Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Have you ever hired someone you thought would be great, but realized you made a huge mistake within the first few weeks or months?  You are not alone – lots of people have made this mistake. Which is why part two of this episode explores everything to do once you post the position. We’ll uncover some of the secrets to determining if a person can actually do the job and ways to make your next hiring process more inclusive.

Most executives are often able to go back and say this, including myself: My biggest success and my greatest failures have all been about the people I have hired. The lessons I have experienced over my career have helped me develop  5 mind shifts that can help us change and improve the way we think about hiring.

Nonprofit accounting expert, Tosha Anderson, shares lessons and advice for maximizing your nonprofit’s accounting efficiency. She offers insights on best practices for accounting staff, effective software solutions, and aligning your accounting function as your nonprofit grows.

About six months ago, we asked folks to email in their pressing questions. Of course, we responded to each question in real-time, but we also saved the best questions to answer on the air. So in this very special solo podcast episode, we answer four questions that are as old as the nonprofit sector itself!

I believe that every nonprofit should launch its own podcast, and so does this episode’s guest. There simply could not be a more intimate way to connect with hundreds or even thousands of supporters, prospective volunteers and prospective donors every week.  Through a podcast, your organization can promote its mission, tell its story and significantly expand its base.   Matthew Passey is widely known as The Podcast Consultant because he has helped clients generate over 20 million podcast downloads! At a time when very few nonprofits have jumped on this podcasting bandwagon, now is the time for your organization to start one.

Every nonprofit (and every nonprofit funder) wants to focus on collaboration opportunities.  Traci Stanley and Joshua Fulcher are on the forefront of nonprofit partnerships and are the driving forces behind the Chicago Benchmarking Collaborative. The collaborative is an alliance of seven education and human service agencies that collectively work with more than 12,000 low-income individuals throughout some of Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods. The collaborative developed a set of common outcomes and a technology blueprint to track and benchmark metrics. The collected data is used to design and implement strategies for measurably better outcomes. The CBC recently published a how-to guide to its methodology, Increasing Mission Impact Through Collaboration: Chicago Benchmarking Collaborative Processes and Toolkit.   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:30) The founding goal of the Chicago Benchmark Collaborative. (5:10) Overcoming resistance to collect and share more data. (6:10) Using this data to benchma

Arlene Cogen shares her guidance getting the largest contributions from donor-advised funds. Arlene is a financial planner with more than 20 years of experience in the trust and investment services industry but also a considerable background in nonprofit fundraising and administration. She guided the nation’s 9th largest community foundation for over a decade and authored her book, Give to Live, Make a Charitable Gift that you Never Imagined.   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (1:55) Arlene explains how her daughters inspired her to leave Wall Street and transition to a career in the nonprofit sector. (5:40) How people transition from a “gain as much money as I can” mentality to a philanthropic one. (6:40) How donor-advised funds make philanthropy easier, more fun, and provide anonymity. (10:10) The three ways to get access to donors advised funds without knowing who the donors are. (13:10) The importance of connecting to your local community foundation’s donor relationship team and respecting boundaries.

France Hoang has some pretty amazing credentials. France is a serial entrepreneur trading in everything from jets to law firms to coworking space to technology for nonprofits. So you may be asking, “Why is this for-profit guy on a nonprofit podcast?” The answer is simple: This West Point grad, Army Ranger and serial entrepreneur understands how to build and strengthen organizational culture better than anyone else. He’s led teams in combat, on peace keeping missions, in the office and the board room. Oh yeah, and he also founded a company called boodleAI to help nonprofit supporters data mine their own social media and fundraise better. *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:58) France explains why he went directly from West Point to Ranger School (3:35) The leadership skills France learned at West Point and Ranger School (11:18) How to develop culture-building experiences for your nonprofit team members (13:00) The importance of allowing team members to make mistakes (17:26) How to “hire right” for culture fit

Appreciative inquiry is a strengths-based approach to facilitating positive change in human organizations. Dolph talks with two seasoned practitioners of this method, Jeanie Cockell and Joan McArthur-Blair, about the intersection of hope, despair, and forgiveness that leads to resilience. Lots of inspiration ahead!   Links: Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry: A Leadership Journey through Hope, Despair, and Forgiveness https://www.amazon.com/Building-Resilience-Appreciative-Inquiry-Leadership/dp/1523082550 First Section of Book: https://www.bkconnection.com/books/title/Building-Resilience-with-Appreciative-Inquiry Nautilus Book Awards: http://nautilusbookawards.com/ Joan and Jeanie’s Website: https://cockellmcarthur-blair.com/   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:24) The hardest piece of resilience is forgiveness (3:05) If you can’t forgive, forgive what you can (9:40) Joan’s poem about forgiveness (14:45) A (short) stop at despair (16:02) Systemic despair (20:49) Moving forward with hope, the be

We take a deep dive into nonprofit growth with Maurya Couvares, founder of Code Nation, formerly known as ScriptEd. Having successfully grown ScriptEd from $0 to $3 million in under five years, Maurya gives us the scoop on what that phenomenal growth entailed. Spoiler alert: data collection and deep impact with fundraising are key! Links: ScriptEd’s site: https://scripted.org/ ScriptEd’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScriptEdOrg?lang=en ScriptEd’s annual reports: https://scripted.org/annual-reports/ Maurya’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MauryaCouvares?lang=en Maurya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauryac/   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (3:14) Maurya’s expectations for ScriptEd’s Growth (4:58) What ScriptEd does (7:12) Three Ps: Passion, Partnerships, Program (9:29) Mo levels, mo expenses (10:19) Do the hustle! Maurya’s approach for funds (12:34) Deep thinking, low-cost (16:45) The theory of change and the metrics pyramid (18:49) Talk about growth – less than 1% to 73%! (19:47) Translate impact

9/11 and her daughter’s outrage were the inspiration for Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen to pick up a copy of Nonprofits for Dummies and launch Give an Hour, her Craigslist-style nonprofit that links volunteer mental health service providers with those who need them. Join Dolph and Barbara as they discuss the background and lessons learned in the creation of Give an Hour, as well as newly formed The Campaign to Change Direction, Barbara’s recent project. *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:27) Give an Hour because Barbara felt the 9/11 tragedy was enough (6:45) How Barbara used the Craigslist model to build her nonprofit (12:40) How Give an Hour functions as a 100% virtual nonprofit  (16:04) The transition into a virtual workplace (19:10) Culture is important! (20:33) A challenge with the virtual workplace model (22:10) From ED to CEO/Founder – how Barbara owned her leadership role (24:54) The Campaign to Change Direction, a collective impact initiative (26:31) Inner Space: Barbara’s podcast (29:02) And yes, Barbara p

Dolph talks with Evan Marwell, successful serial entrepreneur, about his move into the nonprofit world with the creation of EducationSuperHighway. Evan compares and contrasts his experiences starting for-profit companies with the startup of a nonprofit organization.   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:20) The wifi problem that launched EducationSuperHighway (4:30) F.E. #1 – Learning from Bold Endeavors by Felix Rohatyn (6:00) F.E. #2 – Expanding a school’s bandwidth for technology (7:45) F.E. #3 – Bringing the tech issue center stage (White House) (9:35) America’s CTO lets Evan in on a government secret (shhh!) (12:23) How Evan ran his nonprofit like a startup (18:42) A project-oriented team is KEY! (20:56) Gauging commitment to allocate tasks (22:24) Working with a sense of urgency (23:25) You MUST recruit the people that are invested in your mission (25:39) A Big Bold & Finite Goal: Go out of business by 2020 (28:25) Preaching “planned obsolescence” to avoid mission creep (35:15) Evan’s entrepreneuria

Dolph talks with Joe Vella, former Director of Corporate Giving at Macy’s, to learn how nonprofits can position themselves for corporate gifts in an era of more restricted giving. *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:10) A happy accident: How Joe began community engagement (4:50) Massaging the numbers fairly, judiciously, and strategically (9:36) Securing funds from a corporation by showing tangible results (11:48) Cause marketing vs corporate giving (13:32) Doing your homework BEFORE you approach a corporation for funding (17:26) Tips to increase your chances of receiving funding (18:36) Trust me, a tour can show a LOT (21:35) Appreciating every single dollar of a contribution (22:46) The icing on the cake to your ask – proposing an offer they can’t resist (25:44) Storytelling for the win! (26:53) What to do if you when a corporate funder declines (27:56) Postcards, postcards, and more postcards! Links: Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-vella-9172303/ Macy’s website: https://www.macys.com/

In Part Two of his Mini Program Planning Series, Dolph outlines the steps to set goals, track program outputs vs outcomes, secure initial funding, and obtain sustaining funding. He also throws in a few out-of-the-box ideas to consider and shares a real-deal timeline for program planning.   Links: Lean more about the MVP (Most Viable Product) in episode 106   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:41) Outputs vs. outcomes, and examples that help you remember the difference (6:13) How will you measure outputs and outcomes? (7:13) Where are you going to put your collected data? (9:00) Look close to home for your first source of funding (10:52) An approach for sustainable funding that sets you up for success (11:47) Can you earn some income? (13:51) The long game: planned giving (15:16) O-O-B idea #1: MVP (minimum viable product) (16:00) The merits of the MVP approach   (17:14) O-O-B idea #2: test it first (18:49) O-O-B idea #3: outsource first (20:04) True expectations timeline

Flood waters of Biblical proportions have forced Dolph to go solo for a few podcast episodes! It’s all good, as Dolph kicks of a Mini Program Planning Series today. In part one, Dolph provides step-by-step check points of the crucial components involved in creating a successful program plan.   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (3:19) Dolph’s cautionary tale about program design  (8:37) Back to the drawing board (10:52) 1st step: figure out what need your program is going to address. (11:30) Identifying data sources to establish need (15:03) 2nd step: define the program or service are you going to provide. (16:22) You’ll need a program planning group, and here’s why. (19:04) 3rd step: figure out the logistics – including the who, where, when, and everything in between. (20:15) 3a: outreach (21:10) 3b: put partnerships on paper (21:59) 3c: staying on the right side of the law (23:12) 3d: put together a documentation plan (23:55) 3e: hammer out auxiliary services – what they are, who will provide them, and what t

Board builder Rob Acton joins us to discuss specific strategies and tactics to optimize your board. He offers actionable tactics that you can implement today. Acton, founder of Cause Strategy Partners, discusses the three categories of tactics: making better use of board meeting, treating board members as individuals not “the board” and reshaping board culture. ****Timestamped Highlights***** (10:00) Designing board meetings that are not snooze fests (11:30) An alternative to simply reading the Executive Director’s report (13:30) The “Plus, Delta, Question” exercise every executive director can use with their board (17:00) The power of generative questions (21:40) Building the strategic dashboard your board needs (28:00) Uncovering the unique strengths of board candidates (33:15) Rob’s advice for nonprofit board candidates to consider (35:45) The amount of time a board candidate should expect to volunteer each month.   Links: Cause Strategy Partners: http://causestrategypartners.com/ Robert’s Twitter: http:/

In part one of his episode, Kevin Chase shared the importance of honing your professional development to prepare for a director-level job. In part two, Kevin discusses how resume building, negotiation skills, and your personality can help you secure the executive-level position you’ve been after.     Links: Kevin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinscakesla/?hl=en Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-chase-8a9a23/ Kevin’s Firm, Kevin Chase Executive Search Group: www.kevinchasesearch.com See Kevin’s current searches: http://kevinchasesearch.com/current-searches/ Kevin’s Appearance on Season 1, Episode 2 of Nailedit! : www.netflix.com   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (2:26) How to stand out from the crowd (4:05) It’s all in the sauce (5:21) Kevin shares the recipe for job burnout (9:44) When Kevin knew he could not fix his fit (13:15) Do’s and don’t’s of resume writing (17:12) Pro tip: Start your resume with an executive summary (18:57) Negotiation advice - be thorough but reasonable (

Guess who’s back… back again! Executive Search Consultant Kevin Chase returns to our podcast for a two-part episode. In part one, Kevin walks us through how to better position yourself for an executive-level job. A tip: Start by building your skills and investing in your professional (and personal) development. Links: Kevin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinscakesla/?hl=en Kevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-chase-8a9a23/ Kevin’s Firm, Kevin Chase Executive Search Group: www.kevinchasesearch.com See Kevin’s current searches: http://kevinchasesearch.com/current-searches/ Kevin’s Appearance on Season 1, Episode 2 of Nailedit! : www.netflix.com   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (3:51) Gale Goodheart wants to save the world, but how, Kevin? (6:21) There’s no such thing as a unicorn (exec), so stop hunting! (8:51) How Kevin once got world class marketing support for an organization (12:23) The 85/15 Rule – Balancing the Now and Next (15:00) The resources you need to build your skills are

Nonprofit fraud is the topic of this conversation with Tiffany Couch, CEO of Acuity Forensics. Sharing true stories of fraud found in her book, The Thief in Your Company, Tiffany breaks down what fraud looks like, who is likely to do it, and how to prevent it from happening to your organization. Links: Tiffany’s Book: The Thief in Your Company https://www.amazon.com/Thief-Your-Company-Organization-Financial-ebook/dp/B01NH5OH4K Tiffany’s firm: www.acuityforensics.com Stop Nonprofit Fraud: www.stopnonprofitfraud.com Link for discount code for Stop Nonprofit Fraud: https://www.acuityacademy.com/dolph   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (4:18) The emotional costs of fraud (5:23) The top 3 most-trusted individuals in the organization  (6:38) Great! You have an employee you like that well, BUT… (9:09) Ego problem or fraud? (9:52) Skimming schemes and the priest who stole from the church (15:12) How limited resources factor into fraud (16:06) Pardon my French…but review the damn bank statement! (21:58) Locking down

Brad Wolff, author of the bestseller, People Problems? How to Create People Solutions for a Competitive Edge, joins Dolph to deliver an important lesson: all problems are people problems. Walking us through his origin story, Brad shares the experiences and lessons that have helped him understand that solving any organizational problem starts with taking an honest look at your people – especially yourself! Links: To learn about Habit Technologies, email Brad: bwolff@peoplemaximizers.com Free ebook Maximize Your People, Productivity, and Profit: https://peoplemaximizers.com/maximize-profits PeopleMax: https://peoplemaximizers.com/ Brad’s book People Problems? How to Create People Solutions for a Competitive Advantage   *****Timestamped Highlights***** (4:18) Somewhere between birth and walking… (6:40) Doing it wrong > Doing it right: What Brad learned as a recruiter (9:05) Guess what? The most successful leaders are open to getting better! (10:53) Low turnover rates may not be a bragging point (13:28) The no