Nonprofit Lowdown

Join me and the iconic Rich Buery to talk about all the lessons he's learned so far.  Rich has founded organizations, headed up some of the most influential in New York and been the deputy mayor of New York City.  He has maintained his commitment to serving children and leading with humility and grace through it all.  I was humbled by this wide-ranging conversation.  This is a...

Join me and my pals, Shruti Sehra and Hassan Brown, to learn about how venture philanthropy firm, New Profit , has re-designed giving for equity.  We talk about how community proximity IS expertise, how they redesigned proposal processes to be more accessible and equitable and what questions they are asking of themselves and the field.  I really enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation wit...

My friend and colleague April Walker has worn many hats: funder, consultant and development director.  In this honest and engaging interview, we discuss the problematic dynamics of traditional philanthropy, how she, as a Black woman, navigates predominantly white funder spaces and what we can all do to de-center white supremacy in philanthropy.  April is insightful and drops all the trut...

Join me and my new pal Ramon to talk about similar best practices in sales and fundraising.  Ramon and I explore how bad salespeople and bad fundraisers give us all a bad name, the power of relationship and the need to invest in yourself to succeed.  Some key takeaways: Bringing the right energy and being in the right headspace are key to fundraising and sales. Invest in yourself to incr...

With the pandemic lockdown, are you dreaming about open roads and exotic vacations?  Join the club.   Listen in to today's interview with Maryann Remsburg, a certified coach, mom of four, author and co-founder of Adventurous Life. In this conversation we talk about how we get so caught up in obligations, "should-ing all over ourselves" and fear that we forget to experience joy and advent...

This episode is not for the faint of heart.  Join me and my friend Stephen Lasser to talk about how to generate leads and income with zero BS.  Stephen's clear-eyed, plain-spoken approach to fundraising is refreshing.  We talk about how to use your boards effectively (don't expect everyone to do everything), how to approach donors and how to meet donors where they are.  As a fo...

"We can't afford that."  "There's not enough money."  "There's not enough time."  "Must be nice to have enough staff." Any of that sound familiar?  As a sector, we live under constant pressure for resources, exacerbated by the pervasive scarcity mindset that plagues us.  When we live in scarcity, we are stressed with "never enough" and that mindset affects our work, our st...

"What about fee-for-service?"   If you've ever heard this in a board or staff meeting, then this episode is for you.  We talk with Brian Joseph, Co-Founder and CEO and Lizzie Honan, Regional Director NYC of RevJen about how to think about launching a fee-generating venture within your nonprofit.  We discuss the internal decisions, how to staff and train properly and how sales is unl...

How is fundraising like dating?  From first meeting to courtship to finally "sealing the deal" Jonah and I take a humorous perspective on major gift fundraising.  Learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls (i.e. talking too much about yourself) and learn why I call major gift fundraising the "jazz" of the development world.  Remember, people, it's not about the money--it's about th...

It's a whole new gala world where fundraisers are online, formal wear means your house slippers and hosts are the size of your screen.  The pandemic has made the entire gala industry pivot in ways we couldn't imagine.  Join me and Benjamin Ryan Nathan, founder of All of Us Films, as we discuss some of the successes and failures of virtual galas.  Ben runs a production company that d...

This one is for all of you aspiring nonprofit founders.  In this episode, we serve up a hefty dose of reality about what it takes to found and run a successful nonprofit organization.  News flash: running a nonprofit is actually running a small business.  We speak with new founder, Kenneth Brown, about everything he's learned in the first year of his nonprofit and Andrea Ortega who...

True story: on top of my nonprofit work, I'm an aspiring stand-up comedian.  And, lemme tell ya, it's rough out there for a comic.  Join me and fellow stand-up comedian and Chief Story Smith Carlos Maestas to talk about how to be a better communicator.  We talk about how to find your own story, why it's a good idea to not take yourself too seriously and how to get out of pitch mode...

Join me and George "In the Mix" Suttles to talk about a very important topic.  We discuss the myths of the lack of BIPOC talent, how to set BIPOC leaders up for success and how to celebrate leadership reclamation.  This is a hugely important topic for the sector because if we say that we want to center Black and brown leadership, then we have to be prepared to do business differently. &n...

This summer, after George Floyd's murder, everyone started looking for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultants for their teams and organizations.  Not coincidentally, all of a sudden, there were a whole bunch of people calling themselves DEI experts.  Join me as I chat with Naté Hoover about how to assess whether a DEI consultant is actually skilled, how to know when your organ...

Ah, founders...they are the stuff of legend.  The ones who birth a nonprofit, nurture it through its infancy and watch it grow.  But, what happens when founders move on?  Today, we're talking with Anne Eidelman, CEO and Elandria Jackson Charles, VP of Development and External Affairs of Blue Engine about what happens when a charismatic founder moves on.  What are some of the le...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a beautiful video worth?  We're visual animals and there's nothing more inspiring than beautiful visual stories that can move us.  Join me and expert Rachel Jellinek to discuss the art of vulnerable storytelling, what three stories your nonprofit should be telling and how to veer away from the poverty porn that is so embedded in our nonprofi...

Summer 2020: everyone is putting out anti-racist statements on their websites and blacking out their IG feeds.  Fine, but what does it ACTUALLY mean to start the journey of being an anti-racist organization?  What does personal and professional DEI work look like for organizations?  Expert consultants Tracey Allard and George Hsieh talk about their experiences of their anti-racist D...

Hi folks, Today's episode is a brief solo show about time and money.  I've gotten a real bug up my butt about the scarcity mindset that we see in nonprofits.  It shows up everywhere from the way we talk about time and money.  What would it take for us to tell ourselves different stories and how could we shift our relationship with time and money to one of intentionality and abundanc...

Join me and my buddy Heather Malin as we talk about her transition from a dog-enthusiast to a major gift fundraiser.  We talk about some of the common mistakes of fundraisers, how to turn your board into your biggest fundraisers and advocates and why people wait too long to ask.  Need some inspiration to go ask for that $$?  Listen to this one!

Join me and my friend Benny Vasquez, long-time educator and current Chief Equity Officer at the KIPP Foundation, as we discuss what it means to be anti-racist on a personal and organizational level.  Benny offers his perspectives as a lifelong educator and passionate DEI activist.  In this conversation we discuss: The role of white people in dismantling racism. Specific tips for anti-rac...

Join me and my friend David Hoffman as he shares five ways that your nonprofit can up your media game.  He walks us through his engagement funnel and gives us the keys to creating media (video, photos) that grab your donor's attention and get results.  His advice is actionable and effective to make your message stand out from the crowd.  In this podcast, you'll understand the differ...

Note: This episode contains some *adult* content so listener discretion is advised unless you want to have some very interesting conversations with your children. We know what being an ED or a nonprofit executive is tough.  We're called to work miracles on shoestring budgets.  Add COVID on top of that and it's a recipe for burn-out.  What happens when we let work take over our lives...

Organizing and documenting my business processes was about as high up on my list as scheduling a root canal.  Or writing the Great American Novel.  Yeah, yeah, totally one of my goals, but there are a million other things that get in the way.   Then, one day, you realize that it's mayhem and you're running ragged because "Nobody can do it like me!" or one of your key staff members h...

What does the future of NYC look like if we re-imagined it through the lens of equity and diversity?  Who's at the table and, more importantly, who isn't and why?  Join me and Dr. Rahsaan Harris, CEO of Citizens Committee for New York as we talk about our love of New York, Black philanthropy and how to build a more equitable New York after the twin pandemics have passed.  Listen in...

It's not often that my socks get knocked off, but believe me when I tell you Mike Kim knocked. My. Socks. Off.  In fact, I haven't even WORN socks since I recorded this episode. Realtalk: Mike drops value bombs aplenty about how to move prospective donors from zero awareness of your cause to becoming a donor (hint: it's a learnable framework), how to tell a memorable story (hint: it's a frame...