Sprout Nonprofit | the podcast for small shop nonprofits

If 2021 left you feeling a little all-over-the-place and you need to take stock of your habits and routines to better serve your beneficiaries and improve your efficiency, then this free challenge will help you reset, recenter, and create those essential boundaries you keep hearing about. Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategies fa...

Have you ever chosen a word to guide your year? I'm hoping by sharing mine, you'll feel inspired to do the same as we close out 2021 and start a new year.    Listen to this episode for my year in review (and find out how your word of the year keeps you in alignment with your goals!).    Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategies face...

Oh, December. The month we all have a love-hate relationship with. There's a LOT of pressure on EDs this time of year. That's why today we're going to walk through stress management techniques (that DON'T involved bubble baths or your hot beverage of choice).    In this episode, you'll learn:   When annual planning ACTUALLY happens for nonprofits (it's not what you think)  How to practice gratitud...

Did you know there's SCIENCE behind why thank you letters work? Love 'em or hate 'em, thank you letters are a crucial part of your donor stewardship. Press play to learn how to show your thank you letters some love (so you can show your donors some love, too!).    In this episode, you'll learn: Why thank you letters actually work  Common thank you letter mistakes to avoid  Rules for writing a comp...

What do you do when a new donation comes in? How quickly do new donors hear from you?  Find out how to create a new donor welcome series to take the weight off your shoulders and set your new donor relationship up for success.  Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategies facebook.com/smallshopstrategies

It's been one year since I launched the Productive Executive Director and in that time the membership has evolved into exactly what I'd hoped for.   One space where you can build the basic foundations of your organization, acquire the skills you need to run an efficient organization and gain confidence as you grow as a leader. Plus, a seriously supportive community of EDs -- like you -- who get wh...

With all the chaos of your end of year campaign, I want to make things as easy as possible for you. Today's episode is dedicated to managing the chaos and how to possibly get ahead of the game when it comes to your year-end giving plan.   Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategies facebook.com/smallshopstrategies

Did you know 77% of first-time donors will NOT give to your organization next year? That means only 33% will stick around.    Tune in to find out how to improve your donor retention and build a sustainable nonprofit.     Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategies facebook.com/smallshopstrategies

The last quarter of the year is coming in fast and furious. Do you have the systems and strategies in place to keep you from losing your mind and being totally burned out come January?   Today's episode is all about walking you through the systems you need in place to make 4th quarter run like a dream.    And don't forget to check out the show notes, it's jam-packed full of free resources to help...

You say "every dollar counts" but do you mean it? Do you treat your small gift donors with the same care as your major donors?    If you're not focused on serving those $5 donors, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. Listen to get the deets on how to nurture your $5 donors for a bigger impact.    Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshop...

Did you know that you can repurpose your content on social media? If you're an ED who's spending way too much time figuring out what to post on social media, then this episode is for you.    You're tired of being the social media manager and ready to be the Executive Director again? This episode walks you through my 4 favorite tips to making social media and content planning much easier. Free Cont...

In today's episode, we're going to talk all about the ins and outs of planning for consistency. Because consistency will take you SO MUCH FURTHER than aiming for perfection.  No matter how much planning and prioritizing you do — no matter how committed you are to consistency — LIFE HAPPENS.   Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smallshopstrategie...

Having a VISION for your organization is so important to help keep you focused. Annual goals align with that vision and keep you moving in the right direction. But annual goals will do your organization NO GOOD if you're not breaking them down into manageable pieces.    In today's episode, we're discussing the 4 things you can do to create 90-day goals. Because why plan for 12 months when 12 WEEKS...

Remember in episode 13, the one where we deep-dive into burnout prevention (and I got REAL personal about my experience with burnout).   This episode is a follow up because we are talking about the 7 self care strategies you can use to rest and recharge.    Finding a way to reset and recharge isn't easy; stepping away is the last thing you want to do when your list keeps growing.  It's probably th...

After all the planning, strategizing, and implementing—you're seeing a handful of first-time donations roll in.    In today's episode, we're talking about what you need to do the moment a new donation rolls in and how to create a really solid relationship with a new donor.   And we're talking about this because 70% of new donors don't give a second gift -- simply because they either didn't get a r...

I don't want to shock you, but you are half way through the year. Yes, we are already into the 2nd half of the year. If you feel like you've fallen behind with your goals or you need a game plan for the coming months, then this episode is for you.  In this episode, I'll walk you through the 7 steps to take in your mid-year check up to ensure you're set up for a successful last 2 quarters of the ye...

If you struggle to say no in your organization, then this episode is going to be an important one for you. I get it, you want to be known as dependable, capable, and as someone who has all their ish together. And saying "no" feels like you're falling short.    This conversation with Executive Directors all the time. Tune in to hear how you can start saying no and create a better organization for y...

You constantly hear the buzzwords of burnout, self care and boundaries, but rarely are people talking about what it looks like when you're deep in the burn out. I'm going there for today's episode. I get really personal about my experience with burnout and the real consequences of not taking action sooner. Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:   smallshopstrategies.com instagram.com/smal...

Your time is the most precious and valuable asset you have as an Executive Director and it's easy to lose track of that time when you don't have healthy boundaries around your calendar.    In this episode, you will walk away with the best tips I've learned over many years of not getting it right and how you can take back control of your calendar.   Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies:  ...

Have you all of a sudden looked up from your computer and realized you've spent all day in your inbox? This episode is all about the best hacks to managing your inbox.  By setting healthy boundaries and only checking your email when you can be intentional about responding will help you move your mission forward and get more done throughout the day.  Connect with Rachel from Small Shop Strategies: ...

It is a myth that doing more than one task simultaneously is a productive use of time. In this episode, I dive into what it means to context switch (a new phrase I just learned) and what are some ways that you can reduce doing this so you can be more productive during your workday. While the actual act of moving from one task to another takes only a few seconds, it can actually take your brain up...

So let me ask you, do you ever have those moments when you look at other organizations and think, "how does the ED have all their sh*t all together all the time?" If you're nodding your head, then let me remind you that they definitely have had their moments of chaos.  That being said, when you dig into the most successful organizations, the successful EDs have these 4 things in common:   1 → Thei...

Just about every Executive Director has been asked the question, "so what do you do?"   There's a lot of power in having a very clear and simple answer to that question.  But unfortunately, what happens most often is that you dive into your uber boring professional/corporate/robot voice and the result is whoever just asked you the question starts to tune out the message because it's just not inspi...

Your donors want to do a powerful thing and help the beneficiaries of your organization. Asking is a generous thing you can do to give them that opportunity. It is up to you to give your donors an opportunity to give. And, there is no better time than right now. So, what is holding you back? Let's dig in a little bit deeper into how you can raise more money this year for your organization.   Conne...

How long does it typically take you to get a thank you out to a donor? And I'm not talking about the automatically generated tax receipt, I'm talking a genuine thank you. If you nonchalantly peeked over at your long list of thank you notes needing to get written with a bit of dread, fear not, I've got an awesome tip for you today. The first you're going to want to do is head to my website and snag...