Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

101: How to Energize Your Nonprofit’s Social Media (Dana Snyder) SUMMARY Do you find your nonprofit’s digital marketing strategy is simply reacting to the latest social media craze?  As a nonprofit leader, you’re not alone, and you simply don’t have the time or resources to flounder around in a space that is increasingly important to the engagement of critical friends and donors to your organizati...

100: Leadership Lessons from the First 100 Episodes (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Reaching the 100-episode milestone on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership was a wonderful journey thanks to incredible nonprofit leaders who were willing to share their wisdom and experiences with our listeners. Chris Delisio , our guest on episode #24 on the Path , offered to rejoin the show and interview me about the exp...

099: Moving Through the Pandemic: What Do We Do Now? (Michael Marsicano) SUMMARY As one of the most popular guests on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership , it seems only fitting to bring back Michael Marsicano as the podcast completes its first 100 episodes. On his first visit to the Path ( episode #32 ), Michael raised important questions - and offered key insight - on the role of philanthropy as n...

98: Embracing Kinship as a Nonprofit Leader (Charlie Elberson, Diane Gavarkavich, Whitney Feld)  SUMMARY When a prospective funder asks you how to define success for your nonprofit, how do you answer? It seems like a straightforward question, but it usually leads to the more important question: how do you know if you’ve achieved it ?  These questions lead to a fascinating conversation with Charlie...

97: Nonprofit Leaders: When is it Time to Leave? (Kathy Ridge)   SUMMARY On your path to nonprofit leadership, you will face difficult decisions about whether it is the right time to leave your organization. This decision can be even more difficult if you are the leader of your nonprofit and have dedicated countless hours to the cause and feel genuine concern for its well-being after your departur...

96: Getting a Grip on Uncertainty as a Nonprofit Leader (Gail Bower)   SUMMARY Still feeling a bit paralyzed in your strategic planning given the uncertainty that surrounds us?  This is a perfect time to utilize the talents of a futurist , and that’s exactly the skill Gail Bower brings to episode #96 of the Path Podcast . Gail provides a clear framework to activate your nonprofit’s strategic plann...

95: Adapting Your Plan to Nonprofit Leadership (Bob Carter)   SUMMARY Are you open to new opportunities along the path to nonprofit leadership?  None of us know exactly where our journey will take us, but advice from Bob Carter, the guest on episode #95 of the Path Podcast , will certainly help.  Bob brings four decades of leadership experience in the charitable sector, and leads one of the top ph...

94: Can Nonprofit Leaders Bring An Equity Lens to their Strategic Planning? (Anna Dewar Gully)   SUMMARY Many nonprofit organizations are talking about equality, diversity and inclusion, but are they making genuine progress to support their stated goals?  Making public statements is a start, but incorporating DEI into the fabric of your nonprofit organization requires an intentional strategic plan...

93: Leadership Lessons from The Duke Endowment (Rhett Mabry)   SUMMARY It’s hard not to be impressed by an organization that has contributed over $4 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations since its inception, but that’s exactly The Duke Endowment has done, making it one of the largest 501(c)(3) private foundations in the United States. Equally impressive as the Endowment’s impact on its four...

92: The 4 Stages of Nonprofit Leadership (Ben Mohler)   SUMMARY Where do you fall within the different stages of nonprofit leadership? Our guest in episode #92 of the Path Podcast offers a fascinating view of career development in the charitable sector by breaking it into four distinct stages. Ben Mohler brings extensive experience in higher education leadership as well as his distinction as an AC...

91: Bringing A Business Perspective to Nonprofit Leadership (Laryn Weaver)   SUMMARY Have you contemplated whether your for-profit experience might translate into effective leadership in the charitable sector?  Many nonprofit leaders bring invaluable skills from their for-profit days, but sometimes face barriers in effectively translating those experiences into current nonprofit practice. Laryn We...

90: Can Fractional Leadership Transform Your Nonprofit? (Rocky Cabagnot)   SUMMARY One of the key challenges in nonprofit management is the identification, recruitment and retention of top-tier talent.  This challenge is compounded by budgetary realities that limit your ability to secure individuals with the skills and experience your organization needs, and as a result, critical hiring offers are...

89: How to Accelerate Your Nonprofit Leadership (Men Tchaas Ari)   SUMMARY How do you combine a diverse set of skills, talents and experiences to best position yourself for nonprofit leadership? In episode #89 of the Path Podcast , I explored that exact question with Men Tchaas Ari , who successfully engineered a career path that positioned him for his current role as President & CEO of Commun...

88: How Do You Create a Dynamic Culture as a Nonprofit Leader? (Mary Ward)   SUMMARY Will you be ready for your next opportunity to be a nonprofit leader?  Often the best opportunities occur when you're least expecting them, and you must rely on past experience, great mentors, and simply gut instinct, before you make the move. This type of opportunity occurred for Mary Ward , our guest in epi...

87: What Questions Should Nonprofit Leaders Be Asking? (Tosha Anderson)   SUMMARY Nonprofit leadership requires a wide range of skills and experiences to be successful, but no single leader can manage all of the technical aspects of a growing enterprise without help.  For nonprofit professionals who advance through the program, marketing or fund development side of the organization, the thought of...

86:   3 Entrepreneurial Skills Nonprofit Leaders Must Learn (Matt Larson)   SUMMARY There is much to be learned between the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and many nonprofit leaders are elevating their organizations through creative and entrepreneurial tactics. Matt Larson is a wonderful resource on exactly that type of mindset, as he’s been wildly successful in both the tech and software indus...

85:   How Can Nonprofit Leaders be More Authentic Fundraisers? (Jennifer Harris)   SUMMARY Fundraising is one of the most important - but often dreaded - functions you have to contemplate as a nonprofit leader. You clearly believe in the mission of your organization, yet fundraising often feels disconnected and transactional.  How do you get more comfortable assuring your nonprofit has the funding...

84:   4  Keys to Building A Global Nonprofit (Elizabeth Hausler)   SUMMARY Are you pondering nonprofit leadership among multiple career options?  That’s exactly what Elizabeth Hausler considered before she started the global nonprofit Build Change in 2004, and she offers a fascinating review of her leadership journey and the many lessons learned on Episode #84 of the Path Podcast . These lessons,...

83: Maximizing Advocacy to Fulfill Your Mission (Karen Lee)   SUMMARY Managing a nonprofit organization requires a variety of skills and experiences to succeed, and a leader can certainly be consumed by simply keeping their organization in motion.  The best nonprofits, however, commit to a vision the exceeds the direct impact of their programs and services but also seeks to positively influence th...

82:   4 Things They Don’t Teach You About Nonprofit Leadership (Martyn Drake)   SUMMARY How do you look at profitability as a nonprofit leader?  Our sector’s leadership often grapples with conflicted emotions about running their nonprofit “more like a business” despite the fact it is a business and needs to employ critical revenue-generating practices to assure long-term sustainability.  In episod...

81: 3 Ways Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way (Kris Putnam-Walkerly)   SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you have multiple responsibilities to manage and often limited time to adjust to changing circumstances (case in point: 2020!).  Complicating this leadership challenge are often self-imposed barriers that nonprofit leaders need to understand and avoid.  In episode #81 of the Path Podcast , Kri...

80: How to Attract Young Professional Talent to Your Nonprofit (Kamber Parker)   SUMMARY As more young professionals look to the nonprofit sector as an attractive option for their career path, Executive Directors and other senior leaders are eager to recruit and retain the best and brightest to join their organizations. In episode #80 of the Path Podcast , I had a great conversation with Kamber Pa...

79: Is Co-Leadership Right for Your Nonprofit? (Alicia Winckler & Alan Mather)   SUMMARY What is Co-Leadership and how could it elevate your nonprofit to the proverbial next level ?  In episode #79 of the Path Podcast , I had a great conversation with Alicia Winckler and Alan Mather , two talented individual leaders who have embarked on a co-leadership model for the Chicago-based Golden Apple...

78:  5 Ways to Build Your Nonprofit Leadership Plan (Patton McDowell ) SUMMARY In episode #78 of the Path Podcast , Patton offers a coaching session to help you find 5 Ways to Build Your Nonprofit Leadership Plan . How do you effectively conduct a personal annual review ?  How do you build your personal board of directors ?  How do you curate content given the volume of data coming at you? How do...

77: How to Recruit and Engage Stellar Board Members (Karen Eber Davis)   SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, two topics are always on the top of your list of strategic priorities.  First, how do I recruit and engage great board members?   And second, how do I create a sustainable and dynamic fundraising that secures my nonprofit for the future?   In episode #77 of the Path Podcast, I had a great conver...