Explore every episode of the podcast The Nonprofit Show
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring a Nonprofit Development Assistant: 12 Ways to Support Fundraising | 06 Nov 2026 | 00:30:49 | |
Your development director has donors to meet. The database needs updating. Thank-you letters are waiting. And apparently the board needs sandwiches. Sound like one person’s Tuesday? This Fundraisers Friday conversation gives nonprofit leaders a better way to think about fundraising administrative support. Nonprofit development assistant responsibilities reach far beyond a tidy calendar: they can help keep donor relationships, gift records, and fundraising campaigns moving. Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall reveal where this role creates capacity and where the job description needs a firm “let’s be reasonable.” Julia, CEO of American Nonprofit Academy, and Tony, of Mr. Nonprofit Consultancy, explore 12 areas of responsibility that can shape a development assistant’s role. Their starting point is a business decision: how much relationship-building time gets swallowed by work someone else could manage? As Tony puts it, “This is an investment in the organization, not an expense.” Follow the workflow from donor database management and meeting calendars to acknowledgments, prospect research, campaign support, and gift recording. A quick voice note after a donor visit can help an assistant update records and prepare follow-up while the fundraiser moves to the next conversation. The cohosts also revisit a 24–48-hour thank-you benchmark to keep donor stewardship from sliding down the list. There’s a finance connection, too: development and accounting need to coordinate so gifts are recorded according to donor intent. And when it’s time to report progress, Julia has a memorable instruction: “Dashboard it, baby, dashboard it.” Keep the information clear enough for busy leaders and board members to use. The conversation also tackles event coordination, grant deadlines, board materials, and ethical AI use. Supporting grant administration doesn’t automatically make someone a grant writer, and access to sensitive donor information calls for thoughtful AI choices. Key Takeaways: - Build the staffing case around fundraising capacity and time redirected to donor relationships. - Give acknowledgments clear ownership and a 24–48-hour operating target. - Coordinate gift records with finance to reflect donor restrictions accurately. - Focus assistant-led prospect research on already-identified potential donors. - Match event and data responsibilities to the employee’s strengths; define grant-writing boundaries. - Use concise dashboards and protect confidential information when adopting AI tools. 00:00:00 Why fundraising teams need administrative backup Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| A Nonprofit's Redevelopment Strategy: From Community Meetings to Revenue | 05 Nov 2026 | 00:30:35 | |
Five community groups. Five historic buildings. Plenty of opinions. Somehow, this is becoming a shared plan for arts, recreation, senior services, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood vitality. The secret sauce? A whole lot of listening before anyone orders the construction equipment. Nonprofit real estate partnerships can help turn an ambitious capital project into a sustainable community asset . . .if someone plans for the bills after opening day! Pikesville Armory Foundation’s David Ginsburg shares the funding, tenant, and community strategies behind a $100 million redevelopment of a historic 17-acre campus. David joins Julia C. Patrick and Your Part-Time Controller’s Ellie Hume to explain how an 18-month governor’s commission and 50 additional community meetings helped shape the project. “And almost every meeting produced an idea we didn't even think of that we incorporated,” he says. That engagement also helped make the case to government officials and funders. Then comes the question every nonprofit board should ask: who keeps the lights on? David describes an operating model built around anchor partners, a 30-year county arrangement for outdoor recreation, and tenant responsibilities. “So about 80% of our operating costs will be borne by our tenants going forward.” That is a very different conversation from simply raising enough money to build. Explore nonprofit capital project funding through public support, philanthropy, matching grants, and competitive incentives. David reports a newly awarded $5 million state historic tax credit and a previously awarded $15 million Maryland catalytic incentive. He also discusses a projected $540 million in economic development over 10 years and an early demand signal: the restored meeting venue is used about 25 times monthly. Follow the project at pikesvillearmory.org. Key Takeaways - Plan operating responsibilities alongside the capital campaign, before opening day. - Use community research to shape facilities, validate demand, and build public support. - Recruit anchor operators with long-term commitments; this model anticipates tenants bearing about 80% of operating costs. - Combine funding sources while accounting for incentive timing and preservation requirements. - Track facility use now and community economic outcomes over time. 00:00:00 Nonprofit real estate, partnerships, and the business model #NonprofitManagement #NonprofitPartnerships #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Nonprofit Donor Data Security: The Hidden Cost of “Free” | 05 Nov 2026 | 00:26:39 | |
Nonprofit donor data security starts with the everyday tools your team uses . . .and “free” can come with a very expensive plot twist! Dan Hernandez of PCS Technology connects cybersecurity, AI policies, and smarter IT budgeting to protecting donor trust, preventing payment fraud, and keeping services running. That discounted software looked like a win. The volunteer’s personal email seemed convenient. And the enthusiastic intern connecting AI to your CRM? Just trying to help! Each decision deserves a closer look at who controls your information, what support costs, and how your organization would recover if something went wrong. Dan put nonprofit cybersecurity strategy where it belongs: alongside finance, fundraising, governance, and mission delivery. He shares a St. Vincent de Paul project that he says saved approximately $40,000–$50,000 annually by reducing licensing costs and streamlining processes. The research behind the discussion adds urgency: UC Berkeley’s CyberCAN study surveyed 68 San Francisco nonprofits, and 85% reported at least one cyberattack. Those findings describe the surveyed organizations, but the management questions travel well. We explore nonprofit AI data privacy, personal accounts, board impersonation scams, and the payment requests that arrive dressed as urgent executive instructions. Dan’s memorable finance rule: “Never change a payment from an e-mail.” Verify payment changes by calling a known number before money moves. You’ll also hear why nonprofit data breach response planning needs leadership involvement, protected backups, and a donor communication strategy. As Dan puts it, “It can be a very expensive day if you have a hacking incident.” Watch this with your finance, development, and operations teams.
Key Takeaways: - Compare software’s total operating cost, including administration, support, and security. - Keep organizational email and donor information under organizational control. - Approve AI tools and review data settings before connecting business systems. - Verify payment changes by phone using a previously known number. - Train board members to recognize urgent executive impersonation requests. - Assign incident response roles and prepare recovery and donor communications. 00:00:00 Donor data breaches: the business risk #NonprofitCybersecurity #DonorDataSecurity #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Two Nonprofits. One Perfect Merger. Then People Got Involved. | 04 Nov 2026 | 00:30:16 | |
Two missions may look lovely together on a slide. Getting two NPO’s to work together? That's where the luggage starts arriving! Nonprofit merger readiness starts with a surprisingly tough question: why are you merging in the first place? Tina Vasquez of Emerging Equity reveals how financial pressure, culture clashes, and founder dynamics can turn a promising partnership into extra baggage, and how leaders can make a stronger decision before combining organizations. Tina explores nonprofit merger strategy through the realities of staffing, board governance, financial sustainability, and organizational culture. Small nonprofits may have fewer people, but they still face demanding due diligence and often have fewer specialists available to help. Before comparing logos or imagining a bigger service footprint, Tina suggests examining your own organization. What skills are missing? Which systems need strengthening? Are leaders choosing a merger because it advances their goals, or because the financial pressure has everyone reaching for the nearest lifeboat? Then comes the culture conversation. As Tina asks, “Where am I willing to yield?” Shared purpose doesn't automatically settle how teams work, who makes decisions, or whose routines survive. Her five-layer framework explores relationships from the individual through the organization and its wider environment, helping leaders consider where pressure originates and who ends up carrying it. Founders and boards get their own reality check: surrounding a founder with friends can leave an organization short on the challenge, development, and complementary skills it needs. Tina's closing exercise is deceptively simple: keep asking why. “That fifth why might be the real reason why you're trying to merge.” Compare the costs and benefits of merging with the costs and benefits of staying independent. Watch before your next board conversation about growth, collaboration, or consolidation and give that merger proposal a better business test!! Key Takeaways: - Assess internal capacity before evaluating a merger partner. - Include culture and working systems alongside financial due diligence. - Identify who bears the workload and compromises of integration. - Build board accountability around founder development and skill gaps. - Use five whys and compare both merger and independence scenarios. 00:00:00 Nonprofit mergers: growth, survival, and readiness #NonprofitMergers Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| A Pirate, a Piñata, and a $250,000 Near-Miss: Preventing Nonprofit Fraud! | 30 Oct 2026 | 00:29:29 | |
Nonprofit fraud doesn’t always kick down the door . . .sometimes you invite the vampire in and approve its invoice! Join pirate-costumed Justine Townsend of Your Part-Time Controller for a howling Halloween lesson in spotting sinister payment requests, protecting your nonprofit’s treasure, and keeping internal controls alive through the year-end fright fest. The pirate is friendly. The invoice might not be! With Justine in pirate gear, Tim Sarrantonio dressed as a piñata, and Julia C. Patrick emerging from a cauldron, this annual Halloween episode delivers plenty of laughs and a serious reason to rethink who gets through your financial front door. Today’s scams can borrow familiar writing styles, imitate executive voices, and arrive disguised as vendor paperwork you were already expecting. As Justine puts it, “You have to unmask the monster before you open the door.” Discover how social engineering uses urgency and authority to push staff past normal approvals. Justine shares a chilling near-miss: changed payment instructions on an expected construction invoice could have diverted $250,000. The lesson is simple: independently confirm changes before money moves. The conversation also explores holiday distractions, donation-platform card testing, third-party security, and check tampering. For smaller organizations, Justine explains how a board treasurer or finance chair can provide independent bank oversight, even when one executive director handles most daily tasks. Your monster-fighting toolkit includes segregation of duties, two-factor authentication, verified vendor information, and payment processes that leave time for human judgment. Automation can reduce repetitive work, but it still needs clear approvals and review. "Our job is to protect ourselves from the fraudsters,” Justine reminds us. That means reviewing controls when responsibilities change, staying alert to new schemes, and keeping safeguards in place through the year-end rush. Key Takeaways: - Confirm changed vendor payment instructions through an independent outgoing call. - Treat unusual urgency as a reason to pause and verify. - Separate vendor setup from bank reconciliation; add board oversight when staffing is limited. - Maintain approvals and verification through holiday deadlines and incident cleanup. - Review controls whenever staff responsibilities or financial processes change. #NonprofitFraudPrevention #NonprofitFinance 00:00:00 Nonprofit fraud: the real Halloween monster Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| AI Data Privacy for Nonprofits: What Did You Agree To? | 29 Oct 2026 | 00:33:53 | |
Nobody ordered a robot for the finance office. Yet AI may already be working inside your accounting platform, donor database, payroll system, or grant management software. Surprise! Your next technology conversation belongs on the leadership agenda. AI data privacy for nonprofits starts with the software your team already uses. Dr. Stephanie Rose-Belcher of JMT Consulting explains how nonprofit leaders can ask sharper vendor questions, protect sensitive information, and welcome AI efficiencies with clear business controls. Stephanie, JMT Consulting’s chief operating officer, connects nonprofit AI governance with everyday purchasing and operational decisions. As she observes, “Our CFOs become sort of accidental CTOs.” When there’s no dedicated technology leader, the person approving the software bill may also be making consequential decisions about donor, employee, and organizational data. Start with your five most important applications. Then identify four or five non-negotiables for your organization before meeting with vendors. What information can they retain? How can it be shared? What AI uses are permitted, and what opt-out choices does your agreement actually provide? The conversation also makes tenant isolation understandable: your organization needs clarity about how its information stays separated and protected within shared software infrastructure. And when AI performs financial functions, convenience needs a paper trail. Stephanie puts it plainly: “I got to be able to audit it and prove it and be secure.” Bring these questions to your account representative during a purchase, renewal, or review of an essential system. Better answers can help your team make informed choices and benefit from automation while maintaining human oversight. Watch to build a stronger nonprofit software contract review, and give that “I agree” checkbox the attention it deserves. Stephanie also previews JMT’s Innovate conference, announced for May 12–14, 2027, in Savannah, Georgia. Key Takeaways: - Prioritize five essential applications for vendor and AI-use review. - Define organizational non-negotiables before comparing vendor answers. - Examine data retention, ownership, sharing, and available opt-outs. - Ask how vendors separate and protect your organization’s information. - Require audit trails to verify AI-performed financial work. - Use vendor conversations to strengthen purchasing and ongoing oversight. 00:00:00 The nonprofit leader’s AI toolkit #NonprofitAI Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Direct Mail Fundraising: Who to Mail . . . .and Who to Skip! | 28 Oct 2026 | 00:29:13 | |
Nonprofit direct mail donor acquisition works best when your mailing list and your financial expectations are on speaking terms! Before you blame the envelope, inspect the audience. A beautifully written appeal can still flop when it lands in the wrong mailbox. With postage and paper taking a bigger bite, “send it to everyone” deserves a tougher budget conversation. Jeff Kruszyna of JMK Victory joined the Show to explore donor segmentation, testing, and the longer game behind fundraising returns. Jeff, founder and CEO, explained how nonprofit direct mail fundraising strategy connects audience selection, creative testing, and donor stewardship. His approach: test smaller segments, study the returns, and expand toward audiences that justify the expense. “Ultimately the donors decide for us what works and what doesn’t,” Jeff says. Translation: your favorite fundraising letter still has to audition. The conversation also tackles donor acquisition costs for nonprofits. Jeff describes using a three-month test series with three different creative approaches and recommends evaluating acquisition with a three-to-five-year outlook. Those are his planning approaches, rather than universal performance benchmarks. And that modest first gift? It may be an introduction, not a ceiling. Jeff recalls seeing a $50 donor later write a $25,000 check . . .. an example of relationship potential, not a promised return! You’ll also hear where Jeff sees AI helping with campaign research and audience analysis, why some prospects belong in other channels, and how acknowledgments and impact updates support nonprofit donor lifetime value. Planning a year-end fundraising mail strategy? Jeff estimates roughly three weeks from a standing start to getting mail out the door, while encouraging first-quarter acquisition testing, too. . . . .“The year end isn’t the end.” Key Takeaways: - Segment acquisition prospects separately from existing donors. - Test audiences and creative before expanding mailing volume. - Evaluate acquisition beyond the first appeal’s immediate revenue. - Redirect poorly matched prospects toward other communication channels. - Build thank-yous, impact updates, and monthly-giving cultivation into follow-up. - Plan production lead time and testing beyond December. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Direct Mail: Does Snail Mail Still Deliver? #NonprofitFundraising #DirectMailStrategy #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| You Hired a Fundraiser. Then Gave Them Everyone's Job! | 27 Oct 2026 | 00:28:29 | |
Nonprofit development director turnover may start with a job description that expects one person to do an entire team's work. Major gifts. Grant writing. Events. Email campaigns. Database management. Apparently, your next fundraiser also needs a horn and a little glitter!! Eddie Allen of Pacific Northwest Fundraising explains how stronger systems, shared donor knowledge, and a team approach give fundraising talent a fighting chance. Eddie joins us to challenge the nonprofit “unicorn” job description and the expensive cycle of hiring, overwhelming, and replacing talented people. The conversation connects nonprofit staffing decisions to revenue continuity, donor trust, and the workload carried by everyone left behind. “Sustainable fundraising needs sustainable systems and processes,” Eddie says. That means examining your strategy, CRM, communications cadence, and storytelling before handing a new hire a revenue target and wishing them luck. Discover why a donor database should hold much more than gift amounts. Volunteer history, board connections, interests, and past engagement help teams plan the next donor experience. Segmentation and automated communications can also free staff to spend more time building relationships. For leaders wondering how long this groundwork takes, Eddie estimates roughly three to six months to build fundraising infrastructure, depending on the organization's starting point. He also discusses a 24-to-48-month major-gift timeline, illustrating the tension between patient relationship development and pressure for immediate revenue. The conversation also explores fractional fundraising teams: specialists handling campaigns, content, and systems while organizational leaders nurture donor relationships. As Eddie puts it, “We're not trying to replace development directors. We're trying to give them a fighting chance.” Watch before writing your next development job description, rebuilding your annual giving plan, or asking one employee to become the entire department! Key Takeaways: - Separate fundraising specialties before combining them into one job description. - Build strategy, systems, and storytelling into your staffing plan. - Use your CRM to preserve donor knowledge through personnel changes. - Budget time for infrastructure; Eddie estimates approximately three to six months. - Give board members defined roles through invitations, introductions, and content sharing. - Consider fractional support to protect staff time for donor relationships. 00:00:00 The nonprofit fundraising unicorn problem Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Tracking In-Kind Donations: When Generosity Backfires | 26 Oct 2026 | 00:28:12 | |
In-kind donations can be a nonprofit's greatest gift . . . . .or an unexpected operational nightmare! Discover how better nonprofit in-kind donation management can reduce waste, improve donor retention, and turn everyday gifts into measurable results. Imagine asking your community for much-needed supplies, only to receive so many of one item that you have to tell donors to STOP giving! That's exactly the kind of problem that inspired Panos Kokmotos, Co-Founder and COO of Givelink, to rethink how nonprofits collect, manage, and track donated goods. Joining The Nonprofit Show, Panos explores an often-overlooked business challenge: generosity doesn't automatically translate into operational efficiency. From outdated wish lists and excess inventory to anonymous donors and missing follow-up communications, in-kind donation management can create more work than organizations anticipate. As Panos explains, he's seen in-kind giving become “an operational mess.” But what if donors could purchase exactly what a nonprofit needs, track delivery, and receive actual photographs showing how their gifts are being used? That’s what GiveLink is all about. . . Panos adds, “The photo proof that they received was the best part for them to re-engage and give again.” You'll also hear how nonprofits can connect donation wish lists with donor relationship management, capture information with donor consent, automate acknowledgments, and create more meaningful impact communications. Watch now and discover how smarter in-kind giving could change your organization's donation strategy! Key Takeaways: - Match donated products to documented needs to prevent excess inventory and wasted resources. - Keep wish lists current as needs are fulfilled and priorities change. - Capture consent-based donor information to connect in-kind giving with CRM and stewardship workflows. - Use real delivery photos and subsequent impact updates to strengthen trust and encourage repeat giving. - Evaluate donor retention and average gift values, not simply the number of donated items received. - Choose donation technology designed for nonprofit fulfillment, reporting, and relationship management. 00:00:00 Why In-Kind Donations Deserve Attention #InKindDonations #NonprofitManagement Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Nonprofit Budget Conversations: Say 'NO' Without Making It Personal | 21 Oct 2026 | 00:29:31 | |
If your budget meetings inspire elaborate escape plans, this conversation offers a welcome reset. Nonprofit budget planning and accountability get a fresh look when “no” becomes the start of a better business conversation. Joseph Plagge of Martus Solutions and Jeremy Brown of Kari Hub explain how shared ownership, contingency planning, and monthly reviews connect spending decisions to mission results. Joseph and Jeremy challenge the idea that an approved budget is the finish line. The bigger test: does that plan move your organization toward the financial position its future requires? Jeremy puts it plainly: “Build a budget that’s worth defending.” That starts with identifying owners who understand their numbers, help shape their plans, and explain results throughout the year. Joseph describes three ownership groups (executive leadership, finance, and department or program leaders) and references Martus’s nine-phase budget playbook. The goal is to make responsibilities and deadlines clear before spreadsheet season becomes a competitive sport. The guests also explain how to prepare for surprises. Jeremy recommends writing a contingency plan before building the budget, including responses to scenarios such as expenses running 5% over plan. His suggested rhythm: two to three months for budgeting, followed by a one-hour department budget meeting every month. And when something needs a “no”? Joseph offers a useful distinction: “So it’s not a person that we’re saying no to. It’s more the plan alignment that we might say no to.” Discover how documenting assumptions, reviewing budget versus actuals, and redirecting resources toward stronger mission results can make nonprofit financial management more collaborative and less personal. Key Takeaways:
- Assign budget ownership across leadership, finance, and program teams. - Evaluate budgets against future financial needs and strategic goals. - Write contingency responses before revenue or expense surprises arrive. - Document spending assumptions and intended mission results. - Use monthly reviews to sustain ownership and explain variances. - Consider reallocating resources toward higher-impact work before defaulting to cuts. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Budget Conversations: Starting With “No” #NonprofitFinance Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The Donor Said “Yoga.” The Kids Needed Reading. | 20 Oct 2026 | 00:29:56 | |
Nonprofit program design for results starts with knowing whom you serve and what they want to achieve. Rob Jentsch of ADGN Education shows how that clarity can guide budgets, strengthen fundraising, and keep tempting funding opportunities from steering your mission off course. A community center wants children reading on grade level. Then come a donor’s yoga classes, a science grant, and a community garden!! All good things. But are they moving those children toward the reading goal, or giving an already stretched team three more things to juggle? Rob joins Julia C. Patrick and co-host Ellie Hume of Your Part-Time Controller for a lively conversation about nonprofit program strategy, resource allocation, and the confidence to keep funding aligned with purpose. “It’s like an octopus tug of war where you’re pulled in so many different directions,” Rob says. Sound like your last leadership meeting? His story about Cooperative for Education in Guatemala brings the stakes into focus. Rob reports that about 99% of the students consulted came from families with very tight resources, and all wanted access to a fair-wage job after high school. Listening to students helped clarify the support they needed: employment access, interview clothing, and soft skills. That clarity also gave the organization a stronger story to bring back to its board and donors. Discover Rob’s results → reputation → revenue flywheel and his straightforward “theory of impact”: if we provide these supports, we expect this outcome. Ellie connects that thinking to leadership across finance, fundraising, and programs, while Rob brings HR and staff schedules into the equation. Watch for a donor conversation that protects the reading program and still leaves room for a friendly invitation to hot yoga. Bring this discussion to your next leadership meeting and test whether your time, people, and money support the same result. Key Takeaways - Define the participant and desired outcome before selecting program activities. - Assess funding opportunities against outcomes, staff capacity, and available time. - Use participant interviews and surveys to strengthen strategy and donor communication. - Build a written “if we provide X, then we expect Y” theory of impact. - Align finance, HR, fundraising, and program leaders around the resources that outcome requires. 00:00:00 Designing Nonprofit Programs for Results and Revenue Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Independent Sector National Summit Recap: What Stayed With Us | 19 Oct 2026 | 00:29:37 | |
This Independent Sector National Summit recap brings you inside the Phoenix gathering through the experiences of Tiffani R. Brown and Nancy Bacon. Discover the conversations, connections, and unexpected moments they brought home and what those experiences could mean for your nonprofit’s leadership, operations, and workforce! Tiffani R. Brown of Monroe Impact Advisors and Nancy Bacon of Nancy Bacon Consulting reflect on why they invested in attending, what caught their attention, and why they left with more than a stack of conference notes. For Tiffani, a first-time summit attendee, a standout was the CEO intensive: a full day with dozens of leaders navigating different stages of organizational life. She met a new CEO just months into the role and another with 17 years of experience already considering succession planning. Those exchanges offered perspective that can be hard to find inside your own organization. Nancy describes connections stretching from frontline professionals to state and national leaders. She also noticed generations learning from one another: “And I saw such a spirit of generosity of the generations connecting.” Both guests found encouragement in the emerging leaders they met. Their summit highlights also carry nonprofit business impacts. Tiffani was excited by shared-services models supporting nonprofit finance, HR, and IT. Nancy welcomed the attention to workforce health, including compensation, retention, morale, and benefits, as part of the sector’s long-term sustainability. “I walked away feeling really inspired and energized,” Tiffani shares. Watch their recap for a candid look at what made this gathering worthwhile, and why you should plan to attend the next Summit!! Key Takeaways - Tiffani’s CEO intensive connected leaders facing onboarding, succession, and organizational change. - Nancy’s conversations linked frontline experience with state and national perspectives. - Shared-services sessions offered models for strengthening administrative capacity across nonprofits. - Workforce health emerged as a sustainability priority extending beyond individual burnout. - Both guests saw intergenerational connections and realistic optimism as summit strengths. 00:00:00 Independent Sector Summit Recap #TheNonprofitShow #IndependentSector Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| What to Say When Your Board Says “Too Expensive” or "NO!" | 16 Oct 2026 | 00:28:34 | |
Wondering how to get board approval for a nonprofit CRM when “too expensive” ends the conversation? Tony Beall and Julia C. Patrick explore the business case for donor management software, then tackle board reporting, outside board service, and the work-from-home debate. It’s Fundraisers Friday, and the questions have arrived with their sleeves rolled up! First up: a board that sees a CRM subscription as a budget burden. Tony encourages fundraisers to explain the investment through the work it supports: managing donor information, strengthening fundraising processes, and preserving knowledge when employees leave. His question puts a different number on the conversation: “So what price tag are you putting on that information walking out the door?” Julia and Tony discuss using vendor testimonials to help make the case and exploring capacity-building support. Tony shares a local community foundation example that he believes offers up to $5,000—an illustration of a possible funding route, rather than a universal grant opportunity. Next comes boardroom access. How often should the development director present? Julia advocates a place at every meeting; Tony favors monthly engagement when possible, with quarterly presentations at a minimum. The goal: stronger relationships, clearer fundraising expectations, and better understanding of how revenue reaches the organization. They also consider whether fundraisers should serve on another nonprofit’s board. The conversation centers on learning, community participation, confidentiality, and knowing when to step back from a vote. Then comes the office debate: must productive fundraising happen within earshot of everyone else’s phone calls? They explore hybrid work, employee well-being, and performance monitoring. As Julia puts it, “And that trust goes both ways.” Watch to get fresh ideas you can bring into your next budget discussion, board meeting, or conversation with your manager. Key Takeaways: - Build the CRM case around fundraising processes and donor knowledge continuity. - Explore capacity-building funding for donor management infrastructure. - Establish regular development director presentations to strengthen board understanding. - Address outside board service through confidentiality, conflict policies, and recusal. - Evaluate hybrid work through performance, employee satisfaction, and available tools. 00:00:00 Fundraisers Friday: Questions Fundraising Leaders Are Asking Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| How to Improve Nonprofit Donation Forms: Donation First, Details Second | 15 Oct 2026 | 00:30:35 | |
You’ve crafted the appeal, told the story, and inspired someone to give. Victory lap? Almost. Your donation form still has a job to do, and one extra field, confusing message, or inconvenient payment process can blow-up that moment of generosity! Learn how to improve nonprofit donation forms so a donor’s “yes” becomes a completed gift. Bloomerang’s Evan DaSilva shares how simpler checkout, digital wallets, and timely thank-yous can strengthen fundraising conversion and donor retention. Evan, Senior Vice President of Payments at Bloomerang, joins us to explore the business of getting donors across the finish line. As he puts it, “You don’t want to introduce moments of friction after you’ve already won that appeal.” One conversation-stopper: what if you collected the donation before asking for additional donor details? Evan reports that Bloomerang’s Express Donate feature has shown a 55% increase in conversion by capturing the gift first. He addresses the fear of losing contact information and why losing the donor’s attention may be the bigger risk. The discussion connects nonprofit donation form optimization with campaign planning, internal coordination, and donor confidence. Your appeal and landing page should tell the same mission story. Digital wallets can reduce typing on mobile devices. Even the wording used to ask donors to cover processing fees deserves attention. Then comes the chore with fundraising upside: testing. Walk through the entire giving experience on phones, tablets, desktops, and different browsers. Invite people across generations to try it, too. And don’t leave the thank-you until later. Evan cites a statistic that first-time donors thanked within 48 hours are four times more likely to give again. He explains how consistent impact messaging and preferred communication channels help connect that first gift to an ongoing relationship. Key Takeaways: - Align campaign appeals, donation pages, and acknowledgments around the same mission. - Capture the gift before requesting additional donor information. - Offer digital wallets to simplify mobile giving and support donor acquisition. - Test across devices, browsers, and donor generations. - Prepare timely thank-yous before launch; ask how donors prefer to stay in touch. 00:00:00 Make It Easy for Donors to Give #TheNonprofitShow #DigitalFundraising #DonorExperience Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Did You Hire the Person or Their Chatbot? | 14 Oct 2026 | 00:30:35 | |
AI recruiting for nonprofits can help teams manage a mountain of applications, but a polished résumé still leaves one big question: can this person do the work? Dana Scurlock, Managing Director of Staffing Boutique, explores smarter screening, candidate transparency, and hiring practices that keep human judgment in the process. Joining Julia C. Patrick and Sherry Quam Taylor, Dana considers a hiring puzzle that deserves a seat at your next leadership meeting: employers want candidates who can use AI, yet still need to understand what those candidates can contribute themselves. That résumé might sparkle. The interview still has a job to do. “AI is not a replacement for the human portion of recruiting and hiring, and it shouldn't be looked at as such,” Dana begins. She describes recruiting situations where a single job posting brings hundreds of résumés, making screening efficiency a real operational concern. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help organize candidate information, and AI-assisted screening raises questions about keywords, access, and who advances. For nonprofit hiring managers balancing recruitment with an already-full workload, the discussion connects technology choices to staff capacity, candidate experience, and the quality of hiring decisions. The conversation also moves beyond résumé screening into AI interviews and hiring assessments. If candidates will use AI on the job, how should that affect the assignments used to evaluate them? What should employers disclose and what should applicants explain about their own AI use? Dana’s recommendation for nonprofit leaders: develop employee guidelines that explain where AI belongs, where human judgment matters, and what your organization expects. Key Takeaways: - Use AI to support screening while retaining human evaluation. - Assess demonstrated ability beyond résumé polish and keywords. - Disclose when candidates are interacting with AI. - Set clear AI-use expectations before hiring assessments. - Define organizational boundaries for AI in employee guidelines. 00:00:00 AI Recruiting and Nonprofit Hiring #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitHiring #AIRecruiting Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Your Nonprofit Says the Right Things. Now Look at Who Gets Hired. | 13 Oct 2026 | 00:29:57 | |
Nonprofit leadership equity strategies come to life when they shape hiring, board decisions, and everyday operations. Dr. Orletta Caldwell and Erick Seelbach explore how to close the gap between stated values and organizational behavior . . . . .especially during leadership transitions! Your nonprofit has a values statement. Wonderful. But does it show up when the board chooses its next executive director, evaluates organizational culture, or decides which problems can wait? Joining host Julia C. Patrick, Dr. Caldwell of Beyond Existing Enterprises and Seelbach of Third Sector Company bring candid perspectives on nonprofit governance, equitable hiring, and interim leadership. Their conversation connects equity to the business of running an organization: talent, revenue, donor relationships, and the conditions a new leader inherits. Dr. Caldwell addresses the barriers facing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leadership candidates and the funding fears affecting African American-led nonprofits. Her starting point is straightforward: “If it is not written, it hasn’t happened.” Written policies give an organization something concrete to discuss, implement, and revisit—and responsibility belongs across the organization. Seelbach brings the assessment perspective, explaining how an outside leader can identify gaps, help boards prioritize improvements, and prepare for an equitable executive search. That includes examining the board’s own behavior. The mirror comes with the assignment! As Seelbach comments, “It’s not about wanting to do good. It’s about what actually happens.” The two guests also describe organizations retreating from equity commitments, communities strengthening their own resource networks, and the value of bringing politically charged questions back to mission. These are observations from their work, offering leaders useful starting points for conversations inside their own organizations. Watch to discover where your policies, leadership practices, and mission messaging could work better together. Bring this conversation to your next board discussion and give those good intentions a job to do! Key Takeaways: - Translate stated equity values into written policies and observable leadership practices. - Examine executive searches for barriers that overlook qualified BIPOC candidates. - Use organizational assessments to identify short-, medium-, and long-term improvements. - Include board behavior and executive support in the organizational diagnosis. - Evaluate outcomes and people’s experiences when assessing equity. - Prepare board ambassadors to connect difficult questions back to mission and values. 00:00:00 Advancing Equity in Nonprofit Leadership Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| charity: water’s Approach to Fundraising Data and Teamwork | 08 Oct 2026 | 00:30:17 | |
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 #TheNonprofitShow #FundraisingOperations #charitywater Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Before Your Nonprofit's Budget Fails Again, Give Your Team a Voice! | 07 Oct 2026 | 00:31:07 | |
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
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitBudgeting Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Planned Giving for Nonprofits: The “Department of No” Could Save Your Next Big Gift | 06 Oct 2026 | 00:29:47 | |
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? #TheNonprofitShow #PlannedGiving #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Four Generations, One Nonprofit—and Everyone Wants to Be Heard | 05 Oct 2026 | 00:32:07 | |
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 #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitTeamManagement Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Philanthropy in the South: Investing in Women and Girls of Color | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:31:18 | |
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 #TheNonprofitShow #WomenOfColor #Philanthropy Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Year-End Fundraising Reality Checks: One Thumb Can Make It Or Break It! | 25 Sep 2026 | 00:27:53 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| You Got the Donation. Will You Keep the Donor? | 24 Sep 2026 | 00:29:50 | |
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 #DonorRetention #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| They Were Ready to Donate. . . . Then This Happened! | 23 Sep 2026 | 00:29:42 | |
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 #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitPowerWeek #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The Nonprofit Trust Test: Build Credibility Before the Ask | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:30:48 | |
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 #DonorTrust #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The True Beginning of Your Donor's Journey: Discovery and Trust | 21 Sep 2026 | 00:29:56 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The Fundraiser Is Gone . . .Will the Donors Follow? | 18 Sep 2026 | 00:29:40 | |
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 #NonprofitFundraising #FundraisingEthics #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| How to Record In-Kind Donations—Without Costly Mistakes! | 17 Sep 2026 | 00:29:18 | |
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 #NonprofitFinance #InKindDonations #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| What exactly am I responsible for if my staff is using AI? | 16 Sep 2026 | 00:33:18 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| What MacKenzie Scott’s $4 Million Gift Changed at JobsFirstNYC | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:29:46 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Your Nonprofit Board’s Six-Hour Retreat Won’t Fix This | 14 Sep 2026 | 00:31:13 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Before You Ask for the Gift, Fix the Giving Experience! | 09 Sep 2026 | 00:30:13 | |
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 #NonprofitFundraising #YearEndFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The “Always On” Leadership Trap | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:30:12 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Your Biggest Fundraising Mistake Might Happen Before Christmas! | 03 Sep 2026 | 00:29:02 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Nonprofit Leadership: Creating Space for Better Thinking | 02 Sep 2026 | 00:28:27 | |
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 Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| From 12 Leaders to 500 Members: An Association Growth Strategy | 31 Aug 2026 | 00:27:56 | |
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 #AutismAssociation #AssociationManagement #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Your Accountant May Be Holding You Back! | 28 Aug 2026 | 00:26:09 | |
When should a nonprofit change its accounting partner? Accurate books matter. Timely financial statements matter. But there’s an important distinction: “Timely and accurate financial reports… [are] a great starting point, but it’s not the finish line.”! Andrew Miller, Director at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), explains the warning signs that indicate your finance relationship may no longer be giving leadership the insight, collaboration, and strategic support the organization needs. A strong nonprofit accounting partner should help leaders understand what the numbers mean and how those numbers affect programs, grants, sustainability, staffing, and future decisions. That means finance cannot operate as an isolated function. Andrew puts it simply: “Outsourced shouldn’t mean out of touch!” He identifies several signals that deserve attention: duplicate work between departments, unclear responsibilities, information gaps, reports that never reach program or development teams, and accounting providers who understand general accounting but lack nonprofit or subsector expertise. That specialization becomes increasingly important as organizations grow. New programs, more complex grants, government reimbursement contracts, cost allocation, donor restrictions, functional expense reporting, audits, and compliance can quickly push a finance operation beyond basic month-end accounting. Technology is changing expectations as well. Better system connections, automation, and AI can create efficiencies but the real payoff should be more capacity for analysis and CFO-level thinking, not simply faster bookkeeping. Andrew also cautions leaders against making an impulsive switch. Look for a pattern. Determine whether the accounting relationship is consistently failing to meet the organization’s evolving needs. And if a change is warranted, the transition can be structured, collaborative, and well documented. The larger message: the accounting model that helped your nonprofit reach its current stage may not be the one capable of taking it to the next. Key Takeaways: Timely, accurate financial statements are a baseline—not the full value of a finance relationship. Finance partners should translate numbers into decisions about programs, grants, sustainability, and growth. Duplicate work and information gaps can reveal a finance function that is disconnected from operations. Nonprofit and subsector accounting expertise becomes increasingly important as financial complexity grows. Technology should create more capacity for strategic CFO-level thinking. Change accounting partners based on a sustained pattern of unmet needs, not one frustrating incident. 00:00:00 The Accounting Partner Conversation #NonprofitFinance #NonprofitAccounting #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Before Buying Nonprofit Software: 5 Questions to Ask | 27 Aug 2026 | 00:29:29 | |
Considering new nonprofit software? Before signing a contract, scheduling implementation, or sitting through another impressive demo, there are 5 business questions your organization should answer first. Christine Chacko of Your Part-Time Controller explains how nonprofits can make smarter technology decisions while avoiding expensive fixes to the wrong problem. . . .A reporting problem doesn’t automatically mean you have a software problem! Christine, a CPA with both accounting and technology experience, sees nonprofits wrestling with accounting systems, CRMs, payroll platforms, integrations, data, and reporting. Her first advice is refreshingly simple: diagnose the business need before shopping for the solution. “The thing I always tell people is to start with your end point.” What information does leadership actually need? What decisions will the data support? What should the board receive? And are you collecting the right information to produce those answers? Sometimes the existing system can already do considerably more than the organization realizes. Christine says that in her experience, roughly half the time organizations approaching her about replacing a system can get what they need from their current technology by changing how they enter, structure, track, or use their data. Then comes the human side. Christine notes that some nonprofit employees have worked within the same processes for 10, 20, 30 . . .even 50 years!! Changing software can therefore mean changing deeply established work habits. Staff involvement, training, communication, and buy-in become part of the technology strategy. And don’t automatically assume January 1 is the ideal implementation date. Year-end may already include closing the books, audits, funder reporting, donor activity, vacations, and other operational pressures. A well-planned midyear conversion may actually be easier. As Christine puts it: “No matter how much software you're using or how well you're using it, it is always… a human issue.” Key Takeaways: Diagnose training, process, communication, and data issues before replacing technology. Define the desired reporting or business outcome first, then work backward. Treat employee buy-in as part of technology implementation. Research real users and nonprofit peers—not just vendor demonstrations. Consider the size of a product’s user and support community. Avoid piling software implementation onto an already overloaded year-end calendar. 00:00:00 5 Questions Before Buying Nonprofit Software
#NonprofitTechnology #NonprofitManagement #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| 5 Questions Nonprofit Leaders Should Ask Their Finance Team | 26 Aug 2026 | 00:28:06 | |
What questions should nonprofit leaders ask their finance team? Barbara Enright, Director and Market Leader with Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), shares five deceptively simple questions that can turn nonprofit financial reporting into a far more strategic management tool! A financial statement may contain plenty of numbers . . . .but are they complete, final, reconciled and ready for leaders to act on? Barbara begins with the wonderfully uncomfortable question: Can we trust the numbers? She explains why preliminary figures matter, including one organization where an uncollectible pledge turned what appeared to be a surplus into a deficit. The conversation quickly moves beyond accounting mechanics. Barbara encourages nonprofit executives and boards to ask, What do I need to know right now? As she puts it, “If you're running out of cash, the board needs to know.” A lengthy variance discussion isn't terribly useful if the organization is missing the financial issue that demands attention today. Then comes the forward-looking question: What are we expecting next? Forecasting, projections and scenario planning help organizations prepare before circumstances force a reaction. Barbara offers a memorable blue sky, gray sky, dark sky framework and uses a hypothetical $1 million grant pipeline to show how leaders can prepare for multiple revenue outcomes. The discussion also tackles one of nonprofit finance's perennial headaches: restricted versus unrestricted funding. Having $1 million in the bank doesn't necessarily mean an organization has $1 million available to operate. Finance, development and program teams need to coordinate before funding commitments create restrictions that become operational problems. Finally: Are we ready for the audit? Barbara recommends beginning preparations months in advance and notes the goal of completing the audit within six months after year-end. Controls, documentation, policies and even cybersecurity can become part of that readiness conversation. Key Takeaways: Verify whether financial reports are complete, final and reconciled before making decisions. Give boards an executive-level financial summary, not simply pages of numbers. Use forecasting and scenario planning before financial conditions change. Make restricted versus unrestricted cash visible to leadership and boards. Connect finance, development and programs before grant commitments are made. Treat audit readiness as an ongoing management discipline, not a year-end scramble. 00:00:00 Questions Leaders Should Ask Finance Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Nonprofits and AI: 92% Are Using It, But Only 7% Use It Well | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:29:44 | |
Nonprofits are adopting AI fast, but governance, data controls and human judgment determine whether experimentation becomes real organizational value. AI governance is becoming a business necessity as organizations move rapidly from experimenting with AI to using it throughout finance, fundraising, communications, and operations. But adoption is racing ahead of strategy and that creates a very different challenge for nonprofit leaders! Patricia Bueso, Client Services Technology Adoption Manager at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), joined us during Nonprofit Power Week to explain how nonprofits can turn AI experimentation into trusted organizational capability. One statistic frames the issue: Patricia cites research indicating that 92% of nonprofits are already using or experimenting with AI, yet only 7% are using it in meaningful, impactful ways. That suggests the next competitive advantage isn't simply adopting another AI tool. It's knowing where AI adds value, where it creates risk, and where human judgment must remain firmly in control. Patricia recommends beginning with actual workflows. Identify potential AI use cases across departments, then evaluate each according to effort, value and risk. Ask one deceptively simple question: “What happens if the AI is wrong?” Low-risk applications may include brainstorming, outlines, email rewrites and meeting summaries. Risk rises when AI begins influencing financial analysis, donor segmentation or organizational decisions. The conversation also moves squarely into data governance. Where is organizational data stored? How long does a vendor retain it? What happens after a subscription ends? Who has reviewed the security configuration? Patricia recommends examining standards such as SOC 2 and involving IT or technologically knowledgeable board members when appropriate. Perhaps the clearest operating principle comes from YPTC: “Guidelines help protect the adventurous and reassure the cautious.” Governance doesn't have to mean stopping innovation. It means establishing guardrails so people can use AI confidently! Key Takeaways: Evaluate AI at the workflow level—not as one enormous organization-wide problem. Rate AI use cases by effort, business value and potential risk. Distinguish low-, medium- and high-risk AI based on consequences for decisions, people, money and reputation. Know where vendor-held data goes, how it is secured and what happens to it after termination. Create AI guidelines defining what is encouraged, what requires approval and what is off limits. Treat staff training and human judgment as essential parts of AI governance. 00:00:00 Adopting AI You Can Actually Trust #NonprofitAI #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| 5 Financial Red Flags Your Nonprofit Board Can’t Ignore | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:27:45 | |
Nonprofit financial red flags can appear long before a financial crisis, and boards need to know exactly what they’re looking for. Deanna Peterson, Director at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), identifies five important warning signs nonprofit leaders can build directly into board financial oversight. During this special Nonprofit Power Week conversation, Deanna turns nonprofit finance from something reserved for “the finance people” into a management and governance discipline everyone around the board table can understand. Start with recurring deficits. A planned deficit associated with a strategic investment may make perfect business sense. But year after year of operating deficits is different. As Deanna explains, organizations generally need surplus years so they have resources available when strategic investments are necessary. “A consistent deficit year over year is not sustainable.” Then comes financial reporting. Deanna recommends organizations generally have monthly financials (or at least a draft) within approximately two to three weeks after month-end. Without timely information, management and the board may effectively be running the organization blind. The conversation moves into shrinking unrestricted reserves, funder concentration and liquidity. Deanna’s warning about revenue concentration is refreshingly simple: “Any one funder can go away at any time.” Depending year after year on a single $500,000 grant, donor or government source can leave an organization dangerously exposed. She also discusses capacity-building grants that may intentionally last only three to five years, making those dollars an opportunity to build systems and sustainability rather than create permanent dependency. And cash in the bank isn’t enough. Boards should understand days cash on hand, cash runway, seasonality and future liquidity scenarios—including what happens if expected revenue never arrives. The biggest shift? Turn these five financial red flags into recurring board KPIs. When boards know what they are watching every month, financial oversight becomes a habit instead of a reaction. Key Takeaways Recurring deficits are a warning; strategically planned one-time deficits can support growth. Monthly financials should generally reach leadership within roughly two to three weeks after month-end. Shrinking unrestricted reserves can signal operating problems before a crisis appears. Measure funding concentration rather than assuming major donors or grants will continue indefinitely. Track liquidity through cash runway, days cash on hand and scenario forecasting. Build financial red flags into recurring board KPIs so the entire board shares financial responsibility. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Power Week: Financial Warning Signs Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Foundations Won’t Like This Conversation | 20 Aug 2026 | 00:30:17 | |
Donor control in nonprofit funding can shape far more than a grant. It can influence what nonprofits pursue, how they operate, and even what community needs get addressed! Stupski Foundation CEO Glen Galaich joined us for a candid examination of why big giving can fall short and what nonprofit leaders can do about it. Glen is the author of ‘CONTROL: Why Big Giving Falls Short’ and CEO of the Stupski Foundation, which is spending down its assets and plans to return all its resources to communities by the end of 2029. That experience has caused him to question some of philanthropy’s most entrenched assumptions: Who gets to make decisions? Why should foundations exist forever? And why does so much charitable capital remain invested instead of moving into communities? The numbers make the conversation hard to ignore. Glen points to roughly $2 trillion in foundation assets and discusses projections that charitable accounts could grow dramatically over the coming decades. He also notes that while annual American philanthropy may exceed $600 billion, foundations represent only a portion of that giving, yet their large grants give them enormous influence over nonprofit behavior! For nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, Glen’s strongest advice may also be the most uncomfortable: “We need to see service and advocacy organizations asking for what they need to do their job, not what they need to get the grant.” Instead of shaping the mission around a funder’s predetermined boundaries, he argues that nonprofits should communicate the real cost and scale of community need and challenge donors to respond accordingly. The conversation gets even sharper when Glen examines the traditional 5% foundation payout mindset. A $100 million grant can sound extraordinary, he says, while still representing a relatively modest deployment of a multibillion-dollar foundation’s resources. Key Takeaways: Fundraising strategy should begin with what the mission requires, not what appears easiest to get funded. Foundation priorities and community priorities are not automatically the same. Approximately $2 trillion in philanthropic assets raises serious questions about capital deployment and charitable purpose. The assumption that a foundation must operate in perpetuity deserves examination. Strong funder relationships can give nonprofit leaders room to communicate needs more candidly. Large grant announcements should be evaluated relative to the funder’s total available resources—not merely the headline dollar amount. 00:00:02 Why Big Giving Is Falling Short #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFunding #Philanthropy Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Planned Giving for Small Nonprofits: 3 Simple Steps To Start | 19 Aug 2026 | 00:30:08 | |
Planned giving for small nonprofits doesn't have to require a huge budget, sophisticated technology, or months of preparation. Tony Martignetti, author of ‘Planned Giving Accelerated’, says a nonprofit can launch planned giving in just one week by identifying the right donors, starting with gifts in wills, and having the first conversation. His advice starts with simplicity. Tony says gifts in wills, also known as charitable bequests, should be the starting point for small and midsized nonprofits. He estimates they can represent at least 75% of planned gifts, and says he has seen that figure reach 90%. Then comes one of the episode's biggest operational surprises: don't assume your best planned giving prospects are your wealthiest donors. “You have all the data you need,” Tony says. His preferred signal is loyalty . . .the donors who have consistently supported the organization for years and have a genuine relationship with its people. That leads to Tony's three-step launch: 1. Identify your top prospects. 2. Start with gifts in wills. 3. Cultivate and solicit those prospects through conversation. No major campaign! No four-color brochure! No dedicated planned giving website! No wealth-screening exercise required before beginning! And for fundraisers nervous about talking about mortality, Tony flips the premise completely: “This is a conversation about life” . . . .specifically the future life, longevity, sustainability, mission, and values of the organization. The conversation also explores donor privacy, why 7 to 8 donors may remain anonymous for every one who discloses a bequest, donor meetings over meals, avoiding the spaghetti at those meetings—yes, really—and why relationships beat elaborate fundraising machinery when you're getting started. Key Takeaways: Begin planned giving with simple gifts in wills. Loyalty and longevity can outperform wealth as prospect indicators. Tony estimates gifts in wills can comprise 75%–90% of planned gifts. A first qualified donor conversation can constitute a successful launch. Expensive screening, brochures and dedicated websites are not prerequisites. Frame planned giving around mission longevity—not donor mortality. 00:00:00 Planned Giving in Just One Week? #PlannedGiving #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Nonprofit Finance Automation: Build a Smarter, Leaner Finance Team | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:29:57 | |
Nonprofit finance automation is changing more than accounting. It’s reshaping staffing, security, leadership, and how information moves throughout an organization! Brad Powell of BILL and Buu-Linh Tran, CPA, of JMT Consulting explore what the modern nonprofit finance team is becoming and why leaders may need to rethink far more than their software. Automation across accounts payable, accounts receivable, expense management, and financial workflows can remove repetitive work while giving employees faster access to the information they need. Buu-Linh describes how AI is beginning to let non-finance staff ask ordinary-language questions about invoices, spending, and grants without automatically turning to an AP manager or controller. That creates something bigger than efficiency: financial information becomes more accessible across the organization. But technology adoption creates a leadership challenge. Buu-Linh observes, “Everyone wants to do what they’ve been familiar with, even if it’s not great.” Her recommendation: treat implementation as change management. Identify supporters, train them first, and turn them into internal advocates before attempting a broader rollout. Brad pushes the conversation further into succession and staffing. Finance leaders should ask what they are building for the organization they eventually leave behind. As he puts it, “I can’t always rely on…tribal knowledge or the way that we’ve always done things continuing to work.” The episode also examines cybersecurity, AI adoption, generational turnover in finance leadership, the growing technology expectations of younger professionals, finance’s increasing influence over organization-wide technology purchases, and collaboration between finance and development. The emerging CFO isn’t merely keeping the books anymore. . . . Finance departments will increasingly become one of the organization’s tech innovators. Key Takeaways Automation can increase finance capacity without simply adding more staff. Modern financial systems are also part of a nonprofit’s security and fraud-protection infrastructure. AI can give non-finance employees greater self-service access to financial information. Technology capability is increasingly becoming a workforce recruitment and retention consideration. Successful system adoption requires a deliberate change-management strategy and internal champions. Finance leaders are becoming influential technology decision-makers across the entire organization. 00:00:00 The Finance Team of the Future #NonprofitFinance #NonprofitTechnology #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| The Fundraising Skill Nobody Teaches You | 14 Aug 2026 | 00:30:06 | |
How do you build fundraising confidence when donor conversations, major asks, metrics, and the possibility of hearing “no” are part of the job? Fundraising confidence is a professional skill, and our cohosts explain why preparation and practice can make that skill stronger. On this Fundraisers Friday edition of The Nonprofit Show, Tony Beall and Julia C. Patrick explore what separates confident nonprofit fundraisers from those who hesitate when the conversation gets difficult. “Confidence is a skill and like any skill, you have to practice it in order to perfect it,” Tony explains. That practice begins with knowing your organization's mission, impact, outcomes, program costs, stories, and data well enough to communicate without hiding behind a script. The conversation also challenges the traditional reliance on storytelling alone. Today's fundraiser needs to explain the problem being solved, the organization's value proposition, what programs cost, and what measurable change donor investments can create. Tony recommends reviewing organizational data frequently (even weekly) so donor conversations reflect current information. That preparation changes the fundraising ask itself. Instead of feeling like you're trying to extract money from someone, the donor is being invited to participate in solving a community problem. And then there's the word every fundraiser eventually hears: no. Tony offers another memorable reminder: “The answer is always no if you never ask the question.” Rather than treating rejection as a personal failure, he encourages fundraisers to understand what's behind it. Is the timing wrong? Is the mission not aligned? Could the relationship continue? A no can become information that strengthens the next conversation. The episode also examines restricted versus unrestricted giving, stewardship, donor education, authenticity, and why sometimes confidently releasing the wrong prospect is good fundraising. Key Takeaways: Treat fundraising confidence as a skill developed through repetition, preparation, and experience. Know mission, outcomes, program costs, and current data before entering donor conversations. Connect donor interests to a specific community problem and measurable organizational response. Move beyond storytelling alone by communicating stewardship, strategy, costs, and results. Interpret donor rejection as information rather than a judgment of your professional worth. Maintain relationships appropriately even when a current gift isn't the right fit. 00:00:00 Building Fundraising Confidence #Fundraising #BuildingConfidence #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Stop Treating Your Donors Like Donors! | 12 Aug 2026 | 00:30:30 | |
Nonprofit donor segmentation strategy may matter far more than most fundraising teams realize. New donor behavior research reveals that geography, household income, gender, trust, and communication preferences can dramatically change what motivates someone to give! Mary Crogan, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Bloomerang, returns with a deeper look at Bloomerang's ‘Giving Signals’ research with The Harris Poll. The original study surveyed more than 1,000 donors and several hundred fundraisers, then examined donor responses across demographic groups rather than treating supporters as one giant audience. The result challenges one of fundraising's most persistent habits. “There’s no such thing as the donor,” Mary says. “And the data proves that.” Consider geography. Only 45% of Midwest respondents expected to give more, compared with 62% in the West. Midwest donors were also considerably less responsive to identity and belonging language, suggesting that messages emphasizing concrete needs, transparency, and measurable outcomes may perform better with that audience.Trust creates another major business implication. The West registered 86% trust in nonprofits' effective use of funds, while 62% expected to increase giving. As Mary puts it, “You need to treat transparency as a fundraising activity, not just a compliance moment.” The data also challenges assumptions about major gift messaging. Among households earning $150,000+, 41% looked to third-party ratings compared with 29% overall. These high-capacity donors behaved more like evidence-driven buyers, responding to ratings, audited outcomes, measured impact, and proof—not simply another moving story. And donor trust does not develop identically. Women reported stronger responses to transparency, matching gifts, and proof of gift impact—with 93% citing information about their gift's impact—while men showed greater responsiveness to peer recommendations and preferred communication channels. The operational takeaway: segment, survey, test, measure, and adjust before assuming one appeal speaks to everyone. Key Takeaways: Build fundraising segments around meaningful donor differences instead of relying on one universal appeal. Treat transparency and closed-loop impact reporting as revenue-building activities. Test concrete outcome messaging versus belonging-oriented messaging by geography. Give high-capacity donors evidence: ratings, audited results, ROI, and measurable impact. Use peer and ambassador voices where personal endorsement strengthens trust. Survey your own donor base before turning national demographic patterns into fundraising assumptions. 00:00:00 — Why There’s No Such Thing As “The Donor” #NonprofitFundraising #DonorEngagement #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Your Nonprofit CEO Will Leave. Are You Actually Ready? | 10 Aug 2026 | 00:31:56 | |
Nonprofit leadership transition planning should begin long before an executive announces a departure! Erin Rodenbiker and Joan Brown of Third Sector Company explain why professional interim leadership can help nonprofits protect mission continuity, strengthen operations, and prepare for a better permanent hire. For many nonprofit boards, “interim” still sounds like emergency management — somebody brought in because something went wrong. Joan challenges that assumption with three remarkably simple words: “Everybody leaves.” Leadership transition is not a possibility to avoid discussing. It is an eventual organizational reality worth planning for. Instead of scrambling after a resignation, retirement, sabbatical, or founder departure, nonprofit leaders can determine in advance when an interim executive makes sense, who has decision-making responsibility, and what the organization needs during the transition. Erin adds another important reality: “In reality, these tools can only get you so far. You need a person.” Succession plans, guides, and policies matter, but someone must still lead staff, maintain direction, communicate with stakeholders, and move the plan into operation. The numbers discussed are revealing. Third Sector Company describes a network of approximately 800 people trained for transitional leadership, while Erin notes that an interim assignment may span roughly six to nine months, depending on the organization. Most importantly, the interim is not there simply to “keep the lights on.” Joan says a successful engagement should leave the nonprofit positioned to attract, hire, and retain the right permanent leader. That begins with assessment: policies, HR records, organizational gaps, staff realities, board alignment, and the conditions the next executive will inherit. Key Takeaways: * Treat executive transition as a predictable governance responsibility, not an unexpected crisis. * Discuss interim leadership before a departure becomes imminent or emotionally charged. * Do not automatically assign already-stretched staff or board members to run the organization. * Begin an interim engagement with an organizational assessment before recruiting the permanent leader. * Measure interim success partly by the quality and retention of the organization’s next executive hire. * Use leadership transitions to challenge “we’ve always done it that way” and prepare the organization for what comes next. 00:00:00 Interim Leadership and Nonprofit Transition #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitSuccessionPlanning #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Want the C-Suite? Stop Thinking Like “Just” a Fundraiser | 07 Aug 2026 | 00:29:57 | |
How do fundraisers become nonprofit leaders? Moving from development into executive leadership takes more than raising money—it requires understanding the entire business of the nonprofit and becoming someone who can lead across departments, relationships, strategy, and mission. On this Fundraisers Friday edition, co-hosts Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall examine how nonprofit professionals can deliberately increase their professional value and prepare themselves for broader leadership. Tony begins by pointing to one major advantage many development professionals already possess: relationships. Fundraisers work with donors, boards, community leaders, staff, and supporters, often developing credibility across an organization long before they enter the C-suite. But relationships alone are not enough. Future nonprofit leaders need to understand how the organization actually works: finance, operations, marketing, human resources, programs, and the processes that turn funding into outcomes. As Tony reminds us, “Your team members regardless of their job title come to you with a lot of lived experience.” The conversation also moves into communication, professional visibility, public speaking, LinkedIn, networking, body language, and thought leadership. Yet visibility comes with an important guardrail: “You have to maintain a level of humility in this work.” The bigger career question may not be, “How valuable do others think I am?” Instead, it may be: How am I becoming the strongest leader I can be for the work I want to accomplish? There is a fitting backdrop to the conversation: this marks the 1,600th edition of The Nonprofit Show, seven years into an ongoing exploration of the business decisions that make nonprofit missions possible! Key Takeaways: * Fundraising relationships can create a strong foundation for future nonprofit executive leadership. * C-suite readiness requires knowledge beyond development, including finance, operations, HR, marketing, and programs. * Understanding program delivery makes fundraisers stronger storytellers with donors and investors. * Leadership communication includes tone, timing, word choice, and nonverbal signals. * Public speaking and professional visibility can expand influence when paired with humility. * Professional value should be built around contribution and impact, not external validation. 00:00:00 The Nonprofit Show Reaches 1,600 #NonprofitLeadership #FundraisingCareer #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Changing 115,000 Lives: This Is What They Learned | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:28:24 | |
How do you scale a nonprofit internationally without imposing outside assumptions on the people and communities you serve? John Molineux, founder and CEO of Love Justice International, shares a global nonprofit operating model built around local leadership, measurable impact, technology, and organizational humility. Love Justice International works to prevent human trafficking at the moment when a person is in transit but has not yet been exploited. Through a strategy known as transit monitoring, locally led teams identify warning signs at bus stations, train stations, airports, and border crossings. The organization now operates in 18 countries and reports more than 115,000 trafficking interceptions. Even more striking is the organization’s improvement in efficiency: its cost per interception declined from approximately $1,000 in 2021 to $112 today. That progress did not come from exporting a Western management system. John explains that Love Justice International learned, often through failed pilots, to identify trusted national champions, support locally selected leadership, adapt its tools to each context, and maintain clear operating standards. “Equip the right people for impact rather than command and control,” John says. He also describes humility as a formal management practice. “Admit your weaknesses is one of our values.” Teams are encouraged to criticize their own work, question reported impact, seek feedback, and remain alert to the possibility of unintended harm. This inspiring conversation also explores what John calls “impact engineering”: combining process improvement, data, artificial intelligence, social-media monitoring, and technology to produce more life-changing impact from every contributed dollar. Love Justice International now operates a technology team, a data-science team, and Searchlight, one of the world’s largest human-trafficking databases. Key Takeaways: * Recruit credible local champions before establishing programs, leadership teams, or boards. * Separate locally adaptable practices from the standards required to preserve program effectiveness. * Measure unit cost to show donors how resources translate into life-changing outcomes. * Build continual improvement through stakeholder feedback, failed-pilot analysis, and honest self-evaluation. * Treat technology, data science, and AI as mission infrastructure rather than administrative extras. * Scale by equipping local leaders—not by directing every decision from headquarters. 00:00:00 Global Nonprofit Leadership Across Borders #humantrafficking #GlobalNonprofits #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||
| Equity That Survives Pressure, Politics, and Budget Cuts | 05 Aug 2026 | 00:30:33 | |
A Nonprofit’s equity strategy becomes meaningful when it changes how an organization budgets, hires, evaluates performance, develops policy, and serves its community. Bernardo J. Ruiz of Bridging International explains how to embed equity in nonprofit operations amid political pressure, funding risk, and organizational fatigue. This fresh conversation offers a clear operating principle: lasting equity requires leadership courage, adequate resources, assigned ownership, and measurable institutional change! Many nonprofits have issued statements, held training sessions, and hosted thoughtful conversations. But Bernardo warns that these efforts can fade when no one owns the implementation, funding disappears, or leadership treats equity as separate from everyday operations. “Equity must be baked into the walls of the organization,” he explains. That means incorporating it into strategic plans, policy development, job descriptions, compensation, performance management, program design, and leadership accountability. Without those operating structures, even well-intended initiatives can remain trapped in binders, websites, or annual presentations. Drawing from his experience with Seattle Public Schools, Bernardo describes how an equity policy was activated across 101 schools serving approximately 65,000 students. The system used televised board meetings, school-level conversations, internal equity teams, and recurring decision-making tools to keep the policy visible and connected to daily work. The discussion also examines how nonprofits can sustain their commitments when public language creates political or financial risk. Bernardo shares how some organizations have shifted from external messaging toward internal systems that address health disparities, access barriers, workplace culture, and service outcomes. Rather than measuring success by the number of conversations held, nonprofit leaders should ask what will be visibly different three to five years from now. “How is the organization going to change to better serve their people and the clients coming into their care?” Bernardo asks. Key Takeaways: • Equity must be incorporated into budgets, strategic plans, job descriptions, compensation, and performance systems. • Every initiative needs accountable owners with the authority and resources to implement it. • Training without structural change may produce temporary progress followed by organizational regression. • Seattle Public Schools activated its policy across 101 schools serving about 65,000 students. • Internal systems can continue advancing equitable outcomes even when public terminology creates funding risks. • Leaders should define the organizational outcomes they expect to see within three to five years. 00:00:00 Equity That Moves Nonprofit Systems #DEIB #NonprofitEquity #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! | |||