Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

76: Fundraising During A Perfect Storm (Chris Carnie)   SUMMARY How do you fundraise during a perfect storm?  Nonprofit leaders are challenged in numerous ways right now, and face uncharted territory in terms of the fundraising environment in which they must operate.  While Chris Carnie’s work originates primarily in the UK and Spain, he brings a global perspective to not only the elements of the...

75: How to Engage Your Community Through Nonprofit Leadership (Stacy Sumner Jesso)  SUMMARY Perhaps you are considering a move between nonprofit sectors, or even moving to an entirely different community to advance your career.  As a nonprofit leader, these are transitions you’ll likely manage along your journey, and you may also be helping navigate such a transition for someone who joins your tea...

74: 4 Ways to Make Your Virtual Fundraiser More Successful (Jenni Hargrove) SUMMARY Every nonprofit is planning - or pondering - some sort of virtual fundraising event. Either adapting a previous live model, or trying something online for the first time. How confident are you in your design and potential for success?  If a virtual fundraising event is in your future, Episode #74 of the Path Podcas...

73: What Nonprofit Leaders Must Do to Support Their Teams (Valerie Williams)     SUMMARY  The year 2020 has reminded nonprofit leaders of two significant issues they must manage to succeed: diversity, equity & inclusion and the mental health of their teams and themselves. This can be a tall order when combined with everything else leaders in the charitable sector must face.  Fortunately, our g...

72:  What Can a Mastermind Do for Your Nonprofit Leadership? ( Patton McDowell ) SUMMARY What is a mastermind, and how could it help you on your nonprofit leadership journey?  In episode #72 of the Path Podcast, Patton provides some history on the mastermind concept, and explains how PMA has adapted the model to best serve nonprofit leaders. He explains the characteristics that best describe succe...

71: Bringing A Global Perspective to Nonprofit Leadership (Jennifer Garner)    SUMMARY How do you incorporate all of your previous nonprofit leadership experiences in a way that strengthens your current work?   Jennifer Garner has built an impressive resume on the way to her current position at the University of Denver, including international advancement work at two institutions in the United Kin...

70: 7 Strategies to Drive Sustainable Change (Dyisha Reliford)   SUMMARY The ability to manage change must be part of your toolkit as a nonprofit leader.  After starting her career with Teach for America in Chicago, Dyisha Reliford continued to learn from her successful corporate, community and nonprofit experiences to formulate the essential steps to managing change. Her study led to a wonderfull...

069: National Philanthropy Day: 3 Lessons for Every Nonprofit Leader (Penny Hawkins) SUMMARY While National Philanthropy day provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate charitable giving, volunteer engagement and community spirit, but it also offers an opportunity for nonprofit leaders to strategically evaluate what each category means and how they might implement it within their organization. T...

68: The 3 “C’s” of Nonprofit Leadership (Mike Smith)  SUMMARY Nonprofit organizations add value to communities around the world, and Mike Smith has had the opportunity to see outstanding leadership in the charitable sector in dozens of different countries as well as across the United States. His insight into the key attributes of successful nonprofit leaders led to a fascinating conversation on Ep...

067: Leveraging Technology as a Nonprofit Leader (Kim Lanphear)  SUMMARY While technology may or may not be your area of expertise as a nonprofit leader, current conditions certainly force you to be more proficient. Whether you’re navigating virtual board and staff meetings, trying to deliver your programs in a socially-distant manner, or contemplating your biggest fundraising event now being virt...

66: Maximizing Partnerships for Nonprofit Success (Sabrina Dawson)   SUMMARY How can you create lasting partnerships that not only establish your nonprofit but help it accelerate its growth? That’s exactly what Sabrina Dawson and I discussed in episode #66 of the Path Podcast .  An educator throughout her professional career, Sabrina is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Programs for The Collect...

65: Why You Shouldn’t Start a Charity (Matthew Zachary)  SUMMARY As a cancer survivor and marketing expert, Matthew Zachary approaches most things in life with a very different perspective, including nonprofit leadership.  This approach is provocative and thought-provoking, and is sure to make you think differently about many of the “standards” of nonprofit leadership.  On episode #65 of the Path...

64: How Can We Address Compensation Gaps in the Nonprofit Sector? (Sally Loftis) SUMMARY It’s a cliché to say no one gets into nonprofit work to get rich.  However, if leaders in our sector do not take steps to address the compensation gaps that exist, all of the important work being done will be further diminished by turnover and burnout. In episode #64 of the Path Podcast, Sally Loftis brings a...

63: Confronting Wicked Problems as a Nonprofit Leader (Lynn Fick-Cooper ) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you are likely trying to address “Wicked Problems” every day, social challenges that are systemic in nature and incredibly complex. To help us better address these types of problems, Lynn Fick-Cooper offers a fantastic analysis of these issues, and provides five crucial strategies to address th...

62: What Should We Learn from the Giving USA Report? (Melissa Brown)   SUMMARY You’ve likely seen the numbers each year that represent philanthropic support in the United States through the Giving USA report.  The question is, do you really understand what the numbers mean, and how they apply to you and your nonprofit?  There is no one better suited to help us understand those questions than Melis...

61: 4 Ways to Advance Your Nonprofit Career (Jay Dowd)    SUMMARY What are some practical ways you can advance your nonprofit leadership career? In episode #61 of the Path , South Carolina native Dr. Jay Dowd brings experience from leading four different university fundraising teams to answer that question. He shares the critical advice he learned early in his career from mentors and donors themse...

60: Maximizing The Leadership Trio for Fundraising Success (Theresa Lee)   SUMMARY Theresa Lee has enjoyed an exceptional fundraising career, doing some of her best work in the greater Boston area for institutions like MIT, Boston College and Holy Cross.  Her advice on the critical “leadership trio” (the CEO/Executive Director, the Chief Development Officer and the Board Chair) is not only applica...

59:   5 Keys to Leading Dynamic Virtual Meetings (Lea Williams)   SUMMARY Even before the pandemic, the lack of effective meetings was one of the biggest productivity challenges for many nonprofit organizations.  As a leader, you cannot afford to waste the collective time and talent of your staff, board and key volunteers. To offer practical advice for better meetings - especially in a virtual set...

58: How to Make Nonprofit Leadership Your Dream Job (Carson Tate)  SUMMARY Given the uncertainty we all face right now, it is reassuring to speak with someone like Carson Tate who understands the challenges of maintaining personal and professional balance, as well as the nuances of productivity.  Carson offers great advice and resources for nonprofit leaders in Episode #58 of the Path , starting w...

57: Bringing Authenticity to Nonprofit Leadership (Lisa Baxter)   SUMMARY Like many in the nonprofit sector, Lisa Baxter did not seek a role in philanthropy; the sector quite literally sought her out.  And while the path to nonprofit leadership has not always been accommodating to her, the lessons learned and wisdom gained has helped Lisa not only succeed but also provides valuable advice for othe...

56:  10 Essential Skills & Experiences for Nonprofit Leadership ( Patton McDowell ) SUMMARY This episode of the Path Podcast , #56, includes a top-10 list of the most important skills and experiences necessary for successful nonprofit leadership: Lifelong Learning Plan Personal Organization Leadership Nonprofit/Sector Financial Acumen Spoken Communication Written Communication Listening/Conver...

55: Recalibrating Your Fundraising Strategy as a Nonprofit Leader (Alison Singer) SUMMARY Like most nonprofit leaders, you are likely driven by passion for a cause that is meaningful to you.  Alison Singer is certainly a great example of that drive, but she has also taken her lifelong commitment to serving individuals and families with Autism and turned it into a national nonprofit called the Auti...

54: Building a Leadership Gift Culture at Your Nonprofit Organization (Chris McLeod)  SUMMARY How do you assure your nonprofit is in a position to receive Leadership Gifts ?  Many nonprofit organizations dream of that type transformational donor investment, but fail to put themselves in a good position to receive one.  Chris McLeod knows all about that challenge, and helped co-found the Institute...

53: Building A Legacy Organization Through Nonprofit Leadership (Jeff Michael)  SUMMARY Every nonprofit organization has an upcoming anniversary, whether it’s their first, their 150th, or somewhere in between.  While simply celebrating an anniversary may not help your organization achieve strategic success, it may well provide a unique opportunity to raise awareness of your organization's his...

52: Celebrating Black Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (Valaida Fullwood)  SUMMARY What can your nonprofit do to better engage Black philanthropists?  There is no one better suited to answer the question than Valaida Fullwood , who brings her pioneering experience through Charlotte’s New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP) and its Bold Project , as well as her experience as...