Nonprofit Lowdown

🎆 Happy 2023! Before we dive into the new year, let's recap my 5 most popular Nonprofit Lowdown episodes from 2022. These insightful convos cover everything from ditching toxic fundraising tactics to navigating across generations in the workplace and beyond. I've compiled the very best nuggets of wisdom to inspire you to find greater connection and community in the year ahead. We touch on...

Burned by social media and its tiny ROI? 📥 Time to make email your BFF for bringing home the bacon in 2023! Digital marketing maven Christina Edwards explains why email crushes social media when it comes to converting supporters into donors. Listen and learn why you should centralize and optimize this workhorse channel ASAP. We cover the ideal email frequency, metrics to track, ingredients for co...

Does your nonprofit website attract donors like a 20-year-old Geo Metro? 🚗 Here's how to give it a sleek new upgrade without breaking the bank. Lou Kotsinis of BCS Interactive shares his 20+ years of digital marketing expertise to help nonprofits level up their online presence. A beautiful website matters - it’s often the first impression funders have of your work! We discuss common pitfalls...

Are visions of year-end dollar signs turning into lumps of coal? 💸 We’ll help you turn your fundraising frown upside down with an email marketing strategy that converts before 2023 comes to a close! Here’s how to salvage your campaign in the final weeks of 2023. Email marketing whiz Jess Campbell of Out in the Boons returns to share late-game fundraising tactics. The season isn’t over even if Giv...

Fundraising can feel transactional, manipulative, and just plain icky. But it doesn’t have to be that way. As donor-turned-expert Lisa Greer explains, with authentic connection and a "ditch the pitch" mindset, fundraising can actually feel human. Lisa gets what it’s like to be on the receiving end of clumsy asks and ill-informed wealth screens. After an awkward start to her own philanthr...

In love with your mission but not getting warm fuzzies from the fundraising? You’ve got to start thinking of your NPO as a business! Wait, what?  Robert is the founder of Power Couples by Design and co-author of the book Tandem: The Married Entrepreneurs’ Guide For Greater Work-Life Balance. As a former Fortune 500 exec helping nonprofits grow and thrive (and keep romance alive!), Robert brings th...

Ever feel like no matter how hard you shake the money tree, the fruit only falls for certain folks? 💰🌳 On the latest episode of Nonprofit Lowdown, Garrett Neiman riffs on how subtle (and not so subtle) biases in philanthropy make it dramatically easier for privileged people to fundraise. Garrett knows this song by heart. As a former nonprofit founder and author of Rich White Men he's on a mi...

Confused about all the options for nonprofit marketing? 🤔 Don't let analysis paralysis stop your impact! 🛑 Krystal Covington, marketing pro turned nonprofit consultant, shares bite-sized tips to level up your marketing—even with limited time and budget. 💡 Krystal is a Marketing Consultant with GO Lead, LLC and the Community Outreach Coordinator at a Denver-based nonprofit called Hands of th...

🎤 Why be a hero when you can be a guide? 🧭 On this episode of Nonprofit Lowdown, we’re chatting with author/fundraiser Evan Wildstein as he dishes on servant leadership - how embracing empathy, community, and self-growth can transform nonprofit fundraising. 🙌 Servant leadership isn't about being a martyr (hard pass). It's about mindset shifts from "me" to "we." Evan...

Diversifying your board - yup, it's time for that awkward convo! But it's so key for representing your community, getting new perspectives, and just making decisions with more empathy and cultural awareness. Am I right? In this episode, I chat with Andy and Mayowa from the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation about how they transitioned their board from pale and male 👴👴 to a...

Ask and you shall receive! Making big fundraising asks doesn't have to feel scary or daunting. My brilliant guest Laura Fredricks shares her golden rules for powering through the fear of asking and inspiring donors to take action. Laura is a best-selling author and fundraising guru who helps organizations bring in the big bucks. As CEO and founder of The Ask, she's worked with over 100 non...

Could Facebook be an untapped goldmine for your NPO? Sean Kosofsky, a veteran nonprofit leader turned consultant, makes a compelling case for maximizing Facebook fundraisers. He shares hard-won insights on how to run effective peer-to-peer campaigns that leverage individuals' networks for fundraising wins. Sean emphasizes that with the right strategy, timing, and volunteers, these free tools c...

Join me as I chat with Brooke Richie-Babbage, Cindy Wagman, and Jess Campbell about “How to stop chasing donors and 10x your thinking.” This episode feels a little different than past episodes not just because we’re coming to you from behind the steering wheel, but because these are some of my favorite non-profit ladies who really know their stuff when it comes to fundraising with the right mindse...

While the tides are changing for people of color in the corporate world, there’s this awkward space where pillars of the old system still stand ominous while the framework of a new system begins to take shape.  So where does that leave women of color in 2023? Do we gear up for an all-out war on the old system or don an every-woman-for-herself demeanor as we toss our fear aside and climb the corpor...

How do we untangle the web of systemic racism and inherent bias that are deeply etched into our society's fabric? How do white individuals fit into this dialogue, and more importantly, confront their roles in perpetuating or combating racism? All of these big questions might sound daunting, but we’ve got answers that will put the wind back in your sail. Join me and my guest, Jen Mayer, founder...

Hey friends and fellow nonprofit nerds! Get ready for a super fun and informative chat with my buddy Raj Thakkar. You may know Raj as the founding genius behind FOREsight Financial Services for Good. But did you also know he's the author of a brand-new book called Fiscally Secure ?! Raj knows his stuff when it comes to helping nonprofits get their financial ducks in a row. And let me tell you,...

We all know storytelling is a powerful way to move people and effect change on the important issues of today. But in the fundraising world, storytelling has gotten a bad rap. Poverty porn, sensationalism, and negative storytelling practices have left a bad taste in our mouths and, at times, exposed the very people we want to help. So how can we use the powerful language of storytelling to unify an...

Social media is a modern-day jungle. If you don’t know who you are and what you want to say; the algorithms will eat you for breakfast. So what choice do non-profit folks have if we want to be heard above all the noise? Please, don’t tell me I have to dance... PLEASE don’t tell me I have to dance…  Not even a little, my non-profit fam!  For your sake and mine, today I’m joined by the marvelous Tan...

Succession planning. We all know it’s a possibility, but none of us wants to think about it. What processes do you have in place to protect your organization from losing funding? How will you manage the optics and let funders know your organization’s values and vision won’t change just because one person steps down? Hint: Don’t make it all about you! Join me today as I talk to Cassie Haynes and Je...

I’ve said it before; if you want to get big contributions, you have to make big asks. But, for so many of us, our scarcity mindset holds us back. We wonder, can we really make big asks in an economic downturn? Does generosity still exist in America in 2023? Do donors of color give monetarily to the causes they care about? The numbers say, yes, to all of the above! Data for the win!  Nerd out on nu...

In this episode, we're joined by the inspiring voices of Alison Overseth, Gisele Castro, and Erica Hamilton at The Women's Leadership Council. Our discussion centers around the dynamic landscape of leadership, highlighting our personal experiences, insights, and the ever-important journey toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. We’ll dive into topics that are pertinent for a...

Meet my friend and homegirl, the amazing Rachel Bearbower. She is the Founder of Small Shop Strategies, a nonprofit consultancy focused on teaching Executive Directors how to detangle their systems so they can focus their time + energy on building relationships and raising more for their causes. This episode is perfect for those Executive Directors and fundraisers who are neurospicy, who struggle...

In this episode, we’re joined by the mind-bending Dr. Emily Bennet, ND, CEO of Kindling who answers the question, “How can we take better personal responsibility for our own well-being in the midst of being devoted to this purpose-driven work?”  We talk about our personal experiences with workplace burnout and explore the internal and external pressures of wanting to “do more for the cause” at the...

In this episode, we're joined by the fierce Therese Shechter, the brain behind "My So-Called Selfish Life," who's flipping the script on pronatalism and societal norms. From tearing apart the underpinnings of pronatalism to exposing its ties with white supremacy and racism, we're setting the stage for an eye-opening conversation. We deep-dive into how our policies, driven by...

In this insightful episode, I engage in a profound discussion with the esteemed Latanya Mapp Frett, Executive Director of Global Fund for Women, and author of 'The Everyday Feminist: The Key to Sustainable Social Impact - Driving Movements We Need Now More than Ever'. Fun fact: Latanya was my boss over 20 years ago when I interned at UNICEF and we’re reconnecting! We delve into the heart o...