Podcasts about nonprofit leadership

383: What Nonprofit Leaders Get Wrong About Growing Fast (Steve Isom)Episode SummaryNonprofit professionals often come to the sector craving mission, not metrics, and the discomfort that creates around money, growth, and hard numbers can quietly limit how far an organization goes. Steve Isom, Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Bloomerang, has spent nearly six years professionalizing the finance, operations, and customer functions behind the giving platform that now serves more than 24,000 nonprofits, and in this conversation he draws a direct line between his own path from Wall Street investment banking to nonprofit-adjacent leadership and the mindset shifts he sees separating scarcity-minded organizations from ones that grow without losing themselves. He talks candidly about scaling Bloomerang from 114 employees to roughly 600 without sacrificing the culture that built it, why hiring the “great people” leaders think they can't afford is usually the real unlock, and the three principles now guiding Bloomerang's approach to AI: mission is the metric, the relationship stays human, and your data stays yours. Listeners will walk away with a clearer case for treating fundraising and finance as fuel for the mission rather than a distraction from it, and a practical framework for growing fast without losing what made their organization work in the first place.About SteveSteve Isom is the Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Bloomerang, an Omaha, NE-based giving platform that unifies CRM, fundraising, and volunteer management for more than 24,000 nonprofit customers. He began his career in investment banking on Wall Street before moving into private equity investing in technology companies, then ran FP&A and finance for high-growth tech companies. He joined Bloomerang nearly six years ago, brought in by JMI Equity to professionalize the company's finance, accounting, legal, and IT functions, and earlier this year expanded his role to lead Bloomerang's customer organization as well, overseeing support, onboarding, and customer success. Isom serves on multiple nonprofit boards and has met with more than 100 Bloomerang customers in person over the past five years. Outside the office, he's a self-described “Type A” list-maker who still writes everything on scrap paper before consolidating it each night, and a devoted LEGO collector who runs his own LEGO fan account on Instagram.ResourcesSteve's LinkedInBloomerangBloomerang's three AI principles: mission is the metric, the relationship stays human, your data stays yoursBonus: Steve's LEGO fan account, @lego_doug_not_dad on InstagramBook recommendation: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz (not a past guest)Join the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy! www.institutepl.orgFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Episode 382: From Shoe Drive to Global Movement  (Andrew Lovedale)Episode SummaryToo many nonprofit founders assume that the people who love them will automatically support the mission they've built, and few learn how costly that assumption is until donors who cheer from the sidelines never actually give. Andrew Lovedale, Founder and Executive Director of Access to Success (A2S), learned that lesson firsthand after a shoe drive he started as a Davidson College basketball player, whose run to the 2008 NCAA Elite Eight alongside teammate Steph Curry helped raise the first 10,000 pairs, grew into a nonprofit now serving thousands of children and families across Nigeria. He walks through how A2S evolved from handing out shoes to building a longitudinal, community-designed model that spans an after-school academy, university scholarships, and entrepreneurship programs; how he rebuilt his donor base from scratch once his own athletic platform faded; and why he now asks donors to treat their giving like a long-term investment rather than a quick transaction. Listeners will walk away with a sharper way to build donor relationships around shared passion rather than personal affection, and a reminder that sustainable impact takes years, not headlines.About AndrewAndrew Lovedale is the Founder and Executive Director of Access to Success (A2S), a Davidson, NC-based nonprofit that provides sustainable, holistic programs for Nigerian children and their communities, from an after-school academy and university scholarships to workforce development and entrepreneurship initiatives that now reach roughly 10,000 people a year. Born and raised in Nigeria, he earned a basketball scholarship to Davidson College, where he and teammate Steph Curry led the Wildcats to the 2008 NCAA Elite Eight before he moved on to a brief professional basketball career. What began as a personal shoe drive for friends back home, sparked by a moment in the Davidson equipment room, grew over more than 15 years into A2S's current ecosystem model, which has produced results ranging from students turned software engineers to a former A2S scholar who became a medical doctor in her twenties. Lovedale now leads A2S's two boards, one in the U.S. and one in Nigeria, as the organization pursues a dual sustainability strategy aimed at generating 25 percent of its revenue from Nigeria by 2035, and he still travels there each quarter to host A2S Community Talks, the sessions where the people A2S serves help shape what the organization does next.ResourcesAndrew's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lovedale-81b40833/Access to Success (A2S): https://a2sfoundation.orgA2S Community Talk (ACT): the quarterly town hall sessions Andrew holds in Nigeria to gather direct feedback from staff, scholars, and community members, now also held for U.S. donorsBook recommendation: When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian FikkertJoin the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy!  www.institutepl.orgFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

If you've been enjoying The Independent Advisors podcast for a while now and want to take the next step in your financial journey, I'd encourage you to head to our website, jessupwealthmanagement.com (https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/) . Matt offers a 15-minute initial call where you can discuss your financial goals and see if JWM is a good fit for your needs. Scheduling is easy—once you land at jessupwealthmanagement.com (https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/) just click “Schedule Initial Call” and select a time that works best for you! There's a quick survey to fill out that will help guide the conversation and ensure your time is used efficiently. If you're ready to learn more, visit jessupwealthmanagement.com (https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/) and book your call today! Take advantage of our partnership with LifeLock and get discounts using our link: https://lifelock.norton.com/offers?expid=LLONEYEAR&promocode= JSPW24&VENDORID= _JESSUPWM&om_ext_cid=ext_partner_ JSPW24_Productpage $) Episode #364 Topics• Founding and Early Growth Challenges — 02:40, 05:29, 07:40, 19:53 • Firm Culture and Leadership Philosophy — 11:26, 37:39, 39:15, 14:21 • Family Dynamics and Entrepreneurial Parenting — 17:04, 18:29, 33:15 • Community Engagement and Nonprofit Leadership — 22:37, 25:14, 21:16, 26:33 • Financial Management and Role Delegation — 29:09, 30:32 • Entrepreneurial Advice and Reflections — 33:15, 34:44, 37:39, 39:47Hosts: Mark McEvily - Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner Matthew Jessup – Chief Executive Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Managing Partner Address: 35 Park Ave. Dayton, OH 45419 Phone: 937-938-9105 https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/ Social Media: Facebook: @JessupWealthManagement LinkedIn: @JessupWealthManagement Twitter: @jessupwealth Instagram: @jessupwealth https://www.jessupwealthmanagement.com/disclosures-page

What Happens After a Cancer Diagnosis? The Livestrong Mission, Breakthrough Innovations, and the Life-Changing Questions No One Asks What would you do in the first hour after hearing the words, "You have cancer?" In this powerful and deeply personal JB and Sandy deep dive, the guys sit down with Livestrong President and CEO Suzanne Stone for an eye-opening conversation about cancer survivorship, resilience, community, and the remarkable evolution of one of Austin's most recognized organizations. Suzanne pulls back the curtain on how Livestrong navigated one of the most challenging periods in its history while staying focused on its core mission: helping people affected by cancer live stronger lives. She shares why the organization chose to keep the Livestrong name, how it's impacted more than 100 million people, and why trust remains at the center of everything they do. The conversation explores the emotional reality of a cancer diagnosis and the overwhelming questions patients face. From financial concerns and family planning to transportation challenges and nutrition, Suzanne explains how Livestrong helps people find answers when they need them most. One of the most fascinating moments comes when Suzanne reveals how a conversation with her son inspired the creation of Ellis, an AI-powered cancer survivorship companion designed to provide trusted, evidence-based guidance. It's a glimpse into how technology is helping Livestrong reach a new generation of patients and caregivers. You'll also hear inspiring stories about the Livestrong community, the upcoming Run for the Roses event, support systems built through shared experiences, and why, as Suzanne puts it, "People heal through action." Other memorable moments include: The surprising history behind the Livestrong brand and its lasting impact. How cancer survivors are finding community instead of facing their journey alone. The fertility preservation program helping patients protect future family plans. A moving discussion about first responders and their increased cancer risks. JB and Sandy sharing unforgettable stories from decades of involvement with Livestrong, including a grueling 100-mile ride and a near biker showdown. This episode is heartfelt, informative, inspiring, and packed with real-world insights that could help someone facing one of life's toughest challenges. If this conversation moved you, be sure to subscribe to The JB and Sandy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with friends and family. You never know who might need to hear these stories, resources, and messages of hope. 

Episode 381: What Leaders Must Know to Build Cross-Sector Power (Karen Riordan)Episode SummaryNonprofit leaders often assume advocacy, cross-sector partnerships, and funding diversification are someone else's job — but Karen Riordan, President & CEO of Together SC in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, argues that building real power for the sector starts with everyday relationship-building. Drawing on three decades of for-profit marketing experience before her move into nonprofit leadership, Riordan makes the case that nonprofits are businesses too, deserving of the same respect, visibility, and strategic rigor as any company in the community. She shares how to build relationships with lawmakers long before you ever need something from them, why chambers of commerce and civic groups are an underused bridge to the business community, and how to have hard budget conversations with your board before a funding crisis forces the issue. Listeners will walk away with concrete, low-lift ways to build cross-sector alliances, advocate for their organization without feeling like a lobbyist, and lead with pride even when the funding landscape feels shaky.About KarenKaren Riordan is President & CEO of Together SC (formerly the South Carolina Nonprofit Association), the statewide network that strengthens and champions the nonprofit sector across South Carolina, a role she stepped into in 2024. She spent three decades building brands in the for-profit world, first in the tourism industry and later in automotive marketing, where she managed teams of up to 1,200 employees, before moving into the nonprofit space by way of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, where she founded both Keep Myrtle Beach Beautiful and Partnership Grand Strand. A journalism graduate who has volunteered for nonprofits since high school - across subsectors from animal welfare to food insecurity - Riordan now channels that business rigor and marketing instinct into raising the visibility and respect of nonprofits statewide. She's an avowed re-reader of Jim Collins' Good to Great and a self-described “maniac” for a good thriller series in her downtime.ResourcesKaren's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karen-riordan-72a88a2Together SC: TogetherSC.orgCheck out Together SC's “Nonprofits Get It Done” campaign (modeled on the National Council of Nonprofits) and their upcoming scenario-planning workshops for budget diversificationBook recommendation: Impact Networks by David EhrlichmanFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire:  ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Podcast! We are an Award-Winning Podcast for Today's Women On The Move! We Change Lives. We Unlock Potential. We Are Connecting Communities of Today's Most Dynamic Women Leaders.Welcome To Today's Public Square Broadcast Where Summer Wellness For Women And Our Families Presents Us With Excellent Opportunities To Foster Physical Wellness & Benefits Our Mental Fitness Too.  Let's Enjoy Our Summer Gatherings As One Connected Community!Enjoy Special WVR Tips With Our EXCITING Podcast Co-Host Ms. Sakinah Ali of Women Veterans ROCK! - NYC Media Network Team.The Women Veterans ROCK! Podcast Posse is a collection of incredible contributors. We are Sisters, Friends, and Serious Agents-of-Change.Women Veterans ROCK! is the Producer of "The New Ranks Media Network." We are thrilled to be Welcomed To New York City at the height of a Phenomenal Summer Season of Community Celebrations!We Love Connecting Our Communities to our newest Friends, Partners, Military Women and Military Families within the Great Empire State of New York.Subscribe Today & Stay Connected To Sakinah Ali, within our NYC Media Team and hang out with our entire Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse. Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Blog! It's Bold, Brave, Bona Fide. We publish weekly trends, topics, time savers and techniques designed to improve the overall quality of life for Today's Women On The Move.ABOUT THE HOSTDeborah Harmon-Pugh is a recognized authority on Women's Leadership in America. She has dedicated the past two decades to assisting women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their expertise and leadership strengths. She is the creator of proven and powerful leadership development programs that guide women to becoming leaders in Civic Leadership, Business Leadership, and Nonprofit Leadership. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is the National Campaign Chair of Women Veterans ROCK; The Women Veterans Civic Leadership Institute; and The Women Veterans Public Policy Delegation To Capitol Hill. She teaches in the Graduate School of Studies at Chestnut Hill College. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is a retired Military Spouse of 27 years.ABOUT THE CO-HOST Sakinah Ali is a successful media communications professional, digital media contributor, freelancer, blogger and podcast co-host within The Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse.She is a quintessential New Yorker with many years of print bylines with media outlets including Huff Post. She enjoyed nearly 15 years working within Hearst Magazines at the legendary Good Housekeeping Magazine and the Good Housekeeping Institute.SUPPORT WOMEN VETERANS & SUBSCRIBE HERE TODAY!Our Website Is: ⁠⁠WomenVetsRock.org⁠FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠Facebook: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: @WomenVetsRock

Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Podcast! We are an Award-Winning Podcast for Today's Women On The Move! We Change Lives. We Unlock Potential. We Are Connecting Communities of Today's Most Dynamic Women Leaders.Meet our NEW & EXCITING Podcast Co-Host Ms. Sakinah Ali of Women Veterans ROCK! - NYC Media Network Team.The Women Veterans ROCK! Podcast Posse is a collection of incredible contributors. We are Sisters, Friends, and Serious Agents-of-Change.Women Veterans ROCK! is the Producer of "The New Ranks Media Network." We are thrilled to be Welcomed To New York City at the height of a Phenomenal Summer Season of Community Celebrations!We Love Connecting Our Communities to our newest Friends, Partners, Military Women and Military Families within the Great Empire State of New York.Subscribe Today & Stay Connected To Sakinah Ali, within our NYC Media Team and hang out with our entire Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse. Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Blog! It's Bold, Brave, Bona Fide. We publish weekly trends, topics, time savers and techniques designed to improve the overall quality of life for Today's Women On The Move.ABOUT THE HOSTDeborah Harmon-Pugh is a recognized authority on Women's Leadership in America. She has dedicated the past two decades to assisting women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their expertise and leadership strengths. She is the creator of proven and powerful leadership development programs that guide women to becoming leaders in Civic Leadership, Business Leadership, and Nonprofit Leadership. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is the National Campaign Chair of Women Veterans ROCK; The Women Veterans Civic Leadership Institute; and The Women Veterans Public Policy Delegation To Capitol Hill. She teaches in the Graduate School of Studies at Chestnut Hill College. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is a retired Military Spouse of 27 years.ABOUT THE CO-HOST Sakinah Ali is a successful media communications professional, digital media contributor, freelancer, blogger and podcast co-host within The Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse.She is a quintessential New Yorker with many years of print bylines with media outlets including Huff Post. She enjoyed nearly 15 years working within Hearst Magazines at the legendary Good Housekeeping Magazine and the Good Housekeeping Institute.SUPPORT WOMEN VETERANS & SUBSCRIBE HERE TODAY!Our Website Is: ⁠WomenVetsRock.orgFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠Facebook: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠Twitter: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠LinkedIn: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠Instagram: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠YouTube: @WomenVetsRock

379: How to Treat Every Donor Like a Major Donor (Derric Bakker) Episode SummaryNonprofit leaders and fundraisers are exhausted, and the instinct when results slip is to simply work harder. In this episode of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Derric Bakker, Founder & CEO of DickersonBakker, argues that today's struggle is not a down cycle teams can out-hustle but a structural shift in how people give, driven by demographics, the widening wealth gap, fraying community and religious ties, and donors who now expect the personalized experience every consumer brand delivers. Returning after his 2022 conversation (Episode #181), Derric makes the provocative case behind his new book: the relational behaviors long reserved for the top 1 percent of major donors, listening first, personalizing every touchpoint, stewarding consistently, and protecting trust, can become the operating system for fundraising at every level. He explains where AI makes that possible at scale, where it must never replace the human on the other end, and what a practical first step looks like, from rethinking donor survey data to reimagining portfolio size and gratitude. Listeners come away with a clear-eyed diagnosis of why the old model broke and a hopeful sense of the leadership and board decisions that move an organization toward a better way.About DerricDerric Bakker is the Founder & CEO of DickersonBakker, a fundraising consulting and agency firm that helps nonprofit organizations grow, thrive, and make a bigger impact, with a team of more than 50 working with over 100 clients a year. Across more than three decades in the sector, Derric moved through three chapters, roughly a decade as a frontline practitioner, a decade in consulting, and leadership of the firm he launched in 2010 that later merged to become DickersonBakker, and he is now entering a fourth focused on writing, teaching, and thought leadership as Andrew Olson takes the helm as president. Mentored early in his career by the legendary Jerry Panas, Derric built his expertise on relationship-based major gift fundraising, the foundation of his new book. Reflecting on the pace of change, he often points out that nearly everything about the work has been transformed by technology since he started, yet many of fundraising's core assumptions have stubbornly stayed the same.ResourcesConnect with Derric Bakker on LinkedIn and learn more about DickersonBakkerDerric's book: A Better Way to Fundraise: Treat Every Donor Like a Major Donor — explore the book and discussion guides at betterwaychampions.orgRecommended reading: Nonprofit AI by Nathan Chappell (who, with Brian Crimmins, was a past guest on Episode #211, Is Philanthropy in a State of Crisis?)Registration is open for Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy - Learn more at institutepl.orgLearn more about Inperium, a nonprofit that helps health and human services organizations grow without sacrificing their mission: Inperium.orgLearn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

How can museums increase revenue without charging mandatory admission? Andy Povey is joined by Andrew Given, CEO of Queer Britain, who shares how Queer Britain's Pay What You Can model generated more than three times the previous donation income while making the museum more accessible to visitors. The discussion covers fundraising strategies, donor psychology, visitor data, inclusive storytelling, partnerships, and why cultural organisations should embrace experimentation and innovation.   Topics Discussed The founding story of Queer Britain Building the UK's national LGBTQ+ museum Operating without government funding Diversifying museum income streams Pay What You Can admission strategy Tripling visitor donations through voluntary giving Donor psychology and visitor behavior Making museums more accessible Collecting visitor data through online bookings Using visitor insights to improve experiences Community engagement and volunteer programs LGBTQ+ history and cultural preservation Museum storytelling and exhibitions Partnerships with major cultural institutions Innovation in museums and visitor attractions Lessons for nonprofit fundraising Sustainable museum business models Improving the visitor journey Simplifying online ticket booking The future of museum innovation   Show references:    Andrew Given - Chief Executive at Queer Britain Museum https://queerbritain.org.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/queer-britain/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/awtgiven/   Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your guest host is Andy Povey. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Credits: Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster) Edited by Steve Folland Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster) Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop' — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here

Meet John Heater, a Christ-centered servant leader with more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. Alongside his professional work, John has faithfully served in a variety of roles within his local church and brings a deep heart for ministry and people. John will begin serving in a dual role as Regional Director of Board and Donor Advancement, providing leadership and support to the SEC region. He will also continue supporting the Northwest Kentucky Metro Area ministries, helping ensure continuity, strength, and alignment. With extensive experience in donor and board development, John is passionate about cultivating strong donor relationships and building engaged, effective boards. He is excited to extend his gifts and talents through the impactful ministry of FCA.

In this episode of CharityVillage Connects, we examine what Canada's 2026 Spring Economic Update means for the nonprofit and charitable sector. Where do the federal government's priorities lie? Where does the care economy fit within Canada's future? Sector experts explore the opportunities and challenges ahead, including potential impacts on funding, regulation, service delivery, and community wellbeing. Tune in to The Spring Economic Update: Where Does the Nonprofit Sector Fit in Canada's Future? Meet Our Guests in Order of Appearance Nicole D'Aoust, Charity and Non-Profit Lawyer, Partner, McCarthy TétraultTyler Meredith, Founding Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips Policy AdvisorsArmine Yalnizyan, Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson FoundationDr. Susan Phillips, Professor Emerita, Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton UniversityAbout your HostMary Barroll, president of CharityVillage, is an online business executive and lawyer with a background in media, technology and IP law. A former CBC journalist and independent TV producer, in 2013 she was appointed General Counsel & VP Media Affairs at CharityVillage.com, Canada's largest job portal for charities and not for profits in Canada, and then President in 2021. Mary is also President of sister company, TalentEgg.ca, Canada's No.1, award-winning job board and online career resource that connects top employers with top students and grads.Additional Resources from this EpisodeWe've gathered the resources from this episode into one helpful list:Spring Economic Update 2026: Canada Strong For All (Government of Canada, 2026)Registered Charity Information Return T3010 (Canada Revenue Agency)Charity Insights Canada Project (Carleton University)Million-Dollar Murray (The New Yorker, 2006)Dunn House Social Medicine Housing Model (University Health Network, 2026)Charities and Giving: Guidance CG-032 – Registered charities making grants to non-qualified donees (Canada Revenue Agency, 2023)Disbursement Quota Calculation (Canada Revenue Agency)Canada Strong Fund (Government of Canada, 2026)Build Canada Homes (Government of Canada, 2026)Learn more and listen to the full interviews with the guests here.#podcast #charity

378: The Money Myths Holding Your Nonprofit Back (Sean Hale)Episode SummaryToo many nonprofit leaders quietly avoid their own finances, trusting that a clean audit or a capable CPA means everything is handled, and that blind spot can put a mission at real risk. In this episode, Patton talks with Sean Hale, founder of Nonprofit CFOs, who busts five money myths that hold organizations back: that the audit has them covered, that finance is the CPA's job, that nonprofits aren't supposed to make a profit, that confusing financial reports are just part of the territory, and that you say yes to whatever a funder asks. Drawing on more than two decades inside the sector and a contrarian, plain-English style, Sean explains what a standard audit actually does and doesn't catch, why a whistleblower policy and strong internal controls protect an organization far more than people realize, how an executive director can engage with the numbers in twenty minutes a month without becoming a bookkeeper, and why building a modest annual surplus is one of the smartest things a board can do. Listeners will walk away with practical, doable steps to raise financial literacy across their whole organization and the confidence to push back when a grant simply isn't worth the cost.About SeanSean Hale is the founder of Nonprofit CFOs, a team of finance and accounting professionals who provide nonprofits across the country with bookkeeping, fractional and interim CFO support, and special projects such as grant due diligence. His path into the sector started early: his mother led a nonprofit for thirty years, and his first job there involved pushing a broom for minimum wage. As an adult, Sean has worked in the sector since 1999, wearing nearly every hat across four different nonprofits over twenty-one years before launching his own practice. He found that he could make the biggest difference in the finance and administrative side of the work, helping organizations get their operations buttoned up so they can focus on mission. Known on LinkedIn for his sassy, contrarian, and occasionally grumpy take on nonprofit finance, Sean is on a mission to help leaders ditch the jargon, ask better questions, and stop accepting the pain.ResourcesConnect with Sean on LinkedIn; Nonprofit CFOsGet Sean's Financial Dashboard Starter Kit, free with code PATTON2026 at nonprofitcfos.comThe Thief in Your Company by Tiffany CouchLearn more about Inperium, a nonprofit that helps health and human services organizations grow without sacrificing their mission: Inperium.orgFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership at www.armstrongmcguire.com/podcastsFind more leadership resources at ArmstrongMcGuire.com

When Dance Changes Everything: Rebecca Davis and the Children Who Learned They MatterRebecca Davis thought dance would become her career. Instead, it became her calling.In this special HarmonyTALK encore presentation, host Lisa Champeau revisits one of the podcast's most inspiring conversations with the founder of MindLeaps, a nonprofit organization that has transformed the lives of thousands of vulnerable children around the globe through dance and education.Rebecca's journey began in Canada, where she spent years training as a dancer. But everything shifted when she realized movement could become much more than an art form. It could become a bridge to education, confidence and hope for children living in some of the world's most difficult circumstances.Today, MindLeaps serves street children and underserved youth in Rwanda, Guinea, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other developing communities, using a unique dance curriculum to strengthen cognitive and social-emotional skills while preparing young people for success in school and in life.During this heartfelt conversation, Rebecca shares remarkable stories that seem almost impossible to imagine. Children from divided ethnic communities or war-torn villages finding common ground through movement. Young people who had been told by society they didn't matter discovering that they do.Lisa and Rebecca also explore what leadership looks like when it is rooted in compassion, why creativity can become one of the world's most powerful educational tools, and how one person's willingness to follow an unexpected path continues to create opportunities for children around the world.  Thoughtful, moving, and hopeful, this encore conversation reminds us that sometimes changing the world begins with helping one child believe in themselves.

Every nonprofit eventually reaches a point where the leadership skills that fueled its early success are no longer enough to support its next stage of growth. Building an organization requires one set of strengths. Scaling it requires another. Strong nonprofit leadership requires more than passion. As organizations grow, executive director leadership must evolve from founder-focused decision making to building systems, developing leaders, and strengthening nonprofit organizational culture. On this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik, Managing Partner of Financing Solutions, sits down with Dr. Lindsay Whorton, President of The Holdsworth Center, to discuss one of the most overlooked challenges nonprofit executives face: learning to lead a different organization than the one they originally built. Their conversation isn't about management techniques or productivity hacks. It's about the personal transformation leaders must make as their organizations grow, become more complex, and create greater impact. Whether you're leading a startup nonprofit or an established organization, the lessons are remarkably consistent. Growth doesn't simply require more resources or larger budgets. It requires leaders who are willing to evolve alongside their organizations.

377: Stop Pushing Harder: How Great Nonprofits Build Momentum (Suzanne Smith)Episode SummaryNonprofit leaders are exhausted, pushing harder and still feeling stuck. Suzanne Smith, Founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects, offers a different path. Drawing on sixteen years of consulting and her forthcoming book, The Nonprofit Flywheel, she reframes Jim Collins's flywheel for the social sector: translate business practices, don't transplant them. Suzanne walks through the six elements, impact, brand, revenue, and operations, held together by culture and governance, and explains why momentum builds only when all six align. She shares proof from the TACA arts accelerator in Dallas, where participating organizations saw average budgets rise roughly 40 percent and foundation support climb 77 percent, then challenges leaders to rethink old norms through what she calls Nonprofit 2.0. Listeners walk away with a practical diagnostic for finding the friction in their own organizations and a reminder that lasting impact comes from working smarter, not harder.About SuzanneSuzanne Smith is the Founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects, a social change agency in Dallas, Texas, that helps nonprofits, government agencies, and cross-sector systems move from stuck to strategic. Describing herself as “trilingual” in nonprofit, government, and business, Suzanne began her career as a lobbyist after earning a government degree from the University of Texas, then went on to complete her MBA at Duke, where she studied social entrepreneurship under pioneer Greg Dees. Over the past sixteen years she has founded nonprofits, served as a board chair, and taught the next generation of social entrepreneurs as an educator and consultant. She writes the Social TrendSpotter newsletter, a top nonprofit publication on Substack, and her TEDx talk, Everyone Is a Changemaker, reflects her belief that anyone can make a difference. She calls herself half therapist, half mechanic, a nod to her therapist mother and her love of finding the right tools to get unstuck.ResourcesConnect with Suzanne on LinkedIn; Social Impact Architects; MeetSuzanne.comVisit Suzanne's Book WebsiteSocial TrendSpotter - Suzanne's weekly newsletter on the future of the social sectorTEDx talk: Everyone Is a ChangemakerThe Nonprofit Flywheel: A Playbook for Sustainable Growth, Smarter Strategy, and Lasting Impact by Suzanne Smith, launching August 2026, with a free digital edition and companion resourcesThe Power of TED (The Empowerment Dynamic) by David EmeraldLearn more about Inperium, a nonprofit that helps health and human services organizations grow without sacrificing their mission: Inperium.orgFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership at www.armstrongmcguire.com/podcastsFind more leadership resources at ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Episode 376: Who Should Be Part of Your Strategic Planning Process? (Renee Rubin Ross)Episode SummaryToo many strategic plans end up gathering dust on a shelf, or worse, frustrating the very people who were left out of building them. In this episode, Renee Rubin Ross, Ph.D., Founder of The Ross Collective and author of the new book Inclusive Strategic Planning, makes the case that who you involve in planning matters just as much as the plan itself. Drawing on more than twenty planning processes, she walks through her five-step spiral, kickoff, discovery, prioritization, planning, and implementation, and introduces a simple framework for deciding who belongs in the room: deciders, builders, and sharers. Renee explains how to know whether your organization is even ready to plan, how to scale the work up or down when capacity and funding feel shaky, and how to keep a plan alive through consistent communication and disciplined implementation. Nonprofit leaders will come away with a practical, inclusive approach that turns planning into a source of energy, alignment, and focus rather than another document destined for the shelf.About ReneeDr. Renee Rubin Ross is a recognized leader in board and organizational development and strategy, and the founder of The Ross Collective, a consulting firm that designs and leads inclusive, participatory processes for social sector boards and staff. Committed to racial equity in the nonprofit sector, she guides leaders and organizations through strategic plans and governance processes that deepen social change, racial justice, engagement, and community strength. Renee is the author of Inclusive Strategic Planning: A Five-Step Process to Expand Energy, Alignment, and Opportunity. She also directs the Nonprofit Management Certificate program at Cal State University East Bay, where she teaches strategic planning and board development. A past board member of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and a member of the Technology of Participation facilitators' network, she earned her doctorate in education and Jewish studies from New York University, where her research explored parent participation in schools. She lives in Northern California.ResourcesListen to the episode: www.armstrongmcguire.com/podcastsConnect with Renee on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reneerubinrossThe Ross Collective: therosscollective.comInclusive Strategic Planning: A Five-Step Process to Expand Energy, Alignment, and OpportunityBook recommendation: My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa MenakemCal State University East Bay Nonprofit Management Certificate programFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and please leave a review! Learn more about the leadership resources at ArmstrongMcGuire.com

375: Outrageous Kindness: A Framework for Unlocking Philanthropic Potential (Kristina Joy Carlson)Episode SummaryWhen disruption hits, many nonprofit leaders go quiet and wait for conditions to settle before they act, and that pause quietly signals to donors and communities that the mission can wait too. In Episode 375, Kristina Joy Carlson, CFRE, Founder and CEO of Outrageous Kindness, makes the case that perfect is never coming, and that the leaders who keep moving are the ones who build the strongest relationships. Drawing on decades in global philanthropy and a personal season of loss and recovery, she walks Patton through her KIND Method: Know More (challenge the assumptions that quietly kill donor relationships), Impact (reconnect to your own why so authentic passion does the persuading), Navigate (communicate honestly and bring a plan when funding shifts), and Deliver (do what you said, then circle back so people know their gift mattered). Along the way she offers a simple impact audit any leader can run today, a reframe of asking as a muscle you strengthen with use, and a reminder that asking a good question and truly listening may be the most outrageous kindness of all. Listeners will leave with a practical roadmap for leading with generosity when the conditions are anything but ideal.About KristinaKristina Joy Carlson, CFRE, is the Founder and CEO of Outrageous Kindness, a mindset, method, and movement she built to help nonprofit organizations create stronger relationships, healthier cultures, and greater impact. She has spent most of her career in global philanthropy, helping organizations connect with people, engage donors, and grow the resources that fuel their missions, work that took her into campaigns, leadership transitions, and seasons of significant disruption. The daughter of a fundraiser and minister, she learned early that generosity changes the giver, the people around them, and the community, a conviction that now anchors her writing, speaking, and consulting. She is the author of Outrageous Kindness and will keynote the North Carolina Philanthropy Conference on September 3 with a talk titled “Perfect Isn't Coming.” Based in Oxford, Mississippi, she leads through hard seasons with the same belief she teaches: your circumstances do not define you.ResourcesKristina Joy Carlson on LinkedInOutrageous KindnessThe Seven Faces of Philanthropy by Russ Alan Prince and Karen Maru FileAn American Life by Ronald ReaganFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Episode 374: A Roadmap to Nonprofit Excellence: What Most Leaders Miss (Lauren Deiorio)Episode SummaryMost nonprofit leaders don't fail because of mission. They get stuck running one part of the operation well while neglecting the rest, often because they rose through programming and never learned the business of running an organization. In this episode, Lauren Deiorio, President & CEO of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, shares the Roadmap to Success, a practical tool she helped build that breaks nonprofit excellence into nine “destinations”: governance, HR, financial management, fundraising, communications, technology, strategic collaborations, community empowerment, and grant strategy. Drawing on a finance and public accounting background and nine years leading her foundation, Lauren explains why treating your nonprofit like a business, with engaged boards, strong internal controls, diversified revenue, and clear communications, is what earns donor confidence. She offers a concrete way to put the roadmap to work as a self-assessment, pairing a staff member with a board member on each destination throughout the year. Listeners will walk away with a mental checklist for diagnosing where their organization is strong, where it's vulnerable, and exactly where to start.About LaurenLauren Deiorio is President & CEO of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, where she leads a nonprofit resource center dedicated to helping local organizations grow stronger and run more like a business. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Lauren earned a degree in finance and spent years in public accounting before moving into the philanthropic sector, first as the fund development director for her local school district and then, for the past nine years, at the helm of the Community Foundation. A self-described numbers person who joined her local public relations association to sharpen her communications skills, she co-created the foundation's Roadmap to Success, now in its second edition with an accompanying workbook nonprofits across the region use as a self-study guide. Based near Orlando, she's a fan of common-sense customer service, and has led her own staff through a book study on the subject.ResourcesConnect with Lauren: LinkedIn | lauren@ocalafoundation.orgCommunity Foundation for Ocala/Marion County: ocalafoundation.orgRoadmap to Success: the nine-destination nonprofit handbook and workbook (order at ocalafoundation.org)Book recommendation: The Customer Rules by Lee CockrellAlso mentioned: Building a StoryBrand by Donald MillerFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Send us Fan MailNearly seven in ten nonprofit employees are actively looking for new jobs…and it's not always about the paycheck.Britt Stockert and Cara Augspurger talk through five low-cost ways to help your team feel appreciated and connected to the mission. Cara draws on real examples from her work at Grace Care Center Foundation, where a culture of recognition has helped keep people engaged without a big perks budget.If you've ever wondered whether you're showing your staff the same care you show your donors, this one's for you.What You'll LearnWhy recognition, not just compensation, drives nonprofit retentionHow a restructured annual calendar gave staff real rest without disrupting mission deliveryWhat local business partnerships can look like beyond fundraisingWhy handwritten notes work just as well for team members as for donorsHow schedule flexibility can fill the gap when budget can'tChapters 00:00  Celebrating Team Efforts02:55   Understanding Nonprofit Turnover05:55   Creating a Supportive Culture08:50   The Power of Handwritten Notes11:50     Flexibility as a Perk14:52     Recognizing Employee ContributionsResources and LinksGrace Care Center Foundation Donorbox — fundraising tools for nonprofitsAbout DonorboxDonorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process more than $4 billion in donations worldwide.  donorbox.orgEnjoying the show? Subscribe for more practical fundraising strategies, leadership insights, and tools to help your nonprofit grow sustainably.The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.Support the show

Many association leaders volunteer because they genuinely care about helping their industry grow. The challenge is simple. Most volunteer leaders already have demanding full-time jobs, leaving little time to create new programs, improve member engagement, and think strategically about growth. In this episode of Grounding AI, Donna Peterson shares practical ways leaders can use artificial intelligence to help industry associations work smarter while building stronger member relationships. You will learn how AI can help organizations: • Review and repurpose existing content • Improve outdated webinars, presentations, and educational materials • Create stronger member surveys • Generate better event ideas based on member interests • Identify new audience segments for membership growth • Build stronger engagement through more personalized experiences The goal is not replacing human relationships. The goal is helping volunteer leaders save time so they can focus on building stronger communities. AI works best when it helps organizations think better, communicate better, and serve people better. If you lead an association, nonprofit, membership organization, or volunteer leadership team, this episode will give you practical ideas you can apply immediately. Subscribe to Grounding AI for weekly conversations about using artificial intelligence in practical business settings. *** Reach out to dpeterson@worldinnovators.com if you'd like help building a marketing strategy that builds relationships and/or AI training for individuals or full teams.*** Visit www.worldinnovators.com for more resources on building stronger marketing and leadership strategies.*** Subscribe to the Grounding AI podcast for weekly insights into marketing, leadership, and the future of AI.

#373: Turning Leadership Transitions into Organizational Breakthroughs (Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE)Episode SummaryMost nonprofits treat leadership change as an emergency to survive rather than a future to plan for — and the cost of that blind spot is mounting. In this episode, Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE (ret), CEO of Third Sector Company and founder of the Interim Executives Academy, names the “perfect storm” that has left the sector unprepared: taboo conversations about people, resource development defined only as money, a scarcity mindset that turns pipelines into pipe dreams, an unmanaged generational shift, and boards and staff running on separate tracks. Drawing on a career that began at United Way and 25 years building the field of interim leadership, Wilcox reframes succession planning as the stewardship of a purpose rather than the replacement of a person, and makes the case for the professionally trained interim executive as a catalyst — not a stopgap — for organizations bridging their proudest past and their hoped-for future. Listeners will come away with a practical, five-part view of what real succession planning requires, a sharper sense of when an interim is the right call, and a renewed conviction that the sector's most valuable asset has always been its people.About JeffreyJeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE (ret), is CEO of Third Sector Company and founder of its Interim Executives Academy and Interim Development Directors BootCamp, and a nationally recognized pioneer in leadership succession solutions for community-impact organizations. An author, columnist, and popular speaker, he advises nonprofits, trade and professional associations, and congregations on succession planning, talent development and retention, and strategic interim executive solutions. His early career was spent at United Way, including as Senior Vice President of Community Development for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, where he watched countless organizations treat leadership change as a surprise, a project, and an interruption — an experience that became the impetus for the firm he founded in 2002. Since then, Third Sector Company has served more than 900 organizations across the West Coast, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Western Canada, and was named a “Top 10” Interim Executive Services firm by Manage HR Magazine in 2023 and 2024; its Academy is the oldest and longest-running certificate program of its kind in the U.S. and Canada. The former nonprofit columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal, Wilcox authored The Nonprofit Leader of the New Decade in 2010 and remains a tireless advocate for returning nonprofit leadership to its cause-based, movement-focused, activist-driven roots.ResourcesJeffrey R. Wilcox on LinkedInThird Sector Company — thirdsectorcompany.comInterim Executives Academy — interimexecutivesacademy.comBrains on Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable, Word of Mouth Movements by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church, and Spike Jones (Wiley, 2010) — Jeffrey's book recommendationFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Send us Fan MailEvery nonprofit team has one…the decision that keeps getting pushed to next week. The platform that's been under evaluation for three months. The recurring giving program that still doesn't have a name. The donor email that's been rewritten twelve times and still hasn't been sent.In this episode, Jena Lynch and Britt Stockert get into why fundraising decisions stall and what to do about it. They share a four-filter framework for cutting through the noise, talk through the real reasons teams delay, and leave you with one practical thing to try this week.No jargon, no fluff, just two fundraising professionals being honest about something every nonprofit leader will recognise.What You'll LearnWhy fundraising decisions feel riskier right nowHow to define the actual problem before picking a solutionThe difference between reversible and hard-to-reverse decisionsHow 30-day tests replace all-or-nothing pressureWhat to do when your team or board can't land on a directionA 30-minute decision reset to try this weekResources and LinksDonorbox| Fundraising tools built for nonprofitsChapters00:00 Fundraising Decision Paralysis03:18 Define the Real Problem09:19 Reversible vs Permanent Decisions12:06 Progress vs Complexity14:20 The 30-Day Testing Mindset16:30 Common Decision-Making Traps20:28 The 30-Minute Decision ResetAbout DonorboxDonorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process more than $4 billion in donations worldwide.  donorbox.orgEnjoying the show? Subscribe for more practical fundraising strategies, leadership insights, and tools to help your nonprofit grow sustainably.The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.Support the show

After a long pause from podcasting, I'm back...and a lot has changed.In this episode, I'm sharing the story behind my midlife pivot: the unexpected shifts in business, identity, and purpose that led me away from building brands and toward exploring something much deeper - meaning, generosity, and the psychology of why people connect, give, and belong.If you've ever found yourself questioning the path you built, wondering whether success still fits, or feeling called toward something you can't quite explain yet, this conversation is for you.I'm so glad you're here for this next chapter of Built for Meaning. Follow the show on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss future episodes. And if this story resonates with you, come say hello on Instagram and send me a message. I would love to hear about your own pivot and what meaning you're building in this season of life.Connect on IG: @builtformeaning

Most volunteer leaders learn on the job, through trial and error, and sometimes burnout. But what if you could start with the skills that really matter?In this episode, Tobi Johnson draws on 25+ years of experience to share the essential skills she wishes she had from day one. You'll learn why self‑regulation and emotional resilience are critical for preventing burnout and leading with clarity. She also breaks down strategic planning that connects program design, metrics, and budgets, including how to advocate for volunteer‑related expenses.Tobi also tackles change management and influence, especially when you don't have formal authority. Her participatory leadership approach helps you engage stakeholders, manage resistance, and build trusted teams. Plus, she offers a free worksheet to help you develop your personal leadership philosophy.If you're ready to lead with confidence and create lasting impact, this episode is your toolkit.Skills I Wish I Had – Episode Highlights [00:00] Introduction to Volunteer Management Skills[04:08] Top Nonprofit Volunteer Management Skills[08:46] Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership[12:54] Strategic Planning for Nonprofits[17:08] Budgeting for Volunteer Programs[24:10] Change Management and Influence[31:12] Participatory Leadership and CollaborationHelpful Links Volunteer Management Fundamentals Live! Volunteer Nation Episode #185: To Burnout & Back – My Secret Struggle with Long COVIDVolunteer Nation Episode #022: My Fave 6 Nonprofit Leadership and Management Wins Volunteer Nation Episode #205: My Top Time Management Tips for Overwhelmed Volunteer ManagersVolunteer Nation Episode #186: Strategy vs Tactics – How to Include Both in Your Volunteer Planning Independent Sector Value of Volunteer TimeVolunteer Strategy Scorecard™ Volunteer Management Fundamentals Live!Summer Cohort: June 18 – July 24, 2026Learn the Essential Frameworks for Attracting and Engaging, Enthusiastic, Committed Volunteers with Less Stress and Greater Confidence. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.  For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

In this episode of the RKD Group: Chat podcast, we sit down with Stephanie Chanpimol, annual fund and advancement services manager for The Salvation Army's Northern New England Division. With two decades of experience at the organization, Stephanie shares how a willingness to learn, strong communication skills and a commitment to building meaningful relationships have shaped her nonprofit career.

In this episode, Michael sits down with Brian Hersh, CEO of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Sarasota County, for a conversation about nonprofit leadership, board engagement, and the role arts and culture play in building a stronger community. Brian shares how his background as a drummer shapes the way he leads, listens, and helps others succeed. He also discusses the Alliance's work as a connector and advocate for Sarasota's arts ecosystem, the evolution of its board, the importance of building trust through consistency, and why arts issues are deeply connected to community issues like affordable housing, economic impact, tourism, and quality of life.   Timestamps: (00:00) Introducing Brian Hersh, Chief Executive Officer, Arts & Culture Alliance of Sarasota County (04:30) What does the job entail? (06:50) Interacting with the board in a member driven organization (08:45) Helping the board keep the interest of the Arts Alliance first (11:15) How did the board evolve? (14:00) Bell work for the board (15:20) Lead, follow, or get out of the way (16:00) Building trust with the board and members (21:30) How often do you meet with the board, board chair, and committees? (28:10) What is coming up next for the Arts & Culture Alliance of Sarasota County? (31:15) Recapping with Read Join us every other week as we release a new podcast with information about how you can be the best board member and provide great service to your organization. Listen to the podcast on any of the following platforms: YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Amazon iHeartRadio Visit us at: www.thecorleycompany.com/podcast

Send us Fan MailNonprofit CEO succession planning is no longer a future issue—it's a current business challenge. As leadership turnover accelerates across the sector, boards and executives must rethink how they identify, recruit, and support the next generation of nonprofit CEOs.Dana Scurlock, Managing Director at Staffing Boutique, joins Julia Patrick and Sherry Quam Taylor to discuss what organizations should be looking for when hiring a CEO and how leadership expectations are changing.With research indicating that approximately 75% of nonprofit leaders are expected to retire by 2036, organizations face a major transition that will impact fundraising, operations, culture, and long-term sustainability. Dana explores why successful CEOs must be more than administrators—they must be communicators, relationship builders, and visionary leaders who can represent the mission externally while helping position the organization for future growth.As Dana explains, "A CEO is a visionary, an orator, somebody that's out representing the organization elsewhere and helping the organization grow."The conversation also examines the growing need to separate operational leadership from external leadership responsibilities. Many organizations are exploring structures that pair a forward-facing CEO with strong operational leadership to improve effectiveness, fundraising capacity, and organizational resilience.Dana also offers guidance on one of the biggest board-level decisions nonprofits face: whether to promote from within or recruit externally. The answer depends on the organization's goals, culture, and future vision—but boards must first define where they want the organization to go."If you haven't defined it yet, where do we want to be? And if you don't have the answer to that, therein lies where the first leg of the work needs to come."Whether you're a board member, executive director, CEO, or nonprofit leadership candidate, this discussion offers valuable insight into preparing your organization for the next decade of change.Key Takeaways:Approximately 75% of nonprofit leaders are expected to retire by 2036, creating significant succession planning challenges.Effective nonprofit CEOs increasingly serve as visionaries, communicators, and public ambassadors for the mission.Boards should consider separating operational leadership and external leadership responsibilities as organizations grow.Professional fundraising expertise allows CEOs to focus on growth, partnerships, and strategic positioning.Internal and external CEO candidates both offer advantages; organizational goals should drive the decision.Leadership transitions should be accompanied by a clear narrative that explains the organization's future direction. 00:00:00 Introduction: The Future of Nonprofit Leadership 00:04:02 75% of Nonprofit Leaders Expected to Retire 00:05:18 What Makes a Great Nonprofit CEO Today? 00:08:57 Visionary Leadership vs Operational Leadership 00:11:25 Should Nonprofits Redefine the CEO Role? 00:13:45 Why More CEOs Need Strong Operations Partners 00:19:39 The CEO's Role in Fundraising and Growth 00:22:19 Why Professional Fundraisers Matter 00:24:24 Hiring a CEO: Internal Promotion or External Search? 00:26:53 Controlling the Narrative During Leadership Transitions 00:29:01 Defining the Organization's Future Before Hiring Find us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Podcast! (Encore!) We are an Award-Winning Podcast for Today's Women On The Move!Retired U.S. Army Major April Harris is "Transforming Lives Through Theater Education at "The Theatre Lab of Washington, DC. - April Harris teaches a unique version of The Theatre Lab's "Life Stories Program" specially designed for today's Military Women called "Finding Your Voice."The Theatre Lab offers this pioneering, tuition-free program that supports Women Veterans in creating original dramatic works using their own life experiences.  The "Life Stories Program" has been proven to increase self-esteem, reduce feelings of isolation, improve communication & critical-thinking skills.Classes @ The Theatre Lab Are Open To: Women Veterans; Active Duty; Reservists; National Guard; ROTC; Military Spouses; and Military Moms Too. Contact The Theatre Lab to learn more about Tuition-Free Classes.Subscribe Today and Stay Connected To The Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse!ABOUT THE HOSTDeborah Harmon-Pugh is a recognized authority on Women's Leadership in America. She has dedicated the past two decades to assisting women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their expertise and leadership strengths. She is the creator of proven and powerful leadership development programs that guide women to becoming leaders in Civic Leadership, Business Leadership, and Nonprofit Leadership. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is the National Campaign Chair of Women Veterans ROCK; The Women Veterans Civic Leadership Institute; and The Women Veterans Public Policy Delegation To Capitol Hill. She teaches in the Graduate School of Studies at Chestnut Hill College. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is a retired Military Spouse of 27 years.ABOUT OUR SPONSOR - (Rebroadcast)Comcast NBCUniversal - We thank Comcast NBCUniversal for their support of Women Veterans, Military Families, and America's entire Military Community. For more information on how Comcast NBCUniversal is supporting the military community, visit the link below. ⁠⁠⁠www.corporate.comcast.com/values/military⁠⁠⁠VISIT US & SUBSCRIBE TODAYOur Website Is: ⁠⁠⁠WomenVetsRock.org ⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠⁠Facebook: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: @WomenVetsRock

Send us Fan MailNEW! I'm delighted to welcome back a familiar guest and friend of the podcast, Dalaina May. This is Dalaina's third appearance with us, and every conversation leaves me challenged, inspired, and more aware of realities that most of us rarely see.Dalaina is the founder and executive director of Dark Bali, an organization serving people on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking throughout Indonesia and beyond. Her journey has taken her across continents, through academia, deep personal questioning, and into some of the most difficult places imaginable. Along the way, she discovered not only her calling but also the courage to pursue it despite obstacles, setbacks, and institutions that often underestimated her.Today, we'll discuss the changing realities of human trafficking in 2025, the global impact of geopolitical shifts and the loss of USAID funding, the power of collaboration, and how Dark Bali continues to equip and strengthen anti-trafficking leaders across Asia. SHOW NOTESRESOURCES: WEBSITE: darkbali.orgANNUAL REPORTTHE GLOBAL LEARNING COMMUNITYSCAM COMPOUNDSSupport the showBecome a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!Ken's Substack PageThe Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

Dana Toppel is CEO of Jewish Family Service of San Diego, one of the region's most established human services organizations. Founded more than 100 years ago, JFS continues to be rooted in Jewish values while serving people across San Diego County, including older adults, immigrants, families, Holocaust survivors, and neighbors facing housing, food, and other basic needs. Dana has held multiple leadership roles at JFS since 2009 and brings more than two decades of direct service, clinical, and nonprofit leadership experience.This Episode: What does it take to meet urgent needs today while building a stronger safety net for tomorrow? In this episode, Dana and Grant explore how Jewish Family Service is responding to this moment in San Diego. Dana shares how JFS serves more than 60,000 people each year, with a focus on helping people access safe and stable housing, culturally competent food, and the wraparound support they need to move toward greater stability and dignity. The conversation also explores what it means to lead with both compassion and discipline. She and Grant discuss why nonprofits need to focus on what they do best, partner more deeply, reduce duplication, and look further upstream so the region can address challenges before they become emergencies. Dana reminds us that hope is active. It comes from staying close to people's stories, building relationships across differences, and continuing to show up for the work, even when outside forces push back. Key Moments: [2:52] How Jewish Family Service serves the broader San Diego community [8:32] What courage looks like for a humanitarian service organization [17:21] Dana's path from social worker to COO to CEO [26:29] How the nonprofit sector can reduce duplication and work further upstream [44:18] Why hope matters when working toward a different future  Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Jewish Family Service of San Diego – Providing housing, food, immigration support, older adult services, and other human services across San Diego County Safe Parking Program – JFS's program supporting people and families living in their vehicles as they work toward stable housing Nonprofits Create Bold, Replicable Solution to Housing Crisis – An op-ed from Dana Toppel, Prebys CFIO Gil Gil Alvarado, and partners on a new collaborative model for affordable housing in San Diego Take Action: Learn About JFS – Explore how Jewish Family Service supports people across San Diego County through housing, food, immigration services, older adult support, and more. Support Basic Needs – Look for ways to help neighbors access stable housing, nutritious food, and trusted services. Think Upstream – Support approaches that prevent crises before they deepen, including stronger partnerships, reduced duplication, and early intervention. Stay Connected to People's Stories – Volunteer, listen, and spend time with organizations serving the community directly. Seeing the work up close can change how we understand what is possible.  Credits:This is a production of the Prebys FoundationHosted by Grant OliphantCo-Hosted by Crystal PageProduced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal PageEngineered by Adam GreenfieldProduction Coordination by Tess KareskyVideo Production by Edgar Ontiveros MedinaThe Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego's own Mr. Lyrical Groove.Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.comSpecial thanks to the Prebys Foundation TeamIf you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

371: Stop Scaling, Start Listening: Building Nonprofits That Actually Work (jacob adams) Episode SummaryToo many nonprofits have become experts at performing impact - hitting metrics, writing polished reports, scaling programs - without ever stopping to ask whether they're actually changing the lives of the people they serve. In this episode, Patton sits down with jacob adams, Founder and Executive Director of Inner Spark Learning Lab in Los Angeles, to explore what it looks like when a nonprofit is genuinely built around the community it exists to serve. jacob traces his journey from Teach For America to founding STEM to the Future in 2017 to rebranding as Inner Spark Learning Lab, a shift that happened when he realized STEM was never really the point. He introduces the Human Learning Systems framework and walks through Inner Spark's Listen→Try→Reflect→Adapt→Share cycle: a living approach to program design that treats service work as ongoing experiment rather than fixed delivery. He talks candidly about what real community listening looks like in practice, what it costs to stop a program that isn't working, and why he shares the messy middle publicly - even when funders want a more polished story. Leaders who feel the tension between accountability and authenticity will find both challenge and permission in this conversation.About jacobjacob adams is the Founder and Executive Director of Inner Spark Learning Lab, a community-centered education nonprofit based in Los Angeles, California. jacob launched the organization in 2017 as STEM to the Future before rebranding to reflect a deeper commitment to what actually drives young people's growth: curiosity, relationships, and genuine responsiveness to what communities say they need. His work is grounded in the Human Learning Systems framework, and he is known in the sector for practicing — and publicly modeling — the kind of reflective, adaptive leadership he believes the nonprofit sector urgently needs more of. Before founding Inner Spark, jacob served with Teach For America, an experience that shaped his conviction that proximity to community is not a program feature but a leadership discipline.ResourcesConnect with jacob on LinkedInLearn more about Inner Spark Learning LabHuman Learning Systems (created by Toby Lowe) humanlearning.systems How We See Us: Young People Imagining a Path to Their Futures by Michaela Leslie-RuleEnvisioning Real Utopias by Erik Olin WrightFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com

In the social impact sector, scaling an organization nationally while maintaining deep community trust is one of the hardest balancing acts to pull off. It requires an unshakeable operational foundation, a clear mission, and creative revenue models that move beyond traditional grant dependency.In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sits down with Jen Rifkin, Executive Director of the Volo Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to removing economic, gender, and racial barriers to youth sports. Jen shares her inspiring journey from volunteer coach to national executive leader, breaking down the operational "special sauce" behind their 12-state expansion. She also reveals how their unique, symbiotic partnership with a for-profit adult sports league offers a brilliant blueprint for sustainable nonprofit funding.Show Notes: Key TakeawaysBuild a Replicable Operational Formula: Rapidly scaling a national footprint requires a standardized core program structure—what Jen calls a "cookie-cutter" framework—that can be easily deployed anywhere while leaving room for local market adaptation.Leverage Hybrid Corporate Partnerships: Volo Kids sustains its growth through a powerful relationship with Volo Sports, a for-profit adult leagues provider. Guided by the slogan "We play so the kids play free," a portion of adult registration revenue offsets the foundation's core operational costs, allowing donor and grant funds to go directly to youth programming.Move at the Speed of Community Trust: Entering a new city shouldn't involve a prescriptive "we know what's best" mentality. Lasting impact is built by attending local neighborhood meetings, listening to schools, and collaborating with local municipalities to fill genuine gaps.Prioritize Relational Fundraising over Transactional Grants: In a hyper-competitive funding climate where grant dollars are stretched thin, organic word-of-mouth advocacy from volunteers, coaches, and corporate partners remains the most effective tool for unlocking new donor relationships.

What if the pain you've experienced in life became the very thing that helped save others?In this powerful episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, Rich and co-host Robyn Burke sit down with Linda Aluoch, founder of HopeWorks Global, to discuss her extraordinary journey from growing up in poverty in Kenya to becoming a leading advocate against human trafficking.Linda shares deeply personal stories about family loss, addiction, resilience, faith, and the heartbreaking discovery that her late sister was likely a victim of human trafficking. That realization became the catalyst for a mission that now helps vulnerable individuals both in Kenya and the United States.In this episode, you'll learn:• How poverty and vulnerability create pathways for human trafficking • Why trafficking is much more than what most people imagine • The hidden dangers of labor trafficking and organ trafficking • How education and awareness can prevent exploitation • The inspiring work HopeWorks Global is doing to empower families and communitiesResources & Links:Hope Works Global https://hopeworksglobal.orgSponsor: Daniel McGhee & The Victory Team https://victoryteamsells.comIf this episode inspires you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this important conversation. Together, awareness can save lives.Send us Fan MailCelebrate the Magic of Words in Bel Air, Maryland!https://bookfairatbelair.org/The Victory TeamLOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A HOME Go with the Agent that was voted Harford's Best & won the Harford CouDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showRate & Review on Apple Podcasts Follow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett Facebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett Instagram – @conversationswithrichbennettTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTokSponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Hosted on BuzzsproutSquadCastSubscribe by Email

Women Veterans ROCK On The Hill - The Podcast! (Encore!) We are an Award-Winning Podcast for Today's Women On The Move!Today's special guest is Dr. Gybrilla Ballard-Blakes. She is the Author of the book "Give Your Parents A Standing Ovation - For Caregiver of Elderly Parents" - and - she is the Writer and Producer of the Stage Production of the same name, which is based on her book.  For More Info: Visit www.GYPASO.orgDr. Ballard-Blakes is a Speaker for Alzheimer Awareness Rallies Forums; a Member of AARP's Brain Health Speakers Bureau; Alzheimer's Association National Capital Chapter Committee Member and Dementia Friendly America as well. She teaches as an Adjunct Professor at Webster University where they proudly serve Military Students.In this episode of Women Veterans ROCK! On The Hill - you will discover resources, tools and tips for those caring for aging loved ones.  Learn the 10 Warning Signs of Memory Loss Disorders.Subscribe To Our Podcast Today!  You will join other Members of The Women Veterans ROCK Podcast Posse and get our early alerts to meet today's amazing Women Leaders.ABOUT THE HOSTDeborah Harmon-Pugh is a recognized authority on Women's Leadership in America. She has dedicated the past two decades to assisting women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their expertise and leadership strengths. She is the creator of proven and powerful leadership development programs that guide women to becoming leaders in Civic Leadership, Business Leadership, and Nonprofit Leadership. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is the National Campaign Chair of Women Veterans ROCK; The Women Veterans Civic Leadership Institute; and The Women Veterans Public Policy Delegation To Capitol Hill. She teaches in the Graduate School of Studies at Chestnut Hill College. Professor Deborah Harmon-Pugh is a retired Military Spouse of 27 years.ABOUT OUR SPONSOR - (Rebroadcast)Comcast NBCUniversal - We thank Comcast NBCUniversal for their support of Women Veterans, Military Families, and America's entire Military Community. For more information on how Comcast NBCUniversal is supporting the military community, visit the link below. ⁠www.corporate.comcast.com/values/military⁠VISIT US & SUBSCRIBE TODAYOur Website Is: ⁠WomenVetsRock.org ⁠FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠Facebook: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠Twitter: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠LinkedIn: @WomenVeteransRock⁠⁠Instagram: @WomenVetsRock⁠⁠YouTube: @WomenVetsRock

In this special episode of The Portia Project podcast, we shine a light on the journeys of our nonprofit leader guests and how they transitioned from law school to leadership roles. Tune in and be empowered to forge your own path and succeed.

Mastering the relationship between a nonprofit board and its executive director is the secret to a thriving ministry. Join us as Peggy Hartshorn shares decades of wisdom on how to build a unified leadership team that honors your mission and saves lives.

370: How to Stop Losing Half of Your Recurring Donors (Dave Raley)Episode SummaryIf your organization celebrates a 42% recurring donor retention rate (the national average), you may be focusing on the wrong number - because the real story is the 58% you're losing every year. In this follow-up to Episode #301, Patton welcomes back Dave Raley, Founder and CEO of The Center for Sustainable Giving in Poulsbo, Washington, for a deeper dive into sustainable giving. Dave unpacks the two distinct faces of donor churn - involuntary (failed credit cards) and voluntary (donors who choose to leave) - and explains why treating them the same way is one of the most expensive mistakes a nonprofit can make. He introduces a practical three-part retention model - Affirm, Engage, Appeal - and makes the case that the middle step is where most organizations quietly lose the relationship. He also shares the data behind upgrade campaigns, including what a 25% average gift lift looks like in practice and when in the donor lifecycle to run one. Whether your organization is flying blind on churn or ready to move from knowing to doing, this episode delivers clear, immediate steps you can take this quarter.About DaveDave Raley is the Founder and CEO of The Center for Sustainable Giving, based in Poulsbo, Washington, where he helps nonprofit leaders build recurring giving programs that retain donors and grow long-term revenue. With a background spanning nonprofit fundraising strategy, technology, and the subscription economy, Dave has become one of the sector's leading voices on donor retention, passive churn, and the structural shifts required to move organizations from transactional to relational fundraising. He is also the author of The Wave Report, a research publication tracking trends in sustainable giving, and was previously the founder of Imago Consulting. Dave joined Patton first on Episode #301 and returns here with deeper frameworks and sharper tools for leaders ready to act.ResourcesConnect with Dave on LinkedInLearn more about The Center for Sustainable GivingSubscribe to The Wave Report - Dave's research publication on trends in sustainable givingListen to Dave's first appearance: Episode #301: The Why Behind Sustainable GivingThe Rise of Sustainable Giving by Dave RaleyFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership - and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Send us Fan MailNonprofit boards are doing more with less. And when governance isn't working, it's the executive director who absorbs it quietly, consistently, at real cost to the organization.Britt Stockert sits down with David Rhode, nonprofit executive coach and author of Passion Isn't Enough, to talk about the board self-assessment - what it is, why so many boards skip it, and what a well-run board evaluation process actually looks like in practice.A practical, grounded conversation for nonprofit leaders who want their board working with them, not around them.What You'll LearnWhat a board self-assessment covers and how to structure oneWhy skipping board evaluations costs more than most leaders realizeHow to introduce the process without it feeling like a crisisHow to act on what you learn without overwhelming your teamMore About Our GuestDavid Rhode coaches nonprofit executives, consults on board development and fundraising strategy, and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. His book, Passion Isn't Enough, is a practical guide for nonprofit leaders who want to build organizations that last.Learn more at dotdotorg.com or connect on LinkedIn.Resources and LinksPassion Isn't Enough David Rhode & Dot Dot Org donorbox.orgAbout DonorboxDonorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process over 3 billion dollars in donations worldwide.Enjoying the show? Subscribe, like, and follow for more practical fundraising strategies, leadership insights, and tools to help your nonprofit grow sustainably.The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode is for nonprofits searching for alternatives to traditional aid models and dependency-driven philanthropy. The conversation blends international development, nonprofit operations, sustainability, and social enterprise into a highly searchable leadership discussion.Sustainable nonprofit development in Africa requires more than donations—it requires long-term economic thinking, local leadership, and community ownership. In this Global Edition of The Nonprofit Show, Paul Smith, UK Director of MUSANA, shares how the organization is transforming rural communities in Uganda through healthcare, education, hospitality businesses, and locally driven enterprise systems designed to become financially sustainable.Rather than creating dependency on Western aid, MUSANA uses philanthropy as catalytic investment. Their model builds hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, and jobs that eventually generate enough local revenue to sustain operations and fund scholarships and outreach programs internally.Paul explains how MUSANA's district-based strategy has already created nearly 900 full-time jobs while building systems that communities themselves support, value, and grow. The conversation also takes an honest look at the ethical challenges facing international nonprofits, including poverty marketing, child sponsorship culture, and “white savior” dynamics that can unintentionally reinforce harmful power structures.One of the most compelling moments comes when Paul says:“No global economy has ever been built off charity. It's always enterprise, it's always industry that builds an economy.”The episode also introduces a powerful nonprofit leadership concept:“Every single charity should have an out vision.”If your nonprofit works internationally—or simply wants to build stronger, more sustainable systems locally—this conversation offers fresh thinking on what long-term impact can truly look like.  00:00:00 Introduction To MUSANA's Mission 00:02:32 Breaking Cycles Of Aid Dependency 00:05:17 Building Schools, Hospitals & Enterprises 00:07:19 How Local Revenue Funds Community Growth 00:10:30 Why Free Aid Can Create Dependency 00:11:49 Local Leadership Versus Western Control 00:14:20 The Ethics Of Poverty Tourism 00:17:48 Why MUSANA Rejects Child Sponsorship 00:19:49 When Western-Led Models Fail 00:22:20 Ego, Power & Nonprofit Leadership 00:25:23 Access, Opportunity & Economic Growth 00:27:03 Why Every Charity Needs An “Out Vision” #TheNonprofitShow #InternationalDevelopment #UgandaFind us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.comVisit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Reflections from host Sarah Olivieri ... The Hidden Cost of "Efficient" Leadership Most nonprofit leaders I work with want to move faster, decide cleaner, and hold the standard. From the outside, that looks responsible. From the inside, something else is usually happening. When a leader skips the relational work because it feels slow, the cost doesn't disappear. It moves. It shows up later as rework, attrition, board friction, and team members who go quiet in meetings because they have stopped expecting to be heard. The bill comes due downstream, where it is harder to trace. The truth is, the time you spend being human with your team is not extra. It is the infrastructure that makes everything else faster. Source of Insight I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I recently had a conversation about exactly this with Yerachmiel Stern, the executive director of Pesach Tikvah, and it was an important reminder to me that there are still many leaders out there who think compassion is "soft" and a "waste of time". Those leaders are missing out on the important role compassion plays in a well run, highly effective organization. The Tone You Set Is the System You Get The single most underrated piece of organizational design is the emotional state of the leader walking into the room. Not the agenda. Not the org chart. The leader's tone. When a leader walks in, regulated, warm, and present, the team's nervous system gets a signal: it's safe to think out loud here. Hard things can be named here. Mistakes can surface here without triggering self-protection. That signal is doing real operational work. It is shortening the time between a problem appearing and a problem getting solved. When a leader walks in tight, transactional, or performatively calm, the team picks that up too. People stop volunteering information. Decisions move underground. The same problems take three meetings to surface that should have taken one. In short: The leader's nervous system sets the team's nervous system. That isn't a vibe. It's a throughput metric. Information moves faster in a regulated room than a guarded one. This is why "read the room" is not a soft skill. It is a leadership requirement. Before you open your mouth in a meeting, you are already leading. The Goalposts Question One of the cleaner ways to diagnose whether a leader is operating from infrastructure or from extraction is to watch what happens when a team member brings a request that doesn't fit the existing rule. The old reflex is to point at the rule. Policy says no. Budget says no. We don't do that here. The infrastructure-minded leader asks a different question:  "Is this rule still serving the outcome we actually want, or is it serving the convenience of saying no?" Sometimes the answer is genuinely no, and the leader holds the line. Often the rule was set in a different context, the request is reasonable, and the cost of saying yes is much smaller than the goodwill you lose by reflexively saying no. In short: Rules are tools, not identities. When the rule no longer serves the outcome, the rule is the problem. Saying yes when you can is a form of system maintenance. This isn't about being a pushover. It is about staying connected to why the rule existed in the first place. Hiring for the Heart, Not the Resume Conventional hiring asks: Have you done this exact job before? It optimizes for risk reduction. It also reliably under-selects for the people who would have been excellent in the role with a slightly different background. Relational hiring asks a different question: what does this person actually want to do, and is that aligned with what we need done? The shift sounds soft. It is not. It is one of the highest-leverage operational moves a CEO or executive director can make. People who are doing work that matches what they actually want to do produce more, stay longer, and require less management. People who are doing work they took because it was available produce less, leave sooner, and require constant supervision. In short: Match the heart to the role. Heart-aligned hires need less management. Heart-misaligned hires cost twice: once in their tenure, once in the rehire. You will not get this right every time. Nobody does. But shifting the question from "have you done this" to "do you want to do this" changes your hiring math permanently. (For more on the underlying skill of leading with this kind of attunement, see) The Power of Soft Skills for Nonprofit Leaders. Compassionate Release The harder version of this same principle shows up in firing. Most leaders avoid letting someone go for too long. They tell themselves they are being compassionate. The person needs the job. The team is already stretched. The performance gap isn't catastrophic. We'll give it another quarter. What is actually happening, in most of these situations, is that the person being kept in the wrong role already knows. Their nervous system knows. Their family knows. The team knows. Everyone is in a quiet, low-grade limbo that costs energy from every direction at once. When the leader finally has the conversation, the most common response isn't anger. It's relief. Sometimes spoken, sometimes not. The person was waiting to be released from a fit that was never going to work, and they were too loyal, too scared, or too tired to release themselves. I call this a compassionate release. The compassion is in the clarity, not in the delay. In short: Limbo is more painful than a clean ending. Delay is a form of harm dressed up as kindness. Compassionate release ends the cost on both sides. Holding someone in a misfit role isn't generosity. It's a tax everyone is paying, and the longest-paying account is the person you think you're protecting. The Ford and the Cadillac There is a version of nonprofit leadership that aims for "good enough." The reasoning sounds responsible. We don't have unlimited resources. We can't deliver gold-standard service to every client. We have to triage. We have to be realistic. This framing adds risk. The math isn't wrong. The framing is. It confuses two different things: what you can deliver structurally, and how you deliver what you have. Two organizations can offer the exact same baseline service, and one will feel like an extraordinary experience and the other will feel like a transaction. The difference isn't the budget. The difference is the personal touch wrapped around the delivery. One line from my conversation with Yerachmiel stayed with me: "If you give the clients that personal touch, the Ford could be better than the Cadillac." What I appreciate about this framing is that it explains the mechanism. The personal touch is what converts a service into a relationship. The relationship is what produces retention, referrals, advocacy, and the willingness to come back when things get hard. None of that requires more money. All of it requires presence. I had this experience recently in an emergency room. The equipment was advanced. The diagnostics were thorough. The most meaningful 30 seconds of the entire visit was a staff member taking a breath, asking how I was doing, and telling me my chair could recline. He delivered the most excellent service of the visit, and it cost him nothing. That is the Ford becoming the Cadillac. The structure didn't change. The presence did. When Going Slow Is Going Fast The hardest piece of this for high-performing leaders to internalize is that the relational work, which feels slow, is what creates the speed. I learned this with my own son, who is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and anxiety. The clinicians who took an extra five minutes to let him regulate consistently finished on time. The clinicians who tried to muscle through and just hold him still consistently turned a 30-minute appointment into a two-hour event. Sometimes the visit had to be rescheduled at a different office entirely. The "fast" approach was the slowest approach. The "slow" approach was actually the fastest one. The math is unambiguous once you start counting all the hours, not just the visible ones. In short: The relational time isn't extra. It's structural. Skipping it doesn't save time. It moves the cost. Going slow at the start is what produces speed at the finish. This same pattern shows up everywhere a nonprofit leader operates. With board members. With staff. With donors. With clients. The minutes you invest in being a person before you are a transaction are the minutes that compound. Humility Is a Confidence Move There is an older model of leadership that equates confidence with never apologizing, never being wrong, and never being visibly uncertain. It's still around, and it's slowly being retired for a good reason. Confidence in a leadership role isn't the absence of mistakes. It is the willingness to absorb the final responsibility for the outcome, mistakes included. When the team trusts that the leader will carry the weight at the macro level, the leader is then free to be humble and openly learn at the everyday level. That doesn't subtract from authority. It deepens it. People follow humans, not personas. (For more on this, see The Power of Vulnerability with Becca Pearce.) What This Makes Possible When compassion is treated as infrastructure rather than personality, a few things shift. What shifts: Meetings get shorter because information surfaces faster. Hiring gets cleaner because you're matching hearts to roles, not resumes to slots. Firing gets kinder because delay stops getting confused with mercy. Service quality goes up without the budget going up. The leader stops carrying the team's nervous system as a second job. None of this is about being softer. It is about understanding what creates throughput in a human system, and building for it on purpose. It's Work That Compounds… and we like that This isn't about doing less work. It's about doing work that compounds. Nonprofits can run on compassion and run on time. They can hold high standards and hold their people. They can deliver excellent service without spending more. Not by pushing harder, but by building systems that treat human connection as the structural asset it actually is. About the Guest Yerachmiel Stern is the Executive Director of Pesach Tikvah, where he has dedicated his career to expanding access to quality mental health care. Before stepping into this role, he spent a decade as Borough Park Clinics Director, bringing affordable, sophisticated services to underserved neighborhoods. A Touro University graduate, he began at Pesach Tikvah as an intern and counselor, later becoming known for his work with children and his expertise across multiple therapeutic modalities. Today, Mr. Stern is leading the organization into its 40th year, advancing excellence in mental health and developmental disability services.  Connect with Yerachmiel: Www.pesachtikvah.org Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

369: No Money, No Mission: Rethinking How Nonprofits Are Built to Survive (Ryan Dewey Smith) Episode SummaryMost nonprofits don't fail because their mission stops mattering - they fail because the structure holding that mission together was never built to last. In this episode, Patton sits down with Ryan Dewey Smith, Founding Executive Chairman & CEO of Inperium, Inc., based in Reading, Pennsylvania, to explore the structural fault lines quietly threatening even well-intentioned organizations. Ryan draws on more than a decade of building Inperium's constellation model - a networked alternative to traditional mergers that preserves local autonomy while delivering shared back-office infrastructure, access to capital, and best-in-class talent - to explain why so many nonprofits wait too long to raise their hand, and what it costs the people they serve when they do. From navigating board resistance and staff fear during affiliation to the discipline of leading from strength rather than desperation, Ryan brings a practitioner's candor to the structural questions most leaders quietly avoid. Listeners will walk away with a sharper understanding of the early warning signs of organizational vulnerability, and a concrete alternative to going it alone.About RyanRyan Dewey Smith is the Founding Executive Chairman & CEO of Inperium, Inc., a national nonprofit parent company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, that provides shared back-office infrastructure, access to capital, and operational support to a constellation of 34 behavioral health and human services organizations operating across 20 states. Ryan founded Inperium after spending more than two decades as CEO of his own nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual disabilities - an experience that exposed firsthand the structural fragility most mission-driven organizations quietly carry. His forthcoming book, Sustaining the Mission, to be published by Forbes in September 2026, chronicles Inperium's journey and offers a roadmap for nonprofits seeking lasting resilience without sacrificing the autonomy that makes their work meaningful.ResourcesConnect with Ryan on LinkedInLearn more about Inperium, Inc.: inperium.orgVisit Ryan's website: ryandeweysmith.comSustaining the Mission by Ryan Dewey Smith — forthcoming from Forbes, September 22, 2026Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. RosenbergFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Send us Fan MailFundraising is getting harder. But generosity hasn't disappeared.So what's actually changing?Jena Lynch sits down with nonprofit coach, consultant, and host of The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Rob Harter, to interrogate the real pressures nonprofit leaders are facing right now, donor retention, staffing burnout, supporter engagement, and fundraising performance.They dig into why relationship-based fundraising matters more than ever, why donor trust drives long-term giving, and why simply doing more outreach may no longer be enough.In this episode:Why donor participation is declining even as giving dollars growHow staffing turnover quietly erodes donor trustWhy retention beats urgency every timeHow small teams can strengthen relationships with limited capacityPractical ways AI can help reclaim time and reduce burnoutWhy some traditional fundraising events may need a rethinkHow trust directly influences long-term generosityChapters:00:00 – Why Nonprofit Fundraising Feels Harder01:31 – Nonprofit Leadership & Donor Trust05:09 – Why Donor Relationships Matter More09:51 – Donor Retention vs Constant Outreach14:16 – AI Tools for Nonprofit Fundraising23:13 – Rethinking Nonprofit Fundraising EventsAbout Rob HarterRob Harter is a nonprofit coach, consultant, and leadership strategist with more than 30 years of experience in the social impact sector. He works with nonprofit leaders on fundraising, organizational growth, leadership, and navigating change, and is the host of The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast.Learn more at RobHarter.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.Resources mentioned:Rob Harter Coaching & ConsultingThe Nonprofit Leadership PodcastAbout DonorboxDonorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process over 3 billion dollars in donations worldwide.Enjoying the show? Subscribe for more practical fundraising strategies, leadership insights, and tools to help your nonprofit grow sustainably.The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.Support the show

Leaning into your humanity as a leader—rather than trying to be a superhero—creates healthier organizations, stronger teams, and more sustainable impact. In this reflective episode of the podcast, Carol Hamilton gathers together a series of "permission slips" shared by past guests: invitations for nonprofit leaders to embrace self-awareness, admit when they don't know the answer, step away for reflection, build leadership in others, and remember that no one person carries the responsibility for solving every challenge alone. The episode offers a thoughtful counterbalance to burnout culture and encourages leaders to cultivate organizations where people can thrive rather than sacrifice themselves for the mission. Carol & Guests share: The importance of knowing yourself and aligning your values with your organization Recognizing leadership limitations and making space for transitions Why saying "I don't know" can strengthen leadership Creating time for personal retreats and strategic reflection Building leadership capacity across teams instead of carrying everything alone Focusing on collective impact rather than trying to solve every problem individually Imagining a future rooted in connection, well-being, and abundance rather than scarcity Reflecting on long-term vision and sustainability in nonprofit leadership Episode Highlights [00:03:20] There Is No One Right Way to Lead [00:05:00] Leaders Are Human, Not Superheroes [00:06:55] The Power of Saying "I Don't Know" [00:08:00] Why Leaders Need Personal Retreats [00:09:50] Reflection, Vision, and Intentional Planning [00:010:35] Build Leaders Around You [00:12:05] You Do Not Have to Solve Everything [00:13:15] Imagining Abundance Instead of Scarcity [00:16:00] Looking Ahead with Intention About your podcast host: Carol Hamilton, principal of Grace Social Sector Consulting, helps nonprofits become more strategic and effective through inclusive strategic planning, evaluation design, and organizational assessment. With over 30 years of experience, she brings a practical, human-centered approach that helps organizations align around clear priorities and take meaningful action toward their mission. When she is not working with nonprofits to improve their strategy and alignment, you can find her reading a good book, making diary comics, having a dance party in the kitchen, swimming, biking or kayaking on the Anacostia River.   Be in Touch: ✉️ Subscribe to Carol's newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting and receive the Common Mistakes Nonprofits Make In Strategic Planning And How To Avoid Them

What happens when more than half of nonprofit CEOs leave their roles within the next five years… but most organizations still aren't prepared for succession? The nonprofit sector may be heading toward one of the greatest leadership gaps we've ever seen. The question is not whether the transition is coming. The question is whether your organization will survive it wisely.Today, we talk about it. Because the organizations that survive the next decade well will not necessarily be the organizations with the largest budgets.They will be the organizations that prepare wisely for leadership continuity.

368: Before You Merge: Five Factors Every Nonprofit Leader Must Weigh (Staci Barfield)Episode SummaryFor too many nonprofit leaders, the word “merger” lands like a verdict, a sign something has gone wrong. Staci Barfield, Senior Director of Consulting Excellence at Armstrong McGuire in Cary, NC, argues the opposite: a merger belongs early on a leader's strategic menu, not at the end. Drawing on her work facilitating the Arise Collective and MATCH (Mothers and Their Children) merger, Staci walks Patton through the full continuum of collaboration and unpacks the five factors every leader should weigh: mission alignment and strategic rationale, organizational and cultural fit, governance and leadership readiness, financial health and due diligence, and capacity to manage change while continuing to serve. She makes the case that funders are increasingly convening these conversations and that the strategic exercise itself has value even when it doesn't end in a merger. Listeners walk away with a practical framework for assessing any form of collaboration, and a sharper read on when a merger isn't a retreat but a way to magnify mission.About StaciStaci Barfield is Senior Director of Consulting Excellence at Armstrong McGuire, where she leads the methodologies, tools, and resources that equip the firm's advisor team to deliver consistent, high-impact client work. She came to the philanthropic sector after a long corporate career in information technology and business process improvement at Gap, Inc., Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), Sprint, AT&T, and Springs Industries. The pivot was catalyzed when a Hurricane Katrina deployment with the American Red Cross showed her that her business skill set translated directly to mission-driven work. From there she went on to serve as Vice President of Development for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Eastern NC Chapter, Executive Director of National Students of AMF, and CEO of Children's Flight of Hope, before joining Armstrong McGuire. Across all of it, Staci has been driven by the same instinct: maximizing an organization's opportunities for success through both strategic and operational initiatives.ResourcesConnect with Staci on LinkedInCase study referenced in the episode: Arise Collective + MATCH (Mothers and Their Children)Shared services model referenced in the episode: Ascend Nonprofit Solutions (Charlotte, NC)Companion episode: #350 with Andre Anthony: What Every Nonprofit Leader Needs to Know About MergersStaci's book recommendation: I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times by Mónica GuzmánFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership and please leave a review!Learn more about Staci's work and leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire (ArmstrongMcGuire.com)

367: Activate Good - Leading with Fearlessness and Purpose (Marjorie Maas)Episode SummaryNonprofit leaders carry the weight of the next grant, the next major gift, the next board meeting - and that constant worry doesn't make the work more productive, it just makes it heavier. In Episode #367, Patton talks with Marjorie Maas, CEO of Share Good, based in Omaha, NE, about what it actually looks like to lead with fearlessness when stakes are high and resources are tight. Marjorie leads a national technology and community-building nonprofit that helps cities position generosity in one place - now active in nine markets from Charlotte to Detroit to Omaha and beyond - and she shares the mindset shifts that have shaped both her organization's growth and her own “patchwork quilt” career path. She unpacks the difference between scarcity thinking and an abundance mindset rooted in logical thinking rather than blind faith, why emerging leaders shouldn't talk themselves out of their passion, and why governance fluency is something professionals should be building early — not waiting for an executive seat to learn. Listeners will walk away with a practical framework for leading through uncertainty, language for coaching the next generation of nonprofit professionals, and a clearer sense of how to keep moving forward when fear shows up.About MarjorieMarjorie Maas is the CEO of Share Good, a national technology and community-building nonprofit that connects passion to action in hyperlocal communities by giving nonprofits a shared megaphone to tell donors and volunteers what they need. She leads the growth and expansion of Share Good's national footprint and supports the SHARE Family of community partners across the country. Before joining Share Good in December 2022, Marjorie launched and directed SHARE Omaha, building a platform that promotes more than 700 nonprofits across the Greater Omaha and Council Bluffs metro, and earlier created and implemented the corporate social responsibility strategy for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, redesigning their corporate giving and volunteerism programs. Her 20-plus-year career spans arts marketing, statewide grantmaking, and CSR — a winding path she calls a “patchwork quilt” and credits as the very thing that prepared her for the work she does now.ResourcesConnect with Marjorie on LinkedInLearn more about Share Good at ShareGoodUSA.org — visit the About Us page for community case studies and video testimonialsConcept referenced: Ikigai — the Japanese framework for the overlap of mission, vocation, profession, and passionBook recommendation: The Dip by Seth Godin — a quick, essential read on knowing when to push through a setback and when to walk awayAlso mentioned: Mindset by Carol Dweck (Patton's reference on growth vs. fixed mindset)Follow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com

Send us Fan MailThe plan is just paper. The value is in using it.When your nonprofit is growing but still feels directionless, that's not a passion problem…it's a planning problem. Strategic planning isn't about doing more, it's about finally knowing what matters. When you're clear on who you serve, honest about what it costs, and aware of how it's funded, everything else - including your fundraising - gets easier from there. Cara Augspurger, CFRE, spent six months working through exactly that, and in this episode, she shares five practical steps to move your stratgic plan from constant reaction to clear, sustainable direction.What you'll learn:Why growth and busyness can mask a real lack of direction, and how to tell the differenceThe single clarity question every nonprofit needs to answer before anything elseWhy "what are we not going to do this year?" might be the most strategic question you askHow to do an honest funding reality check, and what to do when the numbers don't line upWhat a "good year" actually looks like in concrete, actionable numbers, not just a gut feelWhy stability - not scale - is often the most important milestone for early-stage nonprofitsAbout Cara AugspurgerCara Augspurger, CFRE, is the Executive Director of Grace Care Center Foundation and co-host of The Nonprofit Podcast. With deep experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, Cara brings a practical, grounded perspective to the challenges facing small and growing organizations, from strategic planning and resource development to building sustainable, community-centered missions.Chapters:00:00 - Why Nonprofits Need Strategic Planning02:14 - Step 1 - Get Clear on Your Mission04:33 - Step 2 - Define Vision and Messaging05:44 - Step 3 - Do Less With Purpose07:39 - Step 4 - Funding Reality Check09:18 - Step 5 - Set Clear Goals and Targets11:37 - Build Stability and Long-Term GrowthIf this episode helped you think more clearly about where your organization is headed, share it with a colleague who's feeling the pull in too many directions.About Donorbox:Donorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process more than $ 3 billion in donations worldwide.Find out what Donorbox can do for you!Disclaimer:The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.Subscribe to The Nonprofit Podcast for weekly conversations on fundraising, leadership, and strategy for people doing meaningful workSupport the show

OUR KINGS was born from grief, fear, and love — and grew into a movement. In this episode of RISE Urban Nation, Anya Owensbrown shares the powerful story behind OUR KINGS, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the brilliance of Black boys and supporting the families raising them. From Mommy & King to Kings to Kings, this conversation explores community, belonging, identity, and what it truly means to raise Kings in today's world. Anya bio:  I'm Anya Owensbrown — an early childhood educator, a mom of five, and the founder of OUR KINGS. This work started from something real: looking at my own sons and realizing the world didn't always see them the way I do. I noticed there was a gap — no one was pouring into our boys early, during those critical years from birth to 13. So I created OUR KINGS. We celebrate, support, and uplift Black boys from the beginning. We build a village around them — one that shows them they're worthy of joy, protection, and a strong foundation. We do this by partnering with schools and community organizations, running in-school programs, and offering yearly membership options that keep our boys connected, engaged, and growing, building a strong brotherhood and an united village. And when we say KINGS, we mean it: Kind, Intelligent, Noble, Gifted Sons of Queens and Kings. THAT'S WHO THEY ARE— and that's how we treat them. Because I'm a mother, I understand how important it is to have a village, so we have created a just that by supporting families by giving them the tools and knowledge to advocate for their sons — especially when navigating health care, the education system, or the justice system. Because strong boys need strong support, and no parent should have to figure it out alone. This isn't just a nonprofit — it's a movement grounded in love and built for real impact. We start young, stay consistent, and never let them forget how powerful they are. That Black boy joy is real and they deserve every bit of it Media:  Website: Ourkings.org  Instagram: ourkingsanonprofit  TikTok: ourkingsanonprofit  Facebook: OUR KINGS  email: anya@ourkings.org (inquiries sponsorships ) Info@ourkings.org ( volunteer, collaborations, partnership opportunities)  BBJOY to 53555 to donate    Resources & Links:

366: Stop Writing for Your Organization. Write for Your Donor. (Tom Ahern)Episode SummaryMost nonprofit communications are, in Tom Ahern's blunt assessment, built to fail. Not because the work isn't worthy, but because organizations keep writing about themselves when they should be writing for the donor. In episode #366, Patton sits down with Tom Ahern, founder of Ahern Communications, Inc. and one of the most influential voices in fundraising copywriting, to unpack why so many appeals, newsletters, and annual reports fall flat. Drawing on decades of commercial copywriting experience before he “wandered into” the nonprofit sector, Tom walks listeners through the three questions every case for support must answer (Why us? Why now? Why you, the donor?) and explains why urgency without desperation, emotion over information, and a relentless focus on the reader are the difference between a gift and a pass. He shares a remarkable story of a Boys & Girls Club that owned a million-dollar crisis and came back stronger, makes the case that donors are already 99% of the way there, and offers a clear-eyed take on what AI can and cannot do for fundraising writers. Listeners will leave with a practical framework they can apply to their next appeal this week, a sharper understanding of donor psychology, and permission to stop trying to inform their way to a gift.About TomTom Ahern is the founder of Ahern Communications, Inc. and one of the leading voices in donor communications and fundraising copywriting. His clients have ranged from Save the Children US and Catholic Relief Services to the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Boston Children's Hospital, the Anchorage Museum, and universities including Princeton, Carleton, and the University of Saskatchewan. He came to the nonprofit sector after fifteen years as a commercial copywriter, led, as he puts it, by an angel: his wife Simone, a longtime development professional and consultant. Since then he has coached fundraisers on best practices in appeals, newsletters, and cases for support, led communications audits (he prefers to call them “autopsies”), and trained nonprofit teams on four continents. Tom is the author of eight how-to books on donor communications, each rated 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon, and a sought-after faculty member for masterclasses and webinars. These days he volunteers most of his coaching hours for small and mid-sized charities, and still keeps Jerry Weissman's book on his desk, the spine sun-bleached from daily use.ResourcesConnect with Tom on LinkedInLearn more at Ahern CommunicationsTom's case-for-support framework: Why us? Why now? Why you, the donor?Book recommendation: Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Jerry WeissmanTom's books on donor communications, including Keep Your Donors (co-authored with Simone Joyaux), available on AmazonFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire: ArmstrongMcGuire.com

365: The Long Game: Building a Fundraising Career That Lasts (Jim Broschart)Episode SummaryWhat does it take to build a fundraising career that spans decades, and still choose a challenge over comfort when the next opportunity calls? In Episode 365, Jim Broschart, Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at the University of Louisville, shares the leadership philosophy behind a career that has taken him from community health centers in Syracuse to leading NC State's $2.1 billion campaign, to his latest challenge of building a top-tier philanthropy program at UofL. Jim breaks down what makes a fundraising shop truly effective (hint: it starts with talent, not strategy), how he assesses emotional intelligence in candidates, why organizational health outperforms any strategic plan, and what leaders at every level can do to stay focused on the core work amid constant noise. Practical, candid, and grounded in hard-won experience, this conversation is essential listening for anyone navigating the long game in fundraising leadership.About JimJim Broschart is Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at the University of Louisville, where he oversees the university's advancement, fundraising, and alumni relations efforts. He comes to UofL from North Carolina State University, where he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for University Development and Vice President of the NC State Foundation, Inc., leading the Think and Do The Extraordinary Campaign, which surpassed its $1.6 billion goal to raise $2.1 billion. Prior to NC State, Jim served as Vice President for Advancement at Binghamton University and held a range of leadership roles at Hartwick College, Syracuse University, and the State University of New York. He holds a bachelor's degree in health services administration from Ithaca College and an MBA in marketing from Binghamton University.ResourcesConnect with Jim on LinkedInUniversity of Louisville — louisville.eduThe Advantage by Patrick LencioniMastermind Leadership Development Program — Learn moreFollow Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership — and please leave a review!Learn more about the leadership resources at Armstrong McGuire — ArmstrongMcGuire.com