Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast

In today's episode, I explore one of the most difficult yet critical skills that every leader needs to master: the ability to say "no." While it might seem simple on the surface, saying no is an intricate art that can significantly impact your organization's strategy, efficiency, and relationships. Whether it's juggling multiple programs or being swamped with endless meeti...

I can't think of a better way to wrap up our August Sharpening Your Ax Series than with this powerful and thought-provoking conversation with Vu Le.  I originally sat down to talk with Vu, writer,  speaker, former ED of RVC on the West Coast, and author of fantastic Nonprofit AF, to talk about what sustainability in our sector actually means and looks like.  The conversation,  and his insight...

Every organization is made up of the same core building blocks. Focused, sustainable growth means making intentional choices about these building blocks.  This audio training will walk through how to design your organization's building blocks - its structure, culture & processes - to position your org for growth. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a hig...

In order to grow without overwhelm, you need to focus on the right things at the right time: You need to know your stage of growth.  This audio training will walk through how to know what growth stage your organization is in, and how to use that information to zero in on the right goals and strategies. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and...

This episode is very very special to me. It is a tribute to my sister, Darcy Richie, who passed away at the age of 40 in 2021.  Darcy Richie was the Chief Program and Impact Officer at Generation Citizen.  Last Spring, I invited her to join me to talk about two of her many superpowers: the how and why of communication and team-building. I called Darcy the communication whisperer.  She was one of t...

This 6-minute strategy episode walks through one of the most powerful secrets for keeping your team aligned and moving in the same direction: standard operating procedures. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.   Bud...

This 6-minute strategy episode will walk through how to approach hiring to make sure that you’re recruiting and building the right team for your organization’s needs Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.   Budget und...

Let’s face it - numbers can be scary. As nonprofit leaders, how often do you hear how important it is to “know your numbers”? But most of you didn’t get into the nonprofit leadership game with a background in accounting. So instead, you make sure you have a bookkeeper, make sure your books get closed and you track your spending, and MAYBE you get monthly financial reports to review. But you’re sec...

Whatever your vision for growth and increased impact, there are costs associated with it. This training will walk through how to think about your budget not just as a financial document, but as a storytelling tool to actually help you grow. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ b...

In this audio version of my 6-minute strategy training gets super concrete. You’ll learn the key metrics you should be tracking and measuring to help you keep your finger on the pulse of your organization’s financial health. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are...

In this episode, I’m talking about an important - and top-of-mind - question for so many people:  The what, why, and how of Liberatory Governance.  I got to have a thoroughly enjoyable and meaty conversation with Natalie Bamdad and Ananda Valenzuela, of Change Elemental, an organization that partners across sectors to disrupt and transform systems of inequity and create powerful vehicles for justi...

In this audio version of my 6-minute strategy training on deepening board engagement, you’ll walk away with quick, immediately actionable tactics for getting your board members more connected and engaged with your mission and your work.  Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budg...

At its best, your board can be an engaged group of supporters, strategic thought partners, and organizational ambassadors.  This audio version of one of my most popular video trainings walks through the why, what, and how at the core of a truly activated, high-impact board. Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for est...

Very rarely have I met someone as naturally gifted at resource generation as Suzy Myers-Jackson. I say resource generation, rather than fundraising, because what Suzy has spent the past 18 years doing - first as the ED of Opening Act, and more recently as a strategic consultant and coach, has been more expansive than just raising money. Did she grow her organization from $25K to a multi-million do...

In this audio version of my 6-Minute Strategy series, you’ll learn how to leverage the rules of donor psychology to activate people in your community to give, how to build stronger relationships with your existing donors, and how to keep supporters active and engaged with your mission and work.   Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind , a high-touch coaching and train...

I’m beyond excited to kick off my Sharpening Your Ax Series: Nonprofit Summer Strategy Sessions with Jess Campbell, a dear friend, and the founder of Out In The Boons, a small shop helping nonprofits discover donors in their email list. Jess has been deep in this work for a LONG time -- she’s been a nonprofit fundraiser for 18 years and has raised over $17M+ working from New York to California in...

In this episode, I'm doing another deep dive into the ways in which ChatGPT can support your organization - in addition to fundraising.  Specifically: how you can use ChatGPT to help you both increase your clarity of strategic vision, priorities, and goals, and to improve the clarity with which you communicate about them.  I walk through:  5 specific use clarity-increasing cases for ChatGPT, ...

How you think about fundraising and your board and hiring is so different at $1M than at $10M. And trying to do what organizations at different stages of development are doing will lead to frustration, negative self talk and burn out.  I’ve found that there was very little information about how a small nonprofit org should think about growth and sustainability, and the guidelines and rules for a l...

The days of summer feel slower and lazier than other times of the year. People move more slowly… everything feels lighter and more ephemeal.  Despite (or manybe because of) this, summer is the perfect time to think about high-leverage activities! The kind of activities that give you more bang for your buck, but that are more about investment than quick-returns.  In this episode, I’m sharing 3 low-...

Everyone talks about how nonprofits can use ChatGPT to support their fundraising efforts. In this episode, I go beyond fundraising, and walk through 6 concrete ways that you can use ChatGPT in your organization specifically to build staff capacity!   You’ll learn how ChatGPT can:  Build your the capacity of your program team;  Streamline core HR processes, like hiring and workplanning Simplify boa...

Fundraising works best when it’s relational. Everyone says that, but what does it actually mean?   It means that your donors are in a bi-directional relationship with your organization in which they donate contribute funds and support and the organization offers them an opportunity to participate in having an impact on the world that they care very deeply about. It means that the most effective fu...

In this second episode of our 3-part mini-series, Rhea and I break down what the inside of your organization should look like if you want to be ready to scale.  We highlight the role of a clear and compelling strategic vision in fundraising, talk about why hiring is not always the immediate solution to building your capacity, and deep dive into the actual meaning of "systems" in the cont...

One of the toughest things about growing an org is capacity - and more precisely, calibrating the capacity you need with what you actually have the funding to pay for.  In this episode, I talk about how to think about hiring Consultants, Fellows, Fractional Support, and Virtual Assistants (VAs) to build out your capacity -  for less money.  I also mention the following resources:  Free Nonprofit S...

In this first episode of our 3-part mini series, Rhea and I delev into the critical role of mindset - specifically, money mindset, leadership mindset, and an abundance mindset - in achieving sustainable growth and avoiding burnout.  These mindset shifts are foundational for letting go of outdated strategies, leaning into high-level fundraising activities, and transforming the way leaders engage wi...

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. As important as it is to build your organization intentionally and strategically, everything is held together and animated by the organization's culture. In this episode, I talk about the critical importance of being intentional about building your organization's culture, and I walk through 4 pillars that lay the foundation for a strong and values-ali...