The Practice of Nonprofit Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

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Imagine you're cruising along on a road trip when suddenly you're face-to-face with a roadblock. What now? Turn right, turn left, or hear your GPS say "recalculating"?

Same thing happens when leading a nonprofit organization.  Roadblocks pop up that hinder our progress, reaching our goals, and/or fulfilling our mission.  What do we do?

In today's episode, Tim and Nathan explore 5 steps to take when facing road blocks in your organization.  From identifying the real issue, seeking counsel both inside and outside, to taking action and monitoring the plan, the guys provide some practical steps to get you back on the road towards your goals.

If you are interested in working with Tim and Nathan, reach out to them at [email protected].

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The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Could a simple phone call or face-to-face meeting revolutionize your mid-year fundraising success?

In this episode of The Practice of Nonprofit Leadership, Tim and Nathan unpack the critical steps to personally engage with top donors and re-engage those who may have fallen off the radar. Learn how to carefully review your donor lists to spot trends, make those essential connections that drive your fundraising goals forward, and prepare for an impactful and effective year-end fundraising focus.

Interested in downloading the Donor Meeting agenda mentioned in this episode?  Click here.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Effective leaders aren't always perfect leaders.  What often makes them effective is that they take action consistently and with commitment.  No matter whether your organization is big or small, consistent action is the key.

On today's episode, Tim identifies 5 key actions that every nonprofit executive director should be taking that results in effective and impactful leadership.  Those actions include:

- Foster a Strong Vision
- Embrace Learning
- Build Strong Relationships
- Promote Transparency
- Practice Resilience

Being an effective leader is not about being perfect but rather continuing to grow, building strong relationships, and exercising resilience.  

If you are interested in joining the Practice Community, click on the link below.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

How can a small nonprofit's online presence become an effective fundraising strategy?  What  practical steps can be taken to raise awareness to the work that the organization is doing? What are the benefits and challenges in online fundraising? 

On this episode, we are joined by Christina Edwards, Founder of Splendid Consulting and a marketing expert and coach who helps ambitious social impact businesses and nonprofits increase revenue, supporters, and engagement.   Christina answers those questions and  provides insight on how marketing and online fundraising go together.

You can find Christina at www.splendidatl.com or on Intragram at Splendidconsulting.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Family Foundations.  Community Foundations.  Corporate Foundations.  Government Funding.  All sound like great opportunities to help fund your organization and its important mission. 

But was does it take to go after that grant?

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan explore the world of grants as a source of funding for your nonprofit organization.  Sharing from their personal experiences, the guys discuss the positive aspect of procuring grants, the challenges in the application process, and the mistakes that Executive Directors often make when using them as a fundraising strategy.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

According to a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals FEP report 88% of dollars come from 12% of your donors.   Can even a small nonprofit, intentionally work to develop a major gifts program focused on this 12%?

In this episode,  Tim and Nathan dive into a discussion on developing a major gifts focus at a small nonprofit.  Nathan helps executive directors consider whether this is a good strategy for their nonprofit, sharing the benefits, the challenges, and also the mistakes to avoid.

The following links are referred to in the podcast.

Here is a link to the Major Gifts Guide.

Here is a link to Rick Shiels golf videos, as mentioned in this episode.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Planned Giving.  

 What is it? 

Often associated as a strategy of large nonprofits. could it also be an untapped resource for smaller nonprofits?

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss planned giving as a fundraising strategy.  Nathan shares 3 ways to discern whether planned giving is right for your organization, provides both the benefits and challenges of this strategy, and the number 1 mistake Nonprofit ED's make when working to implement it in their organization.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

As one of the most common nonprofit fundraising strategies, how do you know if Events is right for your organization?

What are 3 common mistakes nonprofits make when implementing Events as a fundraising strategy?

In this episode, Tim and Nathan dive into the positives and challenges of raising funds through  Events, including some ideas on how to use them effectively and whether "Virtual Events" will still be a thing post-Covid.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

How do you know if Direct Mail is a fundraising strategy that is right for your organization?

Today's episode kicks off a series of podcasts focused on Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofit organizations.  On this episode, Nathan relies on his years of experience to help you understand the" ins and outs" of direct mail fundraising...and provides practical insights to know if this is the right fundraising strategy for your organization.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Today's episode is part 2 of our focus on teams.  As we said last week:

Good teams are essential for effective nonprofit work.  And it is the leader's responsibility to lead the team to effectiveness.

In this episode,   Tim and Nathan look at 5 Characteristics of a good team.  Referencing Patrick Lenceoni's book, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team,  and sharing from their own experience, the guys provide actions steps to take to move the team in a positive direction.

The episode ends with a challenge to take these 3 actions:

• Take time to assess your team and how you are leading it.
• Choose one of the areas talked about to begin to work on and take a few small action steps.
• Consider purchasing the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (linked above).

Note:  Tim and Nathan do not receive any benefit from the books purchase but just highly recommend the book.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

They can also be reached at www.nonprofiltleader.online.

All opinions and ideas shared on the podcast are those of the hosts and do not represent the opinions or ideas of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.