The Nonprofit Science Podcast

Today we are joined by Dr. Deva Woodly. Dr. Woodly is a Professor at Brown University, and her research covers a variety of topics, from media and communication to political understandings of economics, to race and imagination, and social movements. She is the author of several thought-provoking yet practical books, including Reckoning: Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Necessity of Social Mov...

Today we are joined by Kelli King Jackson. Kelli is the founder of Kelli King-Jackson, LLC, a social impact firm that advises leaders and organizations committed to investing in Black communities in the South. During this wide ranging conversation, we discuss how stereotype threat shows up in real nonprofit leadership and what to do about it, the intersection of race and gender in nonprofit leader...

Today we are joined by Dr. William Brown. Dr. Brown is a professor in the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on nonprofit governance, strategy, and organizational effectiveness. During this conversation we consider key questions such as: What is systems change? How can we measure and monitor systems change activities? Is it possible to scale...

If you’ve ever tried to get your hands on research, you know there are several hoops you have to jump through. Most notably- the high cost of journal subscriptions and the time it takes to read long, complex academic papers. At the Nonprofit Science Institute we don’t believe it should be so difficult to get access to scholarly research that will help you improve your impact. And so, we are excite...

Have you ever had a donor threaten to pull their funding if your nonprofit cannot quantifiably show impact? Or have a donor request data in order to receive their donation? It’s no secret that today’s donors are curious. Many view their donations more like investments and like any savvy investor, they want proof that their investments are paying off. But what that means for fundraisers has never b...

On the second part of this ask me anything-style podcast series, we consider researched-backed strategies to questions about evaluating a nonprofit’s advocacy program, considering whether you should participate in #GivingTuesday, how to effectively lead a team virtually (particularly when there is bad news), signs of dysfunctional nonprofit teams, and how to incorporate research into practice.

The Nonprofit Science Podcast has just reached 50 episodes. To celebrate this huge milestone, email subscribers were asked to submit questions for an Ask Me Anything- style podcast episode. On part one of this podcast series, we tackle how to lead a team that is struggling to get along, introducing AI to team members who are resistant to it, helping a nonprofit with too much data, get a nonprofit...

March is Women’s History Month- a time to celebrate the accomplishments of women and to shine a light on the barriers we still have to overcome. We have made great strides in terms of advancing women to positions of leadership within nonprofits, but we also need to be aware that it takes a consistent effort to keep these leadership positions. So, this week let's revisit the challenge of how we can...

Today on the podcast I am joined by Dr. Susan Appe. Dr. Appe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy and International Affairs at the University at Albany. She is currently working on research projects related to diaspora philanthropy centered on the transnational nexus of migration, development and philanthropy. During this conversation we talk about who di...

Funders want nonprofits to demonstrate their impact, and so we collect as much data as possible. Thought leaders quote studies- relaying the information as if they are indisputable fact. Every day there is more information, more data... and more confusion. In the age of information, it is up to us to sift through the deluge of data coming our way. We must think critically and not accept every piec...

This week I am joined by Dr. Gregory Wilson. Dr. Wilson is a Provost’s Fellow and an Assistant Professor of Management and Public Affairs and Sociology at The Ohio State University. He is also a faculty affiliate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research examines how and why the no...

Amidst the uncertainty of the moment, there is one common trend: the government is tightening the purse strings. Many nonprofits may see an increase in the need for services but a steep decline in funding which will inevitably lead to making some tough decisions. If you’re a nonprofit leader, you may be wondering how to navigate this terrain. On this episode, I’m going to share what the research s...

This week on the podcast I am joined by Dr. Ruth Sessler Bernstein. Dr. Bernstein is an Associate Professor of Nonprofit Management at Pepperdine University. Her research interests focus on diversity and inclusive interactions, and nonprofit governance. On this episode, we discuss why DEI strategies have failed nonprofits and have produced unintended consequences and- more importantly- what to do...

Today, we are going to talk about a problem you may not even know you have. Does your organization collect survey data? Many nonprofits conduct surveys in one form or another. This could be as complex as a program evaluation, pre- and post participant questionnaire, or it can be a simple satisfaction survey. Regardless of how complex the tool may be, they all serve the same purpose- surveys and ev...

Today we are joined by Dr. Sarah-Louise Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell was motivated to become an academic in order to answer some of the burning questions in the nonprofit sector. She ran the marketing for two charities which prompted her to undertake a full-time PhD looking at why people volunteer for one charity brand versus another. Her current research interests include charity collaborations, brand...

Today we are joined by Dr. Lise Anne Slatten. During our chat we dive deep into the specific problem of employee retention at small nonprofit organizations. We talk about why it’s such a thorny issue and how nonprofit leaders can address turnover moving forward. Dr. Slatten is particularly equipped to talk about this topic because she has not only done extensive research on the topic, but prior to...

Imposter syndrome is a thorny issue and it undermines our efforts to achieve career goals, to be who we want to be, to make the impact we want to make. In short, it can derail your efforts to achieve the ambitious goals you set for yourself. Since 1978 when this phenomenon was first described, we now know that it’s quite prevalent among people from all walks of life- everyone faces imposter though...

It’s the end of 2024 and I’ve spent the whole year reading tons of papers written by nonprofit scholars. As you know from my interviews with guests on this show, nonprofit scholars spend years investigating the questions and problems those of us in the field face. Whether you’re looking to raise more money, or to create a greater impact, or to lead your team effectively, there is likely research y...

It is that time of year- end of year giving is in full swing and while you might still be waiting for gifts to come rolling in, we need to start thinking about how to thank donors who have recently given. This crucial step sets up your nonprofit for success in future fundraising. During this episode, we’re going to revisit the problem of how to thank donors to strengthen the donor-nonprofit bond.

Today we are joined by Dr. Beth Gazley. Professor Gazley specializes in U.S. nonprofit management and civil society policy. She has published more than 85 research articles, books, and commentary addressing intersectoral collaboration, volunteerism, nonprofit governance, public service coproduction, association management, disaster response, and other topics. Dr. Gazley is a wealth of knowledge. D...

At the time this episode is being released, we just completed Giving Tuesday and are heading into the final year end fundraising sprint. A lot of nonprofit professionals are simply wiped out- maybe you’re one of them. This time of year is fraught with stress, uncertainty, and overwhelm. It’s no surprise, many of us end the calendar year simply burnt out. What can nonprofits do to prevent nonprofit...

Today we are joined by Vinit Tipnis. Vinit is a PhD candidate in the Operations and Decision Technologies department at Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. His research interests lie at the intersection of nonprofit operations management and behavioral operations management. During this wide ranging conversation, we talk about how nonprofits can best leverage cause marketing as a tool,...

Today we are joined by Dr. Mandi J. Stewart. Dr. Mandi J. Stewart is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration in the School of Public and International Affairs at NC State University. As a faculty member, she directs NC State's Master of Public Administration program and coordinates their Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Nonprofit Studies minor. She has ext...

Today we are joined by Dr. Lise Anne Slatten. During this conversation we discuss what web-based accountability is, why it's so important for nonprofits, and specific areas to target your efforts. Dr. Slatten is the Associate Dean for Administration & Quality in the Moody College of Business Administration and a Professor of Management at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL). Her research...

Do you use a credit card for any purchases or contribute to a retirement account? If so, then you’ve experienced something called an intertemporal choice. An intertemporal choice is one in which the cost and reward occur at different times. For instance, with a credit card, you swipe your card to get the item you want right now, but you don’t actually pay the cost until you pay your credit card bi...