The Practice of Nonprofit Leadership

Send a text Program Evaluation is one of those things that must be done in order to maximize the vision and mission of your organization.  It is also one of those things that is very easy NOT to do.  Often it is because nonprofit leaders don't know where to start. On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss four simple steps that will have you evaluating like a pro.  They also note some o...

Send a text As an Executive Director, we know we have people who we are responsible for .  But who are those we are responsible to ? On this episode Nathan goes solo, exploring the three groups of people for whom the Executive Director is responsible to...and why it matters.   These groups are: The end user and beneficiary of the organization's work and services. The organization's staff...

Send a text As a nonprofit leader, it is not unusual to find oneself working outside of a typical office setting.  The challenge is to stay productive when working in those situations. On today's episode, Tim and Nathan share from their experience working remotely in many different locations.  They share mindsets, tools, and practical ideas that can contribute to productivity when "on th...

Send a text If you had access to a crystal ball that could give you a picture of what lies ahead, would you look? In today's episode, Tim and Nathan look backwards to help nonprofits look forward.  Focusing on 4 common reasons nonprofits fail, practical ideas are shared on how to approach these areas that can help alleviate failure.   The reasons addressed are: Optimism without a Plan Poor Or...

Send a text Would you consider yourself a transparent leader?  Do you tend to overshare or undershare?  And when is sharing considered too much or too little? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan dive into the topic of leading with transparency.  From defining transparency  and then working through a situation that requires communication to the Board, staff and donors, thoughts about striving f...

Send a text As you sit down to launch your day, do you feel overwhelmed with decisions to make, meetings to lead, emails to answer, etc, etc?  It's easy to feel overwhelmed. With Nathan taking some well deserved time off, Tim steps into this episode to share 3 things every nonprofit leader should keep in mind as they start their day.  These 3 reminders are geared to help bring encouragement a...

Send a text What is Overhead in a nonprofit and why is it important manage it effectively? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan define two types of overhead and why it is important to manage it effectively.  Tim shares 3 intentional steps that helps Executive Directors better manage the organization's overhead costs. T he Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership: Tim Barnes serves as...

Send a text Board Meetings are something that is part of every Executive Director's routine, be it monthly, quarterly, or twice a year.  These meetings often require a significant amount of preparation and effort. On this episode, somewhat "tongue in cheek", Tim and Nathan share 5 things they hate about Board Meetings...and how they navigate through them.  Both share helpful and pra...

Send a text How do you build a culture of trust and connection among your nonprofit board members, that then leads to better decisions and a more effective board? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss 5 opportunities and actions that can lead to increased trust and better connections among your nonprofit board members.  Increased trust and better connections often make for a more effecti...

Send a text Communicating the impact of your organization to donors of all stripes, as well as other interested parties, is so important.  An Annual Report is a great way to do that. So what goes into an Annual Report?  How long should it be?  When should it be done?  And who should see it? On this episode, Tim and Nathan answer those questions and share about their own organizations' annual...

Send a text Audits are not the most exciting topic to address but they are an important aspect that nonprofit leaders need to be aware of and understand how they work. On today's episode, Tim and Nathan talk about 3 basic types of financial assessment that is available to a nonprofit and how to decide which one is best for your organization.  They also answer questions like... why do I need a...

Send a text Today is the final episode in the series on Fundraising Strategies.  Listen in as Tim and Nathan highlight key takeaways and insights from the Fundraising Strategies series.  Then follow along as Nathan suggests 5 practical steps to help a small community based nonprofit go from a revenue of $50,000 to $100,00 in revenue. T he Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership: Tim Barnes...

Send a text How can a small nonprofit's online presence become an effective fundraising strategy?  What  practical steps can be taken to raise awareness to the work that the organization is doing? What are the benefits and challenges in online fundraising?  On this episode, we are joined by Christina Edwards , Founder of Splendid Consulting and a marketing expert and coach who helps ambitious...

Send a text Family Foundations.  Community Foundations.  Corporate Foundations.  Government Funding.  All sound like great opportunities to help fund your organization and its important mission.  But was does it take to go after that grant? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan explore the world of grants as a source of funding for your nonprofit organization.  Sharing from their personal experi...

Send a text According to a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals FEP report 88% of dollars come from 12% of your donors .   Can even a small nonprofit, intentionally work to develop a major gifts program focused on this 12%? In this episode,  Tim and Nathan dive into a discussion on developing a major gifts focus at a small nonprofit.  Nathan helps executive directors consider whether th...

Send a text Planned Giving.    What is it?  Often associated as a strategy of large nonprofits. could it also be an untapped resource for smaller nonprofits? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss planned giving as a fundraising strategy.  Nathan shares 3 ways to discern whether planned giving is right for your organization, provides both the benefits and challenges of this strategy, and...

Send a text As one of the most common nonprofit fundraising strategies, how do you know if Events is right for your organization? What are 3 common mistakes nonprofits make when implementing Events as a fundraising strategy? In this episode, Tim and Nathan dive into the positives and challenges of raising funds through  Events, including some ideas on how to use them effectively and whether "...

Send a text How do you know if Direct Mail is a fundraising strategy that is right for your organization? Today's episode kicks off a series of podcasts focused on Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofit organizations.  On this episode, Nathan relies on his years of experience to help you understand the" ins and outs" of direct mail fundraising...and provides practical insights to know...

Send a text Today's episode is part 2 of our focus on teams.  As we said last week: Good teams are essential for effective nonprofit work.  And it is the leader's responsibility to lead the team to effectiveness. In this episode,   Tim and Nathan look at 5 Characteristics of a good team.  Referencing Patrick Lenceoni's book, The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team ,  and sharing from their own...

Send a text What's your best team experience?  Why was it so good?  Good teams are essential for effective nonprofit work.  And it is the leader's responsibility to lead the team to effectiveness. In today's episode,  Tim and Nathan start a two-part series focused on leading teams.  The focus today is characteristics of dysfunctional and ineffective teams.  Referencing Patrick Lence...

Send a text A headline in Forbes magazine, February 2020, stated that 45% of Nonprofit employees were planning to seek a new job by 2025.  One of the reasons that employees choose to seek new employment is due to working for a "bad boss". In today's episode, Tim and Nathan look at 3 traits of bad bosses and suggest some alternative ways of leading their teams.  Traits discussed are:...

Send a text How does one become the "Architect" of your own life?  And how can one do that as a nonprofit leader, leading their organization? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan share part 2 of their interview with Rob Hatch , co-founder and President of Owner Media group.   Rob is also the author of Attention!: The power of simple decisions in a distracted world. Rob continues to sh...

Send a text So many demands on your time and decisions to make.   How does one get everything done and experience leadership success as a Nonprofit Executive Director? On today's episode, Tim and Nathan share part 1 of their interview with Rob Hatch , co-founder and President of Owner Media group.   Rob is also the author of Attention!: The power of simple decisions in a distracted world. Rob...

Send a text How will you fund your organization this year?  Do you have a Fundraising Plan for 2022? Speaking from his more than 20 years of nonprofit fundraising, Nathan Ruby provides some insights into building a fundraising plan for your organization.    Nathan shares what a fundraising plan is and where to start if you don't have a plan.  Plenty of practical steps are shared in this episo...

Send a text Do you anticipate a successful year for your nonprofit in 2022? What have actions have you taken to put success in your way? Sharing from their own respective experiences,  Tim and Nathan discuss 5 questions to consider as you launch into 2022  These questions should lead to action that can put you on the road to a successful and impactful year...even if circumstances and expectations...