The Nonprofit MBA Podcast with Stephen Halasnik

Stephen Halasnik, Managing Partner of Financing Solutions, speaks with nonprofit leaders and finance professionals about the real-world financial challenges organizations face, including nonprofit cash flow gaps, funding delays, working capital shortages, and the need for stronger fundraising decisions. In this conversation, Shahar Brukner, Founder and CRO of Impala, explains why having more fundr...

Artificial intelligence is changing how nonprofits attract donors, improve visibility, and strengthen fundraising strategies. In this episode of The Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik speaks with Catherine LaCour of Blackbaud Giving Fund about AI-powered donor discovery, workplace giving, nonprofit website optimization, and practical ways organizations can use AI to improve fundraising and op...

In this episode, Stephen Halasnik speaks with Dr. Adam Aponte about how nonprofits can manage cash-flow gaps, funding delays, and working-capital challenges in today's uncertain environment.

Is your nonprofit mission actually achievable? In today's uncertain funding environment, nonprofit leaders are being pushed to prove not only that their work matters, but that their mission is realistic, measurable, and aligned with real community needs. In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast , Stephen Halasnik speaks with Dr. Zuri Tau , founder and CEO of Social Insights , about how nonprof...

Change management in nonprofit strategy has become increasingly important as nonprofit leaders balance mission, funding uncertainty, and leadership transitions. In today's environment, that challenge is becoming far more complex. Funding can shift quickly, leadership transitions can happen unexpectedly, and external events can reshape priorities almost overnight. In this episode of the Nonprofit M...

Nonprofit leaders often overlook website maintenance, security, and speed. Yet, a nonprofit website is critical infrastructure for fundraising, donor trust, and search visibility. In the early days of the internet, a nonprofit's website was little more than a digital brochure: a static page listing a mission statement, a mailing address, and perhaps a grainy logo. Today, that same website is the o...

Nonprofit financial management has become one of the most important challenges facing nonprofit leaders today. Economic uncertainty, changing donor priorities, and shifting government funding have made financial strategy more critical than ever. In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik speaks with Nick Jain, co-founder of Eagle Rock CFO Services, about how nonprofit financial...

In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, host Stephen Halasnik speaks with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, about how a small garage-based Christmas project grew into a nearly $30 million nonprofit operating across the U.S. and beyond. Mickelson shares the key inflection points behind that growth, including realizing the scale of child bedlessness, transitioning to a formal...

In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik sits down with nonprofit HR expert Allison Wyatt, from Edgility Talent Partners, to explore why an organization's staff should be viewed not as an expense, but as a strategic asset. Wyatt explains how intentional hiring, clear role design, and ongoing staff development directly impact mission effectiveness, financial sustainability, an...

In this episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik talks with Michael Toguchi, Chief Strategy Officer at eResources, about how nonprofits can streamline grantmaking and donor programs to save time and reduce staff burnout in a tighter funding environment. They explore how recent economic and political shifts have made grants harder to secure, pushing organizations to apply for more fun...

In today's rapidly changing nonprofit landscape, nonprofit arts organizations are facing significant challenges. Traditional models of fundraising, ticket sales, and audience engagement no longer meet funder expectations. The conversation between Stephen Halasnik and Alan Harrison highlights a core shift taking place: arts organizations and community impact must now be directly connected. Organiza...

Nonprofits have traditionally operated with a mindset of caution, focusing primarily on mission-driven work while avoiding financial risk. While this approach promotes stability, it often limits growth and long-term impact. On a recent episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, host Stephen Halasnik, co-founder of Financing Solutions, discussed this topic with Barb Clapp, CEO of Dwyer Workforce Develop...

For many nonprofit leaders, communication feels like an afterthought, something to address once the real work is done. Yet, in today's media-saturated world, a clear, emotional, and strategic message is not just a "nice to have." It is the heartbeat of organizational growth. As Jason Clark, President and CEO of VIA Studio, told Stephen Halasnik in their conversation for The Nonprofit MBA Podcast,...

The New Era of Nonprofit Fundraising: Fewer Donors, Bigger Gifts In today's nonprofit landscape, one thing is clear: major gifts are driving the deepest impact. According to research from the Giving USA 2024 Report, individual giving dropped 3.4% last year, but donations from high-net-worth individuals and foundations increased significantly. This shift has created a paradox: fewer donors overall,...

The New Reality for Nonprofit Funding For decades, nonprofits have relied heavily on a mix of grants, donations, and government funding to sustain their missions. But as global philanthropy evolves, those traditional sources are becoming less predictable. According to The Nonprofit Finance Fund's 2024 State of the Nonprofit Sector Report, nearly 56% of nonprofit leaders said funding uncertainty is...

The Quiet Revolution Reshaping Charitable Giving In recent years, one of the most powerful forces shaping philanthropy hasn't come from a new fundraising platform or viral campaign—it's come from an investment account. Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), once the domain of the ultra-wealthy, are now a mainstream tool for charitable giving. For nonprofits, understanding and integrating a DAF strategy is no...

The year 2025 has brought unprecedented turbulence to the nonprofit sector. Political shifts, funding cuts, and widespread economic uncertainty have placed extraordinary pressure on executive directors, boards, and fundraising teams. In a recent episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast , host Stephen Halasnik sat down with Marc A. Pitman, founder of the Concord Leadership Group, to unpack the leadersh...

In today's unpredictable landscape, nonprofit organizations face both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges. Economic shifts, global crises, and cultural changes have altered the way people give. Yet at the heart of this transformation lies a timeless truth: donors want to feel connected to a cause. That means nonprofit leaders must adapt—by weaving data, storytelling, and human conne...

Nonprofit leaders often focus on mission statements, fundraising goals, and strategic plans. Yet one of the most influential drivers of success is often underestimated: organizational culture. Culture shapes how employees show up, how teams collaborate, and how communities perceive the nonprofit itself. For nonprofits, where purpose is paramount and turnover can be costly, culture isn't just a "ni...

Financial uncertainty has become the defining challenge for many churches and nonprofit organizations across the United States. With declining attendance, shrinking donations, and rising costs, thousands of religious institutions are questioning their long-term viability. On a recent episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, host Stephen Halasnik, co-founder of Financing Solutions, sat down with Loren...

For nonprofits, capital campaigns represent some of the most ambitious and transformative fundraising efforts. They can reshape organizations, expand programs, and create legacies. Yet in today's climate of economic uncertainty, political polarization, and shifting donor expectations, preparing for a capital campaign can feel daunting. This was the focus of a conversation between Stephen Halasnik,...

In today's nonprofit world, the difference between financial stability and constant budget anxiety often comes down to one deceptively simple practice: donor stewardship . While many organizations focus their energy on acquiring new supporters, the real growth engine lies in keeping the ones they already have. That's the message fundraising consultant Katherine Lacefield, founder of Just Because C...

When nonprofit organizations draft strategic plans, the expectation is stability. A three-to-five-year vision is meant to guide priorities, operations, and growth. But what happens when the world changes faster than the paper it's written on? In a recent episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, Stephen Halasnik of Financing Solutions sat down with Marie Palacios, Lead Consultant at Funding for Good,...

In a world where startup ventures are celebrated for their risk-taking, innovation, and scalability, the nonprofit sector often finds itself stifled by outdated funding models, rigid expectations, and chronic underinvestment. But what if we approached nonprofit funding with the same mindset we use to launch tech companies? What if we treated nonprofits not as charity cases, but as mission-driven s...

The crises of recent years—be they economic, political, or global health-related—have taught us one thing: the world turns to nonprofits when everything else breaks down. Food banks, housing initiatives, health clinics, and educational programs didn't close when the world did. Instead, they scaled up. They innovated. They adapted. But while the public relies on them, the financial foundation of ma...