Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Who would think that for-profits and nonprofits could go together like peanut butter and jelly? Today’s guest, Angela Hughey, did! Join us as we explore the hybrid organizational model through the case study of ONE Community and see if the hybrid model might work for you!

The Restaurant Worker’s Community Foundation is only two years old and already has an annual revenue of $7 million from more than 15,000 donors. That’s 250,000% growth! A lot of their success is the result of a great communications strategy. We invited communications thought leader and RWCF board member, Michael Hamill Remaley, to the podcast to discuss the topic. You will definitely pick up tips for your own communications strategy!

Abra Annes tells a tale of two very different development offices. One of the organizations she gives to treats her like she’s a major donor. This smaller organization asked for her communication preferences, sent notes and offered a deeply personalized donor experience.  The larger organization, however, used the same thank you letter for ten gifts totaling over $180,000! They never sent a personal note, never called, never texted. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the donor’s perspective and learn ways your organization can be more nimble and effective at cultivating and stewarding donors.

Here’s a commonly held myth in the nonprofit sector: A 501(c)3 cannot take part in advocacy work. In this episode, Tanya Tassi shares how nonprofits can safely and effectively advocate. Listen in and start creating that lasting change you already work so hard for!

Today we have a special reverse episode with Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta. Earlier this year, Dolph was featured on the Pro Bono Partnership Atlanta Podcast with Sireesha Ghanta and Robyn Miller. The episode released last week on SoundCloud. Check it out and learn about mission creep: what it is, how to avoid it, and what to do if you want to expand your mission.

Every nonprofit leader dreams of achieving and maintaining financial sustainability, and every good board member knows that fiscal stewardship is one of their sacred duties.  To explore the roles your board treasurer and banker play in sustainability and fiscal stewardship, we speak with seasoned board member, nonprofit tech entrepreneur and extraordinary banker, Chad Wolver. In this episode you will discover: What your nonprofit should look for in its next board treasurer The key financials your board should monitor The many ways your banker can help you (beyond depositing your donor checks) And more!  

With COVID and a budding recession, people around the world are stressed out about their jobs. If you have a job, you want to make sure you keep it. And if you lost your job, you want to find your next one as quickly as possible. For many people, both can feel beyond your control. Today's guest is extraordinary career coach, Gary Hines. Gary shares actionable tips you can take to keep the job you have or find your next one. Listen in and take control of your career!

Sherry Quam Taylor says it’s time to push against common fundraising misconceptions and start telling donors what your nonprofit really needs! Do your staff need raises? Tell your donor! Do you need a technology upgrade? Tell your donor! Do you need to funnel a little extra money into fundraising this year? Tell your donor! Listen in on our conversation with Sherry to learn how actually sharing the nitty-gritty of what you need can help your organization double or even triple its incoming donations. Get tips for building your needs-based budget and how to confidently share it with your donors so that you don’t leave any money sitting on the table!

If you Google “workplace stress”, a plethora of data appears at your fingertips. The American Institute of Stress notes that job stress is the largest source of anxiety for Americans, and that it is escalating. In fact, job stress and burnout have become so common that the World Health Organization recognized it as an occupational syndrome in 2019! So if you’re feeling stressed and burned out, you certainly are not alone. What studies show again and again is that stress and burnout aren’t about the individual or about the job itself. So what can leaders do to ensure their organizations are healthy, happy places to work? Natasha Wallace, author of The Conscious Effect: 50 Lessons for Better Organizational Wellbeing, is an expert on training leaders to transform their workplaces. Listen in to hear lessons learned from her own burnout story and get actionable tips to help you create a healthier, less stressful workplace.

We all want to know how we can increase our donations, and these days we especially want to know how to increase our online donations. According to Brady Josephson with NextAfter, this all starts with understanding why donors give - - - and why they decide to not give. Join us for today’s discussion about why donors do (or do not) give and get actionable tips that can help you unlock your greatest online giving potential.

A few weeks ago we postponed our regularly scheduled episode and asked Listeners to amplify black voices that week instead. Shortly after, nonprofit accountant extraordinaire, Germeen Guillaume, reached out to me to discuss the diversity, equity, and inclusion issues she sees plaguing the nonprofit sector.  Listen in as we consider the bias that exists in nonprofits, for POC and the sector as a whole, and steps we can all take in our organizations to better live our DEI values, serve our communities more effectively, and lead by example.

What would you do if your online donations quintupled? Well, write down those ideas because with us today is Shane Michael, a website and fundraising guru. He and his organization, Mittun, have helped hundreds of clients increase their online donations and today he shares two tips that are proven to help increase your online donations.

Small and medium-sized nonprofits face unique fundraising challenges and all too often overcompensate in ways that can cause lasting damage. Today’s guest, Patton McDowell, is not only a nonprofit podcast sensation himself, but a fundraising expert. Patton shares 4 simple tips to accomplish efficient and effective fundraising: adopt an achievable fundraising strategy, use positive messaging,  properly engage your board and executive director, and keep your development staff happy. Listen in for details on how you and your nonprofit can achieve each of these and improve your fundraising outcome!

Are you tired of how your nonprofit manages its data? Are you considering adopting a new, or perhaps your first, CRM? Then today’s episode is for you! Maureen Wallbeoff is an expert in both nonprofits and the technologies that help them thrive. Today she shares tips to help you love your next CRM. When you listen in you will hear how to select a CRM, how to make the change successfully, and a few recommended CRMs that are affordable and effective for small and medium-sized nonprofits.

We don’t need to tell you that COVID-19 has created, well, a lot of challenges.  But today’s guest, Joan Garry, also points out that it has created a lot of opportunity in that it has given us the gift of time.  By using this time to creatively engage donors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders, she suggests you can come out stronger “on the other side.”  So listen in for tips and ideas on how to create high touch engagement while staying socially distant.

“What’s a reverse podcast?”    Earlier this year, Patton McDowell interviewed me for his podcast, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. He released the episode on his feed last week, and I’m releasing his episode on the Successful Nonprofits Podcast feed with Patton’s permission.   Patton interviews me about how to best engage your board members and build your organization in these challenging times.  We discuss board development, fundraising tactics you can incorporate into your development plan, and two things every nonprofit should invest in right now.    We close our conversation with some great – and specific – productivity tips that I've developed during my years as a consultant and nonprofit CEO, as well as several online and book resources that you’ll definitely want to check out!

Looking to shake up your fundraising strategy?  Then get some inspiration from a political campaign!  I know, I know.  You’re probably thinking that political and nonprofit fundraising are worlds apart.  And you are right, there is no doubt that they are very different. But there is also no doubt that we have much to learn from each other.  Today’s guest, Perry Monastero, has successfully raised funds for both politicians and nonprofits.  So listen in for ideas to shake up your own nonprofit’s fundraising strategy.

Trauma is all around us, especially right now.  It doesn’t matter your age, income level, color, gender, political ideology, religion, or nationality.  Trauma affects everyone.  The very nature of nonprofit work assures that we regularly, if not daily, encounter colleagues and clients who have experienced trauma.  So what can you do to make sure that you and your organization respect and empower people who have faced, or are facing, trauma? Here to answer that important question is Kate Daugherty, a leader when it comes to trauma-informed care.  Today, Kate teaches us how trauma and stress impact our brains and a few trauma-informed techniques that can not only bring back balance, but also improve your organization’s bottom-line.  So get ready to put your own amygdala aside, activate your prefrontal cortex, and take some radical steps toward a trauma-informed culture.

Instead of bringing our regularly scheduled episode on Trauma Informed organizations with Kate Dougherty, I am using the podcast to focus on the tragic killings that have thrust Black Lives Matter into the headlines and to amplify black voices. Looking back on New Year's Eve, who among us thought that we would be where we find ourselves today? That a pandemic would sweep across the globe. That the pandemic would lay even more bare the disparities between people who are white and people who are black and brown? That our nation would finally erupt in protests and our elected President would encourage those protesters be dominated with troops, tear gas, bullets, and dogs. As a person with privilege, I’ve added my presence at Black Lives Matter protests and added my voice among those calling for justice and equality. But over the past week, I am also reminded of the importance of making the space for black voices and our role in amplifying those voices. Now is a time to amplify black voices, listen to those voice

Is your next annual gala at risk of being canceled due to COVID-19? Well then listen in before you do anything!  As today’s guest, Dean Crownover, points out, virtual fundraising events are working like gangbusters!  So join us to learn how virtual fundraising events are structured, what you can expect to spend, what you can expect to earn, and the best practices you can adopt to make your next fundraising event a virtual success.