Fundable by Design

You're not struggling because your mission isn't good. Your cause matters. The work you want to do matters. That's not the issue. This isn't about questioning your mission. It's about strengthening the organization behind it. If you've been working hard and wondering why it still feels difficult, this conversation will help you shift your perspective — and start focusing on what actually moves thi...

I want to talk about a pattern I see all the time: Nonprofit leaders pouring everything into their programs… while the structure of the organization is left underdeveloped. Now let me be clear, your programs matter. They are the expression of your mission. But they are not what sustains your organization. If you've been working hard on your programs but still feeling stuck, underfunded, or overwhe...

I see this pattern all the time: someone starts a nonprofit… and then waits for a grant to come in. And when it doesn't happen, confusion and frustration start to build. So today, I want to talk about why starting a nonprofit and then waiting for a grant is one of the biggest mistakes I see and why it keeps so many organizations stuck. If you've been feeling stuck, hoping the right opportunity wil...

I want to talk about a mistake I see far too often — and it's a dangerous one. Starting a nonprofit based on your idea… instead of the community's actual need. If your organization is built around your idea instead of real, validated need, it will struggle to gain traction, trust, and funding. Nonprofits are not built to express our ideas. They are built to respond to real problems. If you're in t...

When I say the word "infrastructure," it may not immediately resonate with you. And the reason is simple: when many nonprofit leaders start their organizations, no one ever talks to them about infrastructure. They talk about passion. They talk about programs. They talk about impact. But very few people explain the internal structure that allows a nonprofit to operate, grow, and sustain its work ov...

Today I want to talk about the visible and invisible work of running a nonprofit. People see the program. They see the events. They see the impact photos. But they don't see the systems, the compliance, the financial tracking, the reporting, the board management, the donor communication, the strategic planning — all the invisible work that keeps the organization alive. If you've ever felt like you...

If you're thinking about starting a nonprofit or you've just started one, I want you to pause and ask yourself one question: Are you building this for impact today, or sustainability tomorrow? Starting is easy. Sustaining is leadership. If you want your nonprofit to grow, last, and be trusted by funders, sustainability cannot be an afterthought. It must be part of the foundation. Build it to last....

f you have passion for a cause, that's powerful. But passion alone will not make your nonprofit sustainable, and it will not make it fundable. So today, I want to walk you through what a 12-month roadmap looks like for turning your passion into a fundable nonprofit organization. This is not about rushing. It's about building correctly. If you've started with heart but want to move toward sustainab...

When I say "operate your nonprofit organization," I'm not just talking about delivering programs.  I'm talking about operating everything inside the organization that ensures it has what it needs to continue doing the work — consistently and sustainably. Your programs are the expression of your mission. But your operations are what protect it. If you've been working hard but constantly feeling str...

Today, I want to talk about how to position your organization to receive grants, and not just apply for them. There's a difference. Many organizations submit grant applications before they are actually positioned to be approved. If you've been applying and hearing no (or not hearing anything at all), this conversation will help you step back and assess whether your organization is truly positioned...

I want to challenge something I hear all the time: "We don't have funding." But here's the truth: not having funding is a symptom. When funding isn't coming in, it usually means something critical wasn't put together for the funder to see, receive, or understand before they were asked to give. If you've been saying, "We just need money," this conversation will help you pause and ask a better quest...

Today I want to talk about something nonprofit leaders are rarely taught: how funders calculate risk before they fund your organization. Funding decisions are not emotional. They are calculated. If you've ever wondered why you keep getting polite rejections or no response at all, this conversation will help you understand what's happening behind closed doors. Funders don't avoid good missions. The...

I hear nonprofit leaders say this all the time: "We just need to become more fundable." But when I ask what that actually means, most people can't clearly explain it. So today, I want to talk about what fundable really means — not from the nonprofit's perspective, but from the funder's. If you've been doing the work but still not seeing consistent funding, this conversation will help you identify...

I hear this question constantly: "Where is the money?" Because from your side, it can feel like funding has dried up, donors have disappeared, and grants are harder than ever to secure. But I can tell you this clearly that the money didn't disappear. Funding doesn't move randomly. It moves toward clarity, structure, and reduced risk. If you've been working hard but still wondering why the money is...

Today I want to talk about something that might challenge you a little bit. Funders do care about your story. They care about the people you serve. They care about impact. But they invest in systems.  After nearly 40 years in the nonprofit space, I've watched organizations tell powerful, emotional stories — and still walk away without funding. Not because the story wasn't strong. But because the s...

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗡𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗧 3 Days to Build It Right — Before You Try to Fund It Houston, TX May 6–8, 2026  8:30 AM – 5:30 PM   HOSTED BY Jennifer Yarbrough Nonprofit Strategist | Trainer | Grant & Fundraising Expert Founder, Fundable By Design Podcast REGISTER NOW! 👉🏾 bit.ly/fundablenonprofitsummit

I'm often asked, "What should we be doing before we get our first grant?" And the truth is, what happens before that first grant matters more than the grant itself. If you're waiting on your first grant and wondering why it hasn't happened yet, this conversation will help you understand what needs to come first — and how to build it the right way. Grants don't build organizations. Prepared organiz...

If you're paying for your nonprofit out of your own pocket, I want you to know something first: you're not alone. I see this all the time. Passionate leaders quietly covering costs, filling gaps, and telling themselves it's just "for now." But the truth is, most nonprofit founders were never taught why this happens or how to stop it. If you're tired of carrying the organization on your back and wa...

If you've ever applied for funding and received a rejection email… or a generic "we went in another direction"… or no response at all, then this conversation is for you. In this video, I talk directly to nonprofit leaders who have done the work, submitted the applications, waited patiently, and still heard no. I share what those rejections usually mean, what funders are really saying (even when th...

Let's talk about next steps. If you've been learning, listening, and realizing that something needs to change in how your organization is set up, this video is about moving from awareness to action. In this conversation, I walk you through how I think about positioning an organization to be fully funded within the next 90 days, not through wishful thinking, but through clarity, structure, and alig...

I see this mistake over and over again: smart, passionate leaders working hard and still not getting the results they want. And the problem usually isn't effort. It's understanding. If you've felt like you're doing everything you're "supposed" to do but nothing is clicking, this conversation will help you identify where the misunderstanding started and how to realign. You don't need to work harder...

There are two hats you wear. You wear a program hat, and you wear an administrative entity hat. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything and still falling behind, this conversation will help you understand what's really happening and how to lead more effectively. You don't need to do more. You need to lead differently.

I want to say this plainly, because I've seen the cost of it for decades: passion is not a plan. If you care deeply about your mission but feel like you're working nonstop with little progress, this isn't a motivation problem. It's a planning problem, and that's fixable. Passion starts the work. A plan is what makes it sustainable.

I hear nonprofit leaders say it all the time: "Once we're fully funded, everything will be fine." But after nearly 40 years in the nonprofit space, I can tell you this: most people don't actually know what fully funded means. In this episode, I break down what being fully funded really looks like from an operational and funder perspective, not just a hopeful one. If you're bringing in some money b...

I've seen this over and over again in the nonprofit world: incredible missions, passionate leaders and organizations that still struggle. Here's the truth I've learned after nearly 40 years in this space: Nonprofit success starts with operations.  In this episode, I explain why operations are what determine whether a nonprofit survives and grows. If you've started your nonprofit but still feel ove...