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The Nonprofit Show

American Nonprofit Academy

The Nonprofit Show is the nation’s daily broadcast for the business side of nonprofits — bringing you practical insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies to help your organization run smarter, lead stronger, and fund better.

Each weekday, our co-hosts and guests break down the most current topics in fundraising, board governance, leadership, staffing, technology, communications, and financial strategy — giving nonprofit professionals the tools they need to build sustainable, high-performing organizations.

With more than 1,500 episodes and growing, our on-demand library is a trusted resource for executive directors, team members, fundraisers, board members, and sector leaders who are ready to move beyond inspiration and into implementation.

🎥 Watch the daily show on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3A0Dqlw

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  • S7 · E53
    Thursday · 30 min

    charity: water’s Approach to Fundraising Data and Teamwork

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit revenue operations strategy starts with helping fundraisers succeed. Your operations team clears the report queue. Your fundraisers get their spreadsheets. Everybody’s busy . . . .but is the work helping fundraising move forward? Thomas Turner of charity: water reveals how a customer success approach can sharpen priorities, simplify data access, and strengthen donor relationships. Thomas, Vice President of Revenue Operations at charity: water, joins us to explore a different approach: make fundraising success the mandate for the team supporting it. That means agreeing with development leaders on the two or three priorities that deserve focused attention. A routine report might take longer because operations is building something that will save time or improve decisions across the team. The trick is making that tradeoff clear, and making it together! Discover how self-service analytics can give fundraisers useful dashboards and filters without requiring them to become CRM report writers. Thomas shares a geographic filtering example that replaces repeated requests with a few selections and an export. CRM adoption gets a refresh, too. Instead of selling staff on “more data,” connect documentation to a situation they recognize: inheriting donors with three years of missing relationship history. As Thomas puts it, “And so we do these things in service of the future.” The conversation also connects donor portfolio management with giving capacity, project sponsorship, and longer-term partnerships. Thomas describes a target of around 150 major donors per portfolio and recommends measuring internal service before a culture shift, then repeating the survey after three or six months. For context, Thomas reports that charity: water has served 22.1 million people with clean water, with roughly 700 million still without it. He also explains its 100% model: public donations fund water projects, while separate supporters fund operations. Key Takeaways: - Set two or three shared operational priorities with fundraising leaders. - Replace repeat report requests with usable dashboards and filters. - Explain CRM documentation through donor continuity and portfolio transitions. - Treat fundraisers’ relationship insights as inputs to engagement analytics. - Establish a service baseline and reassess after three or six months. 00:00:00 Revenue Operations: Helping Fundraisers Succeed 00:01:57 charity: water’s Mission and Scale 00:02:53 The 100% Model and Funding Operations 00:04:51 Donor Portfolios and Moves Management 00:07:01 From Project Sponsorship to Multi-Year Partnerships 00:08:51 Self-Service Analytics for Fundraisers 00:11:21 Building a Partnership Around Fundraising Data 00:14:34 Defining Internal Customer Success 00:17:10 Choosing the Priorities That Move Fundraising Forward 00:18:47 CRM Adoption and Protecting Donor History 00:20:58 Portfolio Targets and Measuring Culture Change 00:24:29 Fundraiser Insights and Donor Engagement Scores #TheNonprofitShow #FundraisingOperations #charitywater Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E52
    Wednesday · 31 min

    Before Your Nonprofit's Budget Fails Again, Give Your Team a Voice!

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit budgeting beyond the annual budget starts with a surprising shift: stop treating the numbers as a deadline and start using them to guide decisions! Peyton Burch of Martus Solutions and John Tiso of JMT Consulting explore how shared ownership, stronger revenue assumptions, and ongoing forecasting can turn budget season into a leadership advantage. “We don’t have the budget!!!.” Conversation over. Idea shelved. Everyone back to their spreadsheets. But what if that familiar response is hiding the problem your nonprofit actually needs to solve? Peyton and John challenge the annual scramble to produce a budget, secure approval, and move on. Their conversation connects nonprofit financial planning to the decisions leaders make every day: hiring staff, funding programs, responding to revenue changes, and keeping the board informed. As John puts it, “The budget is a mirror of the organization and the team and the processes and the systems.” When the numbers stop working, the underlying issue may be communication, data quality, or assumptions that nobody has revisited. The duo explain why revenue forecasting deserves closer attention, how financial literacy strengthens department-level participation, and why reforecasting should become a normal response to changing conditions. They also explore the cultural shift that happens when program managers understand how their decisions contribute to organization-wide financial goals. Peyton offers a memorable priority: “So the time needs to be spent in conversations and being strategic, not in building a budget spreadsheet.” There’s a milestone, too! Peyton announces that Martus has reached 1,000 customers using Sage accounting platforms, including 600 added over the previous three years, with JMT closing the 1,000th deal. Watch the full discussion for a fresh perspective on collaborative nonprofit budgeting, and bring this conversation to the people who build, approve, and work within your financial plan. Key Takeaways: - Test revenue assumptions; accurate expense estimates cannot compensate for unreliable income projections. - Make budget ownership a leadership responsibility shared across finance and program teams. - Build financial literacy so department managers understand the consequences of their assumptions. - Communicate funding and expense changes immediately, then reforecast as needed. - Reduce spreadsheet maintenance to create more time for analysis, collaboration, and mission decisions. 00:00:00 Stop Blaming the Nonprofit Budget 00:01:47 Budgeting, Reporting, and Financial Planning 00:04:16 Martus Announces 1,000 Sage Customers 00:07:26 Turn Financial Technology Changes Into Growth 00:11:24 Why Budgets Fail: Revenue Assumptions and Ownership 00:14:16 Move Beyond the Once-a-Year Budget 00:15:48 Financial Literacy and Department Participation 00:17:06 Build a Culture of Collaborative Budgeting 00:19:39 Structure the Budget Process Into Manageable Steps 00:22:10 Connect Leadership, Finance, and Program Goals 00:24:02 Shared Assumptions, Trust, and Strategic Conversations 00:26:55 Communicate Changes and Reforecast Promptly #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitBudgeting Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E51
    Tuesday · 29 min

    Planned Giving for Nonprofits: The “Department of No” Could Save Your Next Big Gift

    Send us Fan Mail A donor offers land. Wonderful! Then comes a condition: your nonprofit must farm it for the next 50 years! Suddenly, “thank you” needs a little company . . . Planned giving legal support for nonprofits can help turn complex donations into gifts your team is prepared to accept. Jamie Holzer White joined us to explore noncash gifts, donor confidence, and why bringing an attorney in early can keep generosity moving. Jamie, J.D., LL.M., Vice President of Legal Services at Crescendo Interactive, explains how legal expertise can help fundraising teams identify obligations, shape realistic expectations, and protect relationships before a promising gift gets tangled in surprises. When should counsel join the conversation? “And my answer is always early.” The opportunity extends well beyond cash. Jamie estimates that probably 90% of the gifts she encounters are noncash, with examples ranging from publicly traded securities and business interests to cryptocurrency and farming equipment. She also references Dr. Russell James’s research linking consistent securities giving with roughly six times the contribution growth of cash-only fundraising. But opportunity needs an operating system. Gift acceptance policies should help staff understand which assets the organization accepts, who approves them, what due diligence is required, and how receipt and liquidation work. Jamie recommends reviewing policies at least annually, with more frequent reviews where changing assets warrant attention. The conversation also explores independent donor counsel, concerns about paying donors’ legal fees, and ways local planned giving councils may connect nonprofits with legal expertise. Separate attorneys can support a shared goal: “They complement each other, but there are different interests that are being represented on both sides of the table.” Watch to discover how stronger preparation can help your team welcome generosity with confidence, and give the “Department of No” a more productive assignment. Key Takeaways: - Involve qualified counsel before donor expectations harden. - Define approvals, due diligence, and handling procedures for noncash gifts. - Preserve separate representation for donor and nonprofit interests. - Review gift acceptance policies annually; update sooner when needed. - Train staff and board members to communicate the gift process confidently. - Explore planned giving councils for legal connections and possible pro bono support. 00:00:00 Planned Giving: Who Belongs on Your Team? 00:02:19 Legal and Tax Expertise in Gift Planning 00:04:00 How Legal Support Helps Shape Complex Gifts 00:05:25 Major Gifts Beyond Cash 00:07:03 Noncash Gifts and Fundraising Growth 00:08:55 When to Bring an Attorney into the Conversation 00:11:49 Legal Costs, Donor Capacity, and Unhappy Heirs 00:13:24 Who Pays for the Donor’s Attorney? 00:16:33 Gift Acceptance Policies That Build Confidence 00:19:44 Policy Reviews and Team Training 00:22:21 Separate Attorneys, Shared Giving Goals 00:23:12 Finding Legal Support and Building Capacity #TheNonprofitShow #PlannedGiving #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E50
    Monday · 32 min

    Four Generations, One Nonprofit—and Everyone Wants to Be Heard

    Send us Fan Mail Managing multigenerational nonprofit teams takes more than a shared mission. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z bring different experiences to nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and daily operations. But assuming someone’s age tells you how they communicate (or whether they embrace technology) can send your management strategy sideways before the meeting even starts! Our Co-hosts, Tim Sarrantonio and Julia Patrick, explore how communication standards, clear decision ownership, and better feedback help four generations work together without turning every difference into a workplace showdown. The conversation gets wonderfully specific with a fish tank. Tim explains RACI—Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed—through his family’s fish-feeding responsibilities. Multiple people can perform tasks, but one person remains accountable for the outcome. Translate that to a campaign, board meeting, or finance deliverable, and suddenly “I thought somebody else had it” becomes much harder to hide behind. As Tim puts it: “And then once people understand the rules of communication, I think a lot of the friction goes away.” Julia shares a leadership approach that gives employees room to think: bring two or three possible solutions, then work through them together if support is needed. Tim also challenges overreliance on feedback scores and makes the case for listening long enough to hear what people actually mean. Their discussion connects staff retention, leadership access, and hybrid work to a fundamental human need. Tim points to the most important question: “I've worked for people younger than me, older than me, and really it comes down to, do you see me?” Key Takeaways: - Define communication channels before preferences become organizational friction. - Use RACI to distinguish task responsibility from final accountability. - Help employees make decisions by requesting two or three proposed solutions. - Combine feedback measures with conversation, observation, and patient listening. - Make leadership accessible while keeping decision authority clear. - Approach hybrid work through team needs and individual circumstances. 00:00:00 Four Generations, One Nonprofit Mission 00:01:29 Learning Across Generations Through Play 00:02:27 Generational Labels and Shared Experiences 00:04:44 Why Workplace Stereotypes Get in the Way 00:09:25 Set Communication Standards Before Friction Builds 00:12:34 RACI: Who Does the Work, Who Owns the Outcome? 00:15:50 Finding the Right Balance of Team Feedback 00:17:47 Beyond Feedback Scores: Listen and Observe 00:19:41 Help Employees Feel Safe Making Decisions 00:23:20 Give Teams a Place to Practice and Experiment 00:24:21 Staff Retention, Leadership Access, and Authority 00:26:12 Hybrid Work: Balancing Flexibility and Connection #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitTeamManagement Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E49
    October 1 · 31 min

    Philanthropy in the South: Investing in Women and Girls of Color

    Send us Fan Mail Funding women of color-led nonprofits in the South means looking closely at who receives philanthropic investment, and who keeps being overlooked. Carmen James Randolph of the Women’s Foundation of the South shares how funding, leadership support, and regional collaboration can build health, wealth, and power for women, girls, and gender-expansive people of color. These leaders are holding communities together. Is philanthropy giving them the resources to keep going and grow? Carmen explores the relationship between Southern generosity and unequal access to funding. Drawing on 28 years in philanthropy, she describes how racism, patriarchy, and judgments about “worthiness” can influence which organizations receive support. She also shares accounts from nonprofit leaders whose work appeared in funding proposals without resources reaching their organizations. For grantmakers, fundraisers, and boards, that raises a business question: are funding relationships strengthening the organizations doing the work? WFS approaches that challenge as a regional public foundation that raises and invests money, connecting donors with community organizations across the South. Leadership support is part of that investment. After opening in August 2021 and encountering Hurricane Ida within 30 days, WFS changed its approach to engaging exhausted nonprofit leaders. Care and connection came before another listening session. “What would freedom look like for you in your work?” Carmen recalls asking participants at a two-and-a-half-day retreat. Their responses helped shape WŌC @ Rest and ongoing capacity support. Carmen reports reaching 131 leaders across six states, with support addressing succession planning, effective teams, boards through crisis, messaging, and branding. “We have to think more collaboratively and understand that we’re all in this together,” she says. Watch to discover how regional relationships, more inclusive funding decisions, and investment in women of color leaders can strengthen nonprofit operations and community outcomes. Learn more about WFS at https://womensfoundationsouth.org. Key Takeaways: - Examine how funding criteria can overlook women of color-led organizations. - Ask foundation partners whom they fund—and whom they cannot fund. - Build capacity support around needs identified by nonprofit leaders. - Treat rest and peer connection as investments in leadership. - Align personnel policies with the values your organization promotes. - Connect leaders across states to exchange strategies and resources. 00:00:00 Regional Philanthropy and Community Change 00:01:52 Building Health, Wealth, and Power in the South 00:03:10 Why a Regional Foundation for Women of Color 00:05:40 Connecting Donors and Community Organizations 00:06:20 Building Organizational Values Into Personnel Policies 00:07:56 Hurricane Ida Changes WFS’s Approach 00:09:34 Rest and Connection as Leadership Investments 00:11:08 Capacity Support for 131 Leaders Across Six States 00:13:28 Generosity, Race, and “Worthiness” in Southern Philanthropy 00:17:30 Underinvestment in Women and Girls of Color 00:20:00 Shared Benefits, Donor Narratives, and Family Leave 00:27:02 Finding Overlooked Grantees and Following Through #TheNonprofitShow #WomenOfColor #Philanthropy Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E48
    September 25 · 27 min

    Year-End Fundraising Reality Checks: One Thumb Can Make It Or Break It!

    Send us Fan Mail How can you improve the year-end donor experience before the giving rush begins? Bloomerang Chief Marketing Officer Ann Fellman showed us where a donor’s path to giving can get difficult and what to do after the gift arrives! This Nonprofit Power Week finale follows the donor journey from campaign message to donation page to the first welcome. Ann asks teams to walk through their website and giving process with fresh eyes: Can a first-time visitor quickly understand what the organization does, where a gift goes, and what difference it makes? Does a recurring donor have an equally clear path? Then comes the thumb test. Pick up your phone, scan the QR code on a direct-mail appeal, and try to give one-handed. Tiny text, unexpected steps, or a difficult form can turn an interested donor’s moment of generosity into a frustrating errand. A small team does not need to rebuild everything before December 31. Ann recommends choosing one or two improvements with the greatest effect on the donation experience. As she puts it, “Pick one thing to do it and do it really well.” The work continues after someone clicks submit. Ann describes a young event attendee who made a $25 gift partly to see how the organization would thank her; she had more to give, but wanted to experience its response first. The lesson for fundraising teams is to plan the welcome, impact update, and next contact for every new donor, whether the first gift is $10 or $25. Ann also explains why a recognizable look, voice, and message should carry from direct mail and email through to the donation page. Donors may encounter only a few pieces of a campaign. Each one should help them know they are in the right place. Watch for a focused way to strengthen this giving season—and build the relationship that carries into the next. Key Takeaways - Test the full giving path as both a new and a recurring donor. - Use a phone and one thumb to check QR codes and donation forms. - Fix the one or two points most likely to stop a completed gift. - Segment messages around whom you want to reach and what they need to hear. - Plan the thank-you, impact update, and next contact before gifts arrive. - Keep campaign identity consistent across mail, email, ads, and landing pages. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Power Week finale 00:01:47 Ann Fellman on sharing sector knowledge 00:04:39 Why the giving season needs an after-gift plan 00:08:24 Test the donor journey before year end 00:10:07 Try the one-thumb donation test 00:11:56 Choose the fixes with the greatest donor impact 00:13:54 Segment messages before building the campaign 00:14:53 What a $25 gift can reveal about your welcome 00:18:10 Keep campaigns recognizable to donors 00:20:33 Connect mail, email, ads, and donation pages 00:23:28 Do one or two things well Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E47
    September 24 · 29 min

    You Got the Donation. Will You Keep the Donor?

    Send us Fan Mail How do you retain first-time donors after their first gift? An event can take months to produce. The room responds, new supporters give, and the team celebrates. That moment deserves celebration, but the donor journey has barely begun! . . . .“It’s just starting.” During Day 4 of Nonprofit Power Week with Bloomerang, James Goalder examines the follow-up, engagement, and measurement that keep a promising donor relationship moving. So what happens next? James urges nonprofits to send thanks quickly and address donors personally. He recalls donating $25 to more than 1,000 organizations as an experiment, then receiving correspondence addressed to “Dear Donor” or “Dear Friend.” A timely acknowledgment can still feel impersonal when the organization fails to use what it knows about the person who gave. He also challenges teams to offer engagement beyond another message. A tour or volunteer experience, where appropriate, lets supporters see the work behind the numbers they heard at an event. Those visits can deepen understanding and reveal interests that a donation record alone cannot show. When it is time for another conversation, James recommends looking across giving history, event participation, volunteering, capacity, and interest. That fuller picture can help a fundraiser decide whether a recurring gift or a larger individual ask fits the donor. Finally, James put donor retention rate on the leadership agenda. James shares cost estimates he has heard: about $1.30 to raise $1 from a new donor, compared with about 25 cents to raise $1 from an existing donor. He also recalls that only about 20% of a roughly 100-person conference audience knew their current retention rate. His point is direct: “If you’re not measuring it, you’re not going to pay attention to it.” Key Takeaways: Treat the first gift as the start of a managed relationship. Send prompt acknowledgments that use the donor’s name. Offer tours or volunteer experiences when the mission permits. Use participation and giving data to shape the next conversation. Track donor retention rate and discuss it with leadership and the board. Examine recurring giving alongside major-gift opportunities. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Power Week: From First Gift to Retention 00:01:51 Why the First Gift Starts the Relationship 00:04:08 How Quickly Should You Thank a Donor? 00:05:28 The Cost of “Dear Donor” 00:08:48 What Meaningful Donor Engagement Looks Like 00:10:32 Tours and Volunteering After an Event 00:17:38 Using Donor Data to Plan the Next Ask 00:22:34 Why Leaders Should Measure Retention 00:26:27 Growth Opportunities Among Existing Donors #DonorRetention #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E46
    September 23 · 29 min

    They Were Ready to Donate. . . . Then This Happened!

    Send us Fan Mail How can nonprofits improve donation conversion without losing sight of the donor relationship? During Day 3 of Nonprofit Power Week with Bloomerang, Kirsten Wantland examined what happens when someone is ready to give . . and what can still get in the way! Kirsten starts with a deceptively simple move: record how each donation came in. A supporter who has given digitally seven times may respond differently to a direct mail appeal than someone who regularly returns a mailed gift. That history can guide segmentation and help a team decide where a more costly channel deserves its budget. If your records are incomplete, Kirsten says you can begin tracking today and learn as the data builds. Then comes the ask itself. Donors can better picture their contribution when an appeal connects an amount to a clear purpose. Kirsten discusses giving ladders with examples at $50, $75, and $200 . . .and why descriptions beside those amounts matter more than a list of numbers alone. Specificity can reveal which part of the mission first draws a donor in. Over time, fundraisers can introduce that supporter to the organization’s broader work, including opportunities to provide unrestricted support. “The best thing you can do as a fundraiser is reduce the friction,” Kirsten says. The conversation turns to online donation forms, unnecessary decisions, payment options, and the steps that can interrupt a gift after a donor has decided to make it. The episode wraps with trust between appeals. Kirsten recommends showing donors what their support accomplished and making “kindness deposits” through updates and recognition. If the only message a supporter receives is another request for money, the organization misses a chance to build a lasting partnership. Key Takeaways: Record each gift’s channel so future appeals can reflect observed donor behavior. Start tracking now if historical records are incomplete. Connect suggested gift amounts to specific outcomes donors can understand. Use interest in a particular program as an entry point to a broader relationship. Review donation forms for extra decisions and steps that could interrupt completion. Report impact and recognize donor milestones between fundraising asks. 00:00:00 The Ask: Making It Easier to Say Yes 00:01:45 Track How Donors Choose to Give 00:02:47 Segment Appeals by Giving Channel 00:06:05 What If You Haven’t Tracked Gift Sources? 00:08:23 Make the Impact of Each Gift Specific 00:12:37 Specific Asks and Unrestricted Support 00:16:24 Remove Friction from Donation Forms 00:18:45 Give Donors an Easier Way to Pay 00:22:43 Earn Trust and Show the Receipts 00:24:23 Make Kindness Deposits Between Asks 00:26:05 Invite Donors to Participate #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitPowerWeek #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E45
    September 22 · 30 min

    The Nonprofit Trust Test: Build Credibility Before the Ask

    Send us Fan Mail How do you build donor trust online when supporters can research your nonprofit through websites, rating platforms, social media, and AI? On Day Two of Nonprofit Power Week, Katie Gaston, Director of Product Marketing at Bloomerang, explains how credibility, emotion, and evidence can turn donor consideration into confident action. Katie identifies two very different donor mindsets. One donor feels moved and wants to give immediately. That person needs a fast, friction-free path involving QR codes, mobile payments, and simple donation forms. The second donor studies the organization, reviews its leadership, examines its results, and compares outside sources before making a commitment. Serving both requires more than a compelling mission statement. Katie uses the classic modes of persuasion (ethos, pathos, and logos) to create a clear nonprofit trust strategy. Ethos establishes character and credibility. Pathos connects through emotion and human stories. Logos supplies the numbers and measurable results that support the organization’s claims. “Trust really comes from showing with evidence, not just telling a donor why they should give,” Katie explains. The conversion data makes this an operational issue. According to M+R Benchmarks, fewer than one in 50 website visitors completes a donation. Research cited during the conversation also indicates that impact messaging on a donation form can increase conversion by as much as 25%, while a visible security indicator can increase conversion by as much as 126%. Katie, and host Julia C. Patrick, also explore how inconsistent messaging and mass-produced AI content can weaken authenticity. Donors are already asking AI platforms about nonprofits, making it important to test what those platforms say, examine their sources, and ensure the organization’s website communicates a consistent story. Key Takeaways: Design separate pathways for immediate givers and research-oriented donors. Answer three website questions quickly: What do you do, why does it matter, and how can I help? Combine organizational credibility, emotional storytelling, and measurable results. Add impact messaging and visible security signals to donation pages. Test the website with people outside the organization instead of relying on internal assumptions. Ask AI platforms about your nonprofit and examine which sources shape their answers. 00:00:00 The Nonprofit Trust Test 00:02:19 Two Very Different Types of Donors 00:06:08 Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Fundraising 00:09:40 Three Questions Every Nonprofit Website Must Answer 00:10:36 Why Most Website Visitors Never Donate 00:11:11 Donation Page Changes That Lift Conversion 00:14:10 Consistency Builds Organizational Trust 00:16:34 When AI Content Weakens Authenticity 00:19:39 Communicating Trust Without Saying “Trust Us” 00:21:26 Test Your Website Instead of Assuming 00:23:45 What AI Is Telling Donors About Your Nonprofit 00:26:21 The Three-Part Trust Framework #DonorTrust #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E44
    September 21 · 29 min

    The True Beginning of Your Donor's Journey: Discovery and Trust

    Send us Fan Mail How do nonprofits attract and retain donors before the first gift is ever made? This is the first of a five-day Nonprofit Power Week journey with Bloomerang, moving from donor discovery and awareness into consideration, decision-making, retention, and the upcoming giving season. Day One starts at the beginning of the donor journey . . .Discovery, Awareness, First Impressions, and Trust. Emily Kelly, National Accounts Manager with Bloomerang, joins us to explore what happens before someone becomes a donor, and why nonprofit leaders should treat that early relationship as a business asset rather than simply chasing the next transaction. Emily puts it plainly: “The donation is just the transaction and then the relationship is the actual asset.” Potential supporters can discover an organization through social media, its website, an event, a friend, a volunteer experience, or word of mouth. That means there is no single magic communications channel. Different generations and individual donors may consume information very differently, making donor communication preferences and CRM segmentation increasingly important. The goal isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to understand “ . . .who already supports you, where you can reach them, what they care about, and how they prefer to engage.” Emily adds “You can't convert a donor that you can't reach.” The conversation also pushes nonprofits to rethink personalization. It isn't merely inserting someone's first name into an email. It means understanding whether a supporter prefers volunteering, events, direct giving, email, social media, mail, or another form of engagement—and recording those preferences so the organization can respond accordingly. That matters because communication that ignores a donor's preferences can weaken trust, while thoughtful interactions can make supporters feel recognized long before another ask arrives. Key Takeaways: Treat the donor relationship as the asset; the donation is one transaction within it. Start with existing supporters before pouring resources into constant donor acquisition. Identify your strongest donor demographics and build communications around how they actually engage. Use CRM segmentation to record communication preferences, interests, geography, events, and support behavior. Personalization means recognizing how someone wants to participate—not merely knowing their name. Make discovering, understanding, and supporting your organization easy from the very first interaction. 00:00:00 — Nonprofit Power Week Begins 00:03:51 — The First Impression Before the Gift 00:05:06 — The Relationship Is the Real Asset 00:06:12 — Reaching Different Generations of Donors 00:08:09 — Personalization Is More Than a First Name 00:11:37 — Stop Chasing Only New Donors 00:14:02 — Trust, CRM Segmentation and Better Donor Asks 00:22:35 — Make Giving Easy—and Build What Comes Next Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E43
    September 18 · 29 min

    The Fundraiser Is Gone . . .Will the Donors Follow?

    Send us Fan Mail Donor relationships when a fundraiser leaves can expose serious gaps in nonprofit ethics, succession planning, data security, and donor communication. When the development professional changes (but the donor’s trust remains) who is responsible for what happens next? On this Fundraisers Friday conversation, Julia Patrick and Tony Beall confront one of fundraising’s most uncomfortable transitions: whether donors should follow a fundraiser to another organization. Julia begins with the ethical baseline established by the Association of Fundraising Professionals: donor data and portfolios belong to the nonprofit. She also cites a striking sector concern . . .the average professional fundraiser may remain in a position for only about 19 months. That turnover makes donor-transition planning a business necessity, not a hypothetical exercise. Tony draws an essential distinction between responsibility and ownership: “We do that on behalf of, as the ambassador of, as the champion of—not as the owner of.” But organizational ownership of the database is only the first layer. Donor trust can be deeply personal, multigenerational, and connected to a fundraiser’s integrity. Corporate partners introduce another dynamic: they may value a fundraiser’s reliability, reporting, and responsiveness, yet their funding must still align with the new organization’s mission. The conversation moves directly into nonprofit operations: controlling CRM access, preventing unauthorized data exports, preparing donor communications, assigning interim relationship managers, and making introductions before a departing fundraiser leaves. Tony recommends a “no surprises” rule so important donors never discover a staffing change through LinkedIn. A respectful, documented transition plan protects the organization, the professional, and the donor! Key Takeaways: Donor records and portfolios are organizational assets—not employee property. Personal trust may follow a fundraiser even when donor data cannot. Every development department needs a ready-to-activate departure plan. Major donors should hear about staffing transitions directly from the nonprofit. CRM access and export permissions require immediate attention during departures. Portfolio decisions should serve the mission rather than individual goals or ego. 00:00:00 Fundraiser Turnover and the Donor Question 00:02:00 Who Owns the Donor Data? 00:06:43 Portfolio Competition, Goals, and Ego 00:09:08 When Donors Want to Follow a Fundraiser 00:12:44 Corporate Partners Change the Equation 00:15:21 Building the Fundraiser Exit Plan 00:18:02 CRM Access, Data Exports, and Integrity 00:22:58 The No-Surprises Donor Communication Rule 00:25:26 Hiring Pressure and the Fundraising Talent Pipeline #NonprofitFundraising #FundraisingEthics #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E42
    September 17 · 29 min

    How to Record In-Kind Donations—Without Costly Mistakes!

    Send us Fan Mail How to record in-kind donations for nonprofits is more than an accounting question . . .it reveals what programs truly cost and how much support the community contributes! Justine Townsend, Manager at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), explains how to value, document, report, and steward noncash gifts without distorting the books. Donated office space, food, equipment, vehicles, program supplies, graphic design, and certain professional services can represent significant organizational support. If a nonprofit would otherwise need to purchase the item or service, failing to record it may understate both revenue and expenses, and conceal the real cost of delivering the mission. Fair market value is where things become complicated. Food banks may use published food valuations, while donated office space may require comparisons with similar local properties. Donor estimates also deserve scrutiny. Justine recalls an advertising contribution valued at approximately $1 million (enough to nearly double one organization’s reported annual revenue) before the valuation methodology was challenged. “The finances are just our story told in a different way,” Justine explains. Accurate records support more than audits and Form 990 reporting. They strengthen budgeting, donor stewardship, vendor relationships, fundraising communications, and financial planning. The conversation also exposes a frequent operational failure: development teams negotiate in-kind support, but finance learns about it late—or not at all. A clear gift acceptance policy can establish what the nonprofit will accept, who approves unusual contributions, when appraisals or additional forms are needed, and whether the organization can actually use or sell the donated property. Volunteer support deserves attention too. Verified volunteer hours may support audit-note disclosures and show funders the depth of community participation. As Justine says, in-kind support helps tell “the story of how much the community loves, supports, needs and wants what you’re doing.” Key Takeaways: Record qualifying in-kind revenue and its corresponding expense. Use supportable market evidence—not an unquestioned donor estimate. Describe donated property on acknowledgments without assigning its tax value. Create a separate receipt process for noncash contributions. Connect development, finance, and donor stewardship before accepting gifts. Budget for donated resources so leaders understand replacement costs. 00:00:00 Why In-Kind Donations Really Count 00:02:13 What Qualifies as an In-Kind Donation? 00:04:00 When Donated Services Can Be Recorded 00:04:37 Valuing Free or Discounted Office Space 00:06:16 Who Determines Fair Market Value? 00:08:32 Event Discounts, Goods and Professional Services 00:10:21 Reporting, Stewardship and Form 990 00:13:34 Fixing the Finance–Development Disconnect 00:14:43 Tracking Volunteer Hours and Their Value 00:17:19 Valuation Mistakes and Gift Acceptance Policies 00:22:53 The Cost of Not Recording In-Kind Gifts 00:25:14 What Belongs on the Donor Receipt #NonprofitFinance #InKindDonations #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E41
    September 16 · 33 min

    What exactly am I responsible for if my staff is using AI?

    Send us Fan Mail AI governance for nonprofits is quickly becoming a management, finance, data security and leadership responsibility . . .not simply an IT conversation! Dr. Stephanie Rose-Belcher of JMT Consulting explains how nonprofit organizations can gain enormous efficiencies of AI without surrendering human judgment, accountability or control of sensitive organizational data. AI can accelerate everything from contracts and presentations to financial analysis and routine administrative work. Stephanie describes tasks that once required hours of formatting becoming dramatically faster with AI. But speed introduces a new business question: . . .who is responsible for the result? Stephanie’s answer is direct: “You are still accountable.” That matters when nonprofit employees begin experimenting independently with free AI tools. A grant manager, fundraiser or finance professional may see an easy way to analyze information without realizing they could also be moving organizational data into an environment leadership has never approved. As Stephanie puts it, AI governance rests on three connected elements: “ . . . people, technology and policy and process.” Organizations need to decide what AI tools are approved, what information may be entered, which uses are acceptable, how outputs will be validated, and where important workflows need to become standardized. The finance implications are especially important. If multiple employees independently create AI processes for the same accounting function, the organization may gain speed while losing consistency, traceability and auditability. AI-powered work still needs controls that allow someone to determine where an answer came from and how it was produced. And smaller nonprofits are not excused because enterprise software costs money. Stephanie recommends establishing an acceptable-use policy defining what information is public, private and confidential—even when the organization cannot yet purchase a secure enterprise AI environment! Key Takeaways: Human accountability remains with the employee and organization using AI. Build AI governance around people, technology and policy—not software alone. Audit how employees are already using AI before assuming you know. Protect donor, financial and organizational data from unauthorized AI use. Standardize important AI-assisted finance processes so results remain repeatable and auditable. Create an acceptable-use policy even when enterprise AI tools are outside the current budget. 00:00:00 — AI Is Already Inside Your Organization 00:02:27 — Who Is Responsible for AI Output? 00:05:36 — Accountability Still Belongs to You 00:08:17 — When Staff Use AI Without a Policy 00:11:26 — People, Technology and Policy 00:16:58 — Protecting Organizational and Donor Data 00:21:23 — Keeping Finance Work Auditable 00:25:39 — What Smaller Nonprofits Can Do Now Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E40
    September 15 · 29 min

    What MacKenzie Scott’s $4 Million Gift Changed at JobsFirstNYC

    Send us Fan Mail What should a nonprofit do after receiving a massive unrestricted gift? This is a rare look at what happens after the transformational check arrives. JobsFirstNYC President and CEO Marjorie Parker shares what happened after a surprise $4 million investment connected to MacKenzie Scott. Learn why receiving transformational money can create as many strategic decisions as opportunities. The story begins with an unexpected message from someone representing an unnamed investor. After significant due diligence and roughly two months of conversations, Parker learned JobsFirstNYC would receive $4 million . . . “unrestricted”. That word mattered! The gift gave the organization flexibility to strengthen operations, support longtime partners, develop internal capacity, rethink growth, and build a new five-year strategy. But Parker and her board did not simply begin spending. They asked harder questions: What should be invested? What should be preserved? Where could the organization expand responsibly? How should employees, partners, funders, and the community hear about the gift? “Growth actually requires sustained capital,” Parker explains. That became especially important because a transformational gift can create an unexpected fundraising problem: other donors may assume the organization no longer needs them. Parker describes one funder who postponed support for a year after seeing the size of the gift, while other new investors and communities discovered JobsFirstNYC because of it. The investment also helped JobsFirstNYC build a five-year growth strategy that supported expansion beyond New York into northeastern Pennsylvania and southern Nevada. The conversation also puts the organization’s mission into perspective. Parker discusses millions of young Americans ages 18–24 who remain disconnected from work or education and why changing labor markets make economic mobility increasingly urgent. Key Takeaways: Treat unrestricted capital as organizational trust, not permission to spend quickly. Give the board time to establish investment, spending, and governance priorities. Communicate internally so staff understand how major new resources will be used. Use flexible capital to strengthen operations and strategic capacity, not simply add programs. Major public gifts may attract new funders while causing existing donors to temporarily step back. Growth still requires sustained capital; one extraordinary gift does not eliminate future fundraising. 00:00:00 The $4 Million Nonprofit Story 00:02:23 JobsFirstNYC and America’s Future Workforce 00:04:29 How the Surprise Funder Contact Happened 00:07:08 The $4 Million Reveal 00:09:24 Confidentiality and the Board Chair 00:11:21 Why Unrestricted Funding Means Trust 00:13:54 The Board Asks: How Do We Use $4 Million? 00:17:27 Can a Huge Gift Hurt Future Fundraising? 00:20:36 Saying Yes — and No — to Growth 00:23:27 Marjorie’s Advice for Nonprofit Leaders 00:26:06 Reporting When the Funder Requires None 00:27:28 Stewarding Transformational Capital Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E39
    September 14 · 31 min

    Your Nonprofit Board’s Six-Hour Retreat Won’t Fix This

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit success planning may be a better fit for today’s volatile operating environment than the traditional three-year strategic plan. Jeffrey Wilcox, President and Chief Learning Curator at Third Sector Company, challenges nonprofit leaders and boards to stop treating planning as an event and start treating it as an ongoing organizational process. “Strategic planning is an antiquated term. What we really are talking about now is success planning,” Jeffrey says. That distinction changes a lot! Instead of organizing a plan around departments, fundraising, programs, governance, and other organizational functions, Jeffrey encourages nonprofits to identify the forces that will either lead them toward (or away from) success. That means defining the achievements the organization actually wants to create, understanding its role within the community ecosystem, listening to stakeholders, examining financing rather than simply fundraising, and being willing to confront uncomfortable organizational truths. Leadership transition becomes part of that strategy. Jeffrey explains why transitional leaders should not be viewed as nonprofit “substitute teachers” keeping operations moving until the next CEO arrives. Their job can be much larger: build organizational capacity, reduce future executive attrition, establish shared truth, challenge assumptions, build stakeholder buy-in, and prepare the runway for the organization’s next leader. “You are the runway. You are not the jet”, he adds. Third Sector Company typically views this intentional transition as roughly a 9-to-14-month process and not a quick executive search. Jeffrey also shares that its Interim Executives Academy has trained 850 nonprofit professionals across 47 states. The larger business lesson is provocative: planning should not end when the strategic plan is finished. Nonprofits operating amid changing funding, public policy, workforce expectations, community needs, and leadership turnover need a management process capable of learning and adjusting as conditions change. Key Takeaways: Shift organizational planning from functions and activities toward the forces that drive success. Define success before hiring the leader expected to deliver it. Treat planning as an ongoing management process—not a completed project. Establish “shared truth” using data, organizational reality, and stakeholder perspectives before choosing direction. Use transitional leadership to build capacity and create a stronger runway for the permanent successor. Expect meaningful leadership transition to require sustained work; Jeffrey describes a roughly 9-to-14-month process. 00:00:00 Rethinking Nonprofit Strategic Planning 00:02:26 The Leadership Succession Problem 00:04:26 Why Traditional Strategic Planning Falls Short 00:07:18 Strategic Planning vs. Success Planning 00:10:35 Better Questions Create Better Strategy 00:13:37 Rethinking Interim Leadership 00:19:08 Building the Transition Team 00:23:55 Leadership Transition as Capacity Building Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E38
    September 9 · 30 min

    Before You Ask for the Gift, Fix the Giving Experience!

    Send us Fan Mail A strong year-end fundraising strategy for nonprofits starts long before December—and before you write the first appeal. Melaina Chromy, Sr. Brand Marketing Manager at Bloomerang, explains how nonprofit teams can improve the donor journey, reduce giving friction, coordinate campaign channels, and prepare now for stronger year-end results. One of the first assignments is surprisingly simple: make a donation to your own organization! How many clicks does it take? Is the form easy to use on a phone? Does the donor immediately understand what their gift will accomplish? Can someone move naturally from a direct-mail appeal or email to the online giving page? As Melaina explains, “You have more flexibility when you don’t cram things down to the wire.” That means September is the time to establish the campaign goal, choose the central story, identify the audiences and channels, test the giving process, and get vendors such as printers and mail services on the calendar. October becomes production and refinement time rather than panic time. The conversation also challenges nonprofits to stop separating “traditional” and “digital” donors. Direct mail can lead directly to an online form through a QR code. Digital wallets matter beyond Gen Z. And donors increasingly expect giving to work with the same ease they experience when paying for everything else online. Then comes the part many organizations overlook: what happens after December 31? Melaina cites first-time donor retention at roughly 25% . . .a sobering reminder that acquisition without a follow-up strategy creates an expensive revolving door! Prompt thanks, impact reporting, and a clear first-time donor communication plan should therefore be designed before the year-end campaign even launches. GivingTuesday also does not need to become an entirely separate production. Melaina recommends using it as another opportunity to reinforce the same year-end story and campaign goal. Key Takeaways: Audit the complete giving journey before launching the campaign. Reduce clicks, mobile friction, and uncertainty on donation pages. Use previous campaign data to determine where donors actually respond. Build one cohesive story across mail, email, social, QR codes, and donation forms. Treat GivingTuesday as a reinforcement point rather than an automatic second campaign. Plan first-time donor thanks, retention, and impact reporting before December. 00:00:00 Year-End Fundraising Starts Now 00:02:21 Inside Bloomerang’s Giving Platform 00:05:43 Is It Too Late to Prepare? 00:06:16 Test Your Own Donation Experience 00:08:38 Connecting Direct Mail and Digital Giving 00:10:38 Find the Story Behind the Appeal 00:13:18 Reflecting Donor Identity in Fundraising 00:15:04 Let Campaign Data Choose Your Channels 00:19:04 The September-to-November Campaign Timeline 00:21:05 Campaign Cohesion Builds Donor Trust 00:22:22 Rethinking GivingTuesday 00:23:53 The 25% First-Time Donor Retention Problem 00:27:51 Can Your Technology Measure Retention? #NonprofitFundraising #YearEndFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E37
    September 8 · 30 min

    The “Always On” Leadership Trap

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit leadership stress can quickly become a business problem, affecting staffing, communication, decision-making and a leader’s ability to keep performing. We had a candid conversation about managing stress when seemingly everyone needs something from you, with Katie Warnock, President of Staffing Boutique. Katie knows the “always on” environment firsthand. Staffing Boutique works across nonprofit and education recruiting, where an ordinary day can include staffing emergencies, payroll issues, employee problems, client demands and unexpected calls beginning early in the morning and continuing into the evening. Her distinction between normal pressure and harmful stress is particularly important for nonprofit leaders: “The stress that you bring home and still stresses you out means it's probably harmful stress.” The conversation moves beyond burnout and into management. How much access should employees, candidates and clients have to a leader? Katie explains why she allows people to speak freely during difficult conversations, but also why she limits how long an unproductive conversation gets to consume her time. Technology creates another fascinating contradiction. For leaders trying to maintain a 24-hour response standard, efficiency tools can become both solution and source of stress. Katie and host Julia Patrick also cover the changing workforce expectations, leadership boundaries, exercise, information overload and the importance of intentionally creating periods when the brain isn't constantly consuming another email, podcast, notification or problem. The bigger business question is simple: if leadership capacity is depleted, what happens to everyone depending on that leader? Key Takeaways: • Persistent leadership stress can become an organizational performance issue, not simply a personal problem. • Leaders may need micro-boundaries when complete disconnection from work isn't realistic. • Difficult conversations require empathy—but they do not require unlimited access to a leader's time. • AI can eliminate major administrative burdens while simultaneously increasing communication volume. • Changing workforce attitudes toward stress and mental health are affecting recruiting and retention. • Protecting physical and mental capacity deserves a place in leadership planning—not whatever time happens to remain. 00:00:00 Why Nonprofit Leadership Stress Matters 00:01:29 Inside The Pressure Of Nonprofit Staffing 00:03:36 When Everyone Depends On The Leader 00:04:53 Recognizing The Physical Signs Of Stress 00:07:57 A Workforce Already Under Pressure 00:10:13 Can CEOs Really Set Work Boundaries? 00:12:07 Normal Stress Vs. Harmful Stress 00:13:16 Setting Limits On Difficult Conversations 00:17:08 Gen Z, Mental Health And Workforce Expectations 00:18:22 AI: Stress Reducer Or Stress Creator? 00:21:35 Protecting Time Instead Of Adding Work 00:26:05 Information Overload And The Value Of Quiet Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E36
    September 3 · 29 min

    Your Biggest Fundraising Mistake Might Happen Before Christmas!

    Send us Fan Mail Year-end fundraising strategy for nonprofits starts long before December. Ben Cooley, CEO of Maxwell & Marie, joins this Global Edition to explain how nonprofits can turn the holiday giving season into a carefully planned revenue opportunity, not a last-minute fundraising scramble. Ben's message is wonderfully direct: “Your resources are in your relationships.” That means successful fundraising can't depend only on an email blast sent when December arrives. The planning begins with a business question: What exactly are you raising money for? Finance, operations and program teams need to establish the target and purpose before the creative team develops the story and campaign. The conversation then moves into communication strategy—direct mail, email, text messages, personal calls, small donor gatherings and social media. Ben also urges nonprofits to design their stewardship workflow before the donations arrive: “Plan your thanking strategy.” And there's a significant timing issue. Ben cites a figure that 64% of online donations are made in the final two weeks of December, reinforcing why nonprofits need their campaigns ready well before donors reach peak giving mode. For organizations looking for a benchmark, he suggests one possible target of approximately 10–15% of the operating budget, connected to a clear program objective. The Santa hats may be having some fun, but the business lesson is serious: by December, your fundraising strategy should already be moving. Key Takeaways Begin internal year-end campaign planning well before the holiday season. Tie the fundraising goal to a specific, understandable program outcome. Build a coordinated campaign across direct mail, email, text, social and personal outreach. Treat relationships—not technology—as the underlying fundraising asset. Design the donor thank-you and follow-up journey before gifts begin arriving. Track outreach volume and conversion rates alongside total dollars raised. 00:00:00 Christmas Comes Early to The Nonprofit Show 00:02:30 Ben Cooley and Growing Nonprofits 00:04:14 Why Year-End Can Be the Biggest Fundraising Season 00:05:02 The Final Weeks of December and Donor Giving 00:09:46 How to Start Building the Campaign 00:11:37 Communication Waves, Direct Mail and Relationships 00:13:28 Plan the Thank-You Before the Donation 00:14:51 Why Fundraising Campaigns Need a Specific Ask 00:17:04 How Early Should Year-End Fundraising Start? 00:19:31 Giving Tuesday, Matching Gifts and Donor Fatigue 00:22:39 Don’t Stop Fundraising on Christmas Day 00:24:08 Setting a Year-End Fundraising Goal 00:25:19 Fundraising Is a Numbers Game 00:26:19 Building the Fundraising Roadmap Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • S7 · E35
    September 2 · 28 min

    Nonprofit Leadership: Creating Space for Better Thinking

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit leadership decision making can suffer when speed, productivity, email, technology, and constant activity leave little room for strategic thought. Evermay founding CEO Kate Goodall joins us to explore a counterintuitive leadership idea: sometimes the smartest way forward is to slow down. Evermay is creating what Goodall calls an “embassy for the future” in historic Georgetown, a place designed to give thinkers time, physical space, diverse peers, and fewer everyday distractions while they work on ideas with potentially generational impact. For nonprofit executives, board members, funders, and managers, the larger lesson goes well beyond Evermay. “The productivity and the speed at which it happens doesn't necessarily mean that we're heading in the right direction,” Goodall explains. That distinction matters in organizations where leaders can spend entire days responding, approving, meeting, emailing, and producing without ever getting enough distance to ask whether the organization is actually heading where it intends to go. Evermay's Future Fellows model also challenges another familiar organizational habit: surrounding experts with people who think like they do. Fellows come from different disciplines and are deliberately exposed to people who can challenge assumptions. As one applicant described the appeal, “I just really would like to be with people who are different than me, who can spot the holes in my argument.” The Fellows can stay for three, six, or nine weeks. Their schedules intentionally balance limited programming with substantial independent time, peer discussion, meditation and embodiment work, informal collaboration, and shared dinners. The objective isn't inactivity. It's concentrating attention on work that normal routines can squeeze out. Goodall also describes why some potentially transformative ideas struggle to find support: they may be too early, too cross-sectoral, or not yet structured in a way philanthropy considers fundable or investors consider investable. Key Takeaways: Speed and productivity are not substitutes for strategic direction. Protected thinking time can improve the quality of organizational decisions. Cross-disciplinary peers can expose weaknesses insiders may overlook. Not every high-potential idea fits traditional funding structures. Reducing routine decision friction can preserve attention for higher-value work. Unprogrammed time can be deliberately designed into leadership and innovation work. 00:00:00 The Power of Slowing Down 00:02:28 Evermay: An Embassy for the Future 00:06:50 When Productivity Works Against Better Decisions 00:10:14 Why Physical Space Changes Conversation 00:13:03 Giving Big Ideas Time and Space 00:15:33 Removing Daily Friction to Create “Explosive Time” 00:16:31 Creating Space for Difficult Negotiations 00:18:20 The Future Fellows and Ideas That Don't Fit 00:19:26 Why Cross-Sector Thinking Makes Ideas Stronger 00:21:11 How the 3-, 6- and 9-Week Fellowships Work 00:22:36 Healthy Debate, Shared Dinners and Peer Challenge 00:24:13 The Real Cost of Stepping Away to Think Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

  • #34
    August 31 · 27 min

    From 12 Leaders to 500 Members: An Association Growth Strategy

    Send us Fan Mail What if the best nonprofit association growth strategy is to stop obsessing over growth? Lorri Unumb, CEO of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), explains how concentrating on member value, organizational standards, advocacy, and shared infrastructure helped an association that began with roughly a dozen executives grow to about 500 member organizations. CASP began as an informal gathering of autism service-provider executives who simply wanted to exchange ideas and figure out how to deliver better services. It eventually became a formal association in 2016 with a mission centered on cultivating, advocating for, and sharing better practices across the field. The business lesson is remarkably transferable! “We think constantly about how can we do a better job for our members,” Lorri says. The surprising result? Better service to members became a membership growth strategy. The organization has also scaled dramatically. When Lorri arrived seven years ago, she was CASP’s only employee. Today, the organization has 25 full-time staff, allowing specialists to concentrate on government affairs, clinical standards, education, resources, and other member needs. CASP also maintains a firm membership standard: organizations must demonstrate a commitment to evidence-based care. That means membership isn't simply about paying dues, it represents an organizational expectation! COVID provided another lesson in association value. When providers suddenly needed to know whether autism-service workers qualified as essential healthcare workers, CASP was able to obtain legal guidance quickly and distribute it nationally. . . . something individual organizations would have struggled to accomplish independently. Lorri concludes by sharing how CASP is looking ahead toward stronger state-level advocacy and better outcome measures. Key Takeaways: Create member value before chasing membership growth. Shared expertise and infrastructure can accomplish what individual organizations cannot efficiently do alone. Strong membership standards can protect both organizational credibility and mission quality. CASP scaled from one employee to 25 specialized full-time staff as member needs expanded. Engaged boards should lead work—not simply lend names to an organization. Better outcome measurement will increasingly matter when nonprofits must demonstrate value to insurers, government payers, funders, and partners. 00:00:00 — Building an Association During Rapid Change 00:02:49 — How CASP Started With About a Dozen Executives 00:05:24 — Sustainability and Better Member Services 00:05:39 — Growing to Nearly 500 Member Organizations 00:06:17 — Why CASP Doesn't Focus on Recruiting Members 00:08:05 — Holding Members to Evidence-Based Standards 00:09:33 — From Attorney and Parent to Association CEO 00:10:57 — Scaling From One Employee to 25 00:12:11 — How COVID Proved the Value of an Association 00:17:53 — What an Engaged Nonprofit Board Looks Like 00:20:46 — Favors, Fishnets and Facts: Advocacy That Worked 00:24:09 — CASP's Next Strategy: Advocacy and Outcomes #AutismAssociation #AssociationManagement #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits! 12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

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