Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

Today’s episode is Part 2 of a fascinating conversation with Dr. Jan Rivkin of the Harvard Business School. In Part 1, Doctor Rivkin dives deep into how the Young American Leaders Program (YALP) is solving important problems by bringing together local leaders from all over the United States. In today’s episode, he explains how one can develop the skills that are necessary to be a successful leader...

Right now in the United States, 95% of the sector is being overlooked and underinvested when it comes to nonprofit donations, according to Philanthropy Together. Thankfully, the collective giving movement is growing and making a positive change in underinvested communities. Today’s guest explains how more diverse communities can get funded when there are more diverse philanthropists involved.  Sar...

It can be difficult to see actual change to today’s big problems, especially when starting at the federal level. Change usually occurs due to the efforts of dedicated individuals at the local level. Rob’s guest shares how a program at Harvard Business School is dedicated to solving big issues by bringing together local leaders from all over the United States. Rob’s guest today is Dr. Jan Rivkin wh...

Cryptocurrency is all the rage in many ways right now, but there still remains a lot of skepticism about the long term sustainability of cryptocurrency and just the uncertainty around it. There’s a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to cryptocurrency’s use for nonprofits and philanthropy. This is part two of our series on cryptocurrency and part one featured Robbie Heeger from Endaoment.&...

Cryptocurrency is here to stay and it’s coming to a nonprofit near you. Understandably, many of you might be very skeptical when it comes to cryptocurrency, in general, and certainly when it comes to how it might impact your nonprofit fundraising efforts.  Rob’s guest today is Robbie Heeger, the CEO of Endaoment, a new public charity that offers donor-advised funds (DAFs) built atop the...

Ever wondered how philanthropy and charity first began? The answer may surprise you! The Greek roots for the word “philanthropy” refer to the “love of humankind”. Rob’s guest today is author Paul Vallely who has written a new book that serves as an encyclopedic review of the origins and history of philanthropy and charity over the centuries. Paul argues that today, too many people and organization...

Almost everyone is familiar with the YMCA, especially because of the Village People’s infamous song. What many may not know is that the Y, with all of its nationwide affiliates, is actually one of the largest nonprofits, not only in the US, but in the world.  Rob’s guest today is the retiring President and CEO of the YMCA of the USA, Kevin Washington. After 43 years of service, Kevin wi...

Rob has had several guests on the show to talk about the work they are doing with diversity, equity and inclusion. Today’s guest is dedicated to this same important work. The work is particularly relevant this month, because August is Black Philanthropy Month . Rob’s guest today is Dr. Chera Reid, the Co-Executive Director of the Center for Evaluation Innovation or CEI and she will share how we ca...

Ian Morgan Cron, speaker, author, and pioneer in the contemporary Enneagram movement Personality tests have existed for centuries, yet many leaders are still surprised by how insightful and beneficial understanding your personality type can be to the work you want to accomplish.  Rob’s guest today is Ian Morgan Cron, speaker, author, and pioneer in the contemporary Enneagram movement. His boo...

Shelley Hoss, President & CEO of OCCF Rob’s guests today are Shelley Hoss, president and CEO of OCCF for nearly 22 years, and Tammy Tumbling, the first-ever Executive Vice President and COO at OCCF. Based in Newport, California, OCCF is in the top 2% in grant-making among U.S. community foundations. The DNA of their service model is a double helix, with one strand being service to donors and t...

Racial equality and social justice are nothing new however they have become one of the most prominent conversations we are having now when it comes to nonprofit leadership and growth. *Note: This episode is from the archives* #ICYMI Rob’s guest today is Kishshana Palmer, CEO of Kishshana + Co., and founder of The Rooted Collaborative. She is a national speaker, trainer, and coach with a 17 year ba...

Recruiters across the country have been feeling the pressure of the “great reshuffle” since COVID. They are relying on their existing networks to find talent quickly. Unfortunately, many recent college graduates have been left behind in this process without a recruiter or the right network, which too often means those from underrepresented communities, especially as Generation Z enters...

For years, one of the most effective ways a nonprofit could raise money was through large in-person fundraising events. However, fast forward to 2020, when COVID literally put the brakes on all large in-person events for a significant period of time. Then, even when restaurants and schools and other public places began reopening, for many people the idea of getting together with a big group of peo...

Nonprofit mergers are a trend that is increasing more and more, especially since COVID first started. Are mergers the wave of the future? Although that remains to be seen, many nonprofits are merging more now than ever, especially ones established in an area where there is more than one nonprofit doing very similar work. It’s becoming more apparent that lone nonprofits may benefit from joining for...

Donors don’t give to organizations, they give to people. Fundraising at its core is relationship building. When a donor gives to your organization, they’re giving because there’s a relationship with someone in your organization that has prompted them to give, and the stronger that relationship is, the more that donor will give and the more comfortable they are with increasing the...

Previous episodes on achieving a healthy work-life balance discussed the importance of setting a pace and seeing your life as a movie. This is the final installment on this topic, and it focuses on workplace inclusiveness. Yes, maintaining a healthy work-life balance in your organization is linked to the issue of inclusion. Numerous authors and nonprofit executives have recently pointed this out w...

Have you watched the film Poverty, Inc.? If you haven’t watched the film, it’s worth viewing, even if you disagree with it’s premise or conclusions. This film raises important questions about how anti-poverty initiatives can often have unintended consequences, which then can create greater dependency rather than truly empowering people, local communities, and local economies to improve...

Do you know why you do what you do? This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself and your team. Many people are familiar with Simon Sinek’s well-known TED talk entitled “Find Your Why” and it’s worth watching if you haven’t already. Along this same theme, another recommendation Rob has for nonprofit leaders is to check out a new book called 40 Laws of Nonprofit Impact, which is...

The great resignation is a very real thing and it’s impacting all of us. Nonprofits are feeling the pressure of staying competitive to keep their people. They are also scrambling to adjust to the reality of having staff who are leaving for better paying jobs. There are some who are starting to believe that the nonprofit sector can’t compete with the for-profit sector when it comes to s...

Whether you are an executive director, CEO, board member, or staff member of a nonprofit, it’s important that everyone works to grow the organization, while at the same time preserving the core of its mission. Likewise, it’s crucial to avoid completely changing the organization’s mission just to chase growth.   Rob’s guest today is Dr. Marc Harrison, the president and CEO of Intermountai...

Nonprofit speaker and blogger Vu Le recently wrote an article that was all about our “toxic obsession with productivity,” and in that article, he shares a story that is both funny and biting. He says, “When I was an ED, younger professionals would come up to me asking what it was like to be an executive director. ‘It’s great!’ I would joke, ‘you get to work whenever you want, as...

One of the biggest challenges for nonprofit leaders today is how to balance being high tech while remaining “high touch”. In other words, how do we continue to innovate as nonprofits but not lose the heart and soul of that highly relational experience for those we serve? Many nonprofit leaders, with good intentions, have resisted implementing new technology, because they’re worri...

How do you create a healthy work-life balance? When you hear the phrase, healthy work-life balance, what goes through your mind? Do you think that it is possible or is it just a myth? As executive directors, CEOs, and board members of nonprofits, culture starts with you. You set the pace. Does your everyday schedule reflect this? How will your organization make work-life balance a top priority?  ...

Across the world, many people are familiar with the name Bono, the lead singer of the internationally famous band U2, but not everyone knows that Bono started the ONE Campaign. The initial slogan of the ONE Campaign was to “ make poverty history “. This continues to guide their efforts as they have grown significantly from when Bono first co-founded this organization. The ONE Campaign...

Your nonprofit’s team is your greatest competitive advantage. We don’t often use those terms in the nonprofit sector, but the sentiment is true for both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Leadership development is critical for any organization, but the process of actually developing leaders takes more intentionality and more time than most nonprofits are currently investing. How does your organ...