Fiscally Awesome with Matt Gardner

84% of nonprofit leaders spend more time worrying about money than advancing their mission. Sound familiar? In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner breaks down the Nonprofit Doom Loop — a 4-stage cycle trapping organizations in financial survival mode — and what it actually takes to break free. Drawing from Hiline's first-ever nonprofit industry report, Matt and Chief of Staff...

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are the fastest-growing source of nonprofit giving. Are you missing out? 💰 In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with Mitch Stein, Head of Strategy at Chariot, to break down everything nonprofits need to know about DAFs and how to unlock this powerful funding stream. What you'll learn: What a donor-advised fund is and how it works Why $3...

Build a nonprofit tech stack that saves time, cuts waste, and amplifies your mission. 🚀 Logan Brown of MeadowTech breaks down the nonprofit growth stack.  In this episode of the Fiscally Awesome podcast, host Matt Gardner (CEO of Hiline) sits down with Logan Brown — co-founder of MeadowTech and The Third Place for Kids — to talk about how nonprofits can modernize their operations without breaking...

Nonprofit advisor Dr. Sharon Elefant reveals how to launch a "business with a cause" the RIGHT way — from 501(c)(3) filings to funding strategy. Most nonprofit founders are passionate about their mission, but have zero background in business. Dr. Sharon Elefant, CEO of The Nonprofit Plug, has helped hundreds of early-stage nonprofits go from idea to impact with a 100% formation success rate. In th...

Accounting automation isn't about replacing accountants—it's about eliminating the manual, repetitive tasks drowning your team. Join Matt Gardner (CEO, Hiline) and Em Daigle (Founder, OTTO-MATES) as they tackle the reality of automation in accounting, from broken Excel workflows to AI-powered solutions that actually work. What You'll Learn: Why your accounting process (not just your tech) is holdi...

Drowning in admin work when you should be focused on your mission? This episode is your roadmap out for 2026!   Join Matt Gardner (CEO, Hiline ) alongside JC Franzen (Director of Product Management, BILL ) and Rob Hamilton (Head of Go-to-Market, Digits ) as they reveal how AI and automation are transforming nonprofit finance in 2026. Discover how to eliminate manual processes, gain real-time visib...

Join Hiline CEO Matt Gardner in conversation with Rebecca Bostwick, Principal at Bostwick Strategy Group, as they tackle one of the most important truths in nonprofit management: not all funding opportunities align with your mission, and saying yes to the wrong money can cost your organization more than saying no. In this episode, Rebecca shares her 25 years of experience working with nonprofits f...

Discover how R&D tax credits could put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into your startup's pocket! Join Matt Gardner, CEO of Hiline, and Meenal Garg, Head of Tax Services, as they break down everything you need to know about R&D tax credits and the game-changing 2025 legislation updates. What You'll Learn: How to unlock up to $500K in payroll tax offsets during your first 5 years The 4-part...

Join Matt Gardner, CEO of Hiline, as he sits down with Ariege Misherghi, BILL's SVP & GM of Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Accountant Channel, to explore how AI agents are revolutionizing accounting workflows. Discover how BILL is eliminating—not just automating—painful manual tasks like W-9 collection and expense reconciliation, freeing accounting professionals to focus on high-value a...

Is your nonprofit board equipped to navigate today's rapidly evolving digital landscape? Hiline CEO, Matt Gardner sits down with Alethea Hannemann, CEO of Board.dev, to explore how strategic technology expertise at the board level transforms nonprofit effectiveness and sustainability. 🤓 What You'll Learn: Nonprofits are 4x more likely to achieve their missions when tech-savvy, yet most spend only...

Corporate giving just got more complicated – and more strategic. Join Hiline CEO Matt Gardner as he sits down with Maureen Flynn, VP at Changing Our World, to break down what's really happening in the world of nonprofit funding and corporate partnerships. Maureen brings a rare dual perspective. She works with both sides of the equation, helping corporations design their social impact programs whil...

Struggling with payroll complexity, skyrocketing health insurance costs, and HR compliance headaches? This episode reveals how Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) can transform these business burdens into competitive advantages. What You'll Learn: What's a PEO vs HRIS How PEOs negotiate better health insurance rates through collective buying power Why 14,000+ small businesses choose Justwor...

Think you're too small to offer competitive benefits? Think again. In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with Leah Brite, Head of Product Marketing, Benefits at Gusto, to break down exactly how small businesses can attract and retain top talent without breaking the bank. What you'll learn: Why offering health insurance delivers a 109% ROI (with real numbers to prov...

Ever wondered what it really takes to build trust and make confident decisions in nonprofit leadership? Join Matt Gardner as he sits down with Stephanie Pasquale, Director of Neighborhood Development at the Allyn Family Foundation, for an eye-opening conversation about the financial realities facing nonprofits today. From "shoebox accounting" to streamlined operations, Stephanie shares her unique...

Our guest Karen Houghton, CEO and founder of Infinite Giving, brings a unique perspective as someone who's been on both sides: founding and running nonprofits, working 10 years in venture capital, and now building solutions specifically designed for the nonprofit sector. Shocking stats revealed: 90% of nonprofits can't accept stock donations (missing out on $8,000+ average gifts) The average nonpr...

Ever wondered why some nonprofits thrive while others struggle to stay afloat? It's not just about passion for the mission – it's about having the financial systems that support sustainable impact. In this episode, Matt sits down with a nonprofit executive director who transformed her organization from paper-heavy, months-behind reporting to real-time financial visibility. From managing 65+-person...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with multi-time founder Eli Portnoy to explore how customer obsession directly drives financial success. As the CEO of BackEngine and veteran of three successful companies, Eli reveals why most businesses are flying blind when it comes to understanding their customers—and how that ignorance costs them real money. What You'll Le...

In this episode of the Fiscally Awesome podcast, we explore the world of franchising with the founder and CEO of EverLine Coatings and Services. From humble beginnings in his backyard to scaling to 119 locations across North America, our guest shares the unfiltered journey of bootstrapping a business into a franchise empire. In this episode, you'll learn: The surprising origin story of how a colle...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner connects with Mark Shepherd, founder of Gathr, a thriving community platform for UK founders, investors, and service providers. Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey from selling boat photos at 16 to building a 10,000-member strong business community. He breaks down the UK startup scene and why community is the backbone of success. Che...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, we dive into the often overlooked connection between employee wellness and business performance. Multi-time founder and CEO Clark Lagemann shares how investing in employee health isn't just good for your team—it's good for your bottom line. Discover: Why human capital deserves the same attention as financial capital The measurable impact of wellness programs on...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner explores the art and science of strategic business pivots with a legal influencer, sales leader, and now CRO at Latitude, Alex Su . From shifting professional identities to recognizing when your business model needs a refresh, this conversation digs into how successful leaders know when it's time to change direction—and how to do it with...

In this episode of the Fiscally Awesome Podcast, host Matt Gardner (Co-founder and CEO of Hiline ) sits down with Dave Wieseneck , Expert in Residence at Ramp, for a deep dive into the evolving world of finance and accounting technology. Dave and Matt explore how modern finance professionals are leveraging automation and AI to move beyond transaction processing and deliver true strategic value. As...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome, Hiline CEO Matt Gardner sits down with multi-time founder Jeff Knauss to dig into the financial realities of scaling a service business. Jeff shares the unfiltered truth about his journey from building Digital Hive (ranked 52nd on the Inc. 5000) to his successful exit and newest venture, Arcovo AI. From bootstrapped beginnings with a three-month-old at home to...

Ever wonder what happens when you mix a millennial leader, his boomer dad, and a dash of fortune 500 consulting? Join Matt Gardner as he chats with Robby Riggs, the Oklahoma-born co-founder who turned The Bridge into a global consulting powerhouse (and just sold it to North Highland – talk about a power move!). In this episode, Robby dishes on everything from navigating four generations in the wor...

In this episode of Fiscally Awesome , Hiline CEO Matt Gardner connects with Anabel Paksoy, a People Operations virtuoso turned venture capitalist who's redefining both how we work and how we invest. From scaling OpenDoor from 25 to 600 people in just three years to launching her fund, 43, Anabel's journey shows that understanding humans might be the ultimate superpower in tech. Check out this epis...