Nonprofit Lowdown

Join the epic Joan Garry for a chat about how we attract and retain talent in the sector, how to prepare for the next generation of leaders and why talking to your board about Hawaii makes sense. Joan has a long history of leading, consulting, and advising in the nonprofit world and it's a delight to speak with her. She and I bring our soapboxes so get ready! Connect with Joan Garry Quote from Joa...

Retirement is a Race Issue with Chitra Aiyar. What comes up for you when I say retirement? Are old people golfing in Florida? Think again. Join me and my dear friend Chitra Aiyar as we discuss why retirement is a generational/racial wealth gap issue, and what nonprofit employers can do to support workers. Working in the nonprofit sector shouldn't have to mean sacrificing your long-term financial w...

When the ED/DoD relationship works it can be a magical thing and set everyone up for success.  When it doesn't...well, it just sucks. What makes the partnership work?  Join me, DeNora Getachew and Jen Moore as we explore what a professional marriage between a CEO and VP of Development looks like. What was the process DeNora went through? How did she make the org appealing to good candida...

When I was an ED, leading my team sometimes felt like fumbling around in the dark looking for the path forward. Enter my friend Dr. Patton McDowell. Patton provides a roadmap and framework for nonprofit leaders. Whether you're a new leader, a leader looking to grow or an experienced leader ready for the next step, this interview will provide insights about the next step. Isn't clarity what we all...

Ever wondered what an interim Executive Director actually does? Are they supposed to keep the trains running on time or clean house for the new ED? What is it like to be the Mary Poppins for an organization in transition? Learn the answer to all these and more with my favorite NPO Mary Poppins Diana Breen who is a career interim Executive Director. She manages transitions with calm, skill and grac...

Join me and expert fundraiser Sherry Quam Taylor as we talk about making big ass asks.  We discuss board and staff reluctance to engage personally with donors, how we're mismanaging our board's time and efforts, and where we really need to spend our time with our investment-level donors. This was an insightful conversations and Sherry drops value bombs all over the place. Are you ready to sca...

Ah, times--they are a-changing. In the last year, the dynamics of leading and being responsive to visibility, equity and social justice have never been higher stakes. We know we want to be equity-centered, anti-racist leaders, but where do we even begin? Join me and my friend Alfonso and Trina as we discuss what it really takes to lead equity-based practices, how to do culture change (like, for re...

In this episode, we’re going to discuss development 3.0 with my friend, Sarah Danzig Simon, the head of development for Uncommon Schools. Join me and Sarah as she talks about the lessons she has learned in fundraising to inspire those new fundraisers listening out there who want guidance and wisdom from those of us in the nonprofit. You will also learn about what people do, especially those who ha...

Happy Black Philanthropy Month!  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jackie Copeland who is the founder of Black Philanthropy Month and April Walker, fundraising consultant.  April and Dr. Jackie speak from their lived experiences as Black women in philanthropy.  In this important talk, we discuss how the Black community can fund Black causes, the importance of giving to Black-led gra...

This episode is FIRE.  Join me and my friend Dr. Eugene K Choi to discuss how to manage your mind to avoid burnout, anxiety and panic.  Did you know that your brain is only ever in one of two modes: survival or executive?  Learn about the characteristics of both and how to regulate yourself to stop freaking out, calming down and being effective. Want to know more? https://dreugenekc...

Most people think that when you merge nonprofits, or you’re making any significant changes in a nonprofit, it means that there’s terribly wrong that has happened. Right? But in this episode, my guest, Jess Cavagnero, a partner of SeaChange Capital Partners, dispels some of these misconceptions. Jess and I will talk about the hows, whys and whats of mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships...

How many times have I seen the idea of junior board rise and then fall like a rock?  Join me and Peter Goldwasser, the Founder of the PNG Group, as we talk about his experience of finding the Young Eagles, which is the junior board of the Brooklyn Public Library. Join me and Peter as we discuss some of the pitfalls, time allocation, infrastructure, and the staff support junior boards need to...

Hey Gen X Leader: confounded by your millennial and Gen Z staffers? At a loss for how to make an organizational change and DEI happen in my conversation with Leslie Short, the President and the Founder of the CAVU group. We discuss managing the generational divide in organizations, acceleration of DEI, the difference, and the snapshot of today's generation who are entering the workforce. For more...

Join me and George Suttles as we talk about the opportunity that Diana Noriega and he have seen together in making a coalition to look for ways in collecting data to build some kind of marketplace where nonprofits were able to procure services from BIPOC vendors, contractors, or consultants and do business with them. This is an interesting topic as you will learn how to begin to organize other non...

Let’s dispel the myth that you can either have donor diversity or donor wealth, but you can’t have both.  In this episode, my dear friend  Hali Lee, the founder of Radiant Strategies and the Asian Women Giving Circle, and the co-founder of the Donors of Color Network, talks about the results of her study of high-net-worth donors of color, entitled “Philanthropy Always Sounds Like Someone...

Capital campaign.  Sounds scary, right?  Doesn’t have to be!  Join me and Sabrina Walker Hernandez as she walks through how she raised $12M for a capital campaign in the third poorest county in the US.  We get into all the details and spill all the tea on how she did it, even as a newbie “accidental” fundraiser. To know more about Sabrina’s Supporting World Hope: https://suppor...

Conflict is inevitable in the workplace or in any organization when people with different backgrounds and work styles are brought together for a common business purpose. Conflict is part of dealing with humans. So join me and Jonno White to discuss healthy versus toxic conflict and how to manage it when it (inevitably) comes. We cover basic rules of engagement so that conflict does not have to mea...

In this episode, I will be interviewing three alums of the fundraising accelerator program. We have Noelle Andreano, the Director of Development at The New School of Northern Virginia, which is a small Independent School in Fairfax, Virginia. Drine Paul is the Executive Director for Breakthrough Providence in Providence, Rhode Island. And Rosemary Ellis works in New York City. She’s the Interim Ex...

Yolanda’s journey in philanthropy had very interesting inception. It all started when she was in college. She was part of one of the first programs at school that dived deeper into fundraising and philanthropy. In her whole life, she has been seeing generosity and creation, and whole communities come together to raise young people and send them on their way. Yolanda, certainly, was the beneficiary...

In this week's episode, we speak to the amazing Trish Adobea Tchume about her thoughtful piece in the Nonprofit Wakanda Quarterly about what it means to live liberation.  We define terms and discuss four useful frameworks to help us understand how to liberate ourselves, liberate others around us and to liberate our organizations.  I loved this discussion for its practicality and tactical...

[Updated--was a snafu with original upload] Join  me and expert fundraiser Adam-Michael Royston as he unlocks the vault  on some of his secrets.  He's raised serious money for capital campaigns  and annual campaigns and he shares some of his stories from the  trenches.  We dive deep on details on how he prepares for the ask, where  he does it and what happens whe...

Join me and expert fundraiser Adam-Michael Royston as he unlocks the vault on some of his secrets.  He's raised serious money for capital campaigns and annual campaigns and he shares some of his stories from the trenches.  We dive deep on details on how he prepares for the ask, where he does it and what happens when things don't go his way.  The big takeaway here is that Adam-Michae...

Y'all!  This episode is fire.  My friend and new BFF Mallory breaks down how we embody energy that either attracts or repels money.  We talk about the different types of energy, how to harness the energy and, most importantly, tips that you can employ to help you get out of the funk.  This is one of my favorite conversations with Mallory (who has amazing energy btw:)  Chec...

In order for someone to remark on something, it must be remarkable.  Michelle, Executive Director of the Human Services Council, and I talk about their last video campaigns.  In it, they had the courage to claim an edge and to use humor to make their point.  Facts: we don't need another boring, canned nonprofit video.  In this interview, Michelle talks about the creative proces...

Andrea is a Managing Partner at BDO which releases an annual State of Nonprofits report.  Join us as we discuss trends from 2020-2021 and opportunities and risks for 2022.  Will individual and foundation giving trends persist?  What risks should leaders be aware of and how can we mitigate them? What is the role of technology in the future of nonprofits.   For more about Andrea,...