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Explore every episode of the podcast Agents of Nonprofit

Dive into the complete episode list for Agents of Nonprofit. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–50 of 191

TitlePub. DateDuration
Crafting Government Relations Strategies for Nonprofit Impact with Puneet Luthra23 Dec 202400:50:21

 In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I speak with Puneet Luthra, a government relations expert with a deep commitment to the nonprofit sector. Puneet discusses the critical role these relationships play in influencing policy, securing funding, and driving change on social issues. Drawing from his wealth of experience, Puneet provides practical advice on building strategic partnerships with government bodies, aligning nonprofit goals with public priorities, and fostering long-term, collaborative efforts to create lasting societal impact.

Topics We Cover:

  • Puneet’s journey into nonprofit-focused government relations and his early experiences with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
  • The importance of aligning nonprofit goals with government priorities
  • How nonprofits can influence public policy and secure funding through strategic government relations
  • Navigating the complex dynamics between nonprofits and government entities
  • Understanding the motivations of high-net-worth individuals and government bodies to foster better relationships
  • Real-world examples of nonprofit persistence in addressing long-standing societal issues
  • The value of maintaining neutrality and avoiding partisan stances when engaging with the government
  • Practical steps for nonprofits starting their government relations efforts, including identifying key stakeholders and reaching out to local representatives

To Learn More and Connect with Puneet:
GovernmentRelations.ca
Puneet.Luthra@gmail.com

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A Mindset for Wellness and Impact with Jarrett Ransom16 Dec 202400:47:44

In this insightful episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I sit down with Jarrett Ransom, affectionately known as "The Nonprofit Nerd," to discuss her passion for nonprofit work, her unique journey, and her philosophy on fostering wellness and abundance within the sector. Together, we explore the importance of moving away from scarcity-driven mindsets, embracing wellness in nonprofit organizations, and creating sustainable systems to support employees and communities alike.

Topics We Cover:

  • How Jarrett Ransom earned the title "The Nonprofit Nerd" and what it means to her
  • The early life experiences that shaped Jarrett’s passion for philanthropy
  • Why involving children in community service fosters lifelong habits of giving
  • Understanding scarcity vs. abundance mindsets in nonprofit organizations
  • How shifting to an abundance mindset impacts organizational culture and effectiveness
  • The connection between giving and personal well-being for individuals and teams
  • Practical ways to incorporate wellness initiatives into nonprofit workplaces
  • Tackling financial challenges and ensuring fair compensation for nonprofit employees

To Learn More and Connect with Jarrett:
Jarrett Ransom on LinkedIn
@nonprofit_nerd on Instagram

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Buillding Community-Driven Change Through Literacy with Camesha Cox14 Oct 202400:43:53

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I speak with Camesha Cox, the founder of The Reading Partnership, a nonprofit transforming the literacy landscape for marginalized families in Canada. Camesha shares her journey from working in the UK to establishing The Reading Partnership in Toronto, emphasizing the power of community-driven solutions in tackling literacy challenges. Through inclusive, family-centered programs, Camesha discusses how her organization is disrupting systemic barriers to literacy and helping children thrive.

Topics We Cover:

  • The origins of The Reading Partnership and its early success in Toronto
  • How literacy disproportionately affects Black, racialized, and low-income children in Canada
  • The impact of interactive, play-based learning in early childhood education
  • Scaling "Kids Read" from a local to a national literacy initiative
  • The development of a French version of the Reading Partnership for Parents program
  • The vital role of community collaboration in overcoming literacy challenges
  • Empowering parents and educators to build lasting literacy skills in children
  • Heartwarming success stories from families transformed by the Kids Read program

To Learn More and Connect with Camesha:
The Reading Partnership Website
@TRPNow on X (Formerly Twitter)
@TRPNow on Instagram
Donate to The Reading Partnership

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Strategic Listening with Emily Taylor16 Jan 202300:37:39

What can you do to connect better with your audience? How do you hear what they are saying beyond what is spoken? What can you do to improve your connection and authenticity with them through more transparent engagement?

This episode will help you answer any of the questions above. We welcome Emily Taylor to talk about strategic listening for nonprofits. With teenyBIG, Emily helps nonprofits engage better with their audiences through strategic listening. 
 

Topics covered:

  • What is strategic listening?
  • How Emily came up with the name ‘teenyBIG’
  • Challenges that teenyBIG solves for nonprofits
  • Qualifying questions with clients to evaluate their needs
  • How teenyBIG measures their work success
  • How to deliver ‘feelings’ such as connectedness, power or togetherness
  • Demystifying biases to better engage with audiences
  • The value of transparency in audience engagement


To learn more and get in touch with Emily Taylor
Website: https://www.teenybig.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-taylor-teenybig/


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Enhancing Workflow Efficiency with Zak Pines of Formstack09 Jan 202300:36:36

In this week’s episode, I host Zak Pines. Zak has been in the SaaS industry for many years and has diverse experience in sales, marketing, and partnerships. Marketo, HubSpot, and Salesforce are among the software ecosystems he has worked with throughout his career. Currently, Zak is at Formstack where he has been building and managing a partner program and a community of product experts who provide excellent solutions for customers and technology partners with whom Formstack has integrations. 

In this week’s episode, Zak Pines explains how nonprofits can solve problems and create better processes around data collection, workflow, automating document generation, and collecting digital signatures through Formstack.


Topics Covered;

  • Why Zak joined Formstack
  • What Formstack does
  • How forms work on Formstack
  • Imbedding Formstack in emails
  • How documents, signatures, platforms, and workflows work on Formstack
  • How to build your own features on Formstack
  • Difference between the electronic and digital signatures
  • The platforms that Formstack integrates with besides Salesforce
  • Personal branding of Formstack forms
  • Data security on Formstack
  • Pricing of Formstack apps
  • Guidance offered to Formstack partners
  • How to become a Formstack partner
  • What to expect from Formstack in the future

 

To learn more and connect with Zak Pines:
Zak Pines LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakpines/
Formstack Website https://www.formstack.com/


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Explaining What is a CRM to a 13 Year Old02 Jan 202300:19:24

In this episode, I talk to my 13-year-old nephew Samuel about nonprofits, customer relationship management (CRM), and how they work. 

I help Samuel understand what nonprofits and CRMs are and how they work using gaming references.

Listen in and giggle away while I explain the following to my young nephew in a language he understands:

  • What is a non-profit organization?
  • What is a CRM and how does it work?
  • What does it mean to be in the cloud?
  • On Cloud vs On-premise
  • Salesforce, the first CRM to be in the cloud
  • Is a CRM a good thing? Why?
  • What happens if a team player doesn’t want to use the CRM?

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Growing Generosity in Nonprofits with Erik Tomalis of Virtuous CRM19 Dec 202200:47:08

Running a nonprofit requires a lot of planning, tracking and client management, reaching out to donors, staff coordination, task management, and many other tasks. This can be daunting.

With new challenges at hand such as great resignations, global economic challenges, there is more nonprofits have to handle, and this requires more seamless technology to run operations, marketing, and communication. 

Erik Tomalis, the Director of Business Development at Virtuous, joins me on the podcast today to talk about Virtuous, a technology company that supports nonprofits in setting up CRMs, fundraising, volunteering and marketing tools needed to create more responsive donor experience and increase generosity.

 

Topics we cover 

●  Erik’s background and what Virtuous does
●  The ideal client  Virtuous
●  Exploring the different features of Virtuous
●  Wealth screening
●  How Virtuous supports marketing
●  Payment options and payment processors on Virtuous
●  Mobile app and volunteer opportunities at Virtuous
●  Integrations that are possible in Virtuous
●  Professional after-sale services offered by Virtuous to clients
●  Partnerships and outsourcing at Virtuous
●  How pricing works at Virtuous
●  Where Virtuous is on the nonprofit CRM landscape
●  Dealing with change management
●  What’s in the future for Virtuous

  

Learn More and Connect with Erik:
Virtuous Website: https://virtuous.org/
Virtuous Academy: https://academy.virtuous.org/
Erik Tomalis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriktomalis/


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Saving on Nonprofit Tech with Eli Vander Giessen12 Dec 202200:33:03

Many non-profits face difficulties in acquiring and keeping up with the right technology solutions. Finding and setting up the right CRM, software, and other services is essential for the survival of any business in the modern era.

One solution that makes this process easier is TechSoup, a nonprofit that exists to help other nonprofits acquire and use the right technology at a subsidized cost. TechSoup has served 1.4 million nonprofits and saved the sector about $19 billion in software and service fees.

TechSoup does that at scale with about 120 technology companies to help manage their discount and donation program. Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Zoom, all rely on TechSoup to administer their donation and discount programs to nonprofits.

Eli Vander Giessen from TechSoup joins us in this week’s episode to talk about TechSoup’s offerings, the signup process, and how it helps nonprofits get access to and use best-in-class software at a reduced cost. He also shares his experience working with TechSoup.

This episode is helpful if you work in a nonprofit seeking to save much more on software and service fees.

 

Topics we cover

  • Eli’s superhero story
  • How Eli met and worked with David Suzuki
  • How TechSoup operates globally amidst multiple languages
  • What attracted Eli to TechSoup  
  • TechSoup’s ideal client profile
  • TechSoup’s offerings
  • TechSoup’s signup process
  • TechSoup’s partnerships
  • The TechSoup forum
  • The cost of TechSoup
  • How TechSoup is different from Pond
  • Resources offered by TechSoup to assist nonprofits
  • The future of TechSoup

 

To learn more and connect with Eli:

Eli’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahv/
TechSoup Website: https://www.techsoup.org/
TechSoup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsoup/

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What an Effective Nonprofit Website Looks Like with Austin Hattox05 Dec 202200:38:06

In this week’s episode, Alexander hosts Austin Hattox who shares about his experience creating websites for nonprofits.

Austin is the founder of Pixel Lighthouse, a company that he started with his wife to create websites for nonprofits to enable them to paint a clear picture of their vision and enable audiences to interact seamlessly with them online. 

Listen in to learn more about the strategies, tools and resources to use when setting up a website for nonprofits, learn more about the Pixel Lighthouse story and best practices to focus on when creating the right online presence for non-profit organizations.

 

Topics we cover: 

  • Austin’s superhero origin story
  • On hiring unskilled staff to create websites for nonprofits
  • The origin of the name ‘Pixel Lighthouse’
  • What services Pixel Lighthouse offers
  • Using the website to tell a story
  • The ideal nonprofit that Pixel Lighthouse works with
  • What makes the website implementation process successful
  • How is website success measured
  • Technologies used to implement the websites
  • ClickUp and other apps Pixel Lighthouse to implement websites
  • The future of Pixel Lighthouse

  

To learn more and connect with Austin Hattox:

Austin Hattox LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-hattox/

Website https://pixellighthouse.com/agents

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Technology for Better Marketing, Fundraising, and Communication with Benjamin Johnson28 Nov 202200:45:12

Nonprofits should invest in technology. It can automate fundraising efforts and get in touch with more donors. It can also keep in touch with stakeholders through newsletters, mail, email, etc., and improve data management by keeping track of donor information and figuring out how well a program is working and how successful a charity is.

Frontier is a nonprofit marketing company with a unique fundraising culture and a focus on systems to help nonprofits get results.

In the previous decade, Frontier has partnered with Canadian charities to raise over $10 million annually. Frontier develops material, creates designs, segments, and delivers direct mail and internet campaigns. What makes Frontier unique is they analyze the companies' values, beliefs, and missions adapt their strategies and campaigns accordingly.

Joining me on the podcast is Frontier’s Champion of Growth, Benjamin Johnson. In this episode, he shares how to get nonprofits started with technology and the kind of tech stack nonprofits should adopt to drive fundraising efforts, improve communication, and data management.


Topics we cover:

  • The thinking behind Frontier Marketing
  • The core competencies of a nonprofit
  • The solutions that Frontier provides
  • Digital mail vs direct mail
  • Frontier’s customer profile
  • The Ben Diagram: marketing, measurement, and management 
  • The technology Frontier uses for digital agency, print agency, newsletters, and direct mail.
  • The pros and challenging of huddles
  • What Loom offers that Slack doesn’t
  • The technology nonprofits use to make life easier
  • How to do messaging for growth
  • How to adapt to your client’s needs
  • Raising the bar of standards of tech in nonprofits
  • Ben’s podcast and the value of podcasts
  • The future of Frontier and Ben’s next title
  • Honoring your culture


To learn more and connect with Benjamin Johnson: 

Ben’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/mrbenjohnson 

Frontier Website: frontier.io

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Expanding Healthcare Access with Kelsey Fisher21 Nov 202200:43:36

There are approximately 38.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS around the world, and the vast majority of them live in Africa. In 2021, it is estimated that 860,000 people in Africa were newly infected with HIV and 420,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.

On the other hand, in 2020, malaria caused an estimated 241 million clinical episodes and 627,000 deaths. An estimated 95% of deaths in 2020 were in the WHO African Region.

Despite significant progress made in recent years in expanding access to treatment, only around half of those who need treatment in Africa are able to receive it. Because of this, these diseases still kill a lot of people on the continent every year. 

One nonprofit combating disease and improving access to healthcare on the continent is GAIA. GAIA’s mission is to strengthen healthcare in underserved African communities. GAIA envisions a world where health outcomes are not determined by who you are or where you live but believes that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, no matter where they live, or who they are.

Kelsey Fisher, the Program and Grants Officer at GAIA Global Health, joins me on the podcast today to discuss GAIA's impact in healthcare in Malawa and how this is achieved, how GAIA finds investors and raises funds, collects and tracks data, the use of Salesforce and more.

The topics we cover:

  • What Kelsey and GAIA does
  • Kelsey’s motivation to join GAIA
  • The role of partnerships in GAIA’s mission and work
  • How GAIA finds investors and raises funds
  • GAIA's analytics and reporting to funders
  • Key data points collected by GAIA
  • How GAIA tracks its data
  • How GAIA leverages Salesforce
  • GAIA’s roadmap for CRM and Salesforce
  • Challenges of using Salesforce
  • How to contribute/get involved with GAIA


To learn more and connect with Kelsey:

GAIA Global Health: https://www.gaiaglobalhealth.org/ 

Kelsey Fisher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseylfisher/ 


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Providing Access to Clean Water with Lisa Clowery and Tara Maritzer of OneDrop14 Nov 202200:40:33

The United Nations declared water and sanitation a human right, but billions of people worldwide still do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation. 

Our planet is facing a water crisis, which will only worsen as the population grows and climate change continues to wreak havoc on our water supplies.

One Drop is an organization that is taking action to protect this vital resource for future generations and ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for communities facing extreme barriers through innovation, partnerships, creativity, and the power of art.

Joining me on this episode to talk about how One Drop is doing this is Tara Maritzer, the Donor Relations and Corporate Development Advisor for the One Drop Foundation, and Lisa Clowery, Chief Philanthropy and Corporate Development Officer at One Drop.

The topics we cover:

  • Who are Tara and Lisa and what do they do?
  • Measurement and evaluation: What it is and its importance to nonprofit project success.
  • What it means to be sustainable
  • The types and roles of partnerships
  • How to achieve and strengthen partnerships
  • Pros and cons of Salesforce
  • Different ways you can get engaged with One Drop and make a difference
  • What One Drop has coming up in the near future


To Learn More and Connect with One Drop, Tara Maritzer, and Lisa Clowery:

One Drop’s Website: onedrop.org/en/ 

One Drop’s Facebook: facebook.com/ONEDROP 

One Drop’s Twitter: twitter.com/onedrop 

One Drop’s Instagram: instagram.com/1dropwater/ 

One Drop’s YouTube: youtube.com/user/onedropfoundation 

One Drop’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/one-drop/ 

Tara Maritzer LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tara-maritzer/?originalSubdomain=ca 

Lisa Clowery LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisaclowery/?originalSubdomain=ca 


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The Four Categories of Consultants with Tim Sarrantonio07 Nov 202200:47:02

Hiring a consultant can be a great way for a nonprofit to get advice from an expert on a certain issue or project. However, due to the unique nature of each project and problem, it's easy to waste a lot of money on blanket solutions that don't address your specific situation. Tim Sarrantonio is on the podcast today to talk about this subject.

Tim is the Director of Corporate Brand at Neon One, a technology and services company that focuses on small nonprofits and how technology can speed up their generosity in terms of design and execution.

In this episode, Tim continues from his LinkedIn post and divides consultants into four groups: searchers, trainers, managers, and coaches. He talks about each category and what they do best. He stresses the importance of knowing which of the four kinds of consultants you need before you spend any money. He also talks about advisors and project overseers and what they bring to the table.


The topics we cover:

  • Tim’s superhero origin story. How he started working with nonprofits. 
  • The four primary groupings of consultants that help nonprofits and what they do.
  • The impact of consultants in the sales process
  • The difference between advisors, trainers, coaches, managers, and project overseers
  • Why nonprofits should make decisions based on budget and not P&L
  • How reliant nonprofits should be on consultants
  • In-house vs. consultant: deciding whether a consultant is needed
  • Addressing the rise in the number of consultants in the nonprofit space


To Learn More and Connect with Tim Sarrantonio:

Tim Sarrantonio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsarrantonio/ 

Tim Sarrantonio’s LinkedIn post about categories of consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/timsarrantonio_im-going-to-spend-my-week-talking-about-activity-6980148927777882112-P4sm/ 



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Grant Writing and Nonprofit Strategy Services with Holly Rustick07 Oct 202400:48:23

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I sit down with Holly Rustick, an expert in grant writing, to uncover her incredible journey from accidental grant writer to industry leader. Holly shares her inspiring origin story, which began in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami, and reveals how she turned a career born from necessity into a thriving business that helps nonprofits secure the funding they need. 

Topics We Cover:

  • Holly's unexpected introduction to grant writing during the 2004 Asian tsunami recovery efforts
  • The evolution of her career from community development in Indonesia to freelancing internationally
  • The dual roles of a grant writer: strategist and fundraiser
  • Why many nonprofits struggle with "50 hats" culture and how it affects grant success
  • Strategies for involving volunteers, board members, or interns in the grant writing process
  • Training as a key motivator for potential grant writers in nonprofits
  • The pros and cons of hiring a full-time grant writer versus outsourcing to a freelancer
  • How nonprofits can benefit from employees transitioning to freelance grant writers

To Learn More and Connect with Holly:
GrantWritingandFunding.com
Grant Writing and Funding Webinar
The Grant Writing and Funding Podcast

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Nonprofit Innovation and Execution with Michelle Flores Vryn31 Oct 202200:47:35

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk to Michelle Flores Vryn, the Chief Development Officer of OneStar. She has worked in almost every area of development: major gifts, institutional giving, membership, capital campaigns, consulting, special events, and annual giving. 

Before joining OneStar as the Chief Development Officer, she worked in international fundraising, led the communications and development team at a nature center in Houston and, as a board member,  helped launch Exploration Green—a 200-acre green space for conservation, recreation, and flood detention in Greater Houston.

Michelle is passionate about mentoring Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofit professionals and creating better workplace cultures where they can thrive. She helped form the inaugural Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee for EarthShare of Texas and is active on committees with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Global and the Donor Participation Project. 


The topics we cover:

  • What innovation means in the nonprofit space
  • Ideas are cheap; execution is costly. The need for emphasis on idea execution, not just idea generation, and how to encourage nonprofits to implement ideas.
  • How gamification, badges, and incentives could promote friendly competition and impact of nonprofits
  • Better to try and fail than not try at all. How to get nonprofits more comfortable around risk and recognize that failure is part of success.
  • Creating psychologically safe teams in the nonprofit world.
  • How to measure success of an idea and the indicators that tell whether an idea is a success or failure
  • When to seek external advice and why nonprofits need to listen more to internal staff over external advisors and consultants

To learn more and connect with Michele Flores Vryn:

Michelle Flores Vryn LinkedIn

Resources mentioned:

How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business, by Douglas W. Hubbard - https://www.amazon.ca/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business/dp/1118539273

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!



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Leaning into Technology for Immigrants and Refugees with Marco Campana24 Oct 202200:45:31

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Marco Campana, a Digital Strategy and Communications Consultant for Immigrant & Refugee serving organizations. Marco works to help staff in these agencies build their digital capacity by harnessing the communications & network potential of web and social media in their work.

Topics we cover include:

  • Starting with the technology knowledge users already have rather than trying to educate from scratch
  • The wide range of tools that work best for serving the settlement of newcomers
  • Taking accessibility and language into account when creating forms and how technology can help with that
  • Using Salesforce (or other CRMs) for Client Journey Tracking, Intelligence Gathering and more, beyond simple reporting
  •  The BabyCenter.com approach to guiding a client along a journey from start to finish

To learn more and connect with Marco Campana:

Marco Campana on LinkedIn

Marco’s Website - Marcopolis.org

Knowledge Mobilization for Settlement Website

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!



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What Does Awesome Nonprofit Salesforce Training Look Like with Tasha Van Vlack17 Oct 202200:54:12

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Tasha Van Vlack, Sales and Marketing Specialist at cloudStack Services. cloudStack Services is a fundraising CRM built to transform the way nonprofits organize donor information and daily work to create a greater impact. 

Topics we cover include:

  • When to start talking about training and investing in training
  • The best ways to prepare a nonprofit for training so they are in the best position to engage with and absorb the information
  • Managing feedback and questions from training groups that you might not have an answer for
  • Measuring the success of training once it’s been completed 
  • Adopting and preparing Salesforce language that will work with nonprofit organizations where they might not speak in technical terms

To learn more and connect with Tasha Van Vlack:
CloudStack Services Website
Tasha Van Vlack on LinkedIn

 If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!


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How to Make Sense of Data for Better Fundraising with Kirk Schmidt10 Oct 202200:34:06

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Kirk Schmidt, Director of Fundraising Optimization at Frontier Marketing. Kirk is an experienced fundraiser and non-profit operations expert with a background in mathematics and IT, who runs a team of data scientists who work to help charities raise more money for their missions.

Topics we cover include:

  • What the differences are between metrics & analytics and why they are important
  • Creating data warehouses or data lakes to have data be communicated between different systems
  • The effects from perceiving or presenting data with different scales, inputs and outputs
  • Having a baseline of data and what KPIs a nonprofit might want to have when moving toward a new project
  • The reason it is almost always difficult to have data when starting out

To learn more and connect with Kirk Schmidt:

Frontier Marketing Website

Frontier Marketing on LinkedIn

Kirk Schmidt on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!



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About Capital Campaigns with Amy Eisenstein03 Oct 202200:32:15

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Amy Eisenstein, CEO and Co-Founder of the Capital Campaign Toolkit. Capital Campaign Toolkit gives nonprofit leaders access to all the guidance and tools they need to implement successful campaigns — without breaking the bank. Amy is also the co-host of the All About Capital Campaigns Podcast, a weekly source for nonprofit fundraising advice.

Topics we cover include:

  • Comparing a capital campaign with a fundraising campaign and the difference in strategies that might be used
  • Things to look for and things to avoid when hiring a capital campaign consultant
  • Measuring outcomes versus input as a consultant from a billing perspective to improve client satisfaction
  • How the Capital Campaign Toolkit comprehensively helps nonprofits with advisors, resources, tools, templates, support groups and more
  • Giving organizations the tools and resources they need to empower themselves for the future in addition to direct support

To learn more and connect with Amy Eisenstein:
Capital Campaign Toolkit Website
All About Capital Campaigns Podcast
Capital Campaign Toolkit on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!



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Building the Right Team to Fulfill a Mission with Dan Hanley26 Sep 202200:49:06

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Dan Hanley, Principal and Founder of Altrui Consulting. Altrui leads development teams, creates strategies and budgets, and hires elite development professionals, all while providing key support organizations need to fulfill its mission. Dan is ecstatic to work with nonprofits to support their growth in relationship building and fundraising, especially those serving populations that include the unheard, forgotten and invisible

Topics we cover include:

  • Making sure nonprofits have the capacity to take on products so they can take full advantage after purchase
  • Making sure job descriptions are kept up to date, so they reflect the current needs, rather than being up to 15 years old
  • Helping nonprofits figure out what it takes to keep a team, from vacation to leadership to people
  • Dan’s Top Symptoms for locating a donor problem within a nonprofit
  • The pros and cons of thanking a donor personally with an email or phone call 

To learn more and connect with Dan Hanley:

Altrui Consulting
Dan Hanley on LinkedIn
Altrui Consulting on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!



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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Data with Meena Das19 Sep 202200:41:23

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Meena Das, the founder, data consultant, trainer, and an ethicist with her nonprofit consulting practice, NamasteData. She also runs a virtual school on data and equity, Data Is For Everyone. She specializes in designing and teaching equitable research tools and analyzing engagement. You can engage with her through her latest workshop Towards Human-Centric AI and her LinkedIn-based newsletter data uncollected.

Topics we cover include:

  • Learning from lived experience and applying it to data to develop Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging
  • The impact of language in copy to include or exclude diverse groups of people
  • Reflecting within your team to share and turn what’s found into action
  • What it means to start with data when starting to think about equity and diversity 
  • Meena’s recommendations and best practices for data governance, PII, and privacy

To learn more and connect with Meena Das:

NamasteData Website
Data Is For Everyone
Towards Human-Centric AI
Data Uncollected
LinkedIn 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!


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Some Thoughts About the Podcast - A Quick Check-in with my Listeners12 Sep 202200:02:42

A short and special message to you, dear listener.

Please let me know your topic feedback by emailing me at alex@dryadconsulting.com
Also, please rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts

Many thanks :)

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How to Become an Excellent Consultant with Pei Mun Lim05 Sep 202200:45:26

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Pei Mun Lim, Co-Founder of Zenhao, a leadership academy for consulting and project delivery excellence. Pei loves creating the chemistry that sparks high performing teams and can help Salesforce and Microsoft partners build and develop their internal talent into a group of outstanding consultants.


Topics we cover include:

  • The balance between being your authentic self while still being professional
  • The importance of partners investing in and allowing new people to have access to training
  • The software-agnostic approach that Pei takes to allow the scaling up of consultants with many different specialties
  • Pei’s 6 points that make an excellent consultant, including a brief explanation
  • One way a consultant can give the best first impression possible to a potential client (Plus, where to find 14 additional ways to be sure to give the best first impression!)


To learn more and connect with Pei Mun Lim:
@On the Peiroll (All Links)


If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!


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Changing Things Up to Combat Donor Participation Decline with Louis Diez29 Aug 202200:36:51

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Louis Diez, VP of Community at Almabase and Founder of Donor Participation Project. Louis advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies.


Topics we cover include:

  • What the Donor Participation Project is, and what Louis’ motivation was behind starting it
  • The huge benefits of utilizing e-gaming, e-sports and streaming communities in fundraising
  • How a nonprofit can manage to combat misinformation and decline in trust from potential donors
  • What the most important technologies a nonprofit should be utilizing for fundraising
  • Where Louis would like to take the Donor Participation Project in the future
  • Predicting the future of nonprofit fundraising, including community-led growth, automation and no-code


To learn more and connect with Louis Diez:
Donor Participation Project
Louis Diez on LinkedIn


If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!


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Artisanal Marketplaces: The Role of Web3 and Decentralization with Eric Osuorah30 Sep 202400:45:36

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I speak with Eric Osuorah to unravel the transformative impact of artisanal marketplaces and the role of Web3 technology in their evolution. Eric, with his rich background in engineering, digital transformation, and philanthropy, provides a deep dive into how decentralized platforms are reshaping the way artisans connect with consumers. 

Topics We Cover:

  • What are artisanal marketplaces
  • Centralized vs. Decentralized Marketplaces
  • Why  decentralized marketplaces are gaining traction, and what it means for artisans and consumers
  • Potential downsides of decentralized platforms, including regulation and content control
  • How decentralized marketplaces approach rule-setting and community involvement
  • The barriers to Web3 adoption and how to make it more accessible and user-friendly for everyday users
  • Building and Scaling Decentralized Marketplaces
  • How to create a unique value proposition and stand out in the decentralized marketplace space


To Learn More and Connect with Eric:
Eric Osuorah on LinkedIn
AFOMA Marketplace Website

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Building Strong Teams to Support Nonprofits with Peter Genuardi (Part 2 of 2)22 Aug 202200:42:55

In the second half of this two-part episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Peter Genuardi, Founder of See The Stars. See the Stars aims to take the tools of capitalism and uses them to make the world more compassionate. Their portfolio includes a series of professional services, startup businesses, and direct investments. Make sure to listen to part one of this conversation from last week!

Topics we cover in part two include:

  • Being an effective manager by hiring competent team members and not micromanaging
  • Building trust with remote team members by focusing on their outcomes
  • Finding people that fit roles rather than molding the role around the people
  • The importance of valuing diversity in your team, as well as understanding the diversity in end users of a product or service
  • Cultivating a culture of vulnerability within your company to help build relationships
  • Embracing the possibility that weaknesses can actually be strengths

To learn more and connect with Peter Genuardi:
See The Stars
Peter Genuardi on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Building Strong Teams to Support Nonprofits with Peter Genuardi (Part 1 of 2)15 Aug 202200:45:03

In this two-part episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Peter Genuardi, Founder of See The Stars. See the Stars aims to take the tools of capitalism and uses them to make the world more compassionate. Their portfolio includes a series of professional services, startup businesses, and direct investments. Part two will continue this conversation next week!


Topics we cover in part one include:

  • Should an agency aspire to be a one-stop shop for nonprofits?
  • What makes a good leader in the technology and marketing services space serving the nonprofit industry
  • The benefits of promoting a leader from within the agency compared to hiring from the outside
  • Providing people with pathways to grow within the organization and understanding the goals of team members
  • Creating a culture of learning where asking questions is expected & encouraged
  • Addressing deficiencies within team member skill sets


To learn more and connect with Peter Genuardi:
See The Stars
Peter Genuardi on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!


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High Impact Innovation for Nonprofits with Mitch Stein of Pond08 Aug 202200:46:34

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Mitch Stein, Co-Founder and CEO of Pond, a networking & RFP platform for nonprofits. Pond flips the marketplace model upside down to create an engaging and supportive space where nonprofit leaders can save time, earn money & empower their search.

Topics we cover include:

  • The offline inspiration behind creating Pond
  • Breaking barriers in the nonprofit world with a connected marketplace
  • What can a nonprofit expect to experience when they interact with Pond
  • Rewarding nonprofits rather than offering discounts up-front
  • Finding success with interactive content and integrating it as a core part of the Pond platform 
  • Finding value in having an outside perspective, asking questions, and never presuming you know the answer 

 

To learn more and connect with Mitch Stein:
Pond
Mitch Stein on LinkedIn
Pond on LinkedIn

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Using Salesforce as a Tool to Save the World with Tom Knox01 Aug 202200:36:55

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Tom Knox, the Executive Director of Valley Clean Air Now, 501(c) nonprofit that focuses on vehicle incentive programs aimed at low income drivers. Valley CAN helps reduce air pollution, while simultaneously making driving more affordable and reliable for low income drivers.

Topics we cover include:

  • The transformation process from using pen and paper, to Excel, to Salesforce for capturing and managing data 
  • Building trust with customers while collecting data
  • The differences in the human element of pen and paper data collection versus digital
  • Trusting your team in figuring out solutions for growing and improving your technology
  • Some early green flags and warning signs for working with an agency to tell if they’re a good fit
  • Salesforce’s ability to be a force for good and how cloud-based data management can be used to save the world

To learn more:
Valley CAN

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Adapting using a Shared Vision with Laura Bibbo25 Jul 202200:45:47

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Laura Bibbo who supports and coaches organizations in leveraging technology that better enable them to deliver on their missions. Laura is a change leader and innovator that doesn’t like to just be one thing, which means she knows “a little about a lot!”

Topics we cover include:

  • What it means to be a change leader and innovator in the field 
  • Finding what will truly make you successful rather than pivoting to new shiny objects
  • The common project pitfall of not having shared visions and goals across the organization
  • Understanding the platform that an organization needs to work cohesively and breaking down silos
  • Best practices for what should and shouldn’t be tracked in a CRM
  • Consumer expectations shifting towards the need for ease & ability to do things online 

To learn more & connect with Laura Bibbo:
Laura Bibbo on LinkedIn
Blog Posts by Laura Bibbo

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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People First, then Technology with Tim Lockie18 Jul 202200:42:04

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Tim Lockie, the founder of The Human Stack and Now IT Matters. Now IT Matters is a social impact tech consultancy that provides insight, resources, and services for the digital capacity transformation of social impact organizations.

Topics we cover include:

  • Lessons learned in 20+ years of nonprofit leadership and Salesforce
  • Finding what is in the client’s best interest, even if that means recommending they work with someone else
  • Designing an experience that is built for humans to use and understand intuitively
  • Knowing who in the organization you’re speaking to and what their goals are so you can provide the information that matters to them
  • The issue of technology problems being attributed to technology rather than the human side
  • Creating measurable change in an organization that has a culture of authenticity and transparency


To learn more & connect with Tim Lockie:
Tim Lockie on LinkedIn
The Human Stack Website
The Human Stack on LinkedIn
Now IT Matters Website
Now IT Matters on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Connecting with a Community to Learn and Grow with Eric Dreshfield11 Jul 202200:40:25

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Eric Dreshfield, product evangelist at Mogli and the founder of the Midwest Dreamin’ Salesforce Community Conference. Eric is also a "Connector", a Blogger, a Marketer, a Community Advocate and considers himself the "Kevin Bacon" of the Salesforce Ecosystem.

Topics we cover include:

  • The reasoning behind starting the Midwest Dreamin’ conference
  • Comparing Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference to the Midwest Dreamin’ community conference
  • What a nonprofit can expect from attending the Midwest Dreamin’ conference
  • Having higher engagement levels with Mogli text campaigns versus email campaigns
  • Nonprofit use-cases for Mogli
  • The importance of community connections for career opportunities and more

To learn more & connect with Eric Dreshfield:
Midwest Dreamin Conference - July 20-20, 2022
Mogli
NebuLabs
Eric Dreshfield on LinkedIn
Eric Dreshfield on Twitter

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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How to Delight & Simply with Sally Heaven of Raise HECK04 Jul 202200:47:52

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Sally Heaven - Co-Founder of Raise HECK. Raise HECK is a woman-owned consulting company helping nonprofits choose and use the best technology to power their missions. 

Topics we cover include:

  • What it means to work with progressive organizations that align with your values
  • The importance of finding organizations that are eager to change, making sure everyone is on board
  • Finding nonprofit software that is easy and fun to use 
  • Best practices in helping organizations take the leap from an excel sheet to a full software platform
  • The benefits of starting with a CRM from scratch versus the difficulty of moving from CRM to CRM
  • The changes seen in CRMs & their importance in 17 years of working in the industry


To learn more about Raise HECK & connect with Sally Heaven:

Raise HECK
Raise HECK on LinkedIn

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Authentic Video Communications with Video Marketing Expert David Phu27 Jun 202200:44:49

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with David Phu - “a nonprofit video communications guy with several video awards and 20 years experience”. David teaches small nonprofits to do their own video marketing so they’re seen more, increase thought leadership, lead donors to give, and help volunteers apply.

Topics we cover include:

  • What positive outcomes come from using video vs. traditional copy 
  • The full plan that is required around video marketing beyond simply creating it
  • Measurement and analytics tools for video marketing
  • How authenticity is winning eyeballs in the current video marketing landscape
  • The typical process for getting started and moving forward with video
  • Why knowing your members and using that data in a CRM is important

 

To learn more & connect with David Phu:
David Phu on LinkedIn
David’s Nonprofit Video Marketing Training Offers
Nonprofit Video Comms Blog + Podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Being Well Prepared for Salesforce Migrations with Ryan Boggs of Arkus20 Jun 202200:51:23

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Ryan Boggs from Arkus. Arkus is redefining and reshaping what it means to hire an outside consultant by providing a diverse set of services from Salesforce implementations to custom application development.

Topics we cover include:

  • The magic of becoming partners with clients 
  • How a nonprofit can prepare for migration from a legacy CRM system to Salesforce
  • Criteria that needs to be met for a successful data migration
  • Preparing clients who might not be aware of the time and cost of large CRM data migrations
  • Assessing automation within an organization
  • Making sure nonprofits are prepared for the long-term future for when problems may arise

 

To learn more about Arkus & connect with Ryan Boggs:
Arkus, Inc.
Ryan Boggs on LinkedIn
Arkus Blog

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Serving with Dignity: How A Place at the Table is Redefining Community Dining with Maggie Kane23 Sep 202400:32:04

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I speak with Maggie Kane, founder and executive director of A Place at the Table, Raleigh’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant. Maggie shares the inspiring story behind the creation of the café, which offers a dignified dining experience for everyone, regardless of their financial situation. Learn how this innovative restaurant serves 200-250 meals daily through a model that blends volunteering, local sourcing, and a community-driven mission.

Topics We Cover:
How A Place at the Table’s pay-what-you-can model works
Fostering community through dignified dining experiences
The logistics of running a volunteer-driven restaurant
Creative ways customers can support the restaurant's mission
Partnering with local farms for fresh, seasonal ingredients
Engaging corporate sponsors to support a nonprofit initiative
Overcoming challenges in the restaurant industry as a nonprofit
Maggie Kane's personal journey and motivation behind the mission of A Place at the Table

To Learn More and Connect with Maggie:
A Place at the Table Website
A Place at the Table Facebook
Visit A Place at the Table in Raleigh

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Delight & Simplicity Equals Focus on the Important Work with Matt Frank of Blackthorn13 Jun 202200:50:10

In this episode of Agents of Nonprofit, I talk with Matt Frank - Director of Technology Evangelism and Product Marketing at Blackthorn. Blackthorn helps to meet the needs of modern nonprofit organizations in meaningful ways through their Salesforce-native apps.

Topics we cover include:

  • What Blackthorn offers to nonprofits to help them succeed
  • The ethos of simplicity behind Blackthorn apps
  • Blackthorn’s Salesforce-native apps that help nonprofits with Payments & Event Management
  • Enabling organizations to prevent harmful data from entering the CRM
  • The emphasis on listening to potential customers to ensure mutual fits
  • How Blackthorn predicts what their customers will need 18+ months in advance

 

To learn more about Blackthorn & connect with Matt Frank:

Blackthorn.io
Matthew Frank on LinkedIn
Blackthorn Events on Salesforce AppExchange

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Effective Donor Relations with Mike Duerksen06 Jun 202200:41:02

BuildGood is a donor communications agency that helps nonprofits with done-for-you fundraising services and consulting. In this episode, Mike Duerksen, founder and CEO of BuildGood, joins me to discuss fundraising services, best practices, and much more. 

Topics we cover include:

  • Mike’s journey to starting BuildGood
  • The agency’s core services and outcomes
  • Positive and negative indicators Mike considers when determining if a particular client is the right fit
  • Mike’s CRM and software recommendations
  • How to build a community rather than just an audience
  • A look at the future of fundraising — and strategic moves to start making now
  • What Mike has learned from running two podcasts


To connect with Mike:
BuildGood
The Build Good Fundraising Podcast
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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The Importance of Data Science with Matthew Dubins30 May 202200:37:30

Donor Science Consulting helps nonprofits stay competitive through advanced data analytics. In this episode, Matthew Dubins, founder of Donor Science Consulting, joins me to discuss all things data science. 

Topics we cover include:

  • How Matthew got started in data science and the nonprofit space
  • Why no organization can afford to ignore data science
  • Some of the main services he offers, all centered around predictive modeling
  • Ethical considerations and privacy best practices
  • The limits of what data science can’t — and shouldn’t — do
  • Impacts he’s seen from COVID on the nonprofit industry


To connect with Matthew:
Donor Science Consulting
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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How To Intelligently Document Change with Ian Gotts of Elements.Cloud23 May 202200:44:09

Elements.cloud is a change intelligence platform that helps organizations get more out of Salesforce through analysis and documentation. In this episode, Ian Gotts, founder and CEO at Elements.cloud, joins me to discuss change intelligence and documentation best practices. 

Topics we cover include:

  • The features and capabilities of Elements.cloud, including automated documentation, consolidating data in one place, and visualization
  • The importance of documenting not just what changes were made, but why
  • What Ian refers to as the “Three Cs” of change intelligence: Content, Connections, and Context
  • What “technical debt” means and how Elements.cloud helps reduce it 
  • Simple steps to get started building up solid documentation practices


To connect with Ian:
Elements.cloud
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Salesforce Consulting as a Labor of Love with Andrew Maruzzella16 May 202200:41:34

Wingate Group is a Salesforce consulting boutique serving clients throughout Canada and the USA. In this episode, Andrew Maruzzella, Director of Professional Services at Wingate Group, joins me to discuss the ins and outs of Salesforce consulting for nonprofits. 

Topics we cover include:

  • What Salesforce used to look like in the past and how far it’s come since
  • The differences between a consulting boutique and a solopreneur consultant
  • Some of the many hats that a Salesforce consultant wears
  • Why we continue to do what we do
  • The specific values we each look for in team members — and why talent or skill isn’t necessarily the most important qualification


To connect with Andrew:
Wingate Group
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Using Salesforce as a Central Hub with Saleh Nur of Oxfam Canada09 May 202200:38:04

Oxfam Canada, a member of the International Oxfam Confederation, works to end global poverty through fighting for womens’ rights. In this episode, Saleh Nur, IS and Analytics Specialist at Oxfam Canada, joins me to discuss the challenges and processes of working within such a multinational company in the nonprofit space, and how Oxfam Canada uses Salesforce as their central hub. 

Topics we cover include:

  • How Oxfam handles communication among its international locations and functions
  • How Oxfam Canada is tackling challenges such as data security, scalability, and data archiving 
  • Oxfam’s Unwrapped program and how it works
  • Benefits and challenges of using Salesforce, and how to decide if it’s the right platform for your company
  • Lessons learned during the pandemic
  • How to get involved with the work Oxfam Canada is doing


To connect with Saleh:
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam Unwrapped
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Empathy in Communication with Olga Woltman02 May 202200:33:20

LemonSkies helps nonprofit organizations create campaigns, plan strategically, and improve their messaging, and more. In this episode, Olga Woltman, Founder and Principal of LemonSkies, joins me to discuss how empathy drives every aspect of her work.

Topics we cover include:

  • Olga’s journey to working with nonprofits and founding LemonSkies
  • How to handle change management with empathy
  • How to determine what technology and your organization needs
  • Olga’s favorite philosophy for selecting a CRM
  • Choosing the right marketing strategies for your nonprofit
  • Tips for fundraising and getting donors more involved
  • How COVID has impacted fundraising


To connect with Olga:
LemonSkies
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Identifying Opportunities & Amplifying Impact with Katrina Seidel of Vera Solutions25 Apr 202200:43:51

Vera Solutions works with social sector organizations to help them understand, track, and leverage data to amplify their impact. In this episode, Katrina Seidel, Director of Business Development at Vera Solutions, joins me to discuss their product Amp Impact and how they’ve served over 325 organizations so far. 

Topics we cover include:

  • How Vera Solutions got its start
  • The benefits of using Amp Impact and how it compares to other products like Salesforce’s Program Management Module
  • How partnerships help Vera Solutions drive new opportunities and bring in new clients
  • What the product delivery process looks like
  • Other ways Vera Solutions works with organizations not using Amp Impact
  • The future of Vera Solutions


To connect with Katrina:
Vera Solutions
Amp Impact
LinkedIn
Twitter

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Insights into the Salesforce Community with Nonprofit Consultant Sandy Hunter18 Apr 202200:41:54

Talented and experienced Salesforce nonprofit consultant Sandy Hunter joins me to discuss some of the major topics of being a consultant in the nonprofit industry.

We discussed topics such as:
- How he got started working with NFPs
- How great it feels to be part of a larger community
- How he evaluates an existing Salesforce installation in order to make recommendations
- His most favorite and least favorite feature within Salesforce

To connect with Sandy:
Trailhead
LinkedIn
Twitter 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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The Best of Both Worlds with Abby Malvestuto of Prodly07 Apr 202200:37:06

Prodly provides DevOps (Development Operations) services and tools to help organizations manage their day-to-day operations at a technical level. In this episode, Abby Malvestuto, Product Marketing Specialist at Prodly, joins me to discuss the key functions of Prodly and how it makes handling data and metadata simple, even for non-technically-inclined users. 

Topics we cover include:

  • What DevOps are, and how Prodly fits into that definition through the use of Salesforce
  • Key functions of Prodly and how it developed over time
  • How Prodly makes data and metadata transfers easy and user-friendly
  • Prodly’s process for working with partners, and why they do this for free
  • Plans for future developments


To connect with Abby:
Prodly
LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Navigating Nonprofit Grants with Kenita Smith16 Sep 202400:40:45

In this inspiring episode of *Agents of Nonprofit, I sit down with Kenita Smith. Kenita candidly shares her journey, from the early misconceptions about nonprofit funding to becoming a grant-writing expert. She discusses the hurdles new nonprofits face when applying for grants, the importance of being "grant-ready," and how to build strong relationships with funders. Tune in for actionable insights on securing funding, sustaining a nonprofit, and the power of transparency in the nonprofit sector.

Topics We Cover:

  • Kenita's journey from single parent to nonprofit founder
  • The challenges of securing funding as a new nonprofit
  • Key misconceptions about grant writing and 501(c)(3) certification
  • The importance of data, impact stories, and sustainability in grant applications
  • How to become "grant-ready" and attract large foundations
  • Building trust with funders through transparency and honest communication
  • The balance between restricted and unrestricted grants post-Covid
  • Maximizing grant impact through collaboration and strategic partnerships

To Learn More and Connect with Kenita:
Starting My Nonprofit Website
Starting My Nonprofit Instagram
Starting My Nonprofit Facebook

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Considerations of a Salesforce Implementation31 Mar 202200:14:52

As a nonprofit, you probably have tons of questions about which CRM is right for you. In this episode, I tackle some of the most import points and considerations if you choose Salesforce as your CRM.

Topics include:

  • How to get started with Salesforce for nonprofits
  • When is Salesforce right for your organization
  • Finding an implementation partner
  • Out-of-the-box features
  • Popular 3rd party apps
  • Overcoming change management
  • Best practices for data migration
  • Release management using sandboxes
  • Choices for ongoing maintenance


Links:
Get an NPSP Trial
AppExchange for Nonprofits
Trailhead training

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Managing Volunteers, Accessing Data, & Surviving the Pandemic with Lynda Barrett24 Mar 202200:30:58

Volunteer West Island is one of about 114 volunteer centers in Quebec, and works to match volunteers with opportunities to serve the community. In this episode, Lynda Barrett, Executive Director of Volunteer West Island, joins me to discuss using an online system, and specifically Salesforce, to efficiently manage volunteer data for their wide variety of services. 

Topics we cover include:

  • The many different services a volunteer center like Volunteer West Island can offer
  • The difficulty of finding the right data management system for nonprofits
  • How and why they switched from using only very basic technology just a few years ago to relying heavily on Salesforce and a few other softwares today
  • What Lynda likes most about Salesforce, and what she still finds challenging
  • Why Lynda says Salesforce Maps saved their meal program during the pandemic


To connect with Lynda:
Volunteer West Island
https://wpamelia.com/

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast player. Thank you kindly!

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Bringing It All Together with Maxime Poulin & Sandra Villeneuve of The Breakfast Club of Canada17 Mar 202200:51:26

The Breakfast Club of Canada serves children across Canada, providing them with nutritious food at school. In this episode, Maxime Poulin and Sandra Villeneuve of The Breakfast Club of Canada join me to discuss making the change to Salesforce from the organization's previous CRM. 

Topics we cover include:

  • The specific technologies The Breakfast Club of Canada uses to receive donations, handle money, and distribute food across the country, while ensuring all systems work together smoothly
  • Why the organization switched over to using Salesforce 
  • Tips for effective change management 
  • What Maxime and Sandra like most about using Salesforce, and improvements they’d like to see in the future


To connect with Maxime & Sandra:
The Breakfast Club of Canada
Maxime LinkedIn
Sandra LinkedIn

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