Explore every episode of the podcast On Air with Amber Wynn, Philanthrepreneur

Every Executive Director should understand the role grants play in their funding strategy. Grants should be "a part" of your funding strategy, not the  entire strategy. They should make up 30% of your budget. Over reliance puts your org in jeopardy. Learn the danger and compliance issues with single- source dependency.  

You're doing the work,You've been around, you're credible, but money isn't flowing like it should. Your program isn't the problem, your positioning is. Why is positioning important? Funders use it make fast decisions. Nonprofits come from a founder's perspective . . . Shift to a Funder's perspective. Learn the language of Funding to help your funder see their ROI.

Today we bust the fundraising myth. No, you're NOT supposed to fund your organization. Not in the beginning not in the middle not ever. You just don't know what to do. Grants should only make up 30% of your budget. Of the top 8 funding sources, grants is #7—and why most founders are self-funding their organizations. Their  infrastructure is raggedy and they don't qualify.  Learn what the #1 source is and how to stop self-funding your nonprofit. 

Too many founders celebrate getting their 501(c)(3) like it's the finish line, but that IRS letter is just the beginning. At this stage, you're not qualified for a grant, but I'm going to share with you in this episode the four essentials that you need to make your nonprofit funder ready, legally compliant, and structurally sound.

A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a simple, tax-smart investment solution for charitable giving. Donors set up an online account and contribute cash, securities, or appreciated assets. Donors are eligible for a current-year tax deduction and can be more strategic about their giving decisions.

A key component of fundraising is understanding when money is available. Increase your odds of hitting your fundraising goals by understanding the budget cycle and how it impacts your ability to hit your funding targets.

A nonprofit is a business. And a part of running an effective business is leveraging the resources out there to help you manage cashflow. Learn why your nonprofit needs business credit and how to get it.

In these uncertain times, businesses are holding on tight to their wallets. This creates opportunity! Instead of asking for money, create a win-win for you and the donor by helping them to meet their bottom line.

If you're hosting fundraiser events that either barely break even or leave you in debt, you need the Formula for how to ensure your event makes a profit. Listen to today's episode to learn how to ensure your events always makes a profit.

If you're ready to stop dipping into your personal savings to cover your expenses at your nonprofit, then check out this episode. You'll learn what it takes to move your nonprofit from being your hobby (something you do on the side) to you quitting your 9-5 and getting a consistent paycheck from your nonprofit.

If you're self-funding your nonprofit then you can't afford to keep saying "I can't afford to pay for" strategies to help you generate more revenue. A nonprofit is a business. Businesses have expenses. Your growth and revenue will NOT come to you without a cost. Learn a cost-effective strategy for how to fund strategies that will help you generate more revenue in this episode!

Of the top 8 funding sources, grants is number 7. So, why do so many nonprofits focus on getting grants? Because they don't know what they don't know! Learn how to get your nonprofit to sustainable by moving Beyond Grants to learning how to diversify your funding streams for long-term impact and sustainability.

If you are submitting grants to funders who ask for financial statements, you may be mis-representing your organization's financial outlook. Financial statements let funders take a peak into the inner workings of your organization. If you want to ensure your organization is being reflected in a positive light, you may need to engage with a nonprofit accountant sooner than later. Check out this episode to find out when is a good time.

Delivering quality programs are the key to a nonprofit's success. Securing a physical building is a financial commitment that could send a nonprofit into fiancial debt before they get their legging. Learn how to navigate the process of delivering programs and securing a physical space without sending your nonprofit into financial debt.

Development Directors are not just in house grant writers. They have hefty salaries because do a lot of heavy lifting. Learn what all a development director does, when you should consider hiring one, and what are your alternatives in the meantime.

As the Founder, your board is supporting your vision. But do you know what they are supposed to be doing, and how they are supposed to do it? If you're just telling your board they need to fundraise, you're not setting them up for success. Learn how the way you show up impacts the outcomes you get (or don't get) from your board.

The purpose of consultants are to help your organization scale. If used at the right time, you will see exponential growth and development in your nonprofit. But without a foundation to work with, some consultants can turn out to be a financial drain. Learn when is the optimal time to bring in a consultant for your organization.

You don't have to start a nonprofit to make an impact in your community. Especially if you have a for profit business. The world doesn't need another nonprofit! Learn how to reduce up to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) and make 3x the impact 3x faster--without starting a brick and mortar nonprofit!

The IRS uses the Form 990 to determine if a nonprofit is operating as a regulated public charity. Whether or not the organization generates a lot of revenue, they have to submit a form 990 to the IRS so that they know if your organization is operating as a tax exempt organization. Learn all the in's and out's of submiting your form 990 and the consequences if you don't.

Financial statemens help Funders determine a nonprofit's funding readiness. Independent Audits by Certified Public Accountants are what Funders use to get a clear picture of a nonprofit's financial situation. Audits can be costly. But also audits are for organizations at certain budget levels. Check out this episode to learn when you need an audit, and how to circumvent an audit so that you can still apply for a grant requesting one.

Learn which cliches minimizes your work and what to say instead. Learn how to make powerful calls to action that link your request to your organization's success.

Quiet resignation by a generation that turns down 6-figure salaries + health benefits, retirement, and bonuses. What's the future of the nonprofit sector when it can barely provide their staff with part time positions at minimum wage. The impact for the nonprofit pipeline is dim. Learn what drastic steps need to happen to ensure the future and sustainability of the nonprofit sector. 

Big problems require big solutions, stipends, honorariums, and lover offerings aren't enough to get you to the finish line. Learn how to stop undervaluing your programs and role as a nonprofit leader by accepting less than living wages for the work.

1099 Part time employees are forced to live from paycheck to paycheck, no health benefits or opportunities for growth despite their dedication and loyalty to your organization. To keep them tethered to a spotty future is not rewarding their sacrfices to your organization and the community. Learn what every Executive Director should be doing to honor the hard work and commitment of their staff.

Nonprofits these days are rarely unique. Funders ask "Who is your competior?" to see if you've done your research and have explored opportunities to collaborate. They're looking for a return on their investment. Learn how to respond to this question and how to leverage your research to increase your organization's impact in this episode. 

If you're 2+ years in with your nonprofit and in the same place as you were last year (self-funding your organization), then you are asking the wrong questions.  If you're still asking "How do I get grants?" or "How can I get this for free?" you're asking the wrong questions. A nonprofit is a business. You should be asking those who are where you want to be, "How did you get there?" Learn all the questions you should be asking to stop funding your organization and start scaling and making the impact you started your nonprofit to make.

It takes more than a 501(c)(3) to get donations. Donors are asked 25 times a day for donations. Learn how to make your requests stand out. Get the secret formula for securing donations for your program, event, and organization with this one thing that seals the deal!

Things go wrong in life. It's just the way it goes. The unexpected also happens when administering programs. Learn the appropriate way to respond to keep your organization from being suspended or ruining your relationship with funders.

Every Executive Director needs a person who will hold them down - encourage, support, listen tell them the truth. Then there are people who Hold you Down. Literally, never have a positive thing to say. Always pointing out your short falls. Learn how to create a strong support system by increasing one and decreasing the other.

Networking in the nonprofit sector is important. Visibility helps nonprofits get in front of Funders and potential collaborators. Networking is not about showing your face in every space. It's about being strategic. Learn how to network effectively to increase capacity and maximize your time in the community.

Are you open to new information, receiving it in new ways, trying new strategies? Or do you push back. Do you find ways to Not Do what's being suggested. Do you find yourself saying, I've done that before. That's not being coachable. Being coachable is being open, trying new things. Learn how being coachable can help scale your organization.

If you've ever been in the situation where you've submitted a grant requesting a specific amount, but the Funder responded offering your organization much less than your request, you might be at a quandry at how to respond. On the one hand, some money is better than none, so you want to accept the reduced amount, but at the same time you know you can't do the same amount of work for less than budgeted. What do you do? In this episode, learn exactly how to respond so that your organization doesnt perpetuate the nonprofit poverty cycle (doing the most for less).

AI is everywhere. You can't hide from it. If leveraged the right way, AI can be used to increase efficiencies in the nonprofit. Learn how AI might be used in the nonprofit to help increase capacity and fill gaps that struggling budgets aren't able to fill.

How do Funders view volunteer-based and volunteer-led nonprofits? It may not be what you think? Funders are concerned with accountability, continuity, and consistency. Learn how to make your funder feel comfortable with funding your organization if it is volunteer-driven.

Government grants tend to be large, multi-year grants. To the untrained eye, a government grant may seem like a great solution to your funding woes. While large multi-year grants are great there are a lot of compliance issues surrounding government grants that nonprofit leaders should be aware of before they pursue and land one. Learn what they are and if your organization is at the place where it makes sense to pursue them.

The Nonprofit Board of Directors has its Fiduciary responsibilities to govern the organization. But what about the Advisory Board? Does it have role? It can. Learn the two ways to strategically leverage an Advisory board to help strengthen your nonprofit.

We all have someting to offer, because we all have tried and failed, tried and won. With resources so limited in the nonprofit sector, we win by sharing knowledge and resources--not by competing. Let's pool our shared wealth of knowledge and insider secrets with those struggling to make this world a better place and fill the gaps that prevents our sector from accomplishing the mission we are here to accomplish.

Are you posting on IG like crazy, but not seeing any return on your efforts? It could be that your donors aren't on IG. Learn how to research and identify which platforms your potential donors are on and how to reach them for more effective fundraising outcomes. Meet your donors where they are. Nonprofit marketing and fundraising requires strategy and intention. Learn what that looks like so you can increase your donations.

When you start a nonprofit, there is a huge learning curve. Many nonprofit leaders do things that don't align with industry practices and norms. Instead of addressing these missteps, they keep them in place, not knowling that they serve as red flags to Funders and nonprofit leaders in the sector. When you know better, do better. If you don't know how, listen for the steps so that you can improve your organization's reputation and prospects for funding.

There are times when nonprofits need to collaborate and times when they are in competition. It's important to understand when, how, and how best to cultivate collaborations, and when, how, and how best to set your organization a part from your competitors to win grants. Learn the in's and outs to powerfully set your organization up for success.

If you got into this thinking grant money was waiting for you. If you thought it would be easy (not a Real business). If you though you could just make stuff up and get funded. You picked the wrong business! Running a PROFITABLE nonprofit takes more work than running a for profit business. Learn all it takes to be successful as a nonprofit organization. Save time, money, and get the real deal about running a nonprofit.

Funders don't know you from eve. All they know is what you show them. Words have meaning to the IRS. What are your coordinates? What street will your sign lead funders to? Stop making stuff up. It hurts you in the end. Learn what your lack of knowledge could be doing to your ability to generate revenue and how to change directions so that you lead funders to an organization ready to receive funding.

Are you at every community meeting? Do you sit on multiple committees? Join every rally? If so, ask yourself if those efforts are moving your organization forward? Chances are they are not. What they are doing is keeping you Busy. Learn how to develop a strategy that maximized your time and effort. Learn how to Stop Moving and start Being in Action -- doing things that moves your organization forward instead of burning you out.

Be careful when accepting donations. Because they are tax deductible, individuals/companies are incentivized to donate. However, often these donations may not align with your organization's goals, may be obsolete and unusable, and end up costing the organization either in space, time trying to figure out how to use it, or money--getting rid of it. Learn how to make donations work for your organization by establishing donation criteria that helps guide the process so that it helps, not derails your organization from accomplishing its goals.

You may have a mission statement, a budget, program descriptions, and a board of directors. But, are they Funder-Ready? Funders use the documents they request to weed out nonprofits. Learn what Funder-Ready means, and how to get there.

Funders need to know if they cut you a 6-figure check, they will be able to determine if your nonprofit made an impact or not. They use the measures you set as the barometer for accomplishing your goals. Learn how craft measurable goals that help you tell your Success Story.

Not getting funded? It could be how you describe your Programs and Projects. A Funder doesn't know you or the work you do. If you don't explain your programs in a way that shows ROI, you could be missing an opportunity. Learn exactly what it is a funder is looking for so you can increase your odds of securing funding.

There's a lot of conversation around the disconnect between the Full Costs of running a nonprofit and what Funders cover (90% Direct Cost v 10% Direct Cost). Learn the Funder's perspective behind funding a nonprofit's overhead and how it impacts your organization.

Mission creep is when take money to administer programs that aren't aligned with your mission. You take the money to fill gaps. It's tempting but it's expensive: you need to hire staff, that takes away resources, but most importantly it distorts your IMPACT. Instead of chasing money, build out your organization to position it for consistent revenue by building out your infrastructure. If you don't know how check out 90 days to a Profitable Nonprofit, the roadmap.

If you're struggling to move to the next level, you need to assess where your organization is. What stage? Be truthful. When you know what stage it's in, you can move to the next stage by checking off the foundational elements you have (or don't have). Don't check off the box to move forward. If you've been self-funding your organization, chances are whay you've been doing isn't working (so don't check that box! Fix the issue!) That's what gets you to consistent revenue.