The Nonprofit Growth Show

Your website is your best employee, so make sure that you take care of it and give it everything that it needs to succeed. In this conversation with Harry Casimir of Atilus, we discuss everything you need to know to avoid common website mistakes and future-proof your nonprofit's online presence.If you would like to connect with Harry for an assessment of your organization's website, schedule a call here.

How should a nonprofit communicate on social media if it hopes to grow a following? What platforms are best, and how do you choose one? We answer these questions and more with Lisa Solomon of the Atheneum Collective.Use code NPM20 when you sign up for a discount, and let the Atheneum Collective's wide range of courses help you learn everything you need to help your organization succeed in today's competitive nonprofit environment.About Our Guest:Lisa has always been a community builder and pioneer in digital media and advertising. She has an extensive track record of building and leading successful teams and driving revenue in the digital media industry. Lisa is a creative and collaborative sales executive who has driven breakthrough branded content and digital advertising campaigns. Her experience in digital sales and media strategy includes working at some of the top companies in the world, like AOL, Microsoft, and NBC Universal, as well as innovative startups like Omaze and AddThis.Early in her internet advertising career, Lisa was a founding member of the first community dedicated to the buyers and sellers of internet media, the Society for Internet Advancement (SIA), where she helped create a community dedicated to educating and legitimizing the internet as a place to reach, connect, and convert consumers. Later she moved her leadership role to the Ad Club Interactive, now ThinkLA, which is the largest marketing and advertising community in Southern California. Lisa has dedicated much of her career to educating and providing thought leadership in her passion of online advertising/marketing and brand partnerships.Lisa practices goodwill and enthusiasm on a daily basis. One of Lisa's strengths is her collaborative nature and her ability to recognize each individual's unique contribution. Atheneum Collective is a collaboration of Lisa's passion for the world of advertising, her extensive leadership and business skills, and her focus on building communities. She lives her mantra, “Knowledge is Power and Knowledge Shared is Power Multiplied.”

This week, we present something unique - our very own Grant Hensel recently presented a webinar on maximizing the value of the Google Ad Grant for your nonprofit that was hosted by our friends at Donorbox, which you can also hear in this week's episode. There was too much vital information to pass up in this one hour, so we are thrilled to bring it to you.We would like to give a special shoutout to Donorbox, a donation platform that can be set up quickly and easily on your website OR on a Donorbox-hosted Fundraising Page. They've worked with more than 35,000 organizations around the world, helping them increase their donations by providing an excellent donation experience. Best of all, there's no setup fee, no monthly fee and no contract required to start using Donorbox, so visit www.donorbox.org to sign up today!

For many nonprofits, the idea of marketing can seem unapproachable or carry a stigma - but the reality is that not only is it vital to your success, but it's something we all do already...and something we can all get better at.On this episode of the Nonprofit Growth Show, I spoke with Bryan Caplan of Bryan Caplan Marketing - a talented marketer and passionate believer in what nonprofits can accomplish - about strategies that can help any size organization grow their email list, communicate more effectively, and master email marketing.

This week, we sat down with Tim Sarrantonio of Neon One, to discuss democratizing your fundraising, how to keep your organization agile, and what effective nonprofit organizations do to make them truly exceptional.Check out Neon One at their website to see if their innovative tech solutions are what you need to take your organization to the next level through cutting edge innovations and radically inventive streamlining.

We sit down to talk about methods and mindsets with Morgan Lopes, the Chief Technology Officer at New Story, a revolutionary nonprofit that seeks to end global homelessness by 3D printing homes, with a goal to serve 1 million people across the globe by 2030. How do you accomplish something that remarkable? Listen in to find out.

Join us for a fascinating discussion with Anna Schumann, Communications Director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. We recorded this interview in December of 2019, and are thrilled to be sharing it with you now!

Sheilagh Carlisle of Lowcountry Orphan Relief has had a passion for nonprofits for as long as she can remember. Over the years, Sheilagh pursued this passion through her work for multiple nonprofits across the US. Listen in as Sheilagh talks about donor relations, what makes for a successful fundraising event, and how to connect with local media outlets to grow your audience. Since the interview, Sheilagh has taken on a new position as Director of Development for Sea Island Habitat for Humanity.

Joe Schick combines his impressive background in both music and healthcare as he takes on the role of CEO for Music & Memory. Joe breaks down the basics as to why music and memory are so closely tied together, tells some incredible stories showcasing the impact that music can have on the lives of people struggling from cognitive and physical challenges, and shares some insight into specific strategies and tactics that have worked really for Music & Memory. 

Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns is an out-of-the-box thinker who might just leave you rethinking your approach to leadership and running your nonprofit. Find out what it's like to host staff meetings while waiting in line for Space Mountain at Disney, why Strong Towns decided to give back a $150k grant, and how to effectively measure marketing strategies.

When Mark Reynolds took on the role of Executive Director for Citizens' Climate Lobby in 2009, he had no background in advocacy or with nonprofits. Over 10 years later, Mark has helped grow this advocacy based nonprofit from 6 chapters with 24 volunteers to over 150 chapters with over 173,000 supporters. Tune in as Mark talks about approaching periods of growth, how to better understand your audience, and how to manage successful relationships with your board, staff, and volunteers.

PHILLIPS serves individuals with behavioral health needs and developmental disabilities and their families through education, family support services, community education and advocacy. Their programs include special education day schools, home and community based counseling, career and technical education program. Drawing from her background in public relations and marketing, Debi discusses innovative fundraising practices and her predictions for growing social entrepreneurship in the future.

Kristina Wallace of Camp Del Corazon learned to work with people first; coming from a background in social work, she's especially equipped to work at an organization that works with kids and their families year-round, including a free residential summer camp for children ages 7-17 with congenital heart defects. On the corporate level, her approach is characterized by high ideals and pragmatic strategies. Christina shares her tactics for looping in alumni donors with reunion events, writing federal grant proposals, and more.

Nick Teich of Harbor Camps in New Hampshire tells an encouraging story: he knew he wanted to start a nonprofit, but didn't know how. Ten years and one copy of Nonprofits for Dummies later, Nick runs three programs at the camp that allow marginalized children a place to feel at home. It's a cause that nearly markets itself; Nick shares with us how campers, their families, and other people close to the organization spread the word organically, and how allowing visitors and to talk to the campers face-to-face is one of his most effective strategies for donor conversion.

Renee Seigly of The Arc of Southern Maryland  believes that the best fundraising tactic is one of the most simple: storytelling. It helps that the organization's story itself is so compelling: with almost 700 affiliated chapters across the country, Arc supports individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in all aspects of life. Renee prefers to paint pictures of lives in transformation through stories, images, and videos rather than sheer facts and figures. With a presence through many platforms, Arc finds a way to tailor its communication to each specific audience.

Jill Kunishima of East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation knows that fundraising takes communication — with both their donors and the people that they serve. EBALDC takes action through building and preserving affordable housing and through collective impact work, in which the organization focuses on the neighboring residents and nearby institutions that most impact the determinants of community health. From social media strategy to EBALDC's holistic approach to community based work, Jill Kunishima shares the best practices she's learned over her 13 years of fundraising experience.

Alaina Spaziani of The Trustees of Reservations tells us, “I believe in taking risks,” but with her software specialty and smart usage of member data, Alaina's campaign strategies seem like a safe bet. The Trustees' success stories serve as proof that fundraising is truly an art and a science combined — and that calculated moves can bring the greatest returns.

Just over the course of a few decades, the United States has lost its ranking as the world's safest place to drive and sunk to 40th place. Equipped with a combination of advocacy, community engagement, and hands-on training, Dan Strollo of Drive in Control aspires toward a safer future. After the organization converted from a for-profit to a nonprofit, In Control has partnered with the state of Massachusetts to prevent deaths and injuries due to crashes on the road.

Edie Barnard of Missouri Charter Public School Association has a difficult job — calling for funding for an advocacy-focused nonprofit can be a hard sell. She tells us that working on the policy level, however, is often one of the most effective ways to bring about systemic change that lasts. And with charter school students each receiving $1,100 less in average funding than their public school peers, equitable policies are exactly what's needed to ensure a quality education for all.

Cherian Koshy of Des Moines Performing Arts is helping to make arts education accessible to anyone and everyone. Cherian believes that every donation matters — so much so that he writes thank-you letters by hand for gifts of any size. We discuss what it means to bring a meaningful philosophy of philanthropy to the table, and how that core philosophy can help engage donors and maximize impact.