our boards and how the board truly supports different voices to be heard and championed (tokenism is not the answer).On this week's podcast, I had the pleasure to connect with Bailey Greenspon, acting Co-CEO from G(irls)20 and Amal Elmi, a young director of the G(irls)20' Girls on Board program and member of the Community Impact Cabinet at United Way Ottawa. We talked about how to support young and diverse women to sit on nonprofit boards and bring about systemic changes for leadership in our sector.This episode was recorded before last week. In light of the events this past week, relistening Bailey and Amal's insights and stories deeply touched me. I am inspired by their tireless effort to advocate for young and diverse voices and enact real actions towards equity. It reminds me that we can do this. We must do this. Let's do this together.For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Jun 1, 2020 • 45min
Shortcuts to Raise More Money with Dana Segal
Do you ever make impulse buys? You know, that online sale that you just can’t say “no” to? Or you are out on a socially distant walk and you see something that catches your eye in the window? And plus, you want to support a local business!Think back to that feeling you get when you make that decision. While there might be rational reasons such as price points and needs, what made us push the “buy” button seems to involve something emotional and intuitive that we can’t always logically explain. How our brain says “yes” is well researched, but we don’t talk about this enough in our sector.If we could understand the science of decision-making better, we would be so much more effective and efficient when crafting communication and designing experiences for our donors. I'm excited to connect with Dana Segal about this topic on today's podcast episode. Give it a listen. Dana shares some amazing tips on tiny changes that you can implement today to effortlessly raise more money and make it easier for your donors to say “yes”!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
May 25, 2020 • 37min
surviving founders with Susanna Kislenko
Having become a parent, I now understand how hard it is for parents to let go of their babies. When my boys are not with me, I worry about them all the time. But I’m also learning that controlling them is not empowering them to carve their own paths. There's a fine line between love and control. That same fine line exists at our workplace. Sometimes, founders and leaders of organizations can't let go of what they created, and they hold onto so much control and end up jeopardizing the long term health of the organization. This is what’s called the founders' syndrome. It's a very tricky problem to resolve and can cause a lot of emotional stress. That's why we are tackling this difficult but necessary topic with Susanna on today's podcast episode. Susanna Kislenko will share with us her insights on how to survive founders’ syndromes if you're an employer, and how to prevent yourself from slipping into patterns of over-controlling if you're a founder.Oh, and by the way, you can have founder's syndrome even if you’re not a founder! If you've dealt with or are actively struggling with founders' syndrome, I want to acknowledge how difficult this is. Be gentle with yourself, and know that there’s the support you can seek.For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
May 18, 2020 • 34min
Mastering your Theory of Change with Lisa Watson
If I go for a short run this morning, then I will feel energized throughout the day and be healthier in the long term. This was my mental cue that got me up at 5:30 am today. This has been my personal theory of change for the past 5 years, since I started running. Put simply, a theory of change is an “If… then…” scenario. If I do this, then this will happen. But for some reason, when it comes to the theory of change for our organizations, things get messy. Different people at the table will have different opinions. Peeling off layers of complexity in our organizations can provoke some uncomfortable conversations. More often than not, theory of change becomes a document covered in dust on a shelf. But if I didn't think running would give more fuel for the day and make me healthier, why would I get up so early for it? By that same logic, if we are not clear about why we do what we do, how could we show up with our best selves? This is why I'm delighted to share with you today's podcast with Lisa Watson, co-founder and lead strategist from Openly. Lisa and her team have done some incredible work helping nonprofits to clarify their theory of change and communicate them in creative, meaningful ways. Give a listen, and may we all be on track towards the changes we want to make in the world!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
May 11, 2020 • 42min
community development and grant writing with Stachen Frederick
I took a deep breath. Feeling a bit nervous, excited and scared, I pushed the button and hoped for the best. If you think I’m talking about playing a slot machine, you’re not that far off. Isn’t this how we feel every time we hit the “submit” button for a grant? Everybody tells you to do it, but there is no guarantee or any indication of certainty that you’ll get it. This was certainly true for me when I started my fundraising career! I’ve had so many clients and friends in the sector ask me whether they should outsource their grant writing. I get it. If someone can just show up and magically lift us off from the burden of writing grants, that would be so wonderful. This is why I'm so excited to share today’s podcast, where grant writer, coach, and community developer Stachen Frederick tells us her secrets on writing successful grants (with a unique spin). Stachen wants you to be writing less grants but getting way more out of every one of them, including the impact of bringing your community together in the process. Give it a listen!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
May 4, 2020 • 39min
wearing many hats with Rachel Bearbower
How we do our work is just as important as what we do. But we don’t talk about this enough at work. We get so busy. But are we productive? I’m so excited to talk to my friend Rachel Bearbower from Small Shop Strategies about this topic on this week’s episode of the podcast.If you are feeling overwhelmed by your long to-dos, or you are looking for a Monday energy boost, take a break and take a listen. You will walk away with some practical tips that you can implement today. And if you enter our special contest, you might win the very special Vault planner Rachel designed to help you maximize your productivity.For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
Apr 27, 2020 • 34min
See You On The Internet with Avery Swartz
I have heard such different stories from clients and friends. Some are having no problem working from home, as they’re able to access all of their files on the cloud. Some, however, are frustrated by databases and other tools that are crashing or are not functioning remotely at all. How organizations can remain relevant and resilient in the digital world is one of the biggest learnings for our sector during this pandemic. This can be an overwhelming topic. Technology is not always easy to use. That’s why our guest on this week’s podcast, Avery Swartz, wrote a book about all things internet for you. Avery wants you to save your energy and time to focus on your important work and mission, and not to lose any sleep worrying about technology or digital marketing. Give a listen and start your week with something refreshing!For access to the show notes and resources, click here.Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)Support the show
