The Practice of Nonprofit Leadership

Send a text Have you ever wondered how to transform your donors into passionate fundraisers for your cause?    On today's episode, Nathan lays out several practical steps to help you help your donors become some of your best fundraiser by building strong relationships with your donors, creating an easy process for them to be involved, and then developing the courage to make the ask. Nathan al...

Send a text Busy, Busy, Busy.  That seems to be the reply that many nonprofit leaders give when asked how things are going.  What if there's a way to turn the overwhelming chaos of our daily tasks into a streamlined path to productivity? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan focus on 4 key areas of nonprofit leadership and suggest practical ways to stop just being busy and move to being int...

Send a text Is it possible for leaders to truly navigate the stormy seas of political upheaval with grace and purpose?  On today's episode, Tim and Nathan provide their thoughts about the election and the ongoing rhetoric and conversation on social media, in the news media, and face to face.  The discussion also centers on responding correctly as nonprofit leaders and actions that can be take...

Send a text Interested in enhancing your leadership skills by learning the art of providing effective feedback. On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss the secrets to transforming feedback into a powerful tool for team development.  Learn how to create a culture where mistakes are stepping stones to success, and explore strategies to approach challenging situations with calm and clarity. U...

Send a text Hey there, nonprofit leaders! Ready to shake up your networking game in this post-COVID world?  Let's face it - networking events aren't quite the same since the pandemic, right? And if you're an introvert, you might be feeling the struggle even more.  On today's episode, Tim Barnes and Nathan Ruby share some game-changing insights that'll transform how you bui...

Send a text What happens when nonprofit leaders embrace risk and cultivate tenacity?  Join hosts Tim Barnes and Nathan Ruby as they uncover key strategies to help nonprofit leaders thrive amidst challenges...strategies such as cultivating a strong sense of purpose, embracing challenges and learning from failures, fostering a positive organizational culture, and keeping the big picture in mind. Sup...

Send a text Imagine stepping into a leadership role with an overwhelming inbox and the task of transforming not just your job but an entire organization. That's exactly what Colleen Shaughnessy faced on her first day as Executive Director of Youth Heartline in Taos, New Mexico. In this episode, Colleen shares her journey with Nathan, going from being a team member to leading the organization,...

Send a text Ready to transform your nonprofit’s strategic planning?  This episode promises to equip you with practical advice on conducting an effective SWOT analysis, and shows you how even the smallest nonprofits can benefit from this robust but simple tool.  Tim and Nathan start the discussion with a fun word association game to ease into the key concepts of SWOT—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportun...

Send a text How do you build a board that can truly drive your nonprofit's mission forward? Who do you need and how do you find them? Tim and Nathan answer these questions and also provide practical tips and strategies for adding members to your board.  Leveraging existing board members' networks, tapping into engaged donors and active volunteers, and maintaining community connections ar...

Send a text The U.S. Federal Reserve announced this week (September 18, 2024) a 50 basis point cut in interest rates, with reactions of joy from some and concern from others.  So what?  How does that impact me as a nonprofit leader? In this special edition of the Practice of Nonprofit Leadership, Nathan Ruby tackles that topic and provides some practical fundraising tips in light of the interest r...

Send a text What if the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations wasn't funding, but the volunteers who power them? Join us as we unpack this provocative idea with Jada Hoerr, Chief Resource Officer of Midwest Food Bank , and Corey Barrette, Volunteer and Community Relations Manager at Midwest Food Bank - New England. Jada and Corey reveal how an army of nearly 40,000 volunteers helps distribute...

Send a text A contentious national election can bring challenges to many aspects of leading a nonprofit...not the least the fundraising side.  How should a nonprofit leader handle political conversations with staff, board members, and donors?  How does fundraising change during this season?  At what level should a nonprofit engage in  public political discourse? On today's episode, Christina...

Send a text Imagine you're cruising along on a road trip when suddenly you're face-to-face with a roadblock. What now? Turn right, turn left, or hear your GPS say "recalculating"? Same thing happens when leading a nonprofit organization.  Roadblocks pop up that hinder our progress, reaching our goals, and/or fulfilling our mission.  What do we do? In today's episode, Tim a...

Send a text Could a simple phone call or face-to-face meeting revolutionize your mid-year fundraising success? In this episode of The Practice of Nonprofit Leadership, Tim and Nathan unpack the critical steps to personally engage with top donors and re-engage those who may have fallen off the radar. Learn how to carefully review your donor lists to spot trends, make those essential connections tha...

Send a text Discover the power of knowing what each donor brings to your nonprofit's table over the long haul.  We're unlocking the secrets to calculating the lifetime value of a donor, and why this number is a game changer for your strategic planning and sustained funding. With every monthly donation, be it a humble $30 or more, Nathan will show you how those figures compound to form th...

Send a text A recent survey states that a large number of nonprofits have open positions that they cannot fill with qualified candidates.  As the Executive Director, could the answer be to recruit your spouse to fill one of those open positions?  What might be the pros and cons, when considering this possibility?  Listen in, as Tim and Nathan dive into this interesting possibility. Support the sho...

Send a text Many things in our organization and world feel like they are out of our control.  As much as we try,  control is not something we can often exercise. But when it comes to our leadership as nonprofit executive directors, there are a few things we can and should exercise control. These areas are: - My Attitude - My Skillset - My Priorities - My Influencers - My Work Focusing on controlli...

Send a text In this episode, we dive into four simple questions you can ask yourself to determine if your organization is ready to consider a capital campaign. Project: Do I have a project that aligns with the reasons people donate: to save or transform lives? We touch on common project types, including new construction, renovations, and expensive equipment purchases. Donors: Do I have the right d...

Send a text As a small to medium nonprofit with a small budget, it seems like a good call to try to do things yourself or with the help of volunteers. But are there areas where it actually makes more sense and provides even better value, to hire a professional?  We would say most definitely. One of those areas is nonprofit finances.  On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss some places wher...

Send a text Ever find yourself intrigued by the potential of artificial intelligence to transform the way we connect with donors and enhance our fundraising efforts?  In this episode, Nathan discusses three ways that AI can help improve fundraising efforts: Automate Everyday Tasks: AI is all about simplifying tasks, not complicating them. For instance, using the voice assistant on your phone (like...

Send a text Whether it’s in person, on line, or someone driving into your parking lot. People make a decision about you and your organization in mere seconds. If they have a negative impression of you or the organization it is incredibly difficult to change their mind later. First impressions matter.  In today's episode, Nathan discussed the importance of making a good first impression that c...

Send a text On this episode, Tim and Nathan chat about the best ways small nonprofits can leverage online giving.   Some of the tips that they share are: - How to make your donation button impossible to miss and super easy to use.  - The importance of a seamless, secure payment process.  -  Why it's crucial to ensure your donation page is mobile-friendly.   - How to identify and reach your au...

Send a text Effective leaders aren't always perfect leaders.  What often makes them effective is that they take action consistently and with commitment.  No matter whether your organization is big or small, consistent action is the key. On today's episode, Tim identifies 5 key actions that every nonprofit executive director should be taking that results in effective and impactful leaders...

Send a text "Nobody likes direct mail anymore….sending a direct mail appeal just isn’t going to work." But according to a 2021 study by the Print and Mail Communications Association direct mail has an impressive open rate of 42.2%.  Direct mail is still a valuable tool in your tool box for fundraising. Today we are going to go over a simple template on how you can write an effective appe...

Send a text Fundraising and making Chili are a lot alike.  There is no one way to make chili or to fundraise.  But in both cases, having the right ingredients to get started is very important.  On today's episode, Tim and Nathan share four key ingredients  every nonprofit needs before they can maximize  their fundraising.  And they explore how to get those ingredients into your own fundraisin...